Fall and Winter Doings

We at Fernnook have had a busy Fall and start to Winter.  Having Ken and Kenny Joe here have added to the ideas for fun and festivities.  One tradition we started was to enter a Fernnook float in the Doniphan Lighted Christmas Parade.  Somehow we didn't place...but we did have a blast.  Even Grandpa Jerry Martin joined the Potbelly Gnomes as an Honorary Leading Citizen of the Province of Fernnook.  Unfortunately KJ fell off the float.  It was embarrasing for him, but there were no broken bones.  His motto, as it should be, is, "Whatever it takes to get Fernook on the map!"

A few weeks later on Christmas Eve we had our traditional appetizers and gifts.  But, we broke tradition on Christmas Day, and instead of having ham and picnic sides, Ken and Kenny Joe did a reverse sear on some lovely prime rib.  To make the day more perfect, we were blessed with a lovely warm day...the kids had a blast playing kickball and riding their bikes.  Some of them (the younger set) were playing pirates in Papa Bob's boat.  Somehow the key from one of the tractors ended up in the boat, and it took Papa a good while to find it the next day (oops!)    

From Uncle Jimmy:

FERNNOOK NEWS July 23, 2018

Volume 1, Issue 1

News not found elsewhere

This was told to me by my mother and is her best recollection of the events of July 22nd and 23rd of 1930.

Following is some information that helps put into perspective the situation at that time.

Art and Iva Crow were neighbors who lived about a mile from the old Simon home place.
Art was 37 and Iva was 21 that year. Iva had her own baby Mildred who was less than three years old.

John and Hattie Simon had been married 48 years and were 76 and 56 years old respectively.
Opal’s brother Paul was 27 and John was 21 and Opal's sister
Hazel children were living with John and Hattie. Gilbert was 6 and Helen was 4
John J. Simon would have less than two years left to live in July 1930 and Hattie would live for 18 and 1/2 more years.

A story as told to Jimmy L. Fleetwood by Opal Fleetwood in 2002

How Bob lost his Petey but found a name.

It was a very hot and dry summer that year, the corn had twisted and withered in the field.
Art Crow, a neighbor, had been sent for to help cut and shock the corn so there would be some fodder for the animals. The day before, July 22nd had been a hot and hazy day. Paul and John Simon had been in the hay fields along with Marion Fleetwood their brother-in-law. They were preparing to put hay into the barn.
Inside the house, Opal was getting ready to give birth to her first child. Opal’s Mother, Hattie was there to comfort her daughter as she experienced the pangs of childbirth. As the day wore on and evening came, Opal’s brother Paul was sent to Doniphan to fetch Dr. Carter Proctor. Paul and the doctor got back just as it was getting dark. The old Model T truck rattled and sputtered its way down the dirt road that stopped in front of the house. The doctor went into the bedroom where Opal was waiting. He examined her quickly and then gave her two capsules from his bag.
He then made his way out onto the porch where a bed had been prepared for him and tried to get some rest. The drugs soon took effect on Opal and she went to sleep. As the night wore on, the doctor sleeping on the porch and Opal dozing fitfully in her bed, the time was quickly approaching for the baby to come. Opal awakened with a start at 2 A.M. She knew the time was close. The pain was intense, sweeping in waves over her body. Hattie roused the doctor from his sleep. Opal fought with the doctor as he applied chloroform. She fought to stay awake. She hated the smell and the way it made her feel but the drug won the battle and when she awakened there was a new baby boy in the world. He was born about 8 A.M. that 23rd day of July 1930. He had big blue eyes and lots of dark brown hair. When Opal awoke her new son’s hair had already been combed maybe by Iva Crow or his Grandma Hattie.
He was a healthy baby boy about 8 lbs 4 ounces and 19 inches long. Paul Marion Fleetwood that’s what he was named. He was named for his Uncle Paul Simon and for his father Marion. It was his Aunt Jewel who gave him the name that we know him by today. She called him “Petey Bob”. Somewhere along the way, the “Petey” was dropped and he became known simply as Bob. His father Marion once explained to a merchant in Naylor when she inquired about his name, “We just cut off the Petey and called him Bob”. As he grew older and someone would call him Paul, he would say “No! Bobby!!
Grandma Hattie went into the garden and gathered vegetables to make a pot of homemade soup to help Opal feel better. The aroma of the soup simmering on the wood stove was soothing to everyone. Opal ate the soup with great satisfaction. In fact, vegetable soup had never tasted so good. The new mother and baby rested from the ordeal of birth.
It was Wednesday, July 23rd, 1930. There was a new life in Jordan Township, Ripley County Missouri.

I want to wish that baby a Very Happy 88th Birthday.
Happy Birthday, Bobby!!!

The other morning I went to fairyland.  True, it was a tick-infested
fairyland...but one mustn't complain about such things.  There were
a few friendly spiders there as well, but lucky for them, I like most
spiders.

I got up early, before the break of dawn, and on Pa's borrowed mule, I
drove behind the old barn a ways.  Then I took my trusty flashlight and
other supplies (just in case) and found a tree stand left over from last
year's deer season.

Then I climbed up into the stand and waited.  I waited for the world to
wake up.  It was lovely and loud.  The birds are so loud.  The whipporwills
slowly quieted, but all the rest were waking up.

I was disappointed though because I had hoped to see some critters.  You
know, squirrels, skunks, fox, badgers...anything.  Maybe a porcupine or
armadillo would come wandering by...so I thought.  I waited and waited
and waited.  Then decided it wasn't going to happen and it seemed to
be getting late.

