Because Sometimes I Like to Play with My Food

Going to a BBQ today and I'm supposed to bring the dessert.  I thought about making one of my stand-by's, but my friend Sharon showed me a picture that inspired me to play with food!  Maybe it's silly, but I think it's cute!  Hope everyone enjoys tonight.  😋😋

Life's Achievement List: ✔✔✔

I really love this pic of Bill and Sue!

All these years Bill and I have traveled back and forth to either Ohio or West Virginia I have wanted to stop at Niagara Falls but it seemed like time was always in the way.  I've heard of them, I've even seen photos of them, I've probably romanticized about them - being they used to be the honeymoon capital and all, but I'd never seen them in person before, until.....

Last month we were back in Ohio for us to attend and Bill to officiate his cousins daughters wedding.  This time we took the time to go up to New York and see the falls from both the American and Canadian sides.  With Bill's sister Suzy along for the ride (Charlie and Flo weren't able to join us), I was finally getting the chance to see what all the fuss is about.  The fuss is real.  August being a dry part of the year, only 4.2 million cubic feet of water comes over the falls per second.  Let me repeat that so it can really sink in....4.2 million cubic feet of water per second flows over the falls during the heat of August.  That's a lot of water!!!!  Cascading, awe-inspiring water flowing.

I was surprised and amazed at how clear the water was.  It was crystal blue like glacial water.  All of the rivers I've seen back East are murky so I expected the same of the Niagara River - I was pleasantly surprised!  We didn't have time to take the Maiden Mist (American boat) or the Horn Blower (Canadian boat) up under the falls (next time) but after viewing the falls from the American observatory, Bill and I took the elevator down where I could hike over close to the falls and almost feel the horse power of all that water flowing over the edge.  I've seen water falls...but I ain't never seen anything like that! 

An enjoyable time.  I walked through the State park crossing the river several times, watched the water from the observatory, then we went to the Canadian side so I could set my camera up for the light show.  Both the Americans and the Canadians project lights onto the Falls; American side is red, white and blue while the Canadian side is all the colors of the rainbow.  I'm sure it has something to do with you driving across the "Rainbow Bridge" to get to Canada.

  

Visitors Last Night

This year's fawn crop includes many, many set of twins and they frequent our yard regularly. They are pretty used to everything around here. I got up to get my camera, it truly didn't bother them. They weren't fond of Ida walking around, but only one lifted it's tail and couldn't decide if it should be alarmed or not. Eventually they went down and got a drink and moved on. I enjoy watching them.

  

 

Mother Nature's Light Show

When the phone rang last night at midnight, I saw on caller ID who it was, I knew instantly something was wrong.

Bill and I sat up on the front porch watching the storm roll in over the hills.  Our hills create pretty spectacular sites, last night was worth staying up and watching.  Just as we went to bed, there was a lighting strike we knew for sure hit real close, just wasn't quite aware of HOW close.  That is until the phone rang.  

Our neighbor up the road was up late worried about all the lightning and how dry our ground is.  Thankfully, she was worried and decided to scan the hills surrounding their place one last time before trying to sleep.  Sure enough, one of those close strikes did hit the ground and start a fire.  

We have an awesome Volunteer department; their efforts in the middle of the night combined with the neighbor going up on his 4 wheeler before any responders arrived, and the landowner getting there with his side by side with a water tank they were able to contain the fire and get it out by about 2am.  The fire was in a spot only accessible by 4 wheeler; sure am glad the guys arrived with lots of water and Dan had a tank on his side-by-side.  Last night ended on a good note.

I took these shots of the storm coming in about 2 hours before the strike hit that started the fire.  Night photography is something I really struggle with, but I do like the strikes with the flag lit up by them.

Father's Day 2017

Whitewood VFD Fundraising effort

Some of you know that this past winter I joined our local Whitewood VFD Auxiliary.  Auxiliary is a background support group to our volunteer fire department.  When a call comes in we monitor the length of the call to provide beverages/food that may be needed during the call or at the end of the call.  We also ensure the Fire Hall stays clean as it is used as a meeting place for many different organizations in our community.  Every month the department has their regular scheduled meetings which we provide meals for.  Each spring we host the annual Whitewood Easter Egg Hunt, in October we put on the Halloween Haunted House, and co-host the Festival of Trees.

 

Currently we are hosting a fundraiser teamed with Schwans Cares to raise money to purchase an enclosed trailer to hall extra gear (i.e. tables, chairs, coolers, mister, etc) to those longer calls.  Our community reaches beyond our town limits, with our Department covering other departments when they are called out or providing backup at calls.  Because of our “we’re all in this together” functionality, this trailer will also be available in our surrounding community as other towns have need for it.

 

I would like to invite you to help support us!  The beauty of this fundraiser is it costs YOU NOTHING and you can live ANYWHERE to support!!! 100% of the donation comes from Schwans. So, how do you support you ask? Shop Schwans! Ice cream season is here and lets face it, their ice cream is awesome! At checkout, just enter code 32987 and up to 40% of your order will be donated by Schwans. This is a win win fundraiser support. You get good food/Auxiliary gets a donation.  40% ($10) donations are based on purchase of a $25 e-gift card (one per email address) and must be made by July 8th.  Food purchases are up to 20% of your total.

 

Thank you all for your consideration/support of this very worthy fund raising effort.  I am including the links to make it easy for you to shop!

 

 https://www.schwans-cares.com/campaigns/32987-whitewood-volunteer-fire-dept-auxiliary 

Freedom Has Never Been Free

Remembering the many who have served,
Honoring them all.