Home1 and Home2

First, a little catching up on WI. Readers will recall the new bird feeder setup. Well, it seems it became more of a squirrel feeder setup during the final few days we were at Home2 (we returned to Home1 on the 23rd). Those pesky squirrels can suck a bird feeder dry in no time at all. Ah, but we purchased a special "squirrel feeder baffle" which has yet to be installed atop the new post leading to the feeders. Tune in later for more developments.

While at Home2, we updated the two flower beds that are on the lake side of the home. Here is "mine." Kathie has another at the opposite end of the house. Note the gnome or elf that moved in. He was a retirement gift from a friend. I think this is a great place for him. The weather there was quite dry, so we hope that while we are at Home1, where it rains frequently this year, Home2 is getting at least some moisture. We intend to return to Home2 for a couple more weeks during middle July. Also, here is a photo of meine Frau attempting to catch some fish.

Finally, at Home1 we are busy working to complete the updating of our kitchen and adjacent areas. Here are a couple of samples of some of what we are doing. First, you can see the new kitchen floor, which is all new hickory. We really like the variety of color in this wood and its hardness. The finish on it was able to cure well while we were at Home2 for the three recent weeks in June. If you look close, you can see the new stove, which is also featured in a separate photo. It has two convection ovens, one small one on top and a second, more conventionally sized one on the bottom. The larger oven also has an interesting array of racks, including one which offers a partial shelf for items of different sizes and heights. The burners are gas, but the convection ovens are electric. We had to have 220 service installed, along with some alterations to the delivery of the natural gas supply. (What ever happened to standards?) If you look at the first photo carefully, you will note that the refrigerator still occupies space in the dining room. We are thinking of a new one, since our appliances seem to be switching from the old almond color to a combination of black and stainless steel. Unfortunately, the "standards" issue arises again. We have a 69" high space for our refrigerator, but the one we like best is 69-1/4". I have developed a plan, however, and so we might opt for this favored model anyway. Sawing and cursing will be involved.

Watch this space for more exciting development regarding Home1 and Home2.

Flora and Fauna

It has been quite the menagerie up here in WI. Pictured, you will see some butterflys and some of the flowers that are blooming everywhere. This one is orange hawkweed. There are many others in bloom as well. David Curry took the photo of the yellow swallowtail. I don't know what the black one is. We have tree, bird, and wildflower identification books. I guess we need one for butterflys too.

We have frequently seen deer crossing the roads, and a couple of days ago we saw a large black bear cross the road in front of us. No pictures of these creatures, unfortunately. Last evening, Kathie started out with Josey for a short walk. She had only reached the garage when she started shouting at Josey and calling to me. Turns out that Josey had walked up nose to nose with a porcupine who was extremely bristled about the meeting. Josey had the good sense to retreat before anything really bad happened, and the porcupine rambled on into the woods behind the garage. Again, no pictures, unfortunately.


Then there is the garter snake at left who reminds me of many things my mother said to me. Your eyes are bigger than your stomach. Never put more in your mouth than you can safely swallow. Don't take such big bites, or you might choke. Never eat anything bigger than your face. Last I checked, the swallowing was still underway. Snakes-1 Toads-0.


Finally, you will see here the new setup for feeding the birds. I had tried running feeders out on a rope with pulleys attached to a tree, but the rope was unsightly. This post and hanger system seems to blend into the woods better. However, my system for hanging the feeders on the hooks needs some improvement. I have a long pole with a notch that lets me lift each one up into place (about 12 feet up), but the pole is too flexible, so I need to find something else. I'm also going to need to put a flat plate of some kind on top of the post, or the squirrels are going to have a field day running up the post and then jumping to the feeders to suck out all the sunflower seeds. Chipmunks love to "clean up" under the feeders, and this keeps Josey quite entertained. We have seen goldfinches, purple finches, and a number of other birds.

Cabin Projects

We completed two projects in the last three days here at the cabin. In the spirit of "before and after", the first photo shows the steps down to the lake. This was taken in April, and you can see how we had to store the dock and boat lift on the shore during the winter months. You can also see that the top of the steps are higher than necessary. This was a result of them being built before the landscaping was done, at which time the yard was lowered quite a bit and tapered away from the house and toward the shore.

