Ugh!

I said "remarkably easy" about the work I've been doing on the upper Rockwall bed? After yesterday's marathon session with spade in hand, I feel as if I were on my last legs.

Still, had to keep my promise to take Arianna to the "big" zoo. So, off we went to Brookfield.

I. Cooling off station





II. Our favorite -- the butterfly exhibit





III. Arianna as nectar



Uno tournament in the evening. Sharon seems to always win. Much to her Dad's chagrin.

Summer's End

Long weekend.

Hooray!

Work continues on the Rockwall bed -- now designated as upper and lower. To date, I've labored about 15 hours on spading the soil. Although it has been dry and hot, I am finding the work remarkably easy.

Birthday Celebration III

Yesterday being Saturday, der alte Hund, has got to do his chores. Which is not to say that I spent the entire day in the yard. I curtailed my activities and joined the family watch the BBC TV version of the Chronicles of Narnia -- one of Arianna's birthday gifts.

Today, we opted for the Randall Oaks Petting Zoo. Even after all these years, Arianna is still timid feeding the animals. But, she was very determined to buy additional bags of feed for the goats. And, she made a point of visting the fallow deer several times.

Afterward, she wanted to spend time at the playground. Since there were no free picnic tables where Grandpa could sit (he really can't get down onto the ground and sit anymore), I suggested we go for ice cream. Who could argue with that?

So off to the Oberweiss Dairy we went -- Grandpa's treat.

Tonight? Another episode of the Chronicles of Narnia.

Birthday Celebrartions II

Sharon remarked that it's a birthday -- not a birthweek. Okay, so I overdo. But if a man has only got one child, can't he enjoy her?!

Up early this morning. To Mass and then to Jewel for donuts and balloons. We've always had balloons on Arianna's birthday. When I got home there was no sign of anybody. Sharon was reading to Arianna.

When Arianna emerged from the bedroom, she was confronted with a dinning room table littered with gifts, which we opened in fits and starts throughout the day.

Because today's weather was supposed to be stormy, we decided to go to see Kit Kittredge (the American Girl movie). But not until after we played a rousing game of Operation!

The movie was not playing local anymore. But, our drive to Buffalo Grove proved advantageous. The sencond run house where the movie was playing only charged $2 per ticket. Can you imagine that?!?

Arianna thoroughly enjoyed the movie. As did the numerous other girls in the audience, many of whom -- like Arianna -- carried dolls with them.

Afterward, we drove back to Elgin, where we had supper at the Bangkok House Thai / Chinese restaurant. This was Arianna's idea. She loves Lad Nar -- the "fat noodle dish" -- and satay -- the "meat on a stick".

In the evening, we finished opening gifts, ate birthday cake, and played.

A relaxed and enjoyable 8th birthday.

Birthday Celebrations I

I took today and tomorrow off work to spend time with Arianna and celebrate her birthday.

Today we went to play putt-putt golf at a place called Lunar. It's an indoor, glow-in-the-dark course, where Arianna's friend, Peyton, had her birthday party last year. This was the third time Arianna played the course. Since it's a weekday, there was hardly anybody playing with us. A good thing because whenever we play putt-putt golf we tend to be S L O W. Invariable, we end up asking the group that follows us to "play on through".

After putt-putt golf, Arianna and I baked her cake together. One layer white. One layer devil's food.

A Big Girl

Sharon started teaching this week at Elgin Community College (ECC). She'll teach on Monday's and Wednesday's. Since Arianna is not yet in school, she's in tow this week. Curiously, she likes to go "to the college with Mommy."

I was late coming home this evening. After I finished my (cold) supper, Arianna confided in me, "Daddy, I did lots of big girl things today." Apparently she'd helped Mommy wash the kitchen floor and she made her own lunch -- a peanut putter sandwhich -- for tomorrow's trip to ECC.

I smiled and asked Arianna not to grow up to quickly; after all, I said, you're still my baby.

Full House

This morning Sharon cooked "a big breakfast" for the family. And, by family, I mean our household, the Iowa clan, Lester & Myra, and Linda. Unfortunately Michael had to work, and Barb and Greg had a previous engagement.

When I got back from Mass everything was laid out as if it were Thanksgiving. Laurie made the arrangements, while Sharon prepared the waffles and sausages, the fruit salad and ensured everybody's glass was filled with their favorite beverage.

The poppy seed cake Uncle Lester and Aunt Myra brought was also very tasty.

We sang -- Uncle Lester, Arianna, and I sang a couple verses of Oh, What a Beauty Morning! -- joked, gabbed, as if it were a holiday.

After breakfast, Bruno, Les, Bruce, and Alex played pinocle, the ladies visited, and the girls went to the park.

Bruce and his family left for Iowa around 1:30.

Then the day took on the air of a typical Saturday: I mowed the lawn.

Cougars vs. Kernels

Bruce, Laurie and the kids drove to town for a short visit today.

