Day Trippin'

I had the opportunity to drive to Hannibal today.  The Social Security office notified us that they needed more paperwork for DH's disability application.  We could have just mailed it in but it was a beautiful fall day and I was hankering for a nice drive--so I twisted DH's arm to let me drive the documents up there.  He wasn't feeling good enough to go along, but no matter.  I wanted to take my camera and take some pictures (he's just not really into that kind of thing) of what I knew was going to be some gorgeous scenery!!  I didn't take any pictures of Hannibal but at some scenic overlooks and then I stopped in Clarksville at the little riverwalk beside the Lock and Dam.  It was a cloudy day today but the colors of the leaves were still just beautiful...

Click on the pictures to see larger view.

A field of pumpkins.

Seems kinda late in the season.

Why are they still in the field??

Scenic Overlook looking North.

The Mighty Mississippi.

Beautiful fall colors at the overlook

Colors so bright it almost hurt my eyes.

Scenic Overlook looking South.

Mississippi River in the distance.

The parking area at the scenic overlook was gorgeous!!

Fallen Tree.

Clarksville Riverwalk entrance.

Take the last train to Clarksville.

I had stopped here on my way back from Hannibal.

On my way there, as I passed the Lock and Dam I spotted a Bald Eagle.

My first one of the season.

I plan for me and the children to visit one of the Eagle Days

exhibits at either the Clarksville or Winfield Lock and Dam

this winter.

Lock and Dam 24

Clarksville, Missouri

DH's father worked at this Lock and Dam many years ago

and was also Lockmaster at the Winfield Lock and Dam for a few

years until 1993 after the big flood when he retired.

Along the shore of the Mississippi River looking South

A Barge coming.

A bit misty in the distance.

A Barge going.

Even mistier since it was drizzling rain.

It was a really windy today.

This appears to be water spraying against the rocks.

A wonderful day for sure!!  Wish I had had a bit more time.  I would have liked to have visited some of the local shops and some of the antique stores I passed along the way.  Maybe next time? 
:-)

A Get-together at Ha Ha Tonka

It was a family get-together at Ha Ha Tonka the weekend before last (October 9th) and we had a great time!!!  We celebrated Cousin #6's 10th birthday after a nice picnic lunch and the kids burned off lots and lots of energy.  The weather couldn't have been more perfect.

Setting out to walk a trail

On the trail

The Natural Bridge

Boys will be boys...

(Cousin #6, Son #4 and Son #6)

Even when they're older

(Cousin #4 and Son #3)

The young'uns

The old'uns--ahhhmmm "adults" 

Me, my younger sister, my youngest sister and my Mom

(Do you see their beautiful, soft, NOT frizzy hair??  Mine 

always looks like I stuck my finger in a "light socket"!!)

Daughter #2 feeling artistic

with the Castle in the background

Son #3 feeling artistic

Cousin #1 lookin handsome

with more Castle in the background

Cousin #3 eating birthday cake

(Cousin #5 in the background)

Daughter #2 and Cousin #2 horsin' around

She's just always got to walk all over everybody

All in all a wonderful day.  My camera battery died (nothing surprising!) so many of these pictures are taken with Son #3's iPhone--which didn't turn out half bad.  :-)

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1.03.01

Our Annual Runge Nature Center Excursion

We made our fall visit to the Runge Nature Center yesterday.  It was gorgeous weather and perfect for hiking the trails.  The lighting wasn't the best (and I didn't feel like doing a bunch of editing) so the quality of the pictures leave a little to be desired.  As usual, we arrived 10 minutes before they closed the indoor part of the Center.  Oh well, it saves money since I didn't have time to browse their little bookshop.  :-(

The little boys love having their picture taken (oh, those expressions!!) with the stuffed cougar.  We had a cougar roaming our neighborhood a few years ago and Son #4 (back right) even spotted it one afternoon in the neighbor's field.

Our group.

Son #3 using a acorn cap for a whistle.  He really could make it whistle--and loud.

His acorn cap.

Stuck in a stump.

We saw LOTS of these.  They were hard at work burying the acorns.  I explained to the kids that sometimes the squirrels forget where they bury their stash and come springtime... viola'--a new tree.  :-)

These gals must be used to people cause they let us get pretty close.  Beautiful.