First project: We cleared the shore on the west side of the steps so that we will be able to store the dock and boat lift there during the winter. That will leave the existing slope open for a better winter view of the lake. Kathie also cleaned up and burned much of the dead and down brush on the east side so that we can create some trails and additional access to the water on that side. The photo looking up from the dock shows the newly cleared part on the left (west) and the existing cleared shore on the right (east). Josey is busy studying the lake--something she loves to do, though she really doesn't like swimming in it.



Second project: We tore apart the upper steps, removed three of them, and built a new deck/walkway that goes straight out from the yard. Kathie cleverly filled in a small space between the stone walkway leading to the steps and the new deck/walkway. She filled it with rocks and stones of all sizes. She also used some of the sand and earth we removed under the old steps to create a better path into the woods and to the right of the steps. Not only are there fewer steps to climb now, but it all looks much more open. We think it looks much, much better and makes the entire yard much more attractive.



Finally, there is a picture of a happy Kathie and her pal, Josey, sitting on the new walkway.

This was all hard work but fun for me and very gratifying for us both.

Hayward Attraction

Those of you who have visited Hayward, WI, will know of the "National Fishing Museum" and its giant musky model. After years of driving by and smirking at the thought of this possible tourist trap, we finally spent $6.50 each and visited the place. Enclosed you will see Kathie, me, and David Curry in the jaws of the beast. There are also shots of our guests, David and Donna, and another of Kathie and me in front of a similarly giant walleye, with the musky in the background.

It turns out that the museum has some interesting features. There are lots of giant fish models all through a park-like area. Most of the local fish species of interest are represented. Then there is an actual museum building filled with several collections of antique and newer items, including artificial baits sorted by type (flys, spoons, plugs, etc.), reels sorted by type (fly, casting, spinning, open-face, closed-faced, etc.), rods, boat motors of all vintages, fishing club patches, and others. There are also numerous mounted fish, some of them record-setting, and there are displays of individuals who have contributed in some way to the sport of fishing. (One of these is Iowa's Tom Bedell--the photo being of a much younger Tom Bedell, I must say--recognized for the contributions he made to preserving the Berkeley fishing company, now Pure Fishing, and helping to start related charitable causes.) Frankly, we enjoyed ourselves and had a number of laughs in the process.

Unfortunately, David and Donna head back to Iowa today. We very much enjoyed their visit and will miss them until the next time we are together. We played numerous games of "Hand and Foot", including trying out some rule variations we found on the web. We ate perhaps too well. We tried our hand at fishing and are just beginning to get a handle on how to work the lake--nothing serious to report yet, however. We played many games of pinball. We have begun to visit about Italy and the possibility of traveling to see David and Donna in Florence while they are there--maybe in October. In short, we have been having fun.

More later!

Gus 'n Us

Kathie and I drove to Minneapolis to stay overnight with Will and Sandy last Sunday evening. We delivered Will's birthday present--a workbench that I had made for him. The next morning, we drove on up to our place at the lake in Wisconsin. Along the way, we passed a chainsaw carving business that I had admired on several prior trips. This time we stopped, and as you will note in the pictures, we found a new friend that we spent at least an hour trying to name. His name is Gus, and his job, now that he is located at the entrance to our lake home, is to greet our guests (or not, depending on the mood he and we are in--please take note of the sign he is holding).

Our friends, David and Donna, are here with us. They arrived on Monday, shortly after we got here, and we have been having a great time. They go home tomorrow, but Kathie and I will be here until later June.

Wish you could be here to enjoy the peace and beauty with us. We are learning to fish the lake!!

TTFN

Warrenville Graduation

I'm a little late on this posting, but I wanted to share some photos I took when we were at Gail and Greg's home to help celebrate Vicki and David's graduation from high school. They are two very talented young adults. It was fun to hear about their plans for college. Grandma Novy came from Florida for the graduation and picnic. Gail and Greg had the house all decked out for the occasion, and Gail put on quite a spread of food. Aunt Kathie enjoyed catching up with relatives. It was a wonderful day. We wish Vicki and David every possible success.

