Finnigan is enjoying his home with us & his new life. He & Doris were friends from their first meeting. He loves going to visit her when I go riding. He attends mat making every week & is our mascot. He now
February, I started burning some of my brush pile. When Butch got home, he helped me trim up a couple of the trees, so we had that to burn too.
The loss of our Grandson Mason was a difficult time. Especially so for me. I hadn't seen him in several years. Butch had been lucky to see Mason in March of last year & met again with daughter Courtney, Mason & Cassidy in North Bend,
last fall.
By month's end, the concrete work we'd planned was completed ahead of schedule. The ground hadn't frozen & the weather was warm enough for the walkway to cure.
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| 3-29-2024 Butch & Finn on the White Cloud Trestle~ |
In March, we'd made the decision to buy e-bikes. We went shopping & tried riding a couple at REI in Gretna, NE. Butch found the one I needed & ordered it on-line. He had purchased a different bike & after a long ride, didn't like it. He ended up returning it & ordered one like mine. Even Finn got new wheels!
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4-26-2024 Tornado that hit Creston, IA
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April, it seemed like nowhere was safe from a string of Tornado's. I couldn't believe my ears when I was listening to the noon news. Creston & Greenfield had been hit. It was a helpless feeling to know so much destruction was going on & think of all the lives affected.
It was a great month for bike riding & I was on the trails a lot. The tulips were blooming & our world was turning green again.
May, I was busy keeping up with the mowing. Even though we have Troy to mow the backyard, I do the marsh, front yard & woods. Butch convinced me to try a self-propelled mower & I love it!
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5-26-2024 Greenfield, IA
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Over Memorial Day weekend, we made our usual trip to Greenfield. The "Sew & Sew" quilting club at Trinity Lutheran sent me with ten quilts to donate to Greenfield. We were admitted through the check point & signed in at the DOT trailer. It was a huge relief to see my grandmother's house on the highway still intact. My A. Evelyn's prior home wasn't so lucky & sustained quite a bit of damage.
The end of the month, I made the drive again, to attend my 55th High School Reunion. We lost one member to the tornado. Our group was subdued as we discussed the long road to recovery. (We made donations to several organizations helping with the recovery efforts.)
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| 6-27-2024 The Marsh~ |
June ushered in the summer months. We'd been getting more rain than usual, which kept things green & my mower going at least twice a week. Butch crossed the
300,000-mile mark driving OTR!
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| 7-21-2024 Flowers~ |
July was very warm & very humid, as usual. The flowers loved it & the wetter summer contributed to plenty of color & less watering. I fell getting out of the Explorer when Butch was home & managed to damage my knee. That kept me off my feet for most of two-weeks. Thankfully, friends helped with watering outside, taking me to Dr. appt's & keeping me in groceries!
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| 8-7-2024 Goodbye Bronco~ |
Early August, the
Bronco sold. I'd had it on the market for over two-years. I was thrilled it was purchased by a mechanic at the Creston School Bus Barn. It was sad though to see him drive it away. The last of the vehicles that made the trip with us from WA. We'd owned it for over twenty-years.
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| 8-11-2024 Mason's Celebration of Life~ |
Early August, we packed the Explorer & left for WA. Butch wanted to make the drive & I was looking forward to seeing the country again. Daughter Jentry, arranged for us to stay in her camping trailer at a beautiful private park on Camano Is. just blocks from her house.
Mason was a bright spot in so many lives, his H.S. friends drove long distances to be there & the turnout was a testament to all the people he had touched. His mother had reserved the beautiful
Novelty Hill Farm & provided a catered meal of Mason's favorite foods. There was live music & many of Mason's favorite songs were played. A fitting tribute to our courageous grandson.
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| 9-23-2024 Hughes Private Sewer Project |
Fall, was the most unpleasant we've experienced in Glenwood. A private sewer project, to connect a new low-income housing development at the edge of town, started construction. Yards were torn apart, lawns destroyed, fences taken down; streets were closed & dirt was flying for weeks & weeks. There was no consideration given to residents. It was sheer luck the city easement was on the far side of the street from our properties. Even so, after weeks of no rain, the dust & dirt had me making a visit to the Dr., unable to breathe.
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| 10-12-2024 Spirit Lake~ |
By October, I was more than ready to get away from it all, for our Anniversary trip. We spent a few days at Lake Okoboji. The
beautiful bike trails to Spirit Lake & beyond were outstanding. The weather was a combination of sunshine days & clouds. Perfect to enjoy the fall colors.
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| 11-24-2024 - My Germaniums, Nika's tree & Finnigan~ |
Back home, November was a beautiful month. We finally received rain, after a dryer than normal September & October. The watering chores I thought I'd missed during the summer, fall made up for!
The sewer construction kept on & on & on. Heavy equipment making a mess of the roads. Yards that had been covered with beautiful green lawns, were left dirt for the winter months...
Butch & I spent Thanksgiving at home.
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| 12-25-2024 Bronco Sport, on the Plattsmouth Trestle~ |
December, Butch surprised me when we turned in to a dealership on our way to lunch! We found a Bronco Sport. Just my size & with so many
new to me features that make driving easier & more fun.
Finn & I walked the Wabash again & walk our woods daily. The weather turned cold, gray & mostly gloomy. Very few days did the sun appear. Regardless, we had a beautiful Christmas day & I finally got in a bike ride on the 30th. (It had taken a while to get the hitch installed on the Bronco & for Butch to get home to put on the lift & rack.)
Butch will be starting his fourth year of OTR driving. This last year with Nationwide has been smooth sailing. (In October he received the "Driver of the Month" award!) It's also wonderful to have him home on schedule & an occasional extra night or two each month.
I've agreed to act as President for our Glenwood Garden Club. I'm looking forward to the programs scheduled for this coming year. I still attend mat making & love the friends I've made there. More time on the trail is always a goal, too.
We're looking forward to 2025!
Wishing our family & friends the Happiest of New Years!
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