So, I got on the mule and rode the long way back.  I passed the Martins
spot and went up Mike's lane.  When I got home and looked at the clock,
it was just 6:10 in the morning.  I think the critters were still sleeping when
I left fairyland and that is why I didn't see any.

I have enjoyed the spring this year.  Sometimes the lushness of the growth
seems almost wanton.  I saw a dobsonfly the other day.  It was a female.
I didn't know what it was and thought (very briefly) about trying to catch
it to show the grandies.  But it was midnight, and I was tired, so I didn't.
Good thing!  The females, so I learned, can deliver a nasty little nip.  The
males, while much more menacing looking, are harmless.

In case you are wondering, a female dobsonfly is about 2 inches long and
looks like this:

Lots and lots of comings and goings these past few weeks in Fernnook.
The Joel Hardings have been down to and back up from Georgia.  The
Bill Fleetwoods have been down to and back up from Fernnook.  The
Mike Fleetwoods have been down to and back up from Florida where
they picked up most of their earthly belongings to prepare for a move-in
date sometime this summer.  The Ken Fleetwoods have been up to and back
down from Fernnook.  And the Jim Hardings have been down to Fernnook
and are now on a vacation down to Arkansas.  Kent has gone with them,
and I plan to join them in a few days with 3 of the granddies.

Kent, Bill, Elsie, Opal, and Wilbur went fishing one of the mornings while
they were here.  Opal reported that Wilbur caught 3 fish and that, between
her and Elsie, they caught 3 more.

We spent lots of evenings in the last couple of weeks sitting on the deck at
The Big House and singing along with Alexa to almost every genre of music
that exists.  The highlight was the Ga-Nomes singing Mockingbird Hill.  Well,
that and Tandy dancing to Tutti-Frutti.  She LOVES that song!

While we were cooking, eating, and singing (and working betimes), even more
babies were born.  Theodore to Trenten and Anne and then Asher to D. Jay
and Julie.

Adeline was baptized last weekend.  It was a joy to see it!  Soon we will,
Lord willing, get to go to St. Louis for Chappell's baptism.

Mike and Deb got their things unloaded, despite a truck that wouldn't start and
which therefore couldn't get moved into a good spot for unloading.  The repair
man came out after dark to fix it.  Now if only they could get cabinets...then
they could set a move-in date.

How can one express the absolute joy of family and springtime and singing
and worship with a few words?  It's impossible to express, but it is a thrill
to experience.

Bill decided to turkey hunt this year.  He talked his very pregnant wife
into coming to Fernnook two weekends in a row.  He heard turkey, he
saw turkey, he shot at turkey...but alas, he didn't bag a turkey.

In between the visits, he and Stacey left the kids here.  So counting
the time they were here with mom and dad, and the time they were
here without mom and dad, the kids and their cousins and Kent and
I had a glorious Cousin Camp.

We played and had a sleepover and the kids walked back and forth
through the field to visit each other every day.  That is the new and
very exciting thing that the little'uns do...walk through the field to
Grandpa and Grandma's house, or back to Joel and Natalie's house.

Tyler and Jenn are looking forward to when Adeline can walk through
the field between their (future) house and ours.

Adeline is 4 days old now and just an adorable little person.  She has lots
of hair and it seems to be starting to curl.

On the last day of Cousin Camp, Wilbur and I were spending a little time
together.  We walked to the big pond and then back to the yard to play
on the trampoline.  As we were walking down the driveway, Wilbur
asked why there were meatballs on the driveway.  They were really
gumballs from the sweet gum tree, but on the driveway they get smashed
by the cars, and they really do look like meatballs.  I just never noticed
it before.

Tyler found a lovely little bunch of morels and fried them up for us.  Boy
Howdy!  They are scrumptious.  I have yet to find my first morel ever.  But
now he has a secret spot, and maybe I can go with him next year to find
some for myself.

He also found some false morels which he threatened to eat.  They are poisonous,
but my Missouri Mushroom book says that whole families of Ozarkians grew
up eating them.

I know that is true because my good friend Liz grew up near Warm Springs,
AR and sure 'nuff, her family grew up eating false morels.  Her parents thought
the true morels were the poisonous ones.  You just have to know how to cook
them, I suppose.

The robins are flocking.  In my yard now there are dozens of them.  Yesterday
and today I've also seen red-wing blackbirds, blue jays, and flickers in the front
of my house.  Oh and my cardinals...the ones that so sneakily steal the cat
food from off the deck.  They are very, very careful to check for Debut before they
flit in and out.

Cousin Mary fractured her back in two places last evening.  She had been down
to visit Uncle Jim, and when she got home, she slipped walking up the hill to
her house.  Uncle Jim took her to the ER.  Poor girl!  She is going to hate
sitting around when the garden needs planting.

Last weekend Bill and family were down and we had some exciting times.
It rained all day on Saturday...so the kids were pretty much stuck inside.  By late
afternoon, they were a tad bit stir crazy.  My lovely daughter-in-laws, Natalie
& Stacey were cooking, I was in the computer room texting directions to a
lady, and the guys were all in the living room talking.

