20170804 - River cruise

20170804 - Up in the am and we headed out of the big city for a day closer to nature. We headed to Concord to meet up with Bruce and Ellen kohler, our cousins. We made our way to their place and took a tour of their house and grounds. We then headed to the grocery to get some supplies for a picnic and on through the beautiful town of old houses to the river. We got our canoes and kayaks and headed down river to the Minuteman National Park. We made our way on shore and had a nice picnic in the orchard of The Old Manse. The history lesson was especially interesting with all the family history Ellen added. Quite amazing the connection she has there.

After we ate we headed into the park for a walk through the start of our Country.  Amazing the think that there, on that spot, the world changed. We took our time, Ellen recited the rest of the poem that is not on the monument from memory. When our photo was taken a rather loud woman asked if we could move so she could get a picture of the monument with no one in it. If she only knew who she asked to move and the information she could have learned if she would have been polite...

Back into our vessels and headed up stream this time. There was a gentle current, and the boys had a good time hunting for turtles and exploring the banks. After our excursion we stopped for some ice cream before heading back to the house where Bruce Grant and I split off to get ingredients for dinner at the store. Back to the house and we all relaxed for a bit. The boys playing in the woods and eventually found some old tennis rackets while exploring the house and took them to the front yard where they used a wheelbarrow as a net for some sort of game.

L and Bruce started preparing the meal, and G came to assist with the lobster part and it turned into a bit of fun when the snapping and pinching going on. Everything cooked up and ready and we had a feast of lobster, swordfish, steak, fresh salad and corn on the cob from the local farm. What a superb relaxing meal. We finished up and helped clean things up before saying goodbye and heading back to the hotel.  A more relaxing day the previous few.

20170803 - UPGRADE!

20170803 - Up in the am and we jumped on the bus to get downtown. We started walking and D realized he lost his wallet so e ran back to the bus that hadn't left yet and found his wallet, lucky boy... we walked to the location of the boston Tea Party and saw the replica ship. We then headed downtown to walk on the freedom trail.

I spent a bunch of time on the phone trying to get baseball tickets for tonight's game, however we have been issued tickets for the 8/14 game. One slight problem, we won't be in Boston then... So I followed the fam as they headed down the freedom trail on the phone selling the tickets for the 8/14. I got those listed on StubHub and then headed a couple of blocks the opposite direction of the freedom trail to get hop on hop off bus tickets. I met up with D who waited back for me and we hiked halfway across Boston to meet up with LJ&G we found in a cemetery listening to stories of Paul Revere, John Hancock and my favorite Samuel Adams.

G was busy correcting the tour guide as we made our way to the Boston Commons and our tour concluded. We walked around the park and ended up a having a meal around the square that we topped off with fried Oreos. We jumped on the bus and headed to Paul Revere's house and the Old North Church. After that we met up with my buddy Paul and we walked to the USS Constitution and some ice cream.

Feeling guilty about being in Boston and not getting D&G to a Red Sox game, so I snagged some tickets at 5:30 for the 7:10 game :-o My buddy Paul put us on the right train and DG&I headed to the Green Monster while he took L&J to the finish line of the Boston Marathon and to the top of the Prudential building where they had a great view of the city and he taught J how to eat oysters. Paul also took L&J to the bar in the Green Monster to see the field and then got them on a bus back to the hotel. DG&I made it to the game as it started and we had pretty good seats. We had hot dogs and a couple of drinks and were enjoying the crowd, it was electric!

Then something amazing happened. A guy walked up to D&G and asked them if they were together; they looked at me like 'should we answer this guy?'. I leaned over and said 'yes'. He said 'so all 3 of you are together?' 'Yes' again, he said 'come with me'. I rushed the boys out of there seats and we followed the man down the steps and he pointed and said 'go wait for me down there'. Well 'down there' was the baseball field. I mean THE BASEBALL FIELD. The man caught up with us and took up to some seats right up against the wall behind 1st base. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! The most AMAZING seats I have ever seen!

We sat ringside for the remainder of the through 'Sweet Caroline' and 'Take me out the Ballgame'. What are the odds of everything falling into place for this to happen? Needless to say D&G were in heaven and got some of the dirt from the field after the Red Sox victory over the White Sox.  We headed to the bus stop, waited forever, but got on a bus and headed back to the hotel. We met up with L&J and everyone told of their awesome experiences of the night. What a great day!