The herb bed with lots my favorite herbs--lemon balm, thyme, basil, etc...

Me and the boys

And me and the girls.

Daughter #4 at the little pond.

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

Heading out today--catching a plane to San Francisco to meet up with (and bring home) my homesick girl--Daughter #2. She has been so ready to come home for so long. And now the time is finally here. We're all so happy!! Especially the little boys who miss all the tickling and torture. :-) I think that the children have secretly feared that Hawaii gobbles up their siblings--never to be seen again. So they will feel a lot better when she is HOME!!

See, this is how she was really feeling about being there without her family...
Hawaii may be paradise... but home is where the heart is.

BLAH

Wish I had something interesting and witty to blog about!! Just going through a giant BLAH spell, I suppose. I'm feeling like a hamster on his little wire wheel, running as fast as I can--and not getting anywhere. I've got loads of unfinshed projects hanging over my head, beating me senseless. And just about the time I'm sure I'm getting somewhere, along comes some new development or complication. It'll be nice to make some progress soon--before I start pulling my hair out!!

A couple of "nature" pics to share...

A dove and a sparrow sharing the beach with me


A canopy of green above us on the beach

Overwhelmed

I'm sorry that I haven't had a chance to post anything lately. I think I'm still suffering a bit of jet lag. Not to mention that I'm still hanging on to the cold that I caught while there in Hawaii--probably from the airport. (I'm notorious for catching something or other while traveling.) I'm still not settled into any kind of routine now that I'm home. Daughter #1 and Sons #3 & 6 have caught the cold now too. Life feels totally off kilter right now.

We've also been busy with DH's appointments to the surgeon and having tests done with his ruptured discs in his back that have caused him significant pain and loss of work these past couple of years. Looks like he's going to have surgery come the middle of July. You know it's bad when surgery is an anticipation instead of a fear or dread!!

So I'll be back when I can get myself together enough to feel coherent. Until then, I'll leave you with these wonderful pictures...

Son #3

Groom, Bride, Me, DH, Daughter #2, Son #3

Daughter #2 with Lighthouse in background

The view from DH's sister's front door (with rainbow!)

hiking!!

Aloha From the Beautiful State of Hawaii!!

If you haven't noticed (which I would be surprised if you did), I've been a little MIA from the blog scene. First I was packing and getting ready for the trip to Hawaii for Son #2's wedding, then we were in flight, and now we've been here for a few days!! Busy, busy, BUSY!!! The travelers include DH, Son #3, Daughter#2 and, of course, myself. Steve's parents are helping to hold down the fort back home.

Daughter #2 will be staying behind after we leave so that she can help DH's sister during the last part of her pregnancy. She usually has to do a bedrest stint and might need extra help. She'll be home by Christmas. I don't know how we're going to manage without her!! :-(

I'll try to post more pictures soon.

So We Don't Forget... Vacation Memory

This Wednesday the Kraft family is vacationing and Lynnette designated this week's topic to be vacation memories. Here's one of ours...

Our family has been on many, MANY vacations in our history. One of our very favorite vacations is camping at the Galveston Island State Park in Texas. It's always been an inexpensive getaway with lots of fun in the sun and historical things to see and do. For some of our children it's about the only vacation place they had ever known. As we've grown older we've spread ourselves out a bit and have traveled west several times as well.

In 2003 our family traveled for nearly a month through many of the National Parks. We went with DH's parents as they were headed to Alaska to meet up with our camping club. We didn't have the time allowance or the money to go with them all the way but we traveled together for a good long way.

We visited the Rocky Mountain N.P., the Grand Teton N.P., Yellowstone N.P., Glacier/Waterton N.P. and then parted ways with his parents. Still having time on our hands we drove across Idaho and Washington where we visited the Mt. Rainier N.P. on our way to the beach--since we were so close. We do love the ocean!!

Nearly 3 weeks into our trip we finally reached the ocean and drove our RV onto the beach. Son #4 who was almost 5 took a deep breath and with a big sigh said "FINALLY!! We're at vacation!!" To him "vacation" was the beach. We all laughed and laughed. Poor little guy. We couldn't figure out why all through the trip he kept asking when we were going to "be at vacation". We tried to explain that we WERE on vacation. Obviously he wasn't!! :-)

Wading in the chilly Pacific waters.