The kids, meanwhile, were amusing themselves.  Boy howdy were they amusing
themselves.  They were spinning themselves around on one of the computer
chairs.  We heard a crash and loud cries and went running.  Somehow Peeta
got hit in the forehead and it popped out a foot.  It really did seem like it was
that big of a goose egg.  Natalie and Joel hopped in Joel's truck to try to get to
the ER, but it had been raining so hard that we were totally flooded in.  After
they came back and we re-evaluated, we could tell that he was really fine, just
gargoyle looking.  Poor baby.

Besides that, Papa has had the flu, but what a strange case.  He couldn't stay in
for long.  When Kent had the flu, he couldn't leave the bed for days.  We had a
quiet little birthday party for Tandy and Jim on Friday.  The kids were gone to
Georgia because Natalie's Grandma Gagliardi died and they were down for the
funeral and to visit with their Georgia family.  I really liked Grandma Gagliardi.
She was a home economics teacher and a lovely person.

The down-daffy-dils are up.  What a ray of sunshine on a gloomy day they are.
I have three on my table that the grandkids picked for me yesterday.

It has been a season of busyness.  It has been a season of sickness.
These two combined have made it a season of bloglessness.

Kent had a bad case of the flu.  (Emily...aka Sparkle Pop has
had her second bad case of the flu, followed by a stomach bug,
and now followed by a secondary bacterial infection.  Poor baby,
she just cannot get well.)  But, Kent's case of the flu meant that
I got to play farmer a bit more than usual.  It was sorta fun to go
out mucking in the mud (and other stuff) while moving the cows
in and out of their hay pen.  It was sorta fun to be the main wood
loader.  But it wasn't fun having a sick husband. 

Papa Bob purchased a wood splitter.  It initially had some issues,
but now is fixed, and he gave Billy and Tyler a demonstration the
other day.  They were most suitably impressed.

We had a birthday party planned for Mike and Bill, but Kent's
flu made us put it off for a week.  It did come off though, complete
with shepherd's pie, cheeseburger in paradise soup, the last of the
frozen peaches from last summer, and German chocolate cake.
Mike and Bill are safely launched now to enjoy another year of
life.

There have been lots of comings and goings in Fernnook over
the past few weeks.  Bill and Stacey and the kids were down for
several days last week.  It was cousinopia. 

One of the days was gloriously warm and sunny...one of those
special 75-80 degree February in Missouri days.  We took advantage
of it by getting the mule and piling the 6 oldest grandkids in it and
going for an adventure ride.  The highlight of the ride is always
going over the log that crosses one of the paths.  The kids love,
just absolutely love, going over that log.  Their second favorite
part is eating marienda in the old barn.

You can see what a great time Wilbur had.  Wilbur's little brother
is coming in May.  Tyler and Jenn's Adeline Shirley is coming in
April.  And...a new little creation by Joel and Natalie is due in
September. 

Somehow, I don't think life will be getting slower and simpler for
us anytime soon.

There has been such a lot going on up and down the gravel that I
hardly know where to start.

The other day Tyler came into the house.  He had been in what
Papa calls the "Millyard" cutting lumber for the feeding shelter
he and Kent are building behind the shed.

He was tickled about what was going on up and down the gravel
that day.  He said (and I am sure this is a paraphrase), "Papa's dryer
is messed up, so he has Dennis Meyers coming to look at it later.
Jim has a repairman coming out to check on Jenny's satellite.  And,
Jenny called Papa yesterday because there was a lake in her yard
from a broken pipe, so Pa has Carl Proehl coming out to look at
it.  And, on top of that, Jenny didn't get the message that Carl is
coming out so she drove to town to try to find a plumber.  And,
Uncle Jim just drove to town to look for her to stop her getting
another plumber, since one is already coming out.  There sure is a
lot of coming and going today on the gravel!"

The sawmill had been out of commission for awhile because of a
messed up motor something or other.  Everyone is tickled pink that
it is up and running again.

At Fernnook Lodge, that is the house Mike and Deb are building,
the big news is that the cabinets are partly there.  A few months
late, but this is Ripley County.

I think that from now on I will refer to Mike and Deb's house as
The Lodge, Dad's house as The Big House, and our home as
The Farmhouse.

Then when people want to know where we are eating I can say,
"Well, dinner tonight is at The Big House...or The Lodge...or
The Farmhouse."

Sounds so comfy and warm and friendly and all.

The other day I was gone, and when I got home Kent took me over
to the side of the shed and showed me something and asked me to
guess what it was.

I had not a clue.  It looked like a huge spider, but it was all catawampus.
Turns out it was the chimney brush.  Kent was cleaning the flue while
the fire was going and dropped the brush down the chimney.  Then
he had to scramble down to put out the fire so he could take apart
the bottom of the flue to retrieve the melted, spidery looking brush.
Neither one of us are sure why he did it when the fire was going. 

We had some really cold weather during the end of December and
beginning of January.  The pond froze over enough for us to slide
around on it.  The granddies loved it.  We saw a turtle, some predatious
diving beetles, a salamander, and a walking stick all under the ice
moving about in the water.

There was a grand game of ice hockey to boot.

Then Tyler had Elsie and Kathleen help him to drag his Christmas
Tree out onto the pond to create fish habitat when the ice melts.

Cold as it was here, it's been much colder in Montana where
Trenten and Anne are.  Derrill and Becky spent three weeks
there starting Christmas Day.  During the first 10 days of their
visit the mercury didn't even hit zero for a high.

That's cold.  Here's hoping for a chinook wind for the Farmers
and some spring peepering for us!

Let's see.  What has been going on Up and Down the Gravel. The company is
all gone.  Things have seemed quite quiet in some ways, but life continues.