We spent a delightful weekend in Northbrook, IL, with the daughter, son-in-law, Mary and Peter Herr, and, of course, Henry. This was our first chance to see the new Northbrook residence, which we liked very much. We also go to see the young hydraulic engineer at work. I do think he will have to enroll at The University of Iowa in order to attend the Institute of Hydraulic Research.


Betsy made us a wonderful meal on Saturday with her new grill, which Pete and I had assembled for her earlier in the day. Beef, shrimp, veggies, and mushrooms on skewers!! Henry had to try out "Bampa" Herr's glasses while we waited for the cooking.

Later, we took a walk through the neighborhood. The playground equipment included a swing and a tubular slide, that Henry found to be quite fun.


It was a great weekend--the first of many to come. Tomorrow is the true last day of work for me. Kathie is retired as of last Friday. We head for the lake sometime Sunday. In the meantime, my brood is coming for the weekend, and what can be better than that?

Miscellaneous

Retirement looms. I will be at my desk in the office today, tomorrow, and part of Wednesday, May 31st. May 31st also happens to be my birthday. Retirement as a birthday gift! How cool is that? Kathie's last day is tomorrow. There is a cake and punch event for her this afternoon, which her delightful staff is putting on. We are having a dinner in her honor the night of May 31st. A couple of weeks ago, the Department of Computer Science had a retirement reception for me with cake and other goodies and lots of undeserved nice words. Last week, many colleagues from around campus attended a picnic and honored me with more kind words and good wishes.

Retirement sure can have its rewards. Computer Science gave me the latest iteration of their sweatshirt, which, of course, has the current year expressed in hexadecimal (0x7D6 for the uninitiated). They also gave me a new iPod (one of the new ones that does video and pictures so well) with the back specially engraved to recognize some of my work there. Colleagues in OVPR gave me a chair with the UI seal and a brass plaque that notes my 38 years of UI service. The Dean of the Graduate College, a good friend, gave me a custom-made spinning rod and a denim shirt featuring the Graduate College name.

If you have not ever read the book Kindred, I highly recommend it. I'll gladly loan my copy. Octavia Butler is an African-American science fiction writer, and though this book involves time travel, it is more about confronting the reality that was slavery in the 1800s. The version that I picture here contains a companion critical essay and a set of discussion questions. The book has been widely regarded for more than 25 years and is evidently frequently used in literature courses. I learned about it through an interview with Butler on NPR. The image at left says "Look Inside." If you go to amazon.com, you can actually do this, of course. To make that easy, click here.

Maybe like me, others of you have been reading or hearing a lot about the Dixie Chicks recently. I think everyone who can should buy a copy of their latest CD as a kind of referendum vote. They were right on in stating their views about "dubya", and I dislike the treatment they have since received. I bought a copy of the CD yesterday. It is really quite good, on top of the fact that it makes a number of statements--at least I think so. For my daughter (the one with the extra cute grandchild of mine), I especially recommend listening to "Lullabye."

Kathie bought a new Lexus IS 250 recently. Silver. Sweet! Pretty much like the picture at left. We drove it out to see Travis in Fort Collins last weekend. Good gas mileage. Fun to drive. Very comfortable. It was great to see Travis and his friend, Rachel. Saw a Colorado Rockies baseball game while we were there. Had some good food, played "Hand & Foot", did some noodling in various shops downtown, and managed to get in a little extra morning sleep. Josie went along. Even she likes the new car, evidently, as she snoozed in the back seat most of the way.

A new, wood, kitchen floor is being installed at our home as I write this. We are somewhat in disarray right now with this and related projects underway at home. Yet to do: all new baseboards, new first floor bathroom fixtures, painting, new wallpaper, new kitchen countertops, new stove, and (maybe) a new refrigerator.

Off to get a "Henry fix" this coming weekend. Haven't seen the little guy since March, and that is way, way too long. We haven't even been to their new home yet, so that problem gets fixed too. We will also attend a high school graduation celebration for Vicki and David, Kathie's twin niece and nephew. Kathie's mom will be up from Florida, and other relatives will be around as well, so this will definitely be a families weekend.

TTFN!

