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Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Rain tests backyard 'maintenance' work


Rain tests backyard 'maintenance' work


Well, the nice rain we had today provided a good test of how the water runs in our backyard after the work that was done by all the machines of the excavating company on the sewer line.

To the north, they seemed to do a pretty good job.





To the south, they seemed to do a pretty good job. Perhaps a little messy, nearby.




Behind our cabin... very messy!




Much standing water... several spots... not draining.
We still have the 'spring' to the right, but no place for it to go, except into one of the pools.
Aren't the caterpiller tracks just great!
And, rocks, rocks, and more rocks. 
No way that can ever be mowed!
Complaint sent off to Board of Directors, to see what we can do.  ;-)

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Wilderness RV Resort Neighborhood Yard Sale


Wilderness RV Resort 
Neighborhood Yard Sale


We were actually here this year for the Fall Neighborhood Yard Sale, and were able to gather some stuff out of the storage and participate in the yard sale. Allison brought over some stuff, as well, and we had a really successful sale. These photos are near the end, but are representative.

Marilyn (and Bob) next door were out, as well.


I took a photo of Allison waiting for the next customers...


Then, she returned the favor!  ;-)


Overall, It was a very good day! Perfect weather, sold most of our stuff. Hard to beat!  ;-)

Saturday, October 1, 2011

More Austin - Kaylee at Little Gym


More Austin
Kaylee at Little Gym


This post is a bit late - due to unforeseeable circumstances. We were half way home from Austin on Friday, when I realized I had left my camera on the shelf; with these Kaylee Little Gym photos on the camera, not downloaded. Of course, we expected to fly from Springfield to Utah on Tuesday, so we contacted Arrion to send the camera to Utah, which she did.

Sadly, Nancy became ill on Sunday, so the flight to Utah had to be cancelled. Therefore, we needed to ask Annette to send the camera back here to Missouri once it arrived in Utah, which she did. Thanks, all around!  ;-)

Our last night in Austin, I got to take Kaylee to her hour at Little Gym, while Arrion and Ben went to a concert, and Nancy worked with Alex.

The hour consisted of an opening, and three sessions. I was sitting outside the big glass windows and door. Sometime quite a ways away, sometimes close, so we move in and out a lot. Of course, the kids are almost constantly in motion. This is what I got. starting with the lead instructor talking to the kids in a circle. Kaylee is in pink, second from the right in this first one, head partially obscured...  ;-)


After talking a while, they do some exercises... two young ladies assisted. Kaylee is in the center, a boy's hand over her face...  ;-)


They work the following three sessions in teams. Here the teams line up to go to session One, with the girl assistant leading the way. Kaylee is next to the back in this group.


The girl assistant talked to them before they started the routine, at the far right end of the room. She seemed to want them to focus on what they were about to do.


Only got one other decent photo of this session... they kept walking behind things... tumbling, etc.


The second session was right in front of me; with the lead instructor. Here, she walks on the the high beam on all fours, then stands, at the end, and jumps off, to practice landings!


After they land, to the right, they turn to the left, and walk up the yellow stairs to the parallel bars, again walking on all fours along the small bars. Have a couple different looks at this. Kaylee in all pink, in the center.


They go around and around about five or six times. Here she is finishing the crawl, and ends on the box, at left, and to the ground.


Think the instructor got bored, so did the crawl, as well. Two or three times during the evening, he had Kaylee demonstrate a move or action at the start of a session. She seems to be doing very well. ;-)


This is the second set of parallel bars, in session 2. I included the photo to show the high and low bar in session three, behind. The assistant is helping a girl on the low bar of the two. When you see Kaylee, in a bit, she will be holding onto the high bar.


This is the finish of session Two, off to the left; then, it is back to the high balance beam in the foreground.


Between Session Two and Three, they line up again, to move to the next area; far side, left end of the building from where I sat. Here Kaylee was first in the line, getting ready to go.


This activity in Session Three was walking on the narrower low balance beam... she is working hard at her balance; see those hands out!  ;-)


Here is where she was working the high bar with the other assistant in Session Three. She is standing on the lower bar; then hangs from the high bar; then falls/jumps into a round protected tubing, to get used to the landing.


