The Week in Words and Pictures 6/7-6/13

Sunday - This morning, still enjoying that we got to see American Pharoah become a triple crown winner last evening - the 12th in history and the first since we lived here:

Thirty-seven years ago. 1978. Dad had just died and the kids and I moved back to SW Iowa. We were staying with my mother until we found a rental house of our own. Affirmed won the triple crown that year. That's a long time to wait between 3xcrown winners!

Up early enough to take a sunrise photo. Do you see anything in the clouds. Dreamer that I am, I am rarely able to see anything other than interesting clouds.

 I was lucky enough to get this picture of iridescent clouds. And this one of a mackerel sky:

 Also known as a buttermilk or clabbered sky. ♫Ole Buttermilk Sky, I'm keeping my eye peeled on you....♫

There were so many cottonwood seeds in the air today it looked like it was snowing. That's the white cottonwood fluff showing in the corner of the pond as I was trying to get a late evening picture of the red-headed woodpecker on the tree.

Monday - Swept out the garage while Bud was at the Y. When he got home he decided today was the day:

Power washing the house and deck. He 'let' me do the patio area. All in preparation for:

Tuesday - Up early and ready to go, even though a little stiff and sore from yesterday.

My job was to do the railing and posts while Bud rolled the floor. We started around 7 a.m. and were done by 9 a.m. Good thing as the temperature and humidity were rising rapidly. If it doesn't rain, the second coat will go down in a couple days.

Finally bought some basil and got the last of the herbs planted in our old rural route mailbox. --A memory from my childhood - the mailbox was down at the corner then and the lid was hard to close. Betty & I rode old Queenie down to get the mail one summer day. We sidled her up to the box, withdrew the mail, and the lid stuck open. I finally got it to slam shut, the noise of which startled the horse and back she went hell bent for leather up the road headed for the barn. Betty and I both fell off halfway home. I always said I wouldn't have fallen off if Betty hadn't been holding on to me and drug me off! After that we walked down to the corner for the mail!

Wednesday - Up before six. Bud on his way to DSM for his regular 6-mo. check-up at Vets. Got my hair cut.

This is the 'before' taken May 16. And here is the 'after':

Okay. So you don't see much difference. Guess I should have shown a photo of the back of my head. I believe it is what in my Mother's day would have been called shingled. Anyway, I can tell the difference and I like it.

Thursday - Woke up early - to rain. No second coat going on the deck any time soon.

But I do love the way the water puddles on it now.

Great time for some cloud shots.....

Is that spot a bird?

Not what the farmers needed, but another 3+ inches of rain today.

Friday - Ahh, a day of R&R. Took my car to my cousin in Corning for a new exhaust system. My chum from high school days picked me up there and off we went to Stanton.

The famous Swedish Coffee Pot water tower has been taken down and moved to the grounds of the Swedish Heritage and Cultural Center, aka, Old Main school. This building is the oldest public building still in use in Montgomery County.
It was the first time I had driven around Stanton for several years. Two things stood out - the nice parks and paths system and the fact that there are now a few houses in The Little White City that aren't white! I did not think that was allowed. The times they are a changin'.

Ellen and I went out to Viking Lake to celebrate her birthday with lunch lakeside at Deb's Lake View Restaurant.

There were two bathing beauties preening on the beach. I remember many trips to this beach when it was new. Betty and I took our little sons, Mike & Doug, there numerous times to play in the sand and water.

On the way out of Corning, I stopped at Lake Binder. After all the rain I wondered how much water there would be going over the spillway.

I still remember when heavy rains in the mid 60's almost washed out the spillway and endangered the dam and lake.

Saturday - I want to call this picture "Dew on the Dill".

But in reality it is from a light early morning shower.

Lily's lilies this morning. Yesterday there was only one in bloom. I counted at least sixteen buds on them this year.

I call these Lily's lilies because we were all given a pot of this plant three years ago at my granddaughter's baby shower in Minneapolis. Alyssa already knew she was going to have a little girl and that baby's name would be Lily. Such a nice remembrance of that lovely day and my great-granddaughter.

Too wet to paint and Bud was in the mood to work. Time to clear all those saved boxes out of the garage. I forgot to take a picture until we were almost two-thirds done.

The trunk of my car was full. And off to the recycling center.

A final sweep.  And this is the week that was.