20140706 - Scenic Route

20140706 - Up in the am and J&G got directions from Abe and Perry Come for the day.  We headed to the Scout campsite to get D and headed to Philadelphia.hilly.  We took the scenic route and stopped at the diner 'The Blob" was filmed at.  Onward to the Phillies stadium where we got private tour and D got hat.  then we headed Downtown to tour Independence Hall and to see the Liberty Bell, We walked to Sonny's for the classic Philly Cheese-steak, YUM!  We stopped at the art museum to see Rocky and run up the steps and then drove through Chinatown to get to our hotel with low ceilings in the parking garage.  We got settled in and went swimming before bed.

20120414 - Maple Syrup Day at the Farm

20120414 - Up at the crack of dawn, but the boys already up. Roger had the fire going an we all met up at the boiling pot of sap. The rain sputtered and stopped and came back harder and then ceased, this would happen throughout the day. Soon those brave enough to see the fond memories that would be made today through the rain started showing up an the Farm was filled with the steam of the sap, the smoke of the fire, laughter of children and stories of 'when we were kids'... The French toast was cooked and syrup slurped in the morning hours and then a grand lunch made from loving hands from all over. Friends old and new chatted and explored the Farmhouse, the Barn an woods. The young folks took some time to plant some red oak saplings that they can show their grandchildren when they come back. The Boy Scouts led a 5 mile hike that ended up at Camp Mowana where a hay wagon full met the hikers for a trek to the falls. All back to the farm and the syrup done. Another successful year surrounded by the people we love.

No matter where you travel from.

When you get to the Farm, 

you know you're home.

Thanks to all who helped prepare, those who came to share, those that came to play.  

Because of all of you, it was a wonderful day.  

See you next year!

See all our Maple Syrup related activities. 

As the visitors left we cleaned up and made our way up to Gma&paW's house where we a got cleaned up and collapsed. What a wonderful day.

20110821 - Wrap Up

20110821 - L was up early and went to a really nice service up at the Camp hosted by one of our relatives.  the boys played and there was family all around.  We met at the Barn and all took a hay ride to the Family Cemetery that Dad built a road to.  There they gave a talk about the trees that had been planted, the history of the cemetery and the memories of the sugar camp in the woods.  The boys played int he woods and had a good time. 

Back to farm and got the passengers unloaded.  I ran up to the Camp to help Johnny start his car and we all met up back at the Farm House for lunch.  People started to leave and we helped clean up a bit and hit the road for home ourselves.


Home and unpacked we headed out on some errands where I tried to buy a Google TV, but that didn't work out because Best Buy didn't have the required connectors...  But we had dinner with Cole's at Hometown Buffett and that was nice.  A LOT of family this weekend... 
Home, boys to bed and I snuck out to meet with Joe.

20110820 - Family Everywhere!

20110820 - Up and down to the barn for my Dad's barn talk, where he went over the history of the barn and what he had learned from a guy that restores old barns.  It was a beautiful day and there were relatives ll over the barn and farm house just looking at things and talking about memories and getting reacquainted.  Ellen gave G a guided ride on Dusty, Jack got stung on the play-set and D played frisbee with his new found cousin from WA.

We took a break and headed up to Camp Mowana for lunch.  We then broke up into groups; some went on a hay ride to the family cemetery, some back to the Farm and some to the Falls and Pine Forrest.

After our walk we took a dip in the Camp pool and had fun throwing and dunking and messing around.  All cleaned up and back to the retreat center for a nice dinner and program.  There were poems read, memories shared, skits, pictures of people and the year they joined the family and this priceless classic of the Kohler family hoedown.



We stayed until late and then headed back to the Farm for bed.

20090712 - 1st KFC

090712 - Up, breakfast and on the road by 9am. First stop? When you are driving past Corbin TN where else would you go except the VERY FIRST KFC EVER?!?! We toured the Sanders Cafe where it all started. And of course I forced everyone to have a piece of chicken while there :-P Back on the road!

