Old photos...old memories

The Lorelei is here now, so trying to hurry and do a post to get the previous one moved on down the page...in the hopes that if I do forget and open my blog with her around, it won't show up!

These have all been posted before...

In December of 2013.  How I wish we could go back to that time...but at least we have our memories.

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I have searched and searched trying to find if I posted about a little drive we did in snow and ice.  I think I told but cannot find it if I did.  I have searched under the labels of snow, and searched all kinds of words.  Anyway, it is one of those memories that I hold dear, but always makes me laugh till I cry.  And one we think of it quite often.

It was a day about like the above...snow AND ice was abundant.  We had headed out on our drive and was going a familiar route.  This route contains a downhill curvy road.    It is the leg part of a 'T' intersection...when our road comes to the other, on the other side of the road is a steep bank DOWN to creek bottoms...and there are fairly good sized trees...at least 7 or 8 inches in diameter are there.

We were turned down that road...we always like to go down it because we used to see wild turkey there often.  So we get to the downhill part, and we don't seem to be slowing down...I tell Roger to please slow down a little bit.  He says 'I have had my foot on the brake ever since we started downhill.'  I am getting tickled...but it is not a laughing matter...the road gets pretty steep...and at the bottom it is a sharp turn either right or left and you can't see if anything is coming from one direction...but the rate we were going, we would not have made the turn.

There on the right side is a little house with a fairly big front yard.  The end of it ends in a steep bank too.  Probably taller than me...it goes straight down to the road.

Roger was at his finest...instead of going over the bank he makes a quick turn into that yard, and just circles around and goes back out the way we came.  There was nothing to hit in the yard, and it was so frozen it would not have tore up the yard....probably barely left tire tracks!  But we always wondered did they see us...did they see our tracks.  Did they realize it was that or a bad wreck?  We would have stopped if we had hurt anything...

But any time it snows, and several times through the year we laugh about that day.

Unexpected things...

My brother and his wife came down last summer, and we took a little drive to see a couple covered bridges.

We drive down this same road numerous times every year and this was the first time to see these.

On my other blog, Time Stand Still, I have a couple close-ups of some of the flowers.
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Roger had therapy today...last week and this week, she had him work on filling out a form as if he was going to a doctor for the first time.  And he is doing it....just slow.  It is amazing how far he has come.  But she says she thinks she can go down to two times a month.  That gives me relief to know if I have concerns, I still can talk to her.

I know each stroke is different....but until this happened I had no clue.  I know my boss had one, but his was worse than Roger's.  He couldn't talk, could not feed himself...had a feeding tube.  So when Roger's happened, I really expected that.

Thankfully, it was not as bad.  But oh, at the things you probably don't even think about unless you have dealt with someone that had a stroke.  Where his brain bleed was on the left side affected Roger's speech/communication center.  He had trouble naming things, could not read...which was partly due vision problems. For the time he was in the rehab facility, he could not name things or read at all.  I think one time he figured out one word.

Since coming home, he has had to learn to count change/money, and learn to tell time on a dial clock all over again.  He is learning to read and has come a long way, but still has work to do.  He has come so far from where he was.  I never would have dreamed that he would ever be able to fill out a form. 

 All the therapists he has had have been wonderful people.  The ones he has had week in and week out have been so, so good to us.  And I know they get paid, for doing it but they sure work for it.  I am sure that some of them take their work 'home with them.'  I know the couple that are married discuss how to help him.  

We have not been back to the rehab facility that he spent time at in Terre Haute but we want to go there one of these days...hoping to see some of the same crew.

I know this is rambling...but just felt like sharing a bit. 

Going back in time...

Sometimes I get to wondering what I took a year ago this day....what ever day the day is currently.  Or I will wonder how many years I will have to go back to find pictures taken on a particular day.

To find pics taken on November 15, I had to go all the way back to 2009!

This is sort of faded out, even after fiddling with it in Picasa.  Ever since I saw this, I have wanted to find some old barbed wired to use to make a wreath.  And yet I have not made a real effort to find any.  I need to at least try to find some...I even have an idea of where I might could get some.

And next I am showing you a couple pics of weathered buildings..

as long as I can remember, I have loved old weathered, wood buildings.  Or anything that is old.

And chickens!

