SUNDAY IN THE COUNTRY

Beautiful white cloud in the blue sky made our drive to Hermann in the T-bird (with the top down) so pleasant. The temperature was in the mid 80s which made it very comfortable while letting our hair blowing in the wind.

We know we should enjoy the comfortable sunny weather before the extreme heat wave comes back. Autumn will soon follow and the long winter will soon arrive (it is always long when you are confined inside because of the snow and freezing temperature). The bright side is only 55 more days until the NHL 2011-2012 season begins - are you counting?

A BEAUTIFUL WORLD

A few weeks ago, my husband alerted me when he saw a yellow finch in our backyard. I only caught a glimpse of its brilliance yellow. The next few days I looked out the kitchen window, anxiously kept watch but "Yan" never came back. (I came up with the name "Yan" as a Finnish name for baby boy - it is perfect for a male yellow finch, don't you agree?) Hey QQ, are you impressed with my "punstering", finch = Finnish?

I went to a local Wild Bird Marketplace and bought the above feeder and a pound of "yummy food". The young lady at the store was very helpful, and she assured me that "Yan" and his friends will be visiting. I am very pleased to report that I have enjoyed many hours of "bird watching" since we put the feeder out under our patio. That was "Yvette" in the above photo. I learned that the male finch has bright yellow overall, black wings with white edging, black cap and forehead, pinkish orange, pointed and conical bill. The female, Yvette, has dull yellow (that is so unfair), dark, blackish wings with wingsbars and lack of streaking.

This little bird was checking out the "Communication Condominium" but decided not to sign the lease. We might have to hold another open house and lower the price. Perhaps we could add sports program including NHL Center Ice as an incentive to close the sale! (It would be difficult for me to get inside the mailbox to watch hockey games - haa haa).

The meeting on Tuesday, June 14th went well. I was calm and maintained a high level of professionalism. I felt good for standing up and defended my dignity and honor. I challenged the leadership to show that they are educated, smart business people of good characters, high values and will do what is right and honorable.It was a special treat when we saw the above red bird. Was it red-billed firefinch? Or cassin's finch?

I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I did (taking the photos and sharing these images with my faithful readers - haa haa).

I continued to attend daily morning Masses. (Fr. CD inspired me with his homily that instead of giving up something during Lent, we should be doing more like attending daily Masses.) I prayed for strength. (I don't pray, "God, please get that son of a B!{&#".) I don't want to be bitter or revengeful. My former boss in Michigan told me that "revenge often leaves a hallow victory". I still keep in touch with RJS because I have great respect for him. He is a man of characters, strong faith and he lifts up those around him.

It is a beautiful world and I am reminded that we should not let a few "rotten apples" ruin what is good. I am grateful for the support from my family, friends and even from those I never met (thanks, Alisa - http://www.alisajoy.blogspot.com/ for your kind words). I will be stronger and wiser.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Back in April, I wrote about the robins (April and George) building a nest under our front porch. April would yell at us for disturbing her children when we went in and out of our house. I posted photos of the beautiful blue eggs and April's cute "kids" after the eggs hatched. My husband did not appreciate that after living "under our roof" rent-free and "all the worms" they could eat, the whole family left without a word of appreciation. It was worse that they left "stinky marks" all over our freshly painted porch. CP removed the nest, cleaned the area around it but a week later, CP found a few straws that looked like a foundation for another nest. To deter another "freeloader", CP placed an eagle book-end (top photo) at where previous nest was built.

We thought the eagle book-end was a clever idea! A few days later, we were surprised when we found a nest with two beautiful blue eggs (above photo) in the flower basket (photo below). The location of the nest was even closer to our front door compared to the previous location (enlarge the photo and you will see the eagle book-end where the other nest was built). Now we would be yelled at by the mother when we coming out and going into our house, and also we have to be extra careful when we water the flower basket. (It is getting to be more like "eminent domain" where the government taking away private property for the benefits of public interests.)Compared to April and George, May and Garry were much more aggresive and confrontational. A&G would fly away and yelled at us from the tree. M&G after flying away, would swoop back in an intimidating manner, while we walked from the front door to the driveway. Even when I already got into my vehicle, the bird would swoop by the car door, continuing to holla, "Get away from my kids. Or I am going to kick your sorry @$#!".