Uncle Jim is driving his own car again.  It has been awhile, and there have
been several issues, but hopefully they are resolved, at least for a bit.  Hattie
had a letter in the mailbox today address from G'ma Opal (though I suspect
Uncle Jim had a hand in delivering it...I recognize his handwriting.)  In the
envelope was a homemade card that Hattie had given to G'ma a number of
years ago.  Uncle Jim is thoughtful like that.  It is now safely filed away in
our Special Letter's File.

Mike and Debby are on a whirlwind tour of their various kids houses so that
they can celebrate Christmas with each of them and then be back here to
celebrate it with us.

Papa Bob's sawmill is on the bunk.  He has spent several days working to
repair it.  The last I heard he said something about their being gas in the
oil...or oil in the gas.  Anyway, he may need to take the engine to a shop
at Poplar Bluff.  That reminds me, tonight I learned from him the difference
between a motor and an engine.  A motor is electric, and an engine runs on some
type of fuel.

Tyler is building a hay feeding lean-to on the back of our shed.  The hardest
part of building anything is getting it squared up.  One of The Rattlesnake Boys
was helping us build our woodshed years ago and to square it up he said,
"3+4=5".  That was his hillbilly way of putting the Pythagorean Theorem to
good use.

Kent and I have sometimes spent days trying to get a building square.  I am sure
we almost divorced over squaring up our barn.  Anyway, between the three
of us, Kent, Tyler, and me, we were able to get the new hay-feeding lean-to
close enough to square to work.

Our friend, Doug, gave me a good line this past week.  He said, "Laurie, if
you ever want to get out of doing something, just say, 'I'm so sorry, but my
avacados will be ripe between 8 and 8:15 tomorrow night.'"  It is so funny
because it is so true.  Avacados are not ripe, not ripe, not ripe, ripe ( for about
15 minutes and perfect to work up), and then too ripe, too ripe, too ripe.

One more funny.  During deer season Bill, Stacey, and the kids were here.
Wilbur was looking at the deer mounts on our wall.  We were talking about
them, and he said, "Deer dead?"  "Yes, Wilbur the deer are dead."  "Deer
died on the cross?"  "No, Wilbur, not on the cross!"

The past few weeks have zoomed by up and down the gravel.

That is partly because there have been lots of vehicles traveling up
and down the gravel.

First there was deer season.  That brought Bill and Stacey and the kids for a
weekend.  Bill got a deer, and he and Stacey processed it.  Then towards the
end of deer season, Bill and Stacey and the kids came back for a weekend
and brought their friend Justin.  This was Justin's first time hunting and
he got a nice buck early Saturday morning.  Bill, Justin, and Stacey took
care of that deer.

As an aside, Stacey made some nice salamini from the ground deer meat
that they took home.  She made us some spaghetti with it and it is yummy.

As Bill, Stacey, and Justin were leaving, the cousins began to arrive.  First
Bobby and family, then Annie and family (and Becky).  A few days later
Kinsey and family came.  Then in the middle of the week the Martin side
headed back to St. Louis, and the rest of Mike and Debby's kids came. 

Meanwhile we headed up to St. Louis for the Harding Thanksgiving and to
help move Opa and Oma's furniture into storage while their apartment is
being renovated due to the sprinkler set-off that Oma did a few weeks ago.

I was sure she would get Turkey-Of-The-Year at the Harding Thanksgiving
party, but the honor went instead to Bill and Stacey for the Great Gift-card
Mix-up.

After the Harding Thanksgiving, Bill and Stacey and kids (and Kent and I)
all headed back to Fernnook to spend time with the Florida/Atlanta crew.

Of course thrown into the mix are all the relatives that live here.  Lots of
games and talk and laughter...and a few five year old girl dramas.  There
are too many of them that want to be boss (I guess they are following the
traditional Fleetwood motto..."If I can't be boss, I won't be there.")

Uncle Jim had a rough week health wise, but a dose of antibiotics is starting
to help him.  Tandy and Hattie have also been rather sick with colds.

The thing that is so amazing to me is that with all of the cooking that we
did this past week, and it was truly massive amounts that we made, I still
have to make dinner again tomorrow.  We always get hungry again...so
weird!

Such a lot going on up and down the gravel this week.  Uncle Ken came for a
short visit, so there was lots of visiting back and forth and eating together.  We
all traveled up to the Big City for Uncle Bill's funeral on Thursday.  It was
such a hard day.  Cousin Sandy is so tired.  She has borne a great deal these
past many years.

Then we came home to prepare quickly for Fernnook Deer Camp.  Bill and Stacey
brought down her parent's camper and set it up in the back yard.  We kept the kids
inside with us.  The first night, even with an electric heater, the inside of the camper
was in the forties.  Under their electric blanket, Bill and Stacey managed, but their
faces were cold.  The second night was warmer outside and they said the camper was
cozy.

Bill went out in Fernnook hunting on Saturday morning, came in to warm up after
several hours, and went back out again.  He shot his deer mid-day and then he and
Stacey (honor badge to Stacey for being the Pioneer Woman of Fernnook) worked
it up.

Hattie also bagged a nick buck, which her hunting buddy, Ryan, put in the freezer
for us.  Below is an old picture of Hattie gearing up for deer season.

Meanwhile the corral is finished, and the two cows to be fed out are securely
penned up in the barn yard lot.  Finally!

