Dragon Fly

The other day when Luke Michael and I were at the play ground there were hundreds of dragon flys buzzing around . I decided to try and take a picture and actually took several but only one came out looking like a dragon fly, so I thought I would share it. Of course if I had a fancy camera with a telephoto lens it would be clearer, but I probably wouldn't be able to operate such a camera. We are enjoying some cooler weather here. It's only in the sixties during the day and actually got down to the low 40's at night. I just hope it doesn't freeze while I'm at Tamara's because I'm worried about my pineapple plants.

REMEMBERING OANE

At the Park

The weather here is really nice. Not too hot, so this morning Luke Michael and I walked to the park. Well, he rode in the stroller but he runs enough at the park to give him plenty of exercise. He likes the biggest slide there is. There is also a little wooden path that goes out over the lake and he enjoyed running back and forth on that. When he was swinging he wanted me to sit in the big swing and he laughed and laughed when we swang back and forth together. I don't have a picture of that unfortunatly. It's a nice little park and we are usually there alone. It's about a ten minute walk from the house so it is just right. We always take cookies and juice to snack on on the way home.

Pineapple Plants

Having run out of blog ideas I've decided to show you a picture of my pineapple plants. Before I went north for the summer I had brought home the tops of some pineapples that we had used at work. I think I might have even saved one that Carl had used in one of his famous fruit salads when he and Kirsten were here. Anyway, I stuck them out in the garden by the back door and didn't think anything would happen, but when I got back from Granville I had these very healthy looking plants. I've just been reading about pineapples and in order to produce another pineapple like the ones you find in the store the plant will get about 6 feet high and 6 feet wide. I think I may have them planted too close. It also takes several years, so we'll see what happens.

Free Beer!

Just so you know what you are missing, all you beer drinkers at our family gathering in Granville. They are having a four day festival on Flagler Ave. this week end, and you even get to keep the glass. I don't really drink beer but was thinking of you all. I didn't think I should drink a beer and then do a turtle talk and then drive to Orlando, so I just took the free glass. But I did think of you all.

Do you know where your goat is?

Here is the promised picture of Binky on the slide. It was obviously not taken at the same time the one in the previous blog was since the slide has been turned around. Binky was Edward's goat so he was probably at least 3 or 4 years old by the time he got her. Maybe even older. Edward would have been six when we moved to Granville and I don't remember if Binky moved with us or not. I think there are even movies of Binky going down the slide, probably with Edward in hot persuit.

This picture is for all of you who were at the corn roast in Granville this summer. Bill has a picture of Will sitting on top of the slide in the back yard. He estimated that the slide was about 55 years old. Try 62. This picture was taken when Edward was about a year old, so 1946, Bill and I are also in the picture. We were still living in Pleasant Valley and the slide was probably new. They sure don't make them like that any more. The only thing wrong with the slide is that the legs at the bottom are missing so the slide itself sits on the ground. I seem to remember that those legs got damaged, probably while we still lived in Pleasant Valley by someone plowing snow. So that would have been before 1952. Once we moved to Granville the slide was always in the back yard and there was no snow plowing done there. Wonder who made that red slippery slide? This one would make a good advertisement for the company.

Gone Fishin'

Well, I haven't gone fishing, but I rode my bike up the beach to the inlet this morning and the jetty was as full of fishermen as I've ever seen it. The weather is beautiful and I guess the fishing was good, although I didn't see anyone catching anything. Not even the pelican who was sitting there waiting for something to show up. Sorry Cap, I didn't see anyone fishing in the surf from the beach this morning or I would have taken that picture too.

The Water Tower

Not only have we sold Mother and Dad's house next door to mine, but they are building a new firehouse and are planning to sell the property in back of me. There is a monumont right next to my property to the members of the Ground Observer Corp who watched for enemy planes and submarines during World War II. I'm hoping that they are not planning to move this monument since it gives me a little protection. I'm sure the reason the monument is there is because there used to be a water tower right next to the firehouse and I'm sure they used it when they were looking for planes and submarines. However, I have yet to find anyone in New Smyrna Beach who remembers the water tower. After going through a lot of Aunt Ginnies old pictures I finally found a couple. The first one was taken in 1954 and has Mom Pratt standing by 301 South Pine Street. The other was taken in 1973 when they were taking the tower down. On Friday I'm going to take these pictures and have copies made from them to donate to the museum. I'm trying to quietly build my case if they ever decide to move the monument. Kay and I visited Aunt Ginnie in 1962 and they were repairing the water tower. The men up there doing the repairs kept singing "everybody's going out and having fun, I'm a fool for staying home and having none." I can't believe we didn't take any pictures then since we were very interested in those young men up there working and singing.