Bug Bait

I hate the cold. I hate bugs. I live in Minnesota where it can get to -30 degrees in the winter , and I get bitten by mosquitos, spiders and wood ticks all summer. I need to move out of this state.

All winter long I can't wait until it's summer so that I can thaw and feel warm again. Then summer comes and with it, the bug bites. Like I said, I hate bugs, but they love me. Seriously. I must taste really good. I went camping with some friends one summer and I was covered with wood ticks. I pulled 14 off of me on the drive home. That doesn't include the ones while I was camping. No other person had even one wood tick on them. Just me.

I am always the first person to get bit by a mosquito in spring. What's the big deal? They're just mosquitos, they itch a little and go away, right? Not for me. Every summer I have a different reaction to the bites. Sometimes they're big, sometimes they turn an angry red, sometimes they turn purple and don't fade for months. This year it's a blister year. Or sort of like a blister anyway. This is a picture of a bite I got three days ago. I haven't itched it even once.



The question is now, how long will it last and how big will it get? And I haven't even mentioned the spider bites yet. They love me too. Ok, I promise I won't post any more bite pictures. But I have to say, again, why do I live here?

Looks like it's been hand painted.

I woke up early this morning, before 5::00AM, and decided that Joco needed a walk. (once the sun came up) It's a nice time of day too be out. Not too many people out walking their dogs and not much traffic. People have the most amazing gardens around here. I walked around taking pictures of some of the things they grow. At least I get pictures. I seem to be killing off my gardens.


The colors tulips come in are amazing.

Edwin and I worked on the yard this weekend. There were tree huge tree branches that needed burning, and we had a nice bonfire going. We bought a frozen daiquiri mix that sounded like a good idea at the time. It wasn't. They were too killer sweet to drink. If anyone knows a way to tone them down a bit so that we can drink them, please comment! There's a whole tub of it still in the freezer.


Pretty little blue things.

Edwin's show opened this past Friday. It seemed to go over well. It was very funny, with tons of props and sounds. God knows how they remembered it all.


The only shot I could take of the park with one piece of trash. I had to angle it to make sure the ground couldn't bee seen.

Going to the park the day after Memorial Day is a bad idea. The park was covered with trash. I can't believe how bad people can be with littering. I couldn't walk 5 feet without stepping on something. Geez people, use the trash bins!


I love leafy things with color.

Last Thursday I went to go see Diane Keaton give a talk. Afterwards there was a little "meet and greet" where they took my picture with her. Still haven't seen it, but it's out there... somewhere...


Pretty!

I'm packing like a crazy person and feeling like I'm not getting anywhere. My body, though, is complaining loudly. I need that magic spell for packing from Tonks. Today I'm checking out prices for trucks and storage. Maybe Pods would be the way to go.


More leaves. I like that they add color to the garden all summer.

I'm feeling a need to do something creative, but I don't seem to have the time. Joe has been sending me amazing short stories he writes, and I want to illustrate them. They are a lot like Twilight Zone episodes. Twisted plots and surprise endings. I also want to make a bad movie. Really.


That's it for now.

Junk Day

HAHAHAHAHAHA!


Quentin's Evil Dr.


New/Old stuff added to the store.


I'm still afraid of butterflies.


I'm still afraid of oceans.


And I still love owls.

Jane and Graham Norton.

Jane, from sewing circle, got to meet Graham Norton and was kind enough to let me post her picture. I love Graham Norton!



I went out early with Joco this morning, camera and big lens in tow, hoping to catch the elusive crane that lives by the falls. This sign is what I got instead!



So it became flower day again.



Not that I don't like flowers. They're beautiful. Sometimes though, something different is nice.



If anyone know the names of any of these flowers, please, feel free to comment.



This is what the sky was like. A bit spooky for the morning.



I even like Dandilions when they've gone to seed. Go ahead, tell me how evil they are and how wrong I am.



At least Joco was happy. He hasn't been out this early since last fall. When we finally got home it was only 7:45AM. Oh Happy Dog!



I was happy too. Like I said, flowers are beautiful, but I really want to catch that crane!

Update

Started a genealogy blog. Thought it might be easier to post that way. http://stella-justgenealogy.blogspot.com/

Nature in the City

Yesterday Quentin came over and we took Joco for a walk. It was windy, but I wanted to take some pictures anyway, and I wanted to use the Big Lens. Using that lens means I have to hold very still. A bit of a problem in the wind, but I defied logic and took it anyway, so I got a lot of blurred pictures. But it was really fun anyway.



The little doves above were just outside my kitchen window. I almost didn't see them because they blended so well into the tree.



I wish this guy wasn't blurred. He looks like he's making a face.



I love Dandilions and those little purple weeds. I wish everyone did. It would make yard work so much easier. These were in the park where they've left nature to do her thing. Nature is smarter than us.



Mallards are everywhere in Minnesota. This guy was just across the street from the light rail. He couldn't be bothered by the traffic.



I think this looks like a little fairy world, and by the magic of Photoshop, it will be!



Pretty flowers on a bush. I don't know what they are.



We think we can defy nature. Ha!

Animal House

Leo, Pepita and Guinness

The start of a usual morning in our house. The sun comes in the living room window in the mornings and the cats soak it up.


Plus Joco

This is a few minutes later, when Joco is done making his trips outdoors. He doesn't like it when I use the flash. Where do the humans sit? Good question.

Emma's Journal Part 1

Emma Laura Lyford, nee Hendrickson 1860 -1926

I'm posting My great great grandmother's journal as I transcribe it for those who are interested. The Journal spans from September 18th 1919 to September 1st 1921. Handwriting has changed since then and I can't always figure out the words. Needless to say this will take forever.