I think they are just so photogenic...

There's nothing quite like a handsome rooster...and hens give a place such a homey feeling. 

I could not find where I took these pics, but I do know they were all taken in Parke County, Indiana.

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The pics above show that it was a gray sort of day back in 2009.  Today has been bright and sunny.   We did have our breakfast on the front porch.  A late breakfast I might add.  I was totally surprised for it to be warm enough to enjoy sitting out there.

I have spent the entire evening sewing and messing with fabric.  A perfect kind of afternoon.

On US-41

As we headed north, no one was behind us and Roger paused in the road for me to snag a half decent picture of this barn.  At one time it was in need of some TLC and the owners gave it a lot of  love.

If you will look close, you can tell that it is an old, old barn.  Built in 1867!

 And one more barn from the road...

A different kind of viewing pleasure

We took off on a little ramble today.  Up into Parke County...I have several shots I will be sharing today of a home in Rockville.  It could not have been a worse time to be there.  It was hot, humid, and the middle of the day.  Please remember you can click and enlarge the photos for a better view.

This first shot is through the front windshield.  I have tried a couple adjustments and have it looking more near what we saw.  It grabbed my attention first thing.  Then Roger says to look to the side past him.

I shot past him through the open window to get this.  It is in the back yard.  I would love to know just what it is.  Is it a garage?  an art studio?  a potting shed?  I don't think I could bring myself to use it as a potting shed....but still, I want to try to go back when leaves are down and drive real slow past this place!

This is their front door.  Look at all the details in the painting!

No this is on to the right of that front door a ways.  I think they must own the length of that block.  Again, through the windshield.  I think.  I just simply could not get it quite right.

And this little house was on down still farther.

Isn't this a beautiful place.  I would love to know the story behind it.  When I see a place like this, I wonder does family of the original owner still live in it. 

A little bit of rust...

Visit the past...

All seen in Rockville, Indiana.
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I have basically did nothing but sew today.  We ate leftovers.  We did not go anywhere.  All in all, a wonderful day.

How about you?  Do you enjoy a day where you don't have to do anywhere, or do you need to get out for it to be a good day?

Ready for green, ready for spring....

This is from up in Parke county...looking back towards the Narrows Covered Bridge.  You can barely see it on past the regular bridge.  

It was not bad today...and even supposed to be up in the 50's before the weekend is over...but I still cannot wait for shirtsleeve weather.

Don't get me wrong, I would not be mad if we had a good snow, but if it isn't going to snow, then I vote for spring.  How about you?

Bridgeton Covered Bridge

This is another view of the Bridgeton Covered Bridge...I take a picture of it almost every time I am near it.  I don't know if I have ever taken one that I totally love.  Almost always the sky is too washed out.
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Do you realize that it is a bit less than two weeks to Christmas?  Are you ready for it?  I am close.  Got most things wrapped, though I do have to get a couple wrapped and mailed.  We bought the ham the other day, but still have to figure just what all we are having.  Since there are so few of us I do not do near the cooking that I did when younger.

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I have decided to make a crumb border for the quilt top that is on my design wall.  It is taking me longer to make it than it did to make the top.  Or at least that is how I feel.  I try to sew a little bit each day.  Some days I do more than others.  I had a friend comment on the post of the top the other day saying that crumb blocks are hard work.  I must say I agreed with her...they are no mile a minute block for me.  Yet they are sort of mindless.  No worrying about seam allowances or points matching.  Just sew and trim.

I am in the mood for a new sewing machine....I don't need one.  I absolutely love my Juki 98Q...I just want one to play with and maybe have upstairs. And it is another Juki that I want...but have been looking at some of the cheaper  Brother sewing machines.  I have been debating on getting a little sewing cabinet and bringing one of mine upstairs from the basement.  I know though that I would end up running up and down the steps half a dozen times every time I wanted to sit and sew.   Plus there would be the mess upstairs...so I never quite take the plunge to bring it up.
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I think it is supposed to get up to the freezing mark in the next day or two...and we are supposed to have snow tonight and tomorrow.  If it gets up that warm, and it does actually snow, I am wondering if it will be a heavy snow that lays on branches and sticks to fences...I hope it is.  