It got worse after the eggs were hatched. M&G increased their offensive tactics, flying low and in a ready-to-attack formation. One time, it swoop by my ear as I was standing between the glass door but did not open the main entry door quick enough to get inside. The neighbors must have a good laugh watching me "arguing" with the robins, "Who asked you to build your nest so close to our front door? This is my house and my flower basket. I am not afraid of you and your kind."

The only nice thing about the nest in the flower basket was the good photos I was able to take. When M&G were not around, CP took the basket down so I could take close up images. May also produced four eggs, just like her cousin, April. We did not take photos of the chicks out of respect for their "privacy". We watched and saw two baby birds screaming for food. Then we noticed that M&G were not around the next few days. Sadly, when we finally took the basket down and looked inside, we found a dead chick. We burried it in the backyard. What happened to the other chicks will be turned over to "Cold Case" detectives for further investigation.

MORE NEW LIFE (THE HARD WORKING RABBIT)

Roxanne (above photo) has been working very hard digging (photos below) preparing a place for her babies.

From the windows in my home office, I watched Roxanne moving the dirt, stuffing layers of grass inside the nest and testing to make sure there is enough room for all the little bunnies she is about to give birth. (Does rabbits know in advance how many little bunnies were going to be born?)

I mentioned to my husband about Roxanne so he would be careful when cutting grass around her nest.

I told my sister about Roxanne. CH said she look forward to sitting in the patio, relaxing and watching the little bunnies running around the backyard. Country living at its best :)

NEW LIFE (THE SILLY ROBINS)

We had a wonderful Easter despite the threat of severe weather, the gloomy sky and the heavy rain. On Saturday morning (April 23rd), my husband drove to the local Polish grocery in downtown St. Louis to get the traditional kielbasa (Polish sausage). There is still a small Polish community there but the area is not a desirable neighborhood. To ease my worry, CP told me not to worry because "the bad guys are still sleeping and not causing any trouble so early in the morning"!
After CP safely home, we enjoyed breakfast that included eggs, a slice of the kielbasa and the babka (the traditional Polish Easter sweet bread that has raisin and fruit). We spent the day relaxing, eating and taking nap (and watching Stanley Cup playoffs games). We decided to attend 7:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday (April 24th) so we could get "good seats" and don't have to stand because at later Masses would be crowded with those "once-a-year" churchgoers.

We again spent Easter Sunday relaxing, eating and taking nap (and watching more Stanley Cup playoffs games).

A few weeks ago we noticed a bird nest was being built under the roof of our front porch. (There was no eggs when Qaptain Qwerty was here.) I was able to take a photo of the eggs (four beautiful blue shells) while my husband held up the mirror (one of his tools for checking under the cars). Yesterday we found out (while the mother was elsewhere getting food, i.e. worms) there were two little robins and two eggs that have not yet been hatched (bottom photo).

Because the nest is in the front porch, every time when we go out or get back into the house, the silly robin (I named her April) would fly away to the tree next to the garage (top photo). Lately she made lot of noise while flying away, like saying, "You hockey maniac, don't you dare touching my children."

My husband said he heard April yelled at her husband (George) for building the nest where too much traffic. George responded that the reason he chose our front porch because there are two cool cars, the T-bird and the Mustang!

"Feed me, feed me, I am hungry", the little robins screaming for more worms. Would you like to name these babies?

TUESDAY TWO - AMERICAN FLAGS

Here is one more photo from Golden Eagle Country Store. The American flags in front of the store are perfect for this week Tuesday Two post.
At the city council meeting last night, I was again approached by a councilperson that I would consider being on the ballot in next year municipalitities election in April. Candidates filing would take place the second week in December. I responded that I would think about it. It was not the first time I was asked. Other people has requested that I would serve on the city council.

The person thought I would be a good "councilman" since I don't have a personal agenda. He added that he has observed my positive contribution when I served on the Comprehensive Planning and how I made decisions based on facts and careful evaluation at Board of Adjustment hearings. I was flattered yet not ready to make the commitment.