At Fernnook Lodge, Mike and Deb are furiously working on laying tile, and more
tile, and more tile.  They are planning on having a big Thanksgiving Day at the
Lodge, even though it is not yet ready for them to move in.  Their kids and grandkids
will start arriving a week from today.

Last Saturday Tandy and I took a flying trip to Pacific to attend Judy Martin's
(my sister's mother-in-law) 80th birthday party.  Judy's daughter surprised her
with a special recipe book that all the attendees contributed to.  It is something
I will treasure, and one reason for that is because Tandy put in two handwritten
recipes.  One is for popcorn and the other for a recipe she made up and that has
no title.  They are so sweet.

Becky and I were a little emotional because we were remembering being with mom
at Judy's 70th birthday party.  It was a small luncheon and mom and I had gone to
St. Louis to attend the funeral of her Aunt Mary.  Becky met us at the funeral and
invited us to the luncheon.  We had such a lovely time together that day, and it was
just weeks after that that we found out mom's cancer had reappeared.  We miss her so.
Her own birthday is in just two days.

On a totally different note, I have been readying The Fascinating Insect World
by J. Henri Fabre.  It has incredible observations by Fabre of various, you know,
insects.  I like insects, mostly, but I do not like the Praying Mantis.  I always
felt that they were very creepy critters, and Fabre has proved my point.  A Lady
Mantis will slowly devour her male Mantis paramour...even, as Fabre says, as
they are in the act.  The male will not loosen its grip on the female until
she has devoured (slowly) his head, neck, and chest.  I know that it is interesting
information like this that keeps my gentle readers happy.

It has been so busy Up and Down the Gravel that I haven't had time to sit and
write about it.

The past three weeks were really filled with car problems and hay problems. 

Hattie's car had some major issues.  It wouldn't idle, but instead, it would die
every time the brake was pressed.  As providence would have it, our most trusted
and talented mechanic was at the beginning of a two week vacation the day it first
acted up.  The mechanic shop we took it to diagnosed it first as a mass airflow sensor,
then as a fuel pump problem, and then again as a mass airflow sensor.  After more
than two weeks and many phone calls and trips to Doniphan and the Bluff for
the car, we finally had it towed to our regular mechanic, who was off vacation.
He had it diagnosed and fixed within a day.  The actual culprit was the map sensor.

Whew.  So glad to be on this side of that problem.

The hay problems are exacerbated this year because it has been so very dry.  We
have had to start feeding hay and that means that we will go through more than
usual.  To top it off, we were quite low on hay to begin with.  We have some hay
from Papa's field, and were able to buy one load from the Baker outfit.  But
we still needed a lot more.  Tyler helped us to find some  that was north of Cape
Girardeau and Kent took an afternoon and evening to go pick up a load.  Then he
found some from a local farmer, Mr. Beal.  That is enough to get us through
much of the fall and winter.  It also helps that Joel finished fencing in his 3 acre
field.  Also, Kent bought a protein block for them.  The combination of all this has
made life a happier thing for the cows.  The bellowing has stopped.

Bill and Stacey and kids came for a flying visit from the Big City this past
weekend.  On Saturday we divided and conquered.  Stacey, Natalie, and I took
the girls and went to garage sales.  Kent and Bill kept the boys.  Jenn wasn't able
to go with us because she had a fall at work on Friday, and on top of that she
was feeling quite icky from the pregnancy. 

We girls found treasures and had a nice time, but at the last place we visited, we
left the air running because the little girls were too tired to get out of the van again. 
There was a lot to look at and when we got back in the van to leave, the battery had
gone down, and we had to have the van jumped.   We were at the home of a former
neighbor, Paul Smith, and she called her daughter's boyfriend and he came and gave
us a jump. 

Later in the evening we had a deck party at Papa Bob's house.  The kids always
love to go there.  Wilbur especially loved following Papa around and saying,
"Papa Bob...Papa Bob."  There is something about that name that is really
fun for kids to say.

Papa Bob went to the Big City to take Beth to a doctor visit last week.  While
there he saw Becky and gang (Anne and Trenten and Wyatt were in town too)
and Billy and gang.  They all went to Old St. Charles and wandered around the
riverfront and Katy Trail. 

While they were together Anne asked Papa what his favorite number was.  He,
off the top of his head, said, "Five."  Then she said, "No, what is your REAL
favorite number?"  He is really pretty clever and he caught on and said, "My
real favorite number is 17!"  They are expecting in June and that was her way
of letting us know. 

Mike and Debby are working furiously on the house.  They should start laying
tile this week.  They are hoping to eat Thanksgiving Dinner at Fernnook Lodge
this year.  All of their kids and their families will be here. 

We did get a short but lovely rain today.  I went and sat on the porch and just
drank in the smell of the cool rain hitting the warm earth.  The leaves were
floating down and the wind was blowing.  It was really, really nice.

Up and Down the Gravel

It has been a busy week up and down the gravel.  Sunday evening I was talking
with Joel on the phone and the noise level in his house rose drastically.  Joel
paused for a second and then said, "I've got to go.  There's a snake in the house."

Sure enough, a small ring-necked prairie snake was in the boys bedroom.  It was
taken outside after being duly admired and held by various little people.   Colyn
told me later that, "...the snake just slithered into our room (he wiggled his little
body while talking) yes, he just slithered in while we were sleeping."

Wilbur had his 2 year old birthday last Saturday.  He is an amazing little man.  Don't
tell him so, but I think he is destined to be an engineer.

