1 April, 2009 -- April Fool -- or not

No fooling, the poinsettia plant that Kathy sent home with me back in January, when it only FELT like spring, is putting out red leaves! That's only supposed to happen at Christmas time.
I know, April is for showers, May is for flowers. But, hey...

31 March, 2009 -- Some progress

The bowling alley is making some progress... now there are some pool tables set up.
There will be a restaurant and theater later.
This is the old Wal-Mart/Fred's/Town & Country Supermarket building.
It's a bigbigbig building.

30 March, 2009 -- Decisions, decisions...

OK. Do I want subtle soft colors?

Or more bold colors?

Or do I want to go really splashy with colors?


Couldn't decide, so I didn't buy any.


I watched a pigeon try to nest in that little opening that I left on underside of the roof. OK, now I'll get that can of expanding foam and fill up the gaps. As soon as the wind quits blowing 30 mph.

29 March, 2009 -- Pigeon war continues

Look up... Pigeon proofing, with styrofoam blocks. No more room for nests. I'm such a lousy hunter, I have to chase them off instead of making pigeon soup. I've been tearing down nests for a month.

Look up... Starlings filled all the nooks and crannies. I plugged up the holes with styro blocks.

Look down... Look how long my legs are!


Spring? Finally? The wild violets are abloom, as are old faithful dandies.

28 March, 2009 -- Wind, cold, drizzle - not spring

Getting behind on photos. Pushing papers today.
Windy today, rattling roof (what's left of it). And it sort of tried to snow.
Spring has regressed back into pre-spring.

27 March, 2009 -- From the roof

Bang bang bang bang bang
I finally climbed the big ladder and removed one last sheet metal screw,
freeing the legion of carpenters who were hammering on the roof all day.
You can't imagine how much noise that makes from the inside!



In one week, the grass has grown so much, it now needs mowing.
That's the last remaining part of the roofing. I expected it to be
gone this morning after wind and rain, but it's still there.

26 March, 2009 -- I flew today. The roof flew Monday.

I took a bunch of aerials today, as the weather is turning bad for a few days. Took some pics of our newly departed three year old roof that blew off Monday while we were in Iowa. No house damage, as the original roof was still ok. Had to adjust the tarp over a potential leaky place.
Nice mess.
Larry and the next door neighbor put up the tarp and gathered up some of the debris.
Owe them a steak supper!
Wind is picking up tonight, and I can hear those loose pieces rattling. It's gonna get worse in the next few days. And we're supposed to get snow.
I'm just glad I wasn't here to hear it tear off.


Little bitty airport resident... rescued from the little Bitty airport resident kitty.
Isn't he cute? He was very tame, probably traumatized. I turned him loose in the
grass after Lloyd locked up the kitties for the night.

25 March, 2009 -- John Wayne

Waall, hold it right thar, Pilgrum!

Lloyd and I detoured a little bit on the way home, visited Winterset, Iowa, southwest of Des Moines. We found the John Wayne birthplace, house and museum, gift shop.


Then, in a city park, there is one of the famed Bridges of Madison County. It was built in 1870, and moved from a few miles north of Winterset to the park in 1970. Next time we come to Iowa, I want to track down the rest of the bridges. There's a lot of grafiti inside, but the structure is very interesting.


And here's something you don't see very often.

24 March, 2009 -- Went out to the movies

Haircut! Finally, it's only been about six months. Fonda and I shopped
in Ames this afternoon. Staples, Big K, Hobby Lobby, Wild Bird Shop, etc.
The guys all stayed home - no, no no shopping for us.

LAD & G'pa worked on the training wheels, so the rear
wheel wouldn't slip on the tile floor.




Fonda & Randy & I went to Ames tonight to see "Gran Torino", while
G'pa Lloyd stayed home with LAD. No, no no we didn't ride a bike. This
was yesterday, Fonda & LAD. Cell phone picture.

This video is off my blackberry. I finally found software that would
decode the blackberry format into something common for the computer.
This was yesterday's shopping trip, LAD got new shoes.

23 March, 2009 -- Iowa Science Center

New hat, from J & J & J & J in MO.




While Lloyd took his ag test for Iowa, LAD and Fonda and I visited the Science Center of Iowa in Des Moines. What a day! Imax theater, "Under the Sea". Star Theater, "Cardboard Rocket Ship" to all the planets. This is the "ball wall".

That's LAD, then Fonda's ear, and G'ma Airplane. We are wierd.


Played on all the fun exhibits, and then LAD got a new pair of shoes.