Ah, imagination, it's a good thing.

 We had to go up to Shelbina for a funeral a few days ago. My daughters great grandfather passed away.
During the lunch after wards the kids got to hanging out with the Preachers daughter (always trouble right?).
She wanted to show them this old house in town.

So off they went.

Being a small town, and the preachers daughter, we let them go off on their own for a while (15 year old cousin with them, the responsible type).

After they had been gone, well, long enough, I set off to find them.

I met them coming back, at which point this gave them a reason to go back. To show me.

 Once a grand place it is now pretty well to far gone to save.

They convinced themselves that at one time it had been part of the underground railway.

And who knows, maybe it had been.

Older cousins of my wife said they had heard the same when they were kids.

The roof line and brick work are, or were, beautiful.

With porches painted white, at one time it most have been one of the nicer homes in this small town.

 This doorway under a side porch was where they decide the slaves at one time hid.

From this view you can almost imagine how nice it once was.

In contrast, this house completely remodeled and kept up is only a few doors away.

I love small town fairs - NEMO Old Thrashers weekend.

 Well Saturday we got up to farm town and attended once again the Old Thrashers event.

Chance to watch and see how the old equipment was used.

This truck seperated the corn from the cob. I am sure there is a name for that process but I didn't catch it.

 Ah Shucks!

 Another view of the truck.
It doesn't look like it could still run but it does.

 Another old steam tractor.

 This machine seperated the cobs from the stalk.

And still worked.

This machine attached to a very large steam tractor thrashed oats.















And unlike festivals in larger towns where it is okay to sell Vietnamese Kabob's (among other non-related things) at Scottish themed Festivals, evey thing seemed to have a purpose with what was being celebrated; old farm life.

 Making new friends.

 Very young.

 "This town ain't big enough for the three of us philgrim."

 How to make apple cider

 Lots of old tools.

 And some ideas I had never seen before (which is not unusual.)

 My favorite parts are the kids rides that are home-made and tractor driven.

 All tractor powered.

 And made with stuff from around the town.

Pulled by tractor, made out of barrels and on the go all day.

It is also fun to see the same people year after year doing these rides again.

 And of course there are lots of other things going on.

 Rope making.

What a great day!

Keeping summer real - Milestones.

 We tend to spend as much time outside as we can, regardless of the weather.

So Saturday we found a beach near the cabin we could play at for several hours.

 Which also provided daughter with another first for her life book.
Jumping off of a floating dock in the middle of a lake that she had to swim out to!

Air borne!

 And of course, dipping the feet in said lake from said dock.

 Good thing daddy's camera is waterproof.

 We even carried Grandma across the hot sand so see could sit by the water (or in it, as it ended up.)



We then picked tomatoes when we got home . . . .

 . . . so she could have another first.
Her own tomato stand!

She planted them, and helped pick them. They are hers to sell.

 Hard at it.

 Drumming up business.

She made $59.50 in about an hour and a half.

Big Butt on a small wall.

 This past weekend our local Girl Scout Council held a fun event which included games, learning opportunities and a climbing wall.

Our daughter has always loved climbing walls.
And she did this one at least twelve times, trying each of the three climbs.

I think it may be her sport

Well, there comes a time in every child/parent relationship where at some point child (daughter) is going to go, "Oh, yea! You seem to know a lot about this dad, why don't you show me how easy it is!"

Trying to avoid that as long as possible, I though I better step up before the challenge was issued.

Well, I have not hauled (or had hauled) my body up a wall or been suspended by a rope for a very long time (30 plus years!). That is actually longer than the two dudes who managed the wall were old.
But I though it was now or wait till I get even older and she puts me on the spot.
So at it I went. After the first few feet I found my stride and old skills came back, and I know enough not to just count on strength alone and work with my skills of balance and finesse (two things I have loads of). At the top of the climb is a bell to ring, and in front of my daughter I got to ring the bell. I know, this photo could just be a trick. Maybe I just got a couple of feet off of the ground. But she videoed the whole thing except, luckily, my decent. I had never used one of those self belay devices before, and well, let's just say my landing needs a little work and that no one was hurt.

Keeping the summer going strong. . .

Trying to get in as many adventures as we can. . . .

 Wed. evening was team picture night before practice. Daughter has her legs in the pool.

 Thursday was a trip to the National Transportation Museum.

 This one looks like a character out of 'Cars', sort of.
Waiting to be restored.

 Posing in front of Sherlock Holmes' favorite ride.

 Cool on Route 66

 Grandma use to have one of these.

 MY DAD USE TO HAVE ONE OF THESE!!!!!!!!!!!

 For Grandpa Charlie.

 Caboose climber.

 Working trolley car.
We took three rides on it.

Lots of trains.

 Sleeper. We got to walk through about five cars in a line from sleeper car to kitchen car, lounge cars, etc.

Even a small one we could ride.

Headin' home for more swim practice.