Celebrating the 4th at Bull Shoals Lake

View of the Bull Shoals Dam

Oh, that smile!

The boys getting ready for a swim

The smile originator

The boys take to the deep

Emerson gets his feet wet

Friends

Josiah

It's starts to cloud up but we never get any rain

Silas

Lunch Time!

We're ready

After not having cannoli for over a year we heard Anthonee's Kitchen in Lakeview

had them so we picked up 8 fresh cannoli for dessert. 

Emerson was in Sicilian heaven.

The kids bundle up as the temperature drops

Josiah braves the cold

Good night sun

Pig tails and a cowboy hat ... who could ask for more?

Driving over the Bull Shoals Dam on our way home to light off some fireworks

The Way We Were

God Bless America

Firework Film Noir

 by My.Name.is.Joe

Don't Tread on Me

Enjoying the Day

4th of July ... Our country's saddest day of the year

Faded Glory

This day depresses me beyond belief.

There doesn't seem to be much to celebrate.

Judith in a Field of Flowers

Emerson and Silas by the Spring Head

Wheat Waver Machine

Is that how they get the wheat to move like that?

Spring Head and Dam Report Update

Spring Head: Dry

Creek Bed: Dry

The kids made a dam 300 feet or so from the spring head 

and now there's nothing to dam up.

Dry.

I guess that what they mean by "Wet Weather Spring" and Seasonal Creek".

Damn.

Big Rock Update

Yup, still there.

Wildflower Update

Queen Anne's lace

Bull Thistle

Bitterweed

Judith and I like to take the children on evening walks and check out the wildflowers.

It's been cool for the last few days and the fields are in full bloom.

A perfect combination.

Garden update

Tomatoes 

Watermelon

Corn

Sugar Snap peas

Cucumbers

Beats

We had a late start on the garden due to a cold snap that hit the region plus Echo and I going away to New York for 6 weeks didn’t help. This left our first attempt at gardening in a new climate zone on Judith and the kids.

All and all they did a great job without the help of us burly men being around.  Hopefully, Echo and I will be putting up the fence around the garden within the next month or two.

The projects never end.

Chicken update

Our temporary chicken coop 

We lost one of our new chickens awhile back to a raccoon which left us with one hen, one really old rooster and a young feisty rooster.  

The loss didn’t sit well with Emerson because it was his favorite chocolate chicken that got it so I was determined to replace it as soon as possible.

A week or so ago I was in a local farm store and they had chicks on clearance, go figure, so I pick up a variety pack of 10 chicks at half price.

As you can see they are doing well and with the 1” x 1” chicken wire I wrapped the coop with they sleep safe and sound.

Oh, I could come up with a few more

Triumph Tough

Creepy in a cool sort of way

How interesting ... books in the shower area

I know most of these home design photos are set up 

but they're fun to look at even though sometimes they are not practical. 

Rain drops keep falling on my head ...

Got to get me one of these

Grilled Clams with Garlic Drizzle

Somebody turn on a light

Farmers do it in the dirt

Just like Grandma had