Reflecting

I have been in much awe of the interesting writing that Carrie and Betsy have been doing on their respective blog sites. I look forward every day to checking for something new. Their topics are interesting. Their reflections on life and events are interesting. They write in clever and amusing ways, and the pictures are always fun. I am lucky now to have four such interesting daughters in my life. (My sons are pretty cool too, but I'm focusing on those of female persuasion right now.)

Envious of Betsy's and Carrie's writing, I decided to try something new. Instead of whatever boring news I have, I thought I might start recording some stories here.

As of tomorrow, there are only 21 work days until I retire--30 total days. As I look forward to this next phase in my life, I find I am reflecting more and more on the past, on the general state of things, on my children and grandchild, and on and on. On top of that, I keep coming across various facts or coincidences that amuse me in some way. (I may write about some of these later.) Or, I will find something that brings back a flood of memories. An example is the picture here.

Some readers will know that I've gotten back into woodworking in the last year. This is something I've always loved, but now I find I have more time, more motivation, and more things I want to try. This is where the picture comes in. This picture is of a serving tray that I made in my high school shop class, which I think was in 9th grade, which would have been 1958-1959. (OK, I was 14.) That makes the tray almost 50 years old! I found the tray yesterday when cleaning out a closet. It is still in pretty good shape. Obviously, we almost never use it. I remember that it was the first project in the shop class and that we were required to use only hand tools in making whatever we chose to make for the first project. You can tell it isn't too complicated, although I recall that getting the bevel on the handles just right with a hand plane and plenty of sanding was a bit of a challenge. The handles are maple, I think. The sides are made of birch dowels, and the bottom is obviously chip board. Chip board was the big thing at that time. I don't believe the product had existed very long by then. Our little heads were impressed with the idea of recycling what would have otherwise been wasted wood chips. Actually, I remember being more in awe of how it must have been made, which presumably is by pressing a bunch of chips together somehow in the presence of who knows what kind of adhesive. People were using it for all sorts of decorative things. You may have seen it used for paneling, for example. Today, products like this seem more often to be used for basic construction--underlayment for floors, for example. As a finish, I think I used a product called Deft. I believe that product is still available. It was not quite like varnish, because it dried faster and was more clear than varnish, which usually has a little yellowish tint to it. The fact that it dried faster meant that we could finish things in fewer days. The chip board may not have been such a hot idea, even with the Deft, because it tends to be a bit course or porous, and so spills "get into it" easily. If we had used it lots, it might not have held up very well. Otherwise, the handles and sides are still solid.

It was fun to find this and to think back to high school, to the process of making it, and to reflect on how much more I've learned to do since. Good power tools help and bring in the chance for much greater precision, though you can still really mess things up (including body parts) if you aren't careful. I've been impressed with what Will and Rob have learned to do. (Pete and Travis: I'd compliment you too, but I'm not aware of woodworking projects on your part as yet.) Will and Rob learned without much help from me. Here is where a little guilt creeps in. I could have taught them about woodworking and, most important, in the process spent more quality time with them. I really wish I had been better about such things with all the kids.

So here is a tray that is 48 years old. Just 10 years after I made it, I started working at the UI as a computer science professional. In just 10 years, I went from being a nerdy 14 year old building wooden trays to having a BA and an MS degree, being the father of a baby boy (Will), and starting work as a full time adult employee. Now another 38 years have passed, and I'm about to start having some serious fun. Where do the days go?

Something else has occurred to me as I write this. Not that I think this is such wonderful writing, but I could imagine that someone (misguided children, for example) might want to keep stories like this. So, who is doing that? Are all these wonderful blog entries that Betsy and Carrie are creating just being lost into the great digital bit bucket? What is blogspot.com doing with all the text and pictures we are pouring into their disk drives and file systems? Do we care? How much of ourselves are we allowing others to take for themselves? Are any of you keeping a record of your blogs? Do you print them all out and put them in a notebook?

Zipper

One stop during our adventure in Ohio about which we did not previously report was a pet store (Petland, or some such place). At this pet store, Paula fell in love with a Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier. Subsequently, she went back and forth, back and forth, over and over, thinking about should she or shouldn't she acquire a dog. Ron wasn't very excited about the idea. On the other hand, Kathie was very encouraging, coming up with all kinds of reasons why it would be good for Paula. The two of them visited various web sites and found some breeders in the area, thinking that a reliable breeder might provide a puppy with better genetic traits, especially related to dysplasia or other common problems. I attempted to stay back from all of this a respectable distance.