We didn't have a snake, but we did have a mouse in the house this week.  I saw
him scurrying when I was walking in the dark down the hallway.  I promptly
yelled at Kent and he jumped out of bed and we got the little guy cornered.
Kent was wielding a broom, but he escaped under the piano.

I set out all the traps around the piano, but alas, morning came and no mouse
was in them.  The next night I was reading on the couch, and I heard my
little friend making little mousy noises.  When I got up to check on him he
scooted under the couch, and I couldn't find him.  I didn't get Kent up that
time because it was truly the middle of the night and I didn't want to wake him.

In the early morning though, when I went into the bathroom, there sat the mouse
on the bathmat.  It was a little guy.  I looked at him for awhile, and when I couldn't
think of any better plan I bravely threw a towel over him and ran and got Kent.  He
(brave man that he is) scooped the mouse up in the towel and took him outside and
disposed of him.

I do not like mice.

But I do like yellow garden spiders and I just happen to have a big egg sac
from one  outside the door to nowhere.













I read that the eggs (between 400 and 1200) hatch in the fall, but don't leave
the egg sac until the spring.  I would love to catch them when they come out.
I don't mean catch them to keep them; I just mean catch the event happening.

I heard that cousin Terry from the Big City was here this week, but, sadly, I didn't
get to see him.  He was here mainly to visit relatives from the other side of
his family.  Those that did see him (Uncle Jim and Papa) enjoyed their visit with
him.

Jenn (daughter-in-law 3) was in the hospital last night from dehydration.  She
is expecting in April, and the morning sickness got a bit out of control.

Mae Greenwood, who lives just off the gravel a bit, was also in the hospital
with pneumonia.  She had a severe case of it and was in ICU for 12 days.  But,
yesterday when we visited with her, she was looking quite perky.  You can't
keep a farm woman down for long.

Uncle Jim finally bought a new water heater today.  He has had his fair share
of cold showers this month.  But, hopefully, tomorrow he will get this new
one installed.  The installation is a bit dependent on getting the stairs to his back
door repaired so that they don't break under the weight of the water heater
being carried up them.  Uncle Jim didn't realize that repairing his stairs
would include sawing up the wood on Pa's sawmill.  It has been quite the
project.  Uncle Jim would rather someone else do the project while he watches.
I am only reporting what he told me! (Correction to the original--Uncle Jim
didn't take too many cold showers after all.  He had hot water...at least as
long as he lit the water heater several times per day.  Hopefully now he
will have hot water without the hassle.)

Meanwhile, we have a young steer with a nose-weaner in it.  It is a smart steer
and refuses to let us corner him so that we can remove the weaner.  Kent is
working on plan C now.  If that doesn't work, this guy may grow into a full grown
steer with a nose-weaner.  That would be bad...very, very bad.

Finally, I still have a few hummers visiting on their way south.  But it will
only be a short time until I clean the feeders out for the last time this year and
pack them away.

I will miss the little guys.  But autumn is here, and while it is here, it is my
favorite time of year.

Old Days Up and Down the Gravel

Excerpt from a letter written by G'ma Opal to Kent, Joel, and me on
Sat. Oct. 19, 1985  1:30 P.M.

(She had just gotten back from a visit to South Carolina where we were
living at the time.  I will put ellipsis to indicate the parts that I am not copying.
I did add some capital letters and periods and altered the spelling in a few
places.)

How are my youngun's? ....We got back home to my house just about this time 
one week ago today.  Everything was O.K. even the cats had been fed regularly.
The drive was full of cars and trucks.  Bill & Wanda with his new truck.  John
& Lucille with their truck.  Jim's car and my old car so when we pulled in we
had a full house.

I made the trip back fine but woke up Monday morning with a stiff neck with
lots of pain.  I stayed on the bed most of the day as it hurt too bad to move.  But
I got better as the week went by.  I'm O.K. now except I still can't turn my 
head to the left.  I guess I just looked at the beautiful mountains too much.  Ha Ha.

We came through the mountains on the Blue Ridge Skyway.  Boy was it "breath-
takingly" beautiful.  Don't know any news only Frank Simon had to have heart
surgery.  He had a double by pass.  The dr's say he is doing fine.  Lucille went back 
with Jim last week. She is still up there.  Frank has to have his momie take care
of him.  Ha.

And our St. Louis Cards won now tonite.  They are starting the World Series "whoopie."

"Well," here it is 3 days later.  You've heard of "slow."  That's me.  The Cards have
already won 2 games.  So its just a matter of time till they are World Champions.

....I want to thank you for my nice visit at your house.

If you were not so "far" away it would be better but the good Lord has been good
to us.

We can be together in our mind and hearts.

So you take care of each other and if the Lord wills I'll see you in December.

May God bless and keep you all the days of  your life.

Lots of love
Opal Faye Grandma-

(P.S.) I got your card
Thank you.
  Thank you-
I still lack 4 days being 3/4 of a century.

What a wonderful Grandma she was.  I so enjoyed my years, later on, of living
down the gravel from her.  I would dearly love to drop in to her place for a game
of cards tonight.

Up and Down the Gravel

Things were very busy with traveling and company during the summer months.
And, now it seem as though there isn't very much happening Up and Down the
Gravel.

Yet, after a little contemplation, there is some news to report.

Tomorrow Sister-In-Law Debby's sister, Patty, and her three grown children,
Sarah, Matthew, and Josh are coming for a several day visit.  I've been told
an apple cobbler will be on the menu for dinner.