For the first time I am really showing my age about snow...I really consider the fact that we might get in a wreck when going out for pics.  Even on the back roads.  I have never been a fan of being on main roads right after a snow, but on the back roads where there is hardly any traffic, I have always felt pretty secure.  So we shall see whether we get out even if we do get a nice snow.

Covered bridge at Bridgeton, Indiana

We went on a drive...took the backroads to Bridgeton, Indiana and on to Mansfield.

Even though it was bitter cold, Roger cast around a few times below the dam a few times.  Did not get a single hit.  The fish were probably frozen too!
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I started getting this ready to post last night but did not finish. It looks to be another day about the same as the past two.  There is just another light skim of snow.  Up where we went yesterday had had more snow than here...I think they had had at least two or three inches.
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The house sparrows come in flocks....it is sometimes hard for other birds to get anything.  Then it will go a spell with not a single one out there.  I suppose they go visit other feeders at that time.

Not sure what this day is going to hold...I suppose I best get off here and get ready for it.  I still have the ham to get...and presents to wrap. 

Great Blue Heron and Bald Eagle

I posted one pic of this GBH over at Time Stand Still...thought I would show this other one here...it just amazes me every time I see them perched in a tree.   I saw him while fishing at Mansfield--he was at the base of the dam the whole time till he flew up right behind me.

Now look close at this pic...you might even need to enlarge it to see.  The other thing that watched me fish was this fellow here.  I kept watching for an eagle to be soaring overhead and happened to glance up the creek just in time to see him fly up from below and perch there.  He was there a big part of the time I was there, and was there when I left. 

I could not get any closer to him...he was on the far side of the creek and on up past the dam.  It always amazes me to see them...always improves any day to spot one. If I had not seen him fly up, from below, I would never have spotted him.  He just blended in with the background.  (The photo above is even a cropped version of the original.)
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It is raining and thundering here this morn.  And warm compared to the past few days.  It is even supposed to get up into the 80's for today.  Showers are in the forecast for today and tomorrow.  I am hoping this improves the chances for nice autumn colors.  I was afraid it was going to be so dry that the change would not last long.

Slow post to nowhere....

"Mother and Child Reunion"

I went to bed before midnight last night...that does not happen once every 6 months...I had planned to past before I went to bed but just could not get my thinking together enough to do one.

And today we ended up getting up, fixing a bit of breakfast, and heading out to a trader's fair/flea market type thing that is not too far from here.  It is just a small one and open every other weekend.  I did not see anything I could not live without.  Roger came home with two or three clamps that he can use in welding.

Right now I am headed down to the basement to look at my sewing...see if I can see anything I want to get started on.  I had been wanting to sew all week, but by the time I had time to go down there and stay, I was too weary.  Then yesterday had time but wasn't in the mood to sew.   Which seems to be typical for me.

The photo above was taken while passing an Amish farm up in Parke County the first week of June.

Other than that, nothing new or interesting happening here.  Sometimes that is better than the alternative.

More examples of the Bridgeton tornado

Just thought I would show a couple more examples from the tornado at Bridgeton. The big old sycamore above was near the creek, but not right on the edge...you can see how big it is/was in comparison to Roger. There were a lot more trees down on up the creek, but the town itself did not seem to have damage, except for the mill which I showed the other day. Of course, we just passed through. So there might have been more damage than I realize. The mill was bad enough.
And just out of town about a mile or two is one of my favorite barns of all time...as you can see it was damaged. Again. It has not been that many years ago that this side was hit. I don't think it was quite as bad as this...but I could be wrong. I hope they repair it again...I bet I have a hundred photos of this barn.

Bridgeton Covered Bridge....

This poor bridge has seen more than its fair share of troubles...it was burned down in April of 2005.....and the whole thing rebuilt by a community of volunteers by October of 2006. You can read about it here....
A couple of weeks ago, give or take a day or two or three, we had some real storms and some tornadoes go through. Guess what...one hit the bridge...it took out some of the sides on both sides. We had heard about it but not had the chance to go by till day before yesterday....
The old mill also had the roof taken off and had some water damage to things inside...as you can see they were getting ready to re-roof the day we were there.
It was officially classified as a tornado that hit there....thank God it was not wide spread. There were places were there were lots and lots of trees down...I cannot imagine seeing acre after acre of stuff just destroyed as those in Joplin, Missouri.