I wonder how much changes would come from the outcomes of last week's midterm election. How many legislators came into the offices they were elected without personal agenda and really wanted to serve the people? How many promises were just campaign slogans and would be broken once the election was over? What will it take for regular citizens (like you and me) to step up and agree to be public servants? What will it take to get our country back to be that shining beacon, the respect we earned (not bowing to kings and emperors), prosperity from our hard work (not handouts from the government) and individual responsibilities?

FIRST WEEK (WEEKEND) IN NOVEMBER

Regular readers probably wonder if I am getting commission from the Grafton Chamber of Commerce or the Tourism Bureau there since I have been writing so much about the town. We really enjoyed our visit and you could tell we like taking the ferry across the Mighty Mississippi River. Last Sunday (October 31st) after we got off the Grafton Ferry, we drove to Golden Eagle (what a wonderful name for the town) and took the Golden Eagle Ferry to St. Charles, Missouri.

We stopped by the Golden Eagle Country Store (the cute little post office next to the store was closed at the time) before getting on the ferry. Step inside the store and you would be transported back to the past. The soda fountain in the middle of the store serving homemade ice cream (only three simple flavors, chocolate, strawberry and vanilla – no 36 flavors here). Merchandise (many items are stored in wooden barrels) scattered around with limited quantity (no piling up to the ceiling as in giant retail stores). In the back, a restaurant with lunch counter and about three tables, just enough to serve the local folks.

After a busy month of October, we decided not to plan any activities for the first weekend of November. We also wanted to relax before the holiday rush. CP still went out early to play 9-hole golf, then took care of blowing the leave, cleaning the yards and getting items out from the shed, ready for the winter. We turned the clock back but did not feel the extra hour producing additional rest to our aging bodies. After Sunday Mass, we visited a parishioner in the hospital. The lady was sleeping when we arrived. We wrote a note to let her know we were there.

I could not resist capturing the image of this person (I asked for permission to take his photo and he agreed) on a motorcycle, the American flag on the backpack, a sticker on the front of the bike reads “John 3:16” "For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

TUESDAY TWO - BICYCLISTS ALONG ILLINOIS ROUTE 100

I thought of QQ, www.qaptainqwerty.com, when I saw these two bicyclists along the Bike Trail during our Sunday drive in Grafton, Illinois.

From www.Greatriverroad.com, "The Vadalabene Trail is approximately 20 miles of level paved trail that parallels the Great River Road and the center portion of the Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway. The trail is named after Sam M. Vadalabene, an Illinois State Senator and proponent of the trail. Riders, walkers, and joggers will see prairie wildflowers along the trail as well as flowering trees during the spring. Brilliant reds, yellows and oranges compliment the scenery in the fall. For those willing to brave the elements in the winter months should be able to see Bald Eagles soaring over the river and bluffs, or floating down the river on chunks of ice."
Hey, Qap, does it sound entice enough for you to visit this neck of the woods?

GRAFTON, ILLINOIS

Taking advantage of the nice cool yet sunny weather, my husband cleaned the carpet in the kitchen and family room using the steamer we purchased five years ago. Since we don’t have kids or pets and shoes are taken off once we are inside, the carpet only needs to be vacuumed weekly and cleaned twice during Spring and Fall cleaning. We steam cleaned the entire house in the Spring. On Saturday, while my husband cleaned the carpet and gathered the leave to the front yard for pick up (the City provides the service at no charge), I decided to make a visit to the mall. Regular readers know that I don’t care to spend time shopping. I could count on one hand how many times I went to the nearby malls in the last 5 years. Last week we got new mobile phones. And of course, now we had to get accessories such as carrying case for my husband and gel skin for both phones. I visited a few clothing stores but did not find any sweaters that I really liked (actually I did not want to pay full price). I usually make purchases at the end of the season when the items are placed on the clearance racks. I got a few more hand lotions to take care of the dry skin in the winter.

