20210608 - Not Affraid

20210608 - Up in the am, G running 4 miles with the XC team, and I headed up to the Farm. I swung by the post office, then Wendy's to get bfast and see J, his manager paid for my bfast. As I was pulling out of Wendy's I almost hit a bunch of boys running down the sidewalk, G was in that group so I blew the horn. I got on the highway and talked to Lonnie for a bit on the way up and saw the Goodyear blimp on the drive. Made it to the Farm, checked on GpaW and got set up for the day. I hosted a call and got some email done. Uncle Johnny showed up and he and dad headed to Haysville to get some lunch. L took G to get his 2nd covid shot today. I had another call and GpaW and Johnny came back and brought me some lunch. Aunt Mary showed up with treats and they all got to talking. I love hearing their stories but had to get on another call. Not long after the call GmaW got home. I checked in with her and then packed up to try and beat rush hour and make it home in time for my next call. On the road and it was raining like crazy. Home for a bit and then L drove to Groveport while I was on a Civil Service call. We got G there in time and I finished my call and then headed in to the gym to watch G play some pretty intense basketball with some other kids trying out for the freshman team. They did pretty good for never playing together before and lost the first game and won the second. We headed out and got home about 9:30. Home and D and some of his friends stopped by to chat and hang out.

20210410 - Maple Syrup Day @ the Farm

20210410 - Up way too early and LJG Hazel and I got everything loaded in the car and headed out. We made a quick pickup at McDs and headed up to the Farm. It was an easy drive and we got there about 8:30. Dale and Roger were there boiling down already and the steam was floating. I helped GpaW get some things set up and Brad and Dave were there helping too. GmaW took L and Dave's girlfriend Tammy up to the house to give her some bday presents and Dave Dylan and I took a walk back through the woods. We ran in to Tim in the woods working on a deer stand and chatted with him a bit. Back to the Farmhouse and more folks were there, all family, unlike years past. J&G took the pug and went up to the pond and all over the Farm. The weather was absolutely perfect and it was a nice small crowd and gave me the chance to talk with folks and not be so busy. The sap boiled down and stories were told. We had a nice lunch and then we poured off the syrup. Folks hung out a bit more and headed up to the camp and we got things cleaned up pretty quickly.

We got things cleaned up and LG&I changed and headed to Galion for baseball. The first game got away from us. G had a good hit and stole a ton of bases but we had a couple bad innings we couldn't recover from. G took the mound for the start of game 2 and did really well pitching, the lessons obviously paid off. He also got a great hit down the 3rd baseline. The rain came in the 4th inning and they called the game. Gma&paW were on their way to the game so we met them at DQ and had dinner and chatted about what a lovely day it was at the Farm and think everything went well and folks were glad to be out and together.

We drove home through some really hard rain. Home, unpacked and L&I sat in the living room with Thunder Force, a new movie, on but were in and out to consciousness... To bed in good time after a very nice long day.

20201228 - Changing & Sweets

20201228 - Up and got ahold of Chris first thing to come up with a game plan on the neighbor shooter... Chris wants me to go down to the courthouse tomorrow and talk to the Prosecutor, take as many facts and neighbors as I can so he knows this is serious... Well that raised my heart rate and blood pressure considerably...  L ran G to dentist, all good. G had never changed a a tire before so he helped me take the sliced tire off L's car. I ran to Dr to get second Shingles shot (OUCH!!!) and dropped off sliced tire at Tuffy. I got home and sent emails to Mayor and Chief of Police and hand delivered printouts of the shooting event to our immediate neighbors. I got replies from both the Chief and the Mayor. They are going to contact the Prosecutor for me. I let Chris know and he said that's perfect and now I don't have to go down to the courthouse tomorrow morning! YIPEE!!!

L ran G and Owen to basketball. I finished up my day and L&I hung out in watching TV and looking for home security systems and biometric gun cases... J got home and found a package on out front. It was a box from Aunt Mary full of Chinese noodle candy! YUM!!!  Later that evening the neighbor's dad called offered to pay for tire. Told him that was the least of my concerns. His kid is CRAZY and rather than paying for all of his son's mistakes, maybe he should get out of the way and let the legal system take care of this one...  I called GpaW and his Dr. visit went good today, going to do more test in a month. Uncle Johnny is in the hospital again with a blood clot in his leg. I stayed up too late looking for home security things.

20200927 + Farm Work

20200927 + Up in the am and L got G from sleep over and he went to bed, J to work and L&I headed up to the Farm. I got tools and parts loaded up and I opened the garbage disposal we bought last night just to make sure it had a dishwasher connection. It did but I also found out the disposal in the box was an old one that someone had returned... So on the way we stopped at Home Depot and swapped it out for an actual new one, that I opened in the store to confirm it was brand new. It was a nice day and a quick drive. We got there and for whatever reason dad wanted to review all the things we looked at last weekend, so we looked at the breaker in the milkhouse, looked at the wiring to the water heater and then looked at the garbage disposal... Land mom headed out to buy cat and cow food and lunch for us and I got to working on the garbage disposal. 30 min later new disposal in and working perfect and aerators replaced on the kitchen and utility room sinks. L and mom showed up and we had a nice lunch. John and Mary showed up and we chatted for a bit before we headed down to the Farmhouse where in short order I removed and bypassed the old knifed fuse box to the water heater. There was plenty of other small things that could be done but dad wasn't feeling up to it so we all sat on the front porch and chatted a bit before L&I headed home. We got home and L ran G to basketball and we had pork chops on grill and watched football on the back porch while I got next week lined up for work. In and watched some more football until we all headed to bed.

