Cornhusk Doll Instructions

From an old newspaper clipping, no date.

Fun with Sitemeter: Zombie Edition

Somebody found my blog by searching "iowa zombies".

New Albin Days 2009 Parade

Here is a link to my parade photos. (The slideshows were way too slow loading.)

The first New Albin Days with a 30% chance of snow.

Okay, that's an exaggeration, but this has been a very weird July. We had one blazingly, sickeningly, oppressively hot week in June and since then it's been cool. Most of the time it's been in the high 70s during the day and very pleasant, but sometimes it's been a little too cool. And today it's downright chilly. Just in time for New Albin Days. It's 57 degrees F right now with a high expected of only 65 degrees! In JULY! IN IOWA!

So weird. Where is the global warming I was promised, hmmm?

Snake-Hater

BARRY: Oh, by the way, I saw a garter snake yesterday. And I didn't kill it.
MARIA: Thank you!!
BARRY: I was too scared. It was a big one. It probably is a mom. And it has babies.

Oooooh to be in Escondido...

MY DETAILS! LET ME SHOW YOU THEM:
What: Wil Wheaton reads to you while you drink beer.
Why: Really?
When: Thursday July 23rd, 6pm-8pm.
Where: Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens
Address: 1999 Citricado Pkwy. Escondido, CA 92029

Sounds like someone I know.

And on a lighter note:

A bird report.

Last night I heard my first whippoorwill. It was late at night, Barry and I were lying wide awake in bed thinking about teenaged drivers, deductibles, funerals averted, and such, when we heard this weird call. Barry said, "I haven't heard a whippoorwill since I lived in Pennsylvania." I said, "That's a whippoorwill?" He put on quite a concert for us, calling over and over. Or maybe he thought it was singing. Barry says he has never seen one, only heard them.

My dad called yesterday afternoon to say that they had a wild turkey show up in their yard in suburban Roseville, Minnesota!

And The Grackle Family are dealing with teenager issues. I can so relate. Teenaged Grackles are just as big as their parents, yet they still follow them around, whining in cracking teenager voices to be fed. The dad gets tired of it and pecks them on the head every once in a while, but the mother patiently stuffs food down these giant throats all the time. Poor thing. In our family, Barry is the food-stuffer and I am the one who wants to bite the children's heads off.

* Note: These are just bird pictures I pulled off the web. I didn't take them myself.