On Sunday, we drove to Grafton, Illinois for a 2nd visit. We heard of Grafton and its famous eagle watching but never paid a visit. During the Poker Run, we did not have time to really enjoy the town but we loved the beautiful scenery along the river, the limestone bluffs and the charm of its Main Street. Now we could not stay away! Grafton is definitely on our list for weekend roadtrips.

From the official website, http://www.enjoygrafton.com/, “Located near the convergence of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers - Grafton, Illinois is a little town steeped in history. Grafton was founded in 1832 by a man named James Mason. Grafton is the oldest city in Jersey County. The area was being settled as early as 1812. The population reached 10,000 people in the 1850’s. Grafton, Illinois boasts a handful of ghost stories, the most famoushaunted site is the Ruebel Hotel.”

We had a nice home cooking lunch at the Ruebel Saloon. How fitting to listen to a ghost story about this place on Halloween.

“The hotel was built by Michael Ruebel in 1879 where it became the largest commercial hotel in Jersey County . It had 32 rooms with a bath house in the back and mainly played host to river travelers. Room rates at that time were $1.00 per day. The hotel thrived until it caught fire in 1912. As stories have been told the ghosts of the Ruebel Hotel remain. Many guests have spoken and seen a little girl ghost named, “Abigail”. Her presensce is still known and felt to this very day. Pictures that have been taken by several guests show orbs in many different places of the hotel recently.”

“In the heart of Grafton history is the Ruebel Hotel. The Ruebel was built in 1879, caught fire on 1912 and was rebuilt and renovated in 1997. The Ruebel Hotel has a magnificently restored bar from the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.”

This building used to be Grafton Bank. It is now a specialty shop selling leather and accessories to bikers (sorry, Qaptain Qwerty, for motorcycles, not bicycles).

Below is one of the many fine arts and crafts shops along Main Street.

TUESDAY TWO - THE GREAT PUMPKINS

These photos were from a recent BBQ Bash. After taking photo of the two giant pumpkins, I thought the smaller pumpkins lining on the ground looked like they were "sincere" pumpkins. I also thought I could send the photo below of my shadow at the corner to Linus van Pelt (of the Peanuts gang) and tell him that the Great Pumpkin has visited. Perhaps Qaptain Qwerty knows where I could forward the photo to the young Linus.

BENJAMIN SAYS "HAY"

Last weekend we made our 3rd trip to Oklahoma City. We missed a few attractions (downtown Tulsa, Totem Pole Park, etc.) the first time in October 2009. During our westward trip in July this year, we were trying to get to California so we kept on driving and on the returned trip we were so tired after driving more than 4,000 miles, we again could not make time to see the Golden Driller in downtown Tulsa.

This time, our trip started on Friday, October 15th, driving to Springfield, Missouri after we both got off work. We spent the night at a budget motel. The room was clean and comfortable, just what we needed for an overnight accommodation.

We got on the road around 7:00 a.m. and took I-44 into Galena, Kansas. This time we made time to stop by the famous Eisler Bros. Grocery and Deli in Riverton. Of course, CP has to take a few more photos of the T-bird at the Rainbow Bridge in Baxter Springs. We were hungry and decided that it would be a good time for lunch at Café on the Route.

We followed Route 66 into Oklahoma but did not make many stops since we already visited most of the attractions from Quapaw to Chelsea. Benjamin was really happy when we finally arrived at the Totem Pole Park in Foyil. (Photos will be in future posts.)

Sadly, the Admiral Twin Drive In Theatre was burned down to the ground early this month. There was a fundraising event that day but it did not look promising that it would be re-built.

At around 3:30 p.m., we finally drove into downtown Tulsa. We found the Golden Driller, a 76-foot tall sculpture tribune to Tulsa’s oil heritage at 21st Street west of Yale. (Photos in future posts).

We continued on to Red Fork where we stopped for dinner at Ollies’ Station Restaurant. I missed my nephew JL terribly when I saw inside the restaurant all decorated with collection of model trains that were moving around the dining room on tiny tracks suspended from the ceiling. Model trains are displayed on glass shelves around the restaurant. From Ollies’ website, “Ten running trains, from G-scale to Z-scale, run the length of the dining room and through scale model cities and towns. Our walls and shelves abound with railroad memorabilia.” (Hey Qaptain Qwerty, it would be a great road trip next April after the marathon?)

