Week-end happenings

It has been a quiet week-end. I rode the exercise bike yesterday morning, I did laundry and grocery shopping on Saturday.

This morning I increased the exercise bike to 35 minutes.

A few weeks ago, Charlie bought some chicks and 2 ducks. He put the ducks in the pond a couple of days ago, but they ran right back to the chicken park.

Today he let them all out into the yard. The chicks apparently think the large ducks are their parents. They want nothing to do with the big chickens.

















Several years ago I planted some Lily-of-the-Valley on the North side of the house. They have always come up, but I don't think they every had any blooms. This year they are finally blooming.










I am not sure where this little purple one came from, I don't even know what it is, but I thought it was pretty.

A New Blog Venture

Last week, I was talking to a few people that I work with, who are trying to loose weight. They mentioned that it would be nice if a bunch of us could all do it together.

So we started a support group for the library employees. The JDL Fat Dumping Club.
There are 18 people signed up, about 15 % of the employees.

We each put in 5 dollars, the person who looses the highest percentage of weight in 6 months wins the pot.

Each person selects their own diet program, and reports their weight each week.

Since we are in 14 different locations and spread all over Jackson County (700+ square miles), we are communicating and supporting each other through e-mais and a blog I created. Each member of the Club can write in the blog, or send e-mails, to give or receive support.

Today is the first day and we have people who want to loose 18 pounds to some who need to loose over 100. I personally have lost a total of 44 pounds (17.74 percent since December 2007) and 24 (10.53%) in 7 weeks. My goal is to lose 69 more pounds.

Check out the Fat dumping blog for updates

Strange Bluebird behavior

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When we got home from camping on Monday, we had a bluebird fly up to one of the living room windows and sit on the edge of the screen. It would fly away for a few minutes, more like seconds, then come back and sit at the window again.

It doesn't peck it just sits there.

Yesterday Charlie tried closing the blinds, it still sat there.

I haven't seen it this evening, but it has been raining so maybe it found somewhere to stay dry.

It is just very strange.

Camping with Horses

We went camping with Charlie's 4H horse group Memorial Day weekend. The camp ground is small (40 sites), privately owned, right next to a State park so there are 25+ miles of trails for horse back riding.

Update added May 29.
I forgot to tell you that the weekend, did not start very well.
On Thursday Charlie and Kayla, had to take her horse to the vet, and ran over something that blew out a trailer tire. So they put on the spare.
The were working with horses, put one in the trailer, Kayla was driving around the block and got about a mile away when the spare blew. I mean shredded.

On Friday we were on the way to the campground with the camper when a tire blew, again shredded about 5 miles from home.
We had to buy two new tires. those were apparently dry rotted. Now we have to get the other 3 tires replaced and a spare before we go Up North in August.

The campground was full because of the holiday week-end.

There are 27 sites with electricity, and 13 rustic sites, Port-a-johns and no showers. But the port-a-johns are kept really clean.

Charlie would like to go back for a few days when there are not so many people around.

There is a pond for swimming and fishing. One of the kids caught a nice bass.

I walked some of the trails to help set up a “treasure hunt” for the kids to follow on horse back.
It took about and hour and my back did not hurt. Another plus of losing weight.

I think every one had a pretty good time, but I was amazed at how rude and disrespectful some of those kids are. Calling their parents names etc. It probably didn’t help that 3 or 4 of the eight are 13 year old girls.

Camping in a Swamp

Just got home from camping, at Chain of Lakes, in Albion, Indiana. Things did not start well.
I rode down with my sister and her husband, we got a later start than planned because they had some problems with their camper, the slide out wouldn't slide back in and there was a problem with the hitch. It rained most of the way down.

We got there about 5:00 PM, set up as did my nieces and their husbands. One in their camper, one in a tent.

We had dinner, sat around the campfire and it started pouring- it rained HARD all night long.
I slept in my brother's pop-up, which was nice and dry, but a little noisy what with the rain hitting the canvas pop outs and the metal center roof.

This is what we woke up to on Saturday morning.






































I think my nephew will be writing a review of his tent on his outdoor blog, Simply Outdoors

The park rangers did let us change campsites, the rain stopped sometime early afternoon and although it was cold, we managed to hang in.

Sunday morning was beautiful, too bad we had to leave.

But as I have said before, we have to have something to remember our camping trips by this one will be waking up in a swamp.

Dr. Appointment

Had a Dr's appointment this morning- @ 6:30 AM. I got out by 7:00 it's almost a miracle.

Weight: -10 pounds = a total of 33 in a year and 1/2

Blood Pressure 114/60 two weeks ago it was 140/?

Blood sugar has been this week was 131. That was after I ate some blueberries.

Yay

First camp of the season, sort of

My sister and part of her family went camping this weekend, at som property they own. It is within the village limits but is set back off the road behind the houses. They have a pond and have built a pavilion. When your out there it feels almost like you are way out away from everything.

We went out for the day yesterday. The weather was really pretty chilly and it rained on and off all day, but it was an enjoyable day.

A couple of geese landed on the pond, We tried to get the dog, to chase them away, becasue they would rather not have geese nest on the pond and have to deal with all of the droppings. The dog, would have nothing to do with the geese, he would retrieve sticks all day, but not chase the geese.

One of my sisters's daughters and her husband just bought a new camper. They were loving it.


The 19 month old, kept us all busy. He loves being out doors, and anything that has wheels, a moter and moves, the lawn mower, the tracter, the 4 wheeler, even the stroller thingy that is made to pull behind a bike or jog with. He'd set in it and say vroom, vroom while somebody pushed him aroud. Kids are so cute at that age.

I am going camping next weekend with my sister, and brothers, Charlie is not going because he doesn't want to pull the camper 2 weeks in a row, and is too busy with his horses.

Getting our camper ready to go, we are going with Charlie's 4H group on Memorial Day weekend to Waterloo.


The weather today is not real great either, but I did manage to pick some lilacs for the table.


Happy trails... talk to you later.

Buds and blossoms

It was a beautiful day. Temperatures in the 70's, I think, and sunshine.
I went out this evening and took some more pictures.
This is of some of the apple trees in back of the shed.
the center one is full of blossoms, the others are just starting to bloom.







This is one of the lilac bushes They should be blooming in a couple more weeks.












And these are the violets in the front yard

These phlox are in the north side of the house next to the well.












I spent most of the week a t Grand Traverse Resort for the Rural Library conference. The conference was good, as it usually is, I brought back lots of ideas for future programs and such.
Usually they have really good food, rich but very good. Not so much this week. The same salad, 3 meals in a row. the same vegatable for 5 meals. Breakfast one morning fruit and sweet rolls.
the next morning french toast and backed apple with granola topping. The meat was varied, but I found it a little dry. Maybe it is just because I am trying to stick to a diet, but it seems like there was more variety and better preparation at past conferences.

According to my scales I have lost another 2 or 3 pounds.