The rest of it in These titles mean nothing.

  • July 8, 2018, 5:25 a.m.
  • |
  • Public

/403. Saturday now. 999,598 to go. Calm day. Sunny, not too hot, quiet. Just a few flies to swat. Thinking of warming up last night’s hamburgers for lunch. Jim is gone exercising his vast arsenal of haying equipment. John who is home sort of accidentally is off golfing. John is home because this is his 30th HS reunion. I don’t know whether he had planned to go or not, or if he is going, which I doubt, but one of his long term friends flew in from the west coast and John brought him down. It’s an incredibly long story of which I only have parts, so I will not relate it. He seems relaxed and happy and that is all that counts. Well not all, of course, but it’s something.

/404. I’m not writing much here. Not sure why. No idea why. Words are such sneaky little fellows. They are at the tip of your tongue/fingers or they don’t exist at all. I noticed when I went back to the last numbered entry to get the number to start here that I was going to see Joana that day. I did and I brought a basket of her laundry down and then she came later in the day to pick it up and stayed for what amounts to supper here. So I had a full day of Joana. She still has the cats. They now all have cushions. I have nothing to say. I assume cat management is between her and Jim. In fact most management is out of my hands. I sit and click at the keyboard and take naps. Good for me. I cook a little occasionally and do some laundry. Actually Joana’s visit was a good thing because I was at the end of my housekeeping rope and a visitor encouraged me to crawl back up. I did the basic clear off the table and counters, washed dishes and made the cellar entryway and steps fit for humanity. And since them I’ve been enjoying the relative order. Good for me. I also persuaded Jim to fix the door to the deck so it would close and so fewer flies would come in.

/405. Not sure if that was the end of that paragraph of if it should have had more breaks. Oh well. I have a few pictures to show you. They are from last weekend’s jaunt to McGregor and they don’t amount to much, except the sky was very blue and the clouds were very white and the grain elevator was at its best.

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This elevator collects and stores corn and soybeans from farms and send them off by train or river barge. Jim says the trucks come in and unload at the green building. He says it is huge, perspective is everything. The hose exhausted something - what used to be called chaff? - but it must catch it too because it can’t be put out into the air.

/406. Our favorite state legislator worked at this grain elevator and was school board president. She served two terms and was defeated in 2016 by a woman who has decided one term in Des Moines was enough and is now running for county supervisor. She is running against our neighbor who Jim shares farm equipment with. This will be his second term should he be reelected and I think he will be.

/407. Again it’s a game. You need a scorecard. I don’t know if Jim and I (or I myself) will go to the thing tomorrow. It’s for the supervisor candidate, the woman who running for state legislature (unopposed, which is really funny. The Republicans have not come up with a candidate for that office. You’d think they would wants to, would have to, in fact. The County Fair is next week and they would want their candidate at the fair, you’d think?) I know you love it when I talk about politics. I think I’m more likely to write about it here since I am not involved actively in real life. Oh well, Such is life. Someone has to run our government and I like having a bit of say so into who it is. I’m always surprised at the goodness in our candidates. Naïve? Maybe. But it’s my choice.

/408. I have a load of clothes on the line. Someone laid in my flower bed. The wandering calf? His name is Marmadork. I would rather he stayed out of my flowers. but I have no control.

/409. I seem to be very good at letting the summer go by. Letting time go by in general. I no longer feel the need to record things for posterity. Posterity can go fuck itself. Unless posterity means my grandkids and I’d rather they didn’t do that. Actually now that I think about it, I have kind feelings toward posterity in general. But now that I care about who and what comes after me, does that mean I have to keep records for them? Probably not. There are already too many records. I’ve already made too many records. No need to make more.

/410. So. My million and one items to write about might not be necessary. I guess I can quit anytime. I will have to think about it. Meanwhile though, there are 999,591 left. So let’s get our lives. Have a happy rest of the weekend, rest of the summer, rest of our lives. Be good, pet the dog, etc.


Last updated July 08, 2018


NorthernSeeker July 08, 2018

I'm a pro at letting time go by pleasantly. That is the true gift of retirement. I like the grain elevator photos...brings back good memories. There is nothing like guests to make me spiff up the house. People are so relentlessly negative about politicians. The ones I've worked with have been very positive and genuine people. Have a good weekend with your boys.

Just Annie July 08, 2018

The contest for the 4th Congressional District here in Ohio might get interesting. It's gerrymandered beyond belief and we (not me, but others) elected Jim Jordan. He's almost more Trump than Trump, but he's being accused of ignoring improper sexual behavior by the wrestling team doctor and others while he was a coach at OSU. That may give the Democrat, a lovely person by the name of Janet Garrett, a shot in a district that the Republicans weren't going to worry about. I donated to her campaign. She was here in Fremont for the 4th of July parade. I'm hopeful.

Brakeshoe Bob July 08, 2018

Great Grain Elevator pics. The only Iowa Grain Elevators near the railroad which were stoic The ones at Clarence, IA off the old C&NW mainline

woman in the moon Brakeshoe Bob ⋅ July 08, 2018

Was Milwaukee up until the Soo took over to Iowa Chicago Eastern, couple years without trains on the tracks at all. Now Canadian Pacific and fairly busy.

noko July 08, 2018

I do believe that most politicians, especially at the local level are good people, nice people, caring people. On both sides. And I admire folks that take on public service roles. We have two big grain elevators here next to the river. Big ships come in to load up. Yours looks like it is in better shape than ours. One of ours has started putting gigantic advertisements on the side facing away from the river for say a basketball team or a country music festival.

Marg July 08, 2018

Marmadork - what a wonderful name!

Purple Dawn July 09, 2018

I love the grain elevator picture. I do miss the old wooden ones that used to dot the prairies, there seem so few left and some have been converted into other things.

Neogy Titwhistle July 09, 2018

Odd seeing grain elevators not painted bright white. Are they saving money by not painting?

woman in the moon Neogy Titwhistle ⋅ July 10, 2018

I was thinking the top piping, etc. had been freshly painted. It seemed to be bright against the sky. Also wondered about the quite square where maybe there used to be a logo. Not a terribly well identified, I forget who owns it.

Serin July 09, 2018

Marmadork? That's the closest I've seen anybody come to admitting they've read that comic.

I enjoy the politics posts, though they can be difficult to respond to. It's very different view of a different system.

I don't see myself going to a high school reunion. There are people I'd like to find out about but I don't have an evening's worth of interest. For that matter, I guess I'm not curious enough to log in to facebook and find them there, either.

woman in the moon Serin ⋅ July 10, 2018

My sons both have good friends from high school = Jim's are mostly in the area, John's aren't. John (by himself - since he hadn't intended to attend by brought his friend home) golfed 27 holes at the country club and made contact with friends from away = including the little boy he 'overnighted' with in kindergarten. They wanted John to come, his mom said her son wasn't ready to be away from home, but she would welcome John. John was always ready to leave home.

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