After Red Fork, we got lost for about an hour on a dark 2-lane country road trying to find the giant soda bottle in Arcadia. Just like a typical man, CP would not stop to ask for direction or let me read the EZ 66 guide. Only after I threatened to throw a bucket of yellow paint on his T-bird when we get home, CP agreed to turn around. I took many photos of the 66 foot tall pop bottle illuminated in beautiful colors.

We spent Saturday night in Bricktown, Oklahoma City. The next day, we attended Sunday Mass at St. Paul’s Cathedral in downtown Oklahoma City. The Cathedral is located across the street from the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum honoring the victims of the 1995 bombing.

A trip to Oklahoma City would not be completed without getting a few banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches) from Banh Mi Ba Le at the famous Giant Milk Bottle on Classen. Later, we stopped in Chandler, sat down at a park in front of the courthouse, enjoyed delicious banh mi. It was one of the most wonderful moments of the road trip.

Continued on Route 66, we were glad to find that Seeba Station has been beautifully renovated and is now open as Motorcycles Museum. After a stop at the classic Steaks n’ Shake in Springfield, Missouri, we drove all the way to St. Louis and got home around 8:45 p.m. on Sunday night.

Long time no see, so here is Benjamin again saying “Hay Hay Hay Hay Hay Hay Hay Hay Hay Hay”!

FRIDAY "EAGLE" SKY

It was a nice surprise during the Poker Run after the 2nd stop in Grafton, Illinois, I spotted the scuplture of a native American with an eagle at an entrance to a rather newly built subdivision. The houses are large and sit on decent lots with a great view of the river. I would love to spend the afternoon sitting on the patio, reading a book or just watching the river flowing by.

TUESDAY TWO - LET'S ROW!

(I just realized that this is the 666th entry of this blog. It would have been "spooky" if it happened later on October 31st - Halloween. Or earlier on Friday, August 13th. So what is the significance, TOTA? Nothing! Now you believe me when I wrote that there is a lot of rambling in this silly boring blog of mine.)
While waiting for the Poker Run to start, I walked around the park and took the above photo of two rowing teams passing each other. They must be practicing for the 2011 Dragon Boat Race. Next year, the event is scheduled for Saturday, August 13th. I already signed up to be a volunteer that day.

The information below is from the official website www.gatewaydragonboat.org,
"A dragon boat is a long, narrow canoe-style boat that is used in the team paddling sport of dragon boat racing, a tradition which originated in China over two thousand years ago. Dragon boat races are held as part of the annual Duanwu Festival in China, and the tradition has emerged in the past several decades as an international sport. Dragon boats are so-called because they are typically rigged at their ends with decorative Chinese dragon heads and tails.
The best-known origin story of dragon boat racing is a folk legend about a Chinese statesman and poet by the name of Qu Yuan (c. 340-278 BC). Qu lived during a time in China's history characterized by a collection of warring states rather than a unified kingdom. A descendant of the royal house in the ancient state of Chu, Qu served as a government minister and, as a champion of political loyalty, was eager to preserve Chu autonomy in the shadow of the increasingly hegemonic Qin state. When the Chu king fell under the influence of other, corrupt ministers and decided to ally with Qin, Qu publicly criticized the alliance; for this, he was charged with treason and banished. During his exile, Qu travelled the countryside, collecting legends and writing poetry (producing some of the greatest poetry in Chinese literature, for which he is also remembered), expressing fervent love for his state and concern for its future. In the year 278 BC, Qu's fears were realized when Qin conquered the Chu capital of Ying. Upon learning of this, Qu is said to have waded into the Miluo River holding a great rock in order to commit ritual suicide as a form of protest against the corruption of the day. Folklore has it that the local people, who greatly admired Qu, rushed out on the water in their fishing boats and tried desperately to save him; they beat drums and splashed the water with their paddles in order to keep the fish and evil spirits from his body. Today, people still participate in dragon boat races during the Duanwu Festival to commemorate Qu Yuan."