How quickly we forget

I was looking for something to post tonight and came across this...I feel chilled just looking at it. I at least feel sure I remember being cold while taking the photograph.

That is the thing about photographs...they are remembrances of things past...of things we have seen. Things that have brought feelings rushing to the forefront, that makes us want to capture a moment in time.

I feel compelled to take photographs. When I was young, I always had my camera with me....though at that time I did not have the money to take near all the photographs I wanted. Then through the years of raising our girls, working, and just life in general my cameras fell by the wayside. I did take a lot of photographs of them when they were young, and a few when we would go to Tennessee. But the camera was no longer my constant companion.

The past year or two the camera has regained its place...I take either either one or both of them with me almost every where we go. If I leave home without, most times I regret it. I see things that are just so beautiful, I want to capture that moment in time. Sometimes looking at things with the camera makes me see stuff I would not have noticed otherwise.

Also, I get so much enjoyment from looking at old, old photographs of times past, it makes me want to start recording things as they are now to leave for future generations. There is nothing I like better than finding digital libraries on line....specially when they are about Tennessee.

Still cold

A photo from January,1996 of the covered bridge at Bridgeton, Indiana.

It is still cold here, but supposed to get all the way up in the thirties tomorrow. We will think a heat wave has hit. I will be thankful for it!

We kept Lorelei today while her mom did some errands and a bit of Christmas shopping. She is such a happy little girl. And have I told you that she loves books? I didn't realize Sarah had stuck some of hers from home in the diaper bag, so I got out one we had for her for Christmas. She looked and looked through it. She will sit and sit looking through and talking about the pictures....what she is saying I do not know, but she is very intent when telling me all about them.

Her other thing is to reach for her papaw every time he passes. He carries her around and shows her everything and tells her about each item. And while it is okay for him to leave the room I am in with her, she does not like it if I leave the room and leave them behind.

She also enjoys going after the cats and Shelby...not all the time, though she does crawl up to Shelby fairly often and talks to her also. Shelby doesn't know what to think...she is sort of afraid of being hurt inless I am right there. Or maybe she is afraid of Lorelei being hurt...not sure which it is. If I am right there about as close as possible she is fine with it. But if I am standing up, she gets up, too.
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I have went back to moderating comments....I tried just using word verification and it did not slow them spammers down at all.

A busy life

Although we often think of the Amish as leading a simple life, I think it is a busy one. Something about this photo, taken the other day says busy, busy, busy.

Almost every Amish farm we passed had their washing out on the line. Everything about their places was as neat as a pin.

As for me, Lorelei is waiting to see me, so I am heading to her house here shortly.

Another good day

This is a big barn that I had not seen till the other day when we took the back roads home. There is a road we have passed I don't know how many times...I said something about it and Roger said to take it. I got 2 or 3 other good photos from that one little side trip.
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Today was another good day for Roger! We went to Terre Haute to pick up the ham for Thanksgiving. Roger is the only one that really like turkey, so we just fix ham. A Cumberland Gap ham to be exact. I have been getting them for several years and never been disappointed.

They are actually processed in Middlesboro, KY....that is just across the state line from Cumberland Gap, TN which is where I grew up.

From the road...

This was taken at an Amish greenhouse, taken as we were passing by, somewhere in Parke County. Roger did stop, but I didn't get out of the car. It was such a riot of color that I could not resist it.

Sepia Scenes

I am headed into town to see that beautiful baby shown above...I don't know if I will be home in time to get this ready for posting so am going ahead and posting early. I do that most of the time anyway.
These first two are from a place called Billie Creek Village in Parke County. The top one is not the best quality but I still like it. I have got to get some time to experiment with sepia. I see things others do and think they are so neat yet I never take time to try to accomplish anything different.
Now, the rake below is one from an Amish farm in Parke county and is one that is actually used...we had one of these when I was a kid. I think mom and dad gave it to someone, but I can't remember who.
If you want to join the fun of Sepia Scenes, click on Lorelei at the top of this blog. She will take you MaryT/the teach's blog for Sepia Scenes. If you are join, make sure and wait till later this evening...it should open up around 4:00 for today's sepia scenes.

A cold snowy day