"Incredible" Sweet Corn Saga

August 29th Dale picked the last of our corn for the summer
which was incredible... Actually the name of the seed corn
was "Incredible" and both Dale and Mark said it tasted great!!

Jordyn took a little snooze as Andrea helped to husk

the sweet corn that evening in our garage.

Here, Dale is working away to get all the corn husked...

Even though Nathan wasn't feeling his best - he wanted

to help.

Saturday morning Mark came over and helped Dale and

I get it ready to bag. Mark is great at cutting off the corn,

just like his Dad...

Dale was in full swing here..

Our efforts yielded 64 more pints of sweet corn for

the freezer. INCREDIBLE, wouldn't you say??

Nathan is Feeling BETTER!!!

After enjoying the kiddie park and eating out
at Nathan's favorite restaurant "Olive Garden"
we returned home to take a short ride on the
newest 4-wheeler. While Mark and then
Andrea took turns riding with Ben - Nathan
was using my watering can to water my
plants around the yard.

Upon entering the garage to refill the
watering can Nathan said to me, Why doesn't
that kitty let us get close, or pet him? I said
he doesn't know us....

At which time Nathan said (to the kitty)
"I'm Nathan!"

(I knew then that Nathan was feeling better)

Then Nathan selected me to go on a
4-wheeler ride with him... Mark said
Nathan can drive it and I could just ride...

Yeah, right!! We went on the grass trail
across the road and Nathan kept speeding
up and I kept spitting the bugs out and
Nathan was laughing hysterically... I
finally had to put the brakes on, I think
Nathan was enjoying himself a little too
much!!! "Good Night, Nathan!"

Labor Day FUN!!!!!

I enjoyed a small kiddie park today with Mark, Andrea,
Nathan, Ben and Jordyn... Here Ben tries his hand at
a hand propelled cart on a train track. Ben did VERY
WELL and enjoyed it enough to go back a second time.

Jordyn was good the whole time we were at the park as
Mark took it upon himself to be her escort!!

The boys wanted to go on the roller coaster... Here

it looks like Ben is having second thoughts. Andrea

said the back car that they were in was really rough!

Not rough enough for Nathan, who went back to ride

several times. Here's Nathan's THUMBS UP!!

The whole Riley family took a train ride together - I

think I took an even better picture than this with

Andrea's camera - I used (3) cameras today...

I rode the train one time with Nathan while Andrea

rode with Ben. Ben was enjoying himself today :)

Jordyn enjoyed herself too. Next year, Jordyn, you'll

get to participate a little more!!

Here Ben enjoyed driving the horsecart...

I was eyeing the boats on the water - but the boys

never rode them. I always enjoyed the boats at

Kiddieland in Loves Park, Il when I was little...

(Yes, everyone, I was once little). Dad always

said, "Sharon, would you like to have a boat

some day?" I'd always answer "yes" and Dad

built his first boat in our garage. Those will

always be good memories for me.

Corn - Corn and more CORN!!!!!

On Monday - 8/18 - Dale single-handedly picked,
cleaned, prepped and froze 18 pints of 'Early Extra
Sweet' sweet corn... On Friday -8/22 Dale was back in the garden
once more at 8 am to pick the "Peaches &
Cream" sweet corn ***

Dale was still picking when I arrived home from

work at 3 pm and finished picking at 4 pm...

Mark came over to help with his corn freezin'

ethusiasm after a long day working on reports

for his job. Here he pulled 'the straw' for

cleaning the corn before the corn bath....

Doesn't the corn look like 'gold' here while in the bath??

Dale begins to cut the corn off the cob...
Mark & I both did our share of cutting and

bagging the corn...

Here is our harvest..

Bagged up and ready to head for the freezer..

Just received a bulletin from Dale: "the next

10 rows of 'Incredible' sweet corn is also ready

to pick & process" He's planning to pick later in

the evening today and we'll certainly be busy

after church tomorrow...

Rolling Ridge Ranch FUN...

Mom and I traveled to the Rolling Ridge Ranch outside
Berlin, Ohio to enjoy all the animals on their acreage.
Here Mom holds a baby duck... Quack! Quack!

Following are some of the animals we saw on the
horse drawn wagon ride...

Water buffalo and (2) babies...

One of the horse drawn wagons traveling

behind our wagon...

Mom standing in front of the team, "Tom and Fred".

We remembered the horse's names because Mom

said she had an Uncle Tom and Uncle Fred!!

A beautiful sunny day in Holmes county...

Mom enjoyed the convertible ride.

When I saw this house I thought Dorothy had

landed (Wizard of Oz) lol

Traffic on the road - 'clip, clop, clip, clop'

Backroad travels always give us pictures of

perspective... We thoroughly enjoyed the day

and the 'fresh' air!!

"SUMMER FUN"

Summer FUN with family is the greatest
FUN of all... Thanks for making the trip to
Ohio Sheila, Mandy, Darren, Drew and
Abi!!!!

Sheila watches over Abi as she takes a nap...

Grandma Doris and (newest grandchild), Abi get acquainted.. :)

Nathan enjoyed himself as "Boy in the Box"

while playing in the garden...

The FACE of Ben....

Drew enjoys the Riley tire swing..

Cousin, Jenna, enjoys the 4-wheeler...

The guys had fun playing cornhole..
but I don't know who WON??

Stephanie enjoyed holding baby, Abi!!

Sheila and grandson, Drew, on the 4-wheeler!!

Ben cries if you say it's Nathan's turn on the tire swing...
I think he would swing all day if you'd push him. I'm
glad the tire swing is back after being retired for many
years...

This picture of Nathan and Ben reminds me of Cori,
LauraLee and Mark enjoying the tire swing a few
years ago. "Oh, where has the time gone?"
Now it's the grandchildren's turn!!!
I'm sure the Plattner's will enjoy
the swing too :)

Darren and Mandy take a spin on the 4-wheeler...

A picture of some of the family who attended the
get-together on Sat. (Aug. 9 2008)

July Fourth 2008

Grandma and Karly get to know one another...

Kenna enjoyed the Riley brother's train...

Attempted to take a picture of 'the cousins',

the boys were NOT cooperating as much as

the girls as you can see...

So I suggested Nathan place his arms around

Ben's neck so I could get a better picture of

both of them and I believe Nathan was enjoying

this TOO MUCH - I didn't say "choke Ben"!!

Could have been a good picture of Grandma Doris

and 'the boys' but I think we had already taken

enough pictures for them at this point!!

Picture of the 'Brinker' clan at Darrel and Lori's

which includes the Billingtons from Indiana and

the Fosters from Michigan. It was a good

Fourth of July!!!