Oldest Granddaughter, Kathleen, who is really quite an expert on bugs of all
shapes and sizes, and who really quite adores most of them, got two nasty
caterpillar stings in the last week.

One was from a saddleback caterpillar and the other was from an io moth caterpillar.
Both were totally accidental.  One she touched when climbing a dirt pile and the other
when climbing a tree.

































That reminds me...there is a smallish praying mantis living on our front porch.
Much as I like yellow garden spiders, I dislike praying mantis.  Ever since one
began following me around when we lived in St. Peters, I have been totally creeped
out by them.

Youngest Granddaughter, Opal, not to be outdone in the pain category by Kathleen,
was burnt on the hand by a hair straightener.  (Not exactly on the gravel...but all
grandkid stories count as news for this blog.)  And, kudos are in order for Daughter-
In-Law Stacey for winning a coloring contest at the St. Charles Library.

Tyler and Jenn are moving to Ripley County.  Technically Jenn has moved, but Tyler
has to finish out the month working in St. Francois County.  They will be living in town
for awhile so they can get their bearings on where to live permanently.  It will be GOOD
to have them here!

Uncle Jim sent me a photo (it is really good) that is intended to be "fodder for the blog."
I am saving it for when I have an inspired moment of writing.

Fernnook Lodge is coming along.  Work on leveling the floors is progressing slowly
but surely.  Debby suggested tearing the lodge down and starting over, but somehow
she couldn't convince Mike that this was the best option at this point in the project.

The newest family member is Bella.  She belongs to Joel and Natalie.  She can't
quite fill Max's footprints yet, but as a Great Dane-Labrador mix she certainly
hopes to someday.

Lastly, I weeped me a little weep today because I came across a letter that G'ma Opal sent
to me in 1985 when we were living in South Carolina.  It was the original version of
Up and Down the Gravel.  She filled me in on all the doings here in Fern Nook.  I miss
her and mom so very much.

Up and Down the Gravel:

Uncle Jim has had some interesting adventures with birds lately.
A month or so ago a little bird keep hopping closer and closer to
him and finally hopped onto his head. He was thrilled.

But...the other day a little bird did the same thing. It kept
eying him from a little distance and then hopped onto his head.
This time, though, it began to dig in his hair with its little
feet. I don't know if it was trying to nest or possibly trying
to get some material for nesting. I do know this, according to
Uncle Jim, it hurt! He finally shooed it away and yet, within
a few minutes, it hopped right back again. He tried to slowly
reach his hand up and catch it, but he spooked the little guy
and it flew away. But it stayed within an easy hop of him and,
as soon as Jim stood still, right back it came again.

Tyler started drinking coffee. Now, that may seem like a strange
item to note, however, the way it happened was interesting.

I started to drink coffee to get me through college all-night
study sessions. Kent got to liking the brew when he was driving
a bus for the Hope youth group home from Wisconsin and, as was
normal for any trip to and from WI, the bus broke down. As he
was waiting for the bus to be repaired, he had a cup of coffee,
and that was it, he was a full-fledged coffee drinker. Billy
started to drink it last summer during his internship. Work
was slow sometimes and the coffee kept him awake and going.

Tyler is different. No circumstances of the moment could drive
him to such a step. He is much more deliberate. Months ago
he told us, "I am going to start drinking coffee, black, on
the 20th of April." And he did. Why, you may wonder, did he
choose the 20th of April 2009 to start drinking coffee? The
answer is very obvious, at least to him. April 20 was the first
day of Turkey Season. A man needs a little pick-me-up if he is
going to hit the woods in the wee hours of the morning for three
weeks straight.

It's been a rough year for turkeys, in case you were wondering.
Tyler said the other day, "I love turkey hunting, Mom, but I
wish I'd get my turkey so I could stop."

Hattie reminds me of me. The other day she said, "Mom, there are
two words that I just love that I don't think people use often
enough. They are 'latter' and 'vexed'. Aren't those two words
just delicious?" I guess I never thought of "latter" as being
so delicious, but I can quite see her point on "vexed".

Up and Down the Gravel:

It is not that there is a lack of goings on in Fern Nook...
but some of the oomph is lacking right now. So many things
I think to write about make me tear up and I do not want this
to be a place of sorrow.

The list of items and events that bring on the sadness is
amazing. The other day I was down in Dad's basement putting
something away and I saw a jar of G'ma Opal's pickles. I was
glad to be alone, so that I could be back under control before
I went upstairs sometime later.

Today I was dusting our family picture from 2000, and seeing
Mom brought the sorrow all over again. I really, really miss
those two.

However, life at Fern Nook has been full. We have been playing
musical garden with Aunt Jenny's tiller. Uncle Jim is the
official keeper of the tiller, and we all ask his permission to
use it. Joel has the biggest garden, I think. He'll probably
keep me busy freezing and cooking all his produce.

Joel has been hatching out all kinds of critters. He has a baby
duck and four geese right now. He brings them down in a bucket
and then lets them out to wander the yard. Max, his German
Shepherd, lives up to his name and shepherds the little birds.
It is fun to watch them cuddle up to such a huge monster of a
dog.

Billy graduates in a couple of weeks, that is if he survives his
senior EE project. It is much more involved than the senior
Comp. Eng. project he did last year. He has been gone from home
a lot this semester. We all miss him. Tyler is having withdrawl
symptoms I think. Really he has been having some sort of hive
thing going on. We can't pinpoint the reason for the hives,
but he is on a short dose of steroids to clear them up.