-------

Sept 18th Thurs. Edward + Minnie (Edward Albert and Minnie May Konantz. Minnie is Emma’s Sister.) came up from St. Paul – called for me – we then went to Plaza for Anne + Florence. (Anne Lucretia Hendrickson, nee Ward, and her daughter, Florence Melvine Hendrickson. Anne is Emma’s brother, Eugene’s Wife.) Left the Plaza about 9:20AM for Park Rapids Minn. Went out Lyndale Av. – 6th Av N. – 20th Av. Crystal Lake Av to Robbinsdale – Osseo – Dayton – St Cloud – Little Falls - Staples – Wadena- Sebeka – Menahga – to Park Rapids – A_?_ at 8 P.M. 200 miles – Stopped for picnic dinner and supper. A glorious day – roads + drive. Stopped at Great Northern Hotel.


Great Northern Hotel

Sept 19th Fri. Sunny + Cooler – Minnie brought leather coat – Florence leather coat – khaki breeches + hat. Mr. Freitag, (or Froeitag) of Bank invite us in his Ford out to (Grawdbold’s?) log camp on Bottle Lake, from which it is ¼ mile walk to Mantrap Lake. Mr. and Mrs. A_?_ Crosby overtook us here this P.M.

Sept 20th Sat. Stayed in camp all day excepting walking _?_ to Mantrap Lake – M. + Edw. Went fishing – no luck. I did not go out in _?_ - _?_ - as my knees aching.

Page 2


Douglas Lodge

Sept 21st Sunday Beautiful cool day frost – last night – foliage turning rapidly. Skunk under house! At 9 o’clock we left for Lake Itasca. I rode with the Crosbys. Went to Douglas Lodge at one end of Itasca Lake - there about 3 miles at it’s outlet – about 10 ft wide, which is the source of the Mississippi River – flows north at first- Had our lunch here near the Totem Pole – on which is much data – as 2000 acres in Itasca Park. First white man here _ After lunch we drove to Bemidji. Had fine dinner at the Hotel Mark have went to the movies (one too many) Best was Madje Kennedy in “Strictly Confidential”

Sept 22 Mon. Left Bemidji at 9 AM – drove past Birchmount Hotel + Golf Grounds. Next through several hours and finally put on chains to go to through Rosy – Heavy going. After leaving there nearly turned over into ditch while passing a car – Had to get _?_?_ to pull out the car – lost _?_ hours. After lunch (fine steaks) at Summit in a cemetery - After lunch started for deer river – After Mr. Crosby changed Direction of sign and

Page 3

Followed the wrong road, passing through or over, Winnibigoshish Dam - struck a very bad swamp road and lost one spare tire.

A Little Whine.

It's raining... no wait!... it's sunny!... no.... it's raining... Oh WHATEVER. Gardening is not going to happen today. I can see that now. I got out there for 5 minutes. The sun was out and I just got going and... it rained. I give. Mother Nature wins this one. I think she must bipolar. That would explain a lot.

It's sunny out again. I'm not going to fall for it.

Work, Jehovah Witnesses and Reality

I have a strong desire today to live in fantasy land. I'd like to sit and work on genealogy and ignore my work. It's not just genealogy, although that is the obsession for today. Producing art, music, taking Joco for a very long walk and reading books have all made it into my fantasies. Reality, though, keeps calling. It's a lot like the Jehovah Witnesses knocking on my door this morning. Both keep coming back and insisting that I believe in a life devoid of holidays, vacations and money. They just won't go away. Luckily I can just ignore the Jehovah Witnesses. Reality is another matter.

Bills need to be paid. Living in reality and spending the day working is the only way to accomplish that. The Lottery just won't give up it's magic numbers. *sigh* Oh well, I guess I better get to it.

Cousin Monika, Me, My mother Inge, sister Andrea, My grandmother (my Oma), cousin Thomas

Yesterday morning I woke up to an email from my father. It's hard to explain how good it is to have a parent like this. Even this late in life it has a healing effect.

Later that morning my daughter Pam emailed, and for lunch I met with my son, Quentin. When I got home my cousin Monika had joined facebook. Edwin was home on break from rehearsal and we had time to talk, then we both had to leave, much to Joco's dismay, and I rode my bike over to my cousin Randy's house to work on genealogy.

His daughter, Stella (yes, that's right) was there. She's turning twelve today. I met her before when her grandmother died, now she is twice the size. She's 4' 8" and destined to make it to at least 6". We connected immediately and have exchanged email addresses and phone numbers. She sent me home with a model of a hydrogen peroxide molecule made with marshmallows. How could I not love her?


Emma Hendrickson Lyford

Randy (Randall) had two boxes of pictures, papers and letters. I felt like I was handling gold. There were letters to my great grandmother Stella (yes, that's right too.) from her daughter Janet. Pictures of my grandmother Jayne and, I think, a picture of my grandfather LeRoy!!! Randy scanned it for me, but it got lost on his computer. I'm hoping he finds it soon! I want to compare it to the one picture of him I have. The time period is right, and he is standing next to my grandmother in a group portrait in Omaha. It's so exciting for me! Oh, and Holly, there was a picture of Melvine! I came home with a diary of my great, great grandmother's (Emma Lyford, nee Hendrickson) to transcribe!

Randy gave me a ride home and saved my poor legs a trip back home. It was my first bike ride since last fall and boy, did I feel it. Five miles was a bit much for the first time out. Edwin was back and Joco was pleased. I am also pleased. I never thought I would find myself so surrounded by family. It feels good.