This is the third activity in Session three. It is similar parallel bars, but they are supposed to crawl feet first, like this. Kaylee did it pretty well. Most of the kids did upside down, hands first, like they did on in Session One. Good for Kaylee!  ;-)



Then, they went back in the far corner for some closing discussion and 'quiet down' before they came back out, retrieved their shoes, and headed home - with Grandpa, in our case!  Good time had by all. I got a 'good exercise' just watching!  ;-)


It was another very good day!  ;-)

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Saturday in Austin



Saturday in Austin

Pretty nice day. Kaylee went out on 'new' swing set.
 Alex was playing a Lego game on the computer.


I had been outside with Kaylee, for awhile, then Nancy came out to play with her, as well.


Later, Alex went to play with friends, Kaylee got on the computer. Love the headphones!


Anyone hear "Anything you can do, I can do as well."

Actually, it rained for a couple of hours - light rain, but actually water falling from the sky after a summer of drought and - August temps in Austin averaged 105 daily high. We told them we would bring some rain...  ;-)

During the Texas-UCLA football game, Kaylee played on the iPad... what a resource for learning youngsters! Some popcorn, and touchscreen.


She got very comfortable...


Later, at bedtime, she had some wild pajamas - pigs on them!


Nite, Nite. Arrion leaves for New York City first thing Sunday morning; business trip, and some genealogy research!

It was a very good day!  ;-)

Monday, September 5, 2011

Labor Day - Sewer Trench Update


Labor Day
Sewer Trench Update

Since last I wrote, Sewer Trench II in the back yard work continued. The small manhole was placed in the hole, right behind us - how lucky!


Then they continued to lay the pipe to the south. The pipe is marked with some 'magnetic tape' for identifying location purposes, then covered with gravel. The gravel is to encourage water to flow down the pipe placement. Then, they began covering in the trench.


Everything is done with the big machines, of various sizes. Back and forth, front and back of blade... everytime they back up... BEEP, BEEP, BEEP...  ;-)

They covered the pipe to the north; they covered the pipe to the south - as far as it was done. Said they wanted it done before Labor Day... Except, right behind us!


How nice! NOT...  ;-) Next, a smaller  'scraper' came along, from north to south, to smooth it all out. Had a nice chat with him. He 'saved' my lilacs, along the fence...


He cleaned it all up... except, around our manhole... he expected them to bring the 'cover' - they didn't. So he came back, and did what he could. After he left, someone brought the cover...


Here we look to the north, to see how smooth he was able to make it...


And smooth to the south...


He'll have to come back to 'finish' around the cover - oh, well. Here we sit on Labor Day.

Nancy continues to supervise, from time to time.


Yesterday, we finally got our temperature reprieve. Had continued to be in mid-upper 90s. Yesterday, a 20 degree drop. We're now in mid-70s. How wonderful!

Happy Labor Day!  ;-)




Thursday, August 25, 2011

Sewer Line Trenching - Phase II?


Sewer Line Trenching
Phase II?


Back in the middle of July, I had a few posts about the sewer line trenching going on in the 'backyard' of our cabin - well, now in mid-August, they are back tearing it up, again, and now they are actually laying the pipe.

The big trencher came through, broke through the rock about three feet wide and five feet deep. Then, they came back through and filled it in. Now, a big power scoop is digging a path through the trench in which to lay the pipe. Let's take a look. They started at the north end, and working toward us. Here are some of the sections of pipe, awaiting their turn.


Here is the 'beaten ground' directly behind us, waiting for the next phase to arrive.


As they got closer, Nancy wanted to take a closer look at what has been making so much noise, starting at 6:30 in the morning.


Here she got up close and personal with the machine, after they were done in the afternoon.


Want to lay some pipe? Here it comes...


Oops - water in the ditch... what shall we do? Right behind our cabin!


First, fill it in with gravel, to lay the pipe on... oh, by the way, let's put in a manhole!


Pick it up, and put it in place...


Looking back down the line...


They got this in about noon... rather that moving on, they stopped progress and spend the afternoon filling in the dirt over the pipe already laid.

More gravel coming...


So, more noise tomorrow, it seems.

Temp in the 80s - looking pretty good...  ;-)

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Travel Update Page


This a page to update our old travel pages, since it has been too hot, and we've been at home.

http://www.reocities.com/billnancysmith/travels.html - replaced old GeoCities pages that were removed.

Still a few pages missing, but, that is ok. Thanks to 'reocities' - whoever you are!  ;-)

We went to Bob Evans for Nancy's birthday, and to Grand Country Buffet for our Anniversary (tomorrow).

Just had a little shower to break the many, many days of heat - many over 100; record 108 on Nancy's birthday.  ;-)