Tyler is also busy with school, work, and most important of all,
Turkey Hunting. He said the other day, "Mom, I love turkey
hunting, but I wish I'd get my turkey so I could stop hunting
and get some sleep." The gobbling has been scarce this year.

We have Iris, Columbine, Johnny Jump-Ups, and Clematis in bloom.
In a day or two my peonies will start opening up. We have three
early bird Hummers that have arrived. I imagine it will be a week
or two before the whole passel gets here. The other day we had
two Cattle Egrets by our little pond. Nearly every year we see
them for a day or two. They are snow white and look a little
bit like a heron. And most delightful of all, tonight I heard
a Whipporwill for the first time this year, though Joel told me
he'd already been hearing them.

The full burst of spring is here, and I want to hug it so it won't
fly by so fast.

Dad, Joel, Tyler, Jenn, and Hattie-cakes went to the river today.
Hattie went swimming. Kinsey has nothing on her now.

Bob Skaggs, husband of first cousin once removed Jetty,
was talking to me at G'ma Opal's funeral. The conversation
was more or less the following:

Bob-"I haven't been back to the home place (meaning his
family's home place, not ours, tho' they are catty-corner
to one another) for a long time. There used to be a lot
of frogs in the pond there."

Me-"There still are a lot of frogs. Just ask Uncle Jim.
He calls them maniacal."

A few years ago Jim began to be bothered by a loud noise
whenever he was outside after dark. (NOTE: he lives a
quarter of a mile down the gravel from us.) Finally he
could stand it no longer and he hopped in the car,
windows rolled down, on a quest to find the source of
the racket. When he hit our place he bingoed. It was
our frogs. I admit they are raucous. The peepers are
loud in themselves, but the bullfrogs are deafening.

The bullfrogs haven't gotten into their full swing yet. Last
night Kent, Ty, Hattie, and Jenn were outside playing 21 in
basketball. After they came in, Jenn said, "The frogs were
so loud we could hardly hear each other." The key word there
is "hardly", because after the bullfrogs get into full swing
you won't at all be able to hear each other. Then you just
sit in the yard and smile at one another and think deep
thought, or if you are Uncle Jim, murderous thoughts.

But, back to Cousin Bob's comments. He said, "I was just
wondering if there were any frogs left, because one year when
I was a kid and came to visit Grandpa, he put me to work shooting
frogs for a frog fry."

I said, "They're still there." I love my peepers, and I love my
bullfrogs, but I think a frog fry is on the agenda this July or
August. We must keep peace in the family, and Uncle Jim rates
even higher than the frogs.

G'ma Opal came home from the hospital Monday afternoon.
The extra time and care for her have taken my attention
and I haven't had the time or energy to think of items
of interest to blog about. She is weak, but (as they
say in Ripley County) she is proud to be home.

I decided next time she is in the hospital I will volunteer
for the nighttime weekend shift. The two nights I slept
there her roommate kept the T.V. going the entire night.
The two nights Becky spent with her she had no roommate.
I realized that because surgeries are scheduled M-F the
census is lower over the weekend.

On the home front we have had two out of three calves born
this past week. One of them is eventually to be destined for
the freezer. I always feel a nice warm fuzzy knowing we have
a calf in the wings for the freezer. I get the same warm fuzzy
knowing I have a huge pile of crossword puzzles to be worked.
I worry about running out of beef and crosswords. We are still
waiting on Hattie's goat to kid.

The big 6 inch snow we enjoyed on Saturday is nearly melted.

Joel went to the Bluff during the snow to check out the
babies at Orscheln's, and he came home with turkeys, chicks,
and ducks. Hopefully he can keep the 'possums away from
these little guys. Of course, they will enjoy deluxe
accommodations in his living room for a while.

We are looking forward to having Billy home for Spring Break
starting this evening. I think one of the items to be
accomplished while he is here is the burning of one of the
huge brush piles accumulated from ice-broken limbs. The fire
should be so big that aliens on the moon will be able to see
it. Wish all you ex-pats and wannabes could be here to watch
it burn.

Hasn't Venus been lovely lately?

Up and Down the Gravel:
It's been busy here in Fernnook. February is birthday month.
Tonight I'll host the third party in as many weeks. Tandy
wants spaghetti and meatballs and chocolate Butterfinger
ice cream cake. She is leaving the rest up to me.

Sunday evening Hattie noticed an ambulance speeding down the
gravel. We called down to G'ma Opal's house and Uncle Jim
told us that he had called it for G'ma. She had another
heart attack. Apparently it has done quite a bit of damage.
She was in ICU for several days, but yesterday evening was
moved to a regular room. Hopefully after they monitor her for
a few more days and tweak her meds a bit more she'll be able
to come home. Her middle name is still feisty.

We are expecting any day now for three cows to calve and one
goat to kid. Kent noticed yesterday that for two of the cows
have bags that are beginning to fill out. I'm excited. It's
been a while since we've had a calf. We are still tossing around
the idea of getting a Jersey again.

Hattie wants to hang some of her clothes in the goat sheds. The
idea is that the human smell will deter predators from bothering
(that would be eating) the kids when they are born. That is
probably a good idea since Tyler saw a bobcat by our swingset
last night when he arrived home from the Bluff.















Bill's Birthday.















Jim's Birthday