20191026 + PARTY TIME

20191026 + Up early and got hings rolling. We got the door off from the kitchen to the garage and started the chili. I ran G to his basketball tryout and then hit Kroger one last time for ice and couple things we forgot. Home and got the TVs on and everything else set up. Tom showed up and helped with hot dogs and last minute details. Soon the folks started pouring in, D even came back from school! We had a great crowd, 70 folks, despite the rain. Everyone sang happy birthday to me and we all had a toast. The Buckeyes won and it was a great time! Folks left and L&I got pretty much everything cleaned up quick. We sat down and watched some football and G&I stayed up way to late watching the Oregon game. A great day surrounded by family and friends!

20181127 - 70

20181127 - Up in the am and got J to school later than usual today, he was dragging... In to a very quiet work this morning and cleaning some things out. Got some things done and headed home the back-way through some snow. Gave GmaW a call on the way home for her 70th bday! She went out for lunch and has plans to go out for dinner to celebrate! Home and got L and we ran to pick up the white car from Tuffy, no charge for fixing out tire. Back home and L made dinner and then I had J drive in the snow to take G to his batting practice. We got G delivered and J did ok in the snow, a bit more timid than usual. Home and I shipped ebay things and then back out in the snow to pick up G and drop him off at basketball practice. Back home for a bit and watched some TV with L and then back out to pick G up. All back home and settled in for the night.

20180414 - Maple Syrup Day @ the Farm

   
Up early and the Farm is already a buzz with Scouts and Roger and Dale manning the syrup. The Scouts cooked their own breakfasts and helped get final touches on things so we are ready to roll when folks start showing up. Soon folks from as far away as Washington state and the state up north started showing up. 101 in total + 4 dogs this year. There was a huge lunch in the Farmhouse and everyone had plenty to eat. We didn't have as much sap as in past years but we still made the sweet syrup that we all love. Many stories were shared and memories made.

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. 

20180413 - Easy Prep and Dinner

20180413 - Up in the am and everyone off doing their normal thing. I took the day off hoping to get out of town early and head up to the Farm, but that didn't work. I got some things done around the house and then folks starting showing up. LJ&G were home, D hasa game in Grove City so he stayed behind and the rest of us packed up and headed to the Farm in the late afternoon.  We helped Gma&paW get a couple of things done, they pretty much had everything almost done... We did get some tables set out, climbed a tree, found a salamander, had a walnut fight, went to dinner with Mary, john, Ted, Andy, checked in with the Scouts and then D showed up. We hung out for a little bit but all got to bed in good time.

20171230 - Family Christmas

20171230 - Up to the Farm, dropped off Lilly and headed to John & Mary's in Shelby for the Winger Christmas party. It was great to see all the family there and catch up before a busy 2018. The boys had a good time and love being there. Back to the Farm to open gifts, way too many, and we had a laughing fit watching GpaW open his box of wood :-) Not up too late.

 

20170415 - Maple Syrup Day @ the Farm

Up in the am and down to the  Farm House to meet Roger that had the sap boiling down already. Soon friends and family started showing up for the most beautiful day we have seen for one of these events in many years.  The sun was out the sky was blue and it was definitely time to get outside and start this Spring. Because it was Easter weekend we thought the attendance would be low, especially without the Scouts, bu about 100 friends and family showed up to stand around the fire to relax and catch up with a bit of maple syrup making mixed in there too.

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. 

After the festivities we had everything cleaned up in no time.  We went out for a nice dinner at the Texas Roadhouse.  Home and watched some TV and relaxed

20161124 - Thanksgiving @ the Farm

20161124 - UP in the am and DJG&I got dressed warm and orange and headed out with the hunters: Roger, Johnny, John 3, Sierra, John C, Greg, Christopher, We walked the usual route and D got a bird, J&G hit the brush with sticks and found bones, I got a bird and we all learned we are pretty horrible shots... Back to the farm house and I cleaned my bird and D helped Christopher clean his first bird. 

Up to the house to get cleaned up and then down to the Farmhouse where the Family gathered around the large tables for grace, fellowship and stories like we have for generations. It was a great meal and put most of us to sleep. 



We then mustered up the energy to head up to the Falls for a brisk hike.

Back to the Farmhouse where the ladies worked on a craft and the boys headed out for some more shooting. 

After everyone left we got cleaned up quickly and headed up to Gma&paW's to hang out and watch a movie. Very thankful to have such a big family.

20161123 - Setting Out Pheasants

20161123 - Up in the am and did not go into work. Got a bunch of things done around the house and we got on the road about 1pm, got gas and a couple of pizzas from Little Ceaser's to eat on the road. We dropped off a wreath on the way out of town and headed to the Farm. The traffic wasn't as bad as past years and we made good time. John Benepe and his son Logan were there and were installing a door for GpaW, D&I lent a hand, but the door was the wrong size... We headed down to the barn to look at the roof and it is a BIG job, trying to keep it from collapsing... In to the Farmhouse and we helped get things set up and soon Roger and Spencer showed up with the pheasants. DJG&I with Roger, Spencer, John C and Mary headed into the fields with the boxes of pheasants to set them out. We put out 20 birds and it is always an adventure. Everything set up and ready we headed to Chinatown for a nice dinner, then home and watched Eagle Eye. All to bed in good time.