Anyway, yesterday we received an email with a subject line that read something like "Look who came to stay." Enclosed were numerous pictures of Zipper, the new resident at the Benfer home out there in Troy, OH. Because Paula isn't into the blog thing, I am taking some liberties by posting photos of my new "niece" Zipper. Oh, by the way, Paula and Ron are getting all new carpet in their house next week. One has to wonder about the wisdom (or not) of the timing of these two events in their life.

You can send your notes of congratulations or condolence to Paula and Ron at: rbenfer@woh.rr.com.

Ohio Adventure

We visited Ron and Paula in Ohio from March 28th to April 2nd. Paula was on spring break, but Ron had to work during the day. Kathie attended a conference in dayton on the 29th, so Paula and I went out for an adventure. Here she is driving us to our first destination while we catch up on various "Billy and Paula" memories, stories, and recent news.

Among other things, I had asked Paula if she knew of any chainsaw wood carvers in the area. She said she did, so off we went. To say that the carver we found was a character would be a definite understatement. He had some interesting carvings, to be sure. I especially like "The Eye" and was tempted to buy it. But he was also something of a talker, a liberal, a rebel, a philosopher, claimed to be a one-time highly successful insurance businessman, but was clearly an eccentric artist who knew every kind of wood he had available, on and on. He seemed to own the old opera house in which he had set up business. We made the mistake of encouraging him with our questions and conversation, so he offered us a tour. If you think of the most cluttered, run-down, five-story massive structure you may have ever seen, and then think of it being literally filled with piles of wood scraps, antiques, and junk, and then if you make your image ten times worse, you still won't be there. Mr. Johnny Bookwalter insisted on giving us the full treatment. We became quite uncomfortable as we climbed higher and higher, hoping that no electrical shorts would start a fire, that no floor boards would give way, and that our host did not have some nefarious deed in mind. We lived to tell about it, as you can see, and, really, it was kind of fun.

Next, we picked up some flax for Paula's garden and then stopped by Bob Evans for lunch. Some of you will fondly remember stops at Bob Evans as a part of annual treks to Ohio for Thanksgiving.

We then climbed back into Paula's trusty Honda Element and headed to Paula's least favorite store to pick up a replacement Pyrex dish. Sure, we could have stuck to our liberal guns and driven miles to another outlet, but Wal-Mart was just next door. Oh well, we got to see a good bumper sticker in the Wal-Mart parking lot, of all places. (In case you can't read it, it says, "Bush-Cheney Screwing Up Since 2000!")
The next day, Paula, Kathie, and I visited the Kitchen Aid store in the town where the Kitchen Aid plant exists. There was a cool museum showing all the appliance models over the years. And if you think you have seen every Kitchen Aid color available, you're wrong!

Projects and Rhode Island

Obviously, I'm not a frequent blogger. My first post showed 106 until retirement. As of today, I'm down to 80. Don't want to wish my life away, but I'll be fine if these days pass rapidly.

Am still working on various projects. Made a picnic table and benches for son Rob for his March 5th birthday. Also built myself a new workbench, and (after all these years) I'm putting a nice floor in the laundry area of our basement.

Kathie and I just returned from a long weekend in Rhode Island to visit Jessica and her cat, Ozzie. She and her friend Mike are both students at Johnson and Wales University, where they are completing culinary programs with BA degrees. The New England area is a great place for seafood, of course. We had an exceptional dinner, beginning with six different kinds of fresh oysters. Also drove down to Newport and toured one of the "little weekend homes" that many of the nation's wealthiest individuals built there in the late 1800s and early 1900s (Vanderbilts and others). The flight home from Detroit to Cedar Rapids may well have been the worst flying experience of my life. We flew through or over that bad storm that passed through the midwest on Sunday. At one time they spoke of diverting us to Des Moines or Omaha, but we did finally land in Cedar Rapids. I've never seen so much lightening outside a plane window nor have I been in a plane so buffeted. Not fun. Glad to be on the ground again.