081101 - Teotihuacan Pyramids

081101 - This is my first weekend away from home in a long time. So I had to make it worth while. The guys (Andre and Mark) and I arranged a tour of the pyramids that are very close toMexico City. We had our driver, Raul start out tour at 9am. We drove for about 1.5 hours through places we were glad not to stop in and saw many of the sites of Mexico City... This was very fascinating to Mark as this is the first time he had ever left the Netherlands. Andre and I have seen it now many times, but it is still truely amazing that things actually work in such achaotic society. So as we got closer we first went to see a nice resturant that was underground, in a cave. It was very nice and we would end up there for lunch. Wedrove a bit further and Raul pointed out a coule of bumps in the distance and there were the pyramids, but we were still far off. It was not until we got closer and closer that the enormity of these structures actually registered in our brains...
This is the pyramid of the Sun. It rises 215 feet above the ground and is so amazing I do not even know how to describe or convey the amazment that this structure was built more than 2000 years ago, is still standing, how huge and what amount of effort this would have taken. I have never witnessed anything like this in my life. The platform in front yet alone is stagering; to think that in that very location the countless lives sacraficed... We did climb this beast, and here I am at the top top prove it. Itis said that if you stand on top of the Sun pyramid and stretch your ars to the sun it will energize you years to come; still waiting for this to kick in... The pyramid to the right of me in the picture is the Moon pyramid, this is also the photo at the bottom of this post. I did not attempt to climb that one, my legs were rubber by the end of this first climb...
There was a nice museum on the grounds, just a stoll down la avenida de la muerte (avenue of the dead). In there were many skeltons, artifacts and this feathered sepant head from the Serpant Pyramid (the smallest of the three on the site; which was still huge!) We toured the museum and then Andre and Mark went up the Moon pyramid as Raul and I sat on the sacrificial platform to watch them.
We then toured the palace marveled at the 2000 year old carvings and paintings still in tact under the cover of the ancient rock structures. We made our way back towards the car, covered by local vendors trying to sell us everything they could and fighting through the now thickening crowd of tourist that showed up mid day. Raul took us to a local tourist shop he trusted where we got further education on the local customs, drinks, gems and silver smithing. We tried the drink Pulque or agua meil (honey water) made from local cactus aguave shaped plants, the smoked drink Miscal (with the worm), and of course the best tequilla on the planet. After we browsed and got some good to take home we head back to the cave resturant for lunch. There we were entertained by people in ritual dress, from Aztec warriors to mariachi dancers.

What an amazing day!

080826 - Bday pose

080826 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY Dylan!
Dylan turned 9 today!
We spent the morning assembling a huge lego thing, watching some 'Tom & Jerry' and then outside for some nerf target practice. Then I surprised him with his main present, a BB gun!!! I got him to pose w/ his new gun, like another infamous person...

080727 - Serpant

080727 - Up in the morning, got some b-fast and then on the road. First stop was the Serpant Mound. Very cool! Back on the road, stopped for some foot long hot dog and ate them at Siep Mound. It was huge! Fianlly made it home and relaxed the rest of the day.
080726 - Well we were not impressed w/ the creation museum. When they stated that dinosaurs were on the ark, and tried to explain where Cain got his wife from we realized it was a bit too odd for us. So we went outside to the petting zoo where they had a Zonkey and a Zorse... These were a donkey & a horse bred w/ a zebra... Very strange for 'Creation Museum' to be creating their own animals....
We then headed to Indian to pick up some food to eat at a state park in Ohio... The boys played a bit, then back to Indiana to see the movie 'Journey to the Center os the Earth'. Headed back to the hotel and stopped off at a mall w/ a playset, where Lori got faint... Ugh... I grabbed some food out of the food court and rushed back to the hotel so she could rest. After dinner we took the boys to their favorite place, the pool.

071216 - JFK

071216 - in DFW for meetings. Had Andre fly in and meet me on Sunday. Didn't have anything planned so we head to Daley Plaza where Andre loaded up w/ tourist stuff and we got the 'true story' of how JFK was shot...

19251003 - Mansfield Woman Killed in Motor Accident

19251003 - This is a news paper article of the accident the killed Harriet Isabelle Kohler (Whistler) that was married to Emerson Daniel Kohler, who were the parents of my grandmother Mary Kathryn Winger (Kohler).  It is front page news as auto deaths were not that common in the early years.