The Family

Becky just posted new photos on Shutterfly! Here's the gang. That is Chase in the middle. I can hardly believe how big he's gotten. And talking to him on the phone...who is that man with the deep voice? Surely it can't be my little Punky?? Travis is sitting on a stump, so Chase really isn't taller than his dad. But he is taller than Becky! This looks like it could become a Christmas card photo, don't you think?

PS...you'll want to check back in the next couple of days. I'll be making a BIG announcement!

Sounds of Summer

Right around mid-afternoon it begins....the cicada chorus! Can you hear them? When it's cool enough to have the AC off and the windows open, the sound of the cicadas fills the house. Sometimes they're so loud I even have to turn up the volume on the TV. Heck, I can hear them now and the house is closed up tight against the heat. Are you wondering about the foggy appearance of the video? That's the humidity that condensed on my camera lens in the few minutes I was outside. My glasses fogged over as well. It's definitely summer in Iowa!

The Office Is Open

Remember when you were in high school and took all those interest and aptitude tests to help you figure out what you wanted to do when you grew up? Even though it was a long time ago, I remember like it was yesterday. We took tests and answered many questionnaires. Someone evaluated the answers (no computers back then...how did we ever survive?) and in a couple of weeks we got the results back. Lots of information in both narrative and graph form. I loved looking at the bar graphs. My bars for both scientific and artistic interest/aptitude were very high...in the high 90th percentile. There were several bars in the middle and one tiny bar for mechanical ability. There was one empty spot. I asked my teacher if this was an error...there was no bar in the clerical/secretarial slot. "No," he said, "that isn't an error. Your interest and aptitude in that area are so low, you didn't even show up on the graph!"

OMG! so why am I working here in the church office this week?? The regular secretary is on vacation and she asked for volunteers to sit in her chair. Silly me...I said 'why not?' I'm halfway through my assignment and so far, no one has yelled at me or asked me to do anything hard. I figure I'm safe as long as I don't have to file anything or figure out the computer, the postage machine, the copier that does everything except write your text, the safe, the fire alarm system or call the repair guys if the roof leaks! Anyone...even me....is capable of answering the phone with a smile. I do have the interest and aptitude for that!

Frogs Everywhere!

It's been SO wet! I see at least one or two of these frogs stuck to my house or windows almost every morning and evening. This little guy was on my front picture window last night. It was kind of interesting to see what his bottom side looks like. Those round toenail-like things are suction cups that enable him to cling to glass and the house siding. I'm not sure why they keep climbing on the house...maybe trying to get out of the wet flowers?

Gorilla What?

Gorillapod! Only the handiest little piece of photography equipment in the world! I first heard of these little tripods this May when I went to Montana. Travis bought one for Becky as a Christmas gift. I was amazed when I saw it. Becky has a big SLR multi-lens Canon, and the Gorillapod worked perfectly for her. Surely it would work as well on my little Canon point & shoot. Travis said they were cheap...even better. They come in different sizes depending on your camera size. I bought this one at the local camera shop for $21.99. My guess is you could find them a bit cheaper at Target or Wal-Mart. It's little (6 inches), light (under 2 ounces) and flexible. I leave the adaptor attached to my camera so all I have to do is slide the tripod on when I want to use it. Slick!

This is where I 'wrapped' its little legs to attach my camera for yesterday's hair close up. If you click onto the Joby website, you can see lots of ways to use the 'pod and lots of other products they make to let you be 'hands free' in your life.

Going, Going.....

....not quite gone! Just a quick update on the hair growing out process. It's getting there. You can see just a smidge of brown here on the sides. There's also a blob of brown at my crown and in my bangs. Jerry, my hair guy, keeps saying the sides are white; I keep telling him they aren't white, they're silver. I think silver sounds a whole lot sexier than white, don't you? I truly don't see myself as a little old lady with cottony-white hair! The back is totally charcoal/ gray/silver colored now. So another month and the only part that will still be brown will be at the crown...and I can't see that part in the mirror, so it won't bother me at all. I actually kind of like the gray, believe it or not!






Come back tomorrow to see how I captured these close ups.

All is Well

In case you're reading all the online and national news about the massive flooding in Iowa....everything is fine so far at Red Bell Farm! The recent torrential rains have hit areas from Des Moines north; living south, I've avoided most all of it this week. The photos are awful, though, and my heart goes out to those people who have water in their basements, in their cars, and in their businesses. And remember, creeks don't just rise in their water level....they rush and roar and rage. The force of water is so destructive and dangerous. How miserable to be flooded and still have to endure the continuing heat and humidity! It just doesn't seem fair.