Barges for Julie

Time for some catch up ! I will be posting all weekend to get you caught up on what’s going on. This post will feature the winner of the Canna bulbs & flower seeds.

Julie Weidner was the lucky one and now it’s up to me to blog about barges on the Mississippi. Let’s see where do I start…….

The barges do amaze me with their size and what they accomplish. When Rick and I go over to Illinois via Fort Madison, Iowa we have had to stop on the drawbridge a few times for the barge to go under. That’s an eerie feeling. I myself have seen a couple situations in Fort Madison on the great muddy Mississippi. A barge was stuck after a bridge collapsed during heavy rains last year. We were there to get a shot ! BUT we couldn't get to close due to the rising waters. Then one day while visiting the Old Fort in Fort Madison I saw a barge being pumped out after taking on to much water.

I have copied a section from an article I found on the web so you can get a better idea and learn of an upcoming travel experience.

Barges are a common site on the Mississippi River were fleet of barges are seen carrying perishable and non-perishable goods. Barges are seen floating on the river carrying various types of goods from one port to another, making the river strategically very important. May it be middle Mississippi river, upper or lower, the barges are seen carrying loads of goods. Apart from using it for transportation purpose people have come up with more novel ideas, in the form of Barge Cruise.
The river barge definitely sounds unusual and very few are available for service. Those who provide this have turned their barge into a small floating hotel with open lobby, dining space, indoor viewing areas, library, office, guest quarters equipped with bath plus shower, music system & television. The Mississippi Barges are soon gaining popularity for its unique experience, similar to being on a cruise. Boy wouldn’t this be exciting especially more up North.

OK, I’m not sure what else I can say since I’m not originally from the area and didn’t grow up on the Mississippi.

OK Julie, I hope you enjoy your flowers. You have now got my curiosity up more about barges so I think this summer I'm going to see if I can go to Ft. Madison and get on one, who knows maybe they will give me a little tour and tell me more. If so I will definitely post about it then.

Buzzing About Today

I'm giving flowers away ( details in the end of this blog ) !!









This was surely a busy weekend, birthday, yard sale, baby shower , crafting, shopping, and bee keeper !!

Let's start with the bee-keeping. Last Friday was exciting for Rick and I'm sure somewhat nerve-racking. He helped a friend of his move bee hives to pollinate an apple orchard. They had to do this real early in the morning while the bees were asleep. Oh my, Rick's alarm went off ( on his day off ) and up out of the bed he popped ! Now if you know Rick, he's not a morning person. He was off to Dave's to start "buzzing' for the day. While I was finishing up getting ready to go to work my cell phone started ringing. All I could think was who is texting me at 5:30 AM. It was a message from Rick, a picture of him all suited up with a thumbs up signal. He was ready to go !
When I got home he told me all about it. He said he knows why you have to move them early because once the sun rose they were swarming all around, including trying to get to his face. Luckily he was completely covered.

My Cricut came so I've been experimenting !! My first project is going to be my picture frame window. I had ordered the lettering from Uppercase Living BUT it was huge - so I will utilize that somewhere else. Maybe my bedroom wall under vacationing pictures, uh good idea !


This thing can do so much. I will post pictures next week of the projects I've done.
Since I'm on the crafting subject I think I'm going to clean out the attic and see what I can find up there. I know I have an old screen door that could be of some use somewhere. Thanks to Jessica for some great ideas, but I don't have a pantry. I just have to find a use for it! Does anybody have an ideas ?
For my birthday Rick and I went to the casino and shopping. Needless to say both broke me! Thank goodness we only go to the casino a couple times a year. I asked Rick to get me fence panels for my birthday and that is what he did, now we just have to get them up. I called 811 to see where I can and can NOT dig. I'm going to put them on one side around my pool. This will keep the peepers going up the road from seeing me when I'm lounging :) Plus it will work for a nice backdrop for pictures. I'm going to be adding some flowers on the inside and will get pictures up as soon as I'm done. I'm ready to open the pool !!


I cleaned out my little water garden pond



and disposed of a dead mouse, one mole and a ton of worms !! What's up with that, did they think it was the burial grounds ? YUCK !! And to think I'm making 2 more water features in my yard. One of them is going to be really cool. It consists of several wine bottles with the dimples in the bottom. So come on people drink that wine and pass the bottle on. Here's a start of the project, as you can see I've hit some roots !




























A completed picture will be blogged next week. See this is what happens when Rick has to go to Farm King every time we are in Burlington. He goes to the hunting section and I head towards the garden stuff and they have great project books !!
My yard is starting to look more beautiful each day. I can't wait till the flowers start popping and I have fresh bouquets on the table each week. We are going to til up a small garden spot to plant some corn. I have to grow it tall because I'm entering a contest. If you are from Iowa and have not subscribed to the magazine "Our Iowa" , you need to do that now ! They are having a contest and IF you can grow the tallest corn ( they provide the seeds ) you can win - $200 of pork, $200 of beef and a $100 gas card. Yeah Iowa !! This corn is a tropical type imported in and can reach 15-16 feet tall and with the help from the neighbors cattle maybe taller ( I hope ) !! Oh yes, pictures will be posted monthly.
The 365 project is coming along good. I do find it hard some days to think of what I can take a picture of then a bird seems to land somewhere close, snap ! Picture for the day. I do need to get more creative so look out for some self portraits coming soon. I think I will go a little wild with editing too, like this couple. If anyone has any ides let me know.
I have noticed that people give freebies as a way to draw to their blog. Well, I've decided to do the same. I want to go on a scavenger hunt and you can be the guide ! Here's what you need to do- since the flowers are headed in full force now, I will be giving away 5 red Canna roots, these can be planted now and are absolutely gorgeous when they bloom PLUS you will get a packet of flower seeds of my choice ( surprise). Now 5 Canna's don't sound like much but at the end of the season ( if you're in a cold climate like me ) and you dig these up, you will have 15-25 for next year, so let's get started. To be qualified to win all you need to do is comment on this post,one per person. In the comment tell me something you would like to see blogged about. I want a challenge SO, I'm going to look for it ( within reason) take a picture and blog next week about your topic. Now this could be anything from a Golden Finch, red-headed woodpecker, blooming trees, old barn, windmill,river,waterfall, whatever !!! Send me on a mission !! I will pick a winner at 5:00 am ( CST) May 20th and mail out your prize that day. To comment - all you do is click the word comment and type away. If you don't have a google or blogger account you can check anonymous but remember to sign your name. I will need your mailing address so please send that to randt@iowatelecom.net and put scavenger hunt in the subject so I can watch my spam box.
Thanks and good luck !!