This evening we went to watch the Kane County Cougars play the Cedar Rapids Kernals.

The game was exciting. The Kernels lead for most of the game, but a grand slam home run by the Cougars turned it around abruptly. The Kernels fought back. Tied the game and then took lead by 1. But, in the 9th inning "the good guys" tied the game and then, with two outs, came out ahead.

After the game, there were fireworks and the kids had the opportunity to run the bases. Uncle Bruce took the Arianna, Jane and Alana onto the field.

It was a great night. Everybody seemed to enjoy themselves -- even Bruno.

Rock Wall

Sharon has dubbed the bed atop the retaining wall the "Rock Wall Garden".

No argument from Arianna, who previously named the Cotton Tail Corner and Mosquito Coast beds.

I am surprised at how much I was able to accomplish yesterday. The location where we'll plant herbs next Spring is spaded and free of weeds. From there I moved west, almost to the edge of the sunroom.

Originally I had thought I'd lift the turf. Instead, I decided to use my tried and true method of burying the turf. It's strenuous work -- and believe me -- after supper last night I felt like an old geezer -- but it's been an effective approach to expanding the beds in the Prairie Sun Garden and on the west side of the front of the house.

The trick is to turn the clod of just so. And, be successful at severing the turf from its roots. In my experience, the buried turf doesn't grow back. And, as it decomposes it adds nutrients to the soil.

As I come to the hickory around which I'm going to remove the turf, I'll probably resort to using the sod lifter. I don't want to damage tree roots.

Earlier today Sharon and I measured off a 50' section of the west edge of the wall. At the north end of the wall, just where the arc begins the bed'll be about 14' wide. The plan is to create a hedge of Karl Foesrster -- feather reed grass -- with Prairie Dropseed at it base.

A lot of work ahead of me.

Repairs Completed

Bruno has been working on a project:



We are astonished by his determination and vigor. Much labor was involved in repairing the picnic table benches.

Note the seat of each bench is now a solid piece of wood. Previously it was multiple planks. Although onl a bit of rot had been detected, Sharon's Dad threw himself into repairs.



In addition to the bench seats, he repaired the diagonal brace on several of the benches. What astonished Sharon and I about this was the fact that sans appropriate wood working tools, Bruno used a wood file, a ruler, and his keen eye to effect repairs.

'Unglaublich!'

Perfection may not be in the eye of the beholder, but regardless of the location of the bubble this 'refurbished' picnic table is as perfect as perfect gets.

Fabyan Forest Preserve

Gorgeous weather. Sunny and 75.

A perfect day for a picnic.

And so after our day's errands -- Sharon and her Dad went grocery shopping, Arianna and I went school supply shopping -- we went to the Fabyan Forest Preserve in Geneva.

We ate our picnic lunch a stone's throw from the Fox River, amidst a gaggle of Canada Geese. These geese had no qualms about us setting up near them; they were wholly disinterested in our presence. --A very different behavior than the geese in the neighborhood!

After our lunch we ventured around the preserve. Unfortunately, all of the sites were closed. So, we just walked around the outside of the Windmill, peaked in the windows of the Fabyan Villa, hung over the fence of the Japanese Garden.

The walking paths were open for business though. So we made a short trek south through what I imagine is a managed prairie that borders the river.

We saw lots of Nodding Pink Onion, Bottle Brush Grass, Big Bluestem under Oak and Sycamore. A very relaxed day away from the office.

Der alte Hund

This morning I picked up a new pair of spectacles. Bifocals.

"I grow old, I grow old"

Sirens

Rain poured down outside my bedroom window yesterday (Monday) evening. As I took off my shoes, I asked Sharon if she heard a siren. She said she didn't. But I was convinced that I heard one -- however far off in the distance it might have been. 15-20 minutes later Sharon was asking me, "What's that?" Now the siren was clear and loud, blaring from our own neighborhood. I moved everybody into the basement as quickly as possible. And sure enough. The WBBM meteorologist was projecting the path of a tornado. We were lucky. The really bad weather stayed to our south. We didn't experience any loss of power or any downed trees. The lightning and thunder was hellacious though. And, surprisingly, throughout it all, Arianna's only concern was convincing somebody to play with her.

Field Museum

Took a day off from work and went to the Field Museum of Natural History with Sharon and Arianna. Allstate's sponsorship of the Nature Unleashed exhibit entitled us to a deep discount, which turned out to be deeper than expected. The rep working the will call window is an Allstate customer. A satisfied customer. He told me that my family's admission today was free! I didn't know what to say, except "Thank you."

We tramped through the museum for nearly five hours. We saw Sue, the Mythic Creatures and Nature Unleashed Exhibits, enjoyed lunch, and then started our tour of Tahiti, Hawaii, the Great North Woods, endangered species, and of course ancient Egypt. Had the museum not closed at 5 o'clock, I think Arianna would've wanted to stay all night!

I. Prehistoric birds leaves its nest


II. Sue



III. Arianna and Sue