Middle Day of the Week......

This is the survivor of the grand crunching of the flower bed with a frontend bobcat loader.  I picked up some of the stems and put them in water after I had dug up the plant. I didn't really think they would bloom but I did think I would have an idea what I just transplanted.  I had two blooms open but the rest of the buds on the stems will probably pass on coming open. I planted the smashed plant in three different locations so I should have many more blooms to enjoy in 11 months.

We had a strong rain storm on Monday.  We were in Des Moines but evidence shows there also was a strong wind.  My geraniums are ok but I found this had snapped off from the plant.  It is interesting that there is so much moisture on the patio table that it is going to bloom anyway. I guess I shouls float it in a low dish with a small amount of water in the bottom.

While on a walk around a pond on Monday there was a rose that was blooming.  It looks like a commercial company sort of looked after the flowers but the help didn't know enough to cut away all the dead stems from last year.  I am sure young people hired to maintain the grounds have no experience in gardening.

I don't know if these are knock out roses but they are a nice addition of color among green shrubs.  The mulch was well kept but the dead stems look dangerous with all the thorns sticking out. The Canada geese did swim through the pond on a visit but there really wasn't much for the to eat in the pond.  A few cattails grew on the one edge of the water.

The only daisies that I have on the property are these that grown in our plastic Grecian urn. I doubt they are come up again nest year.  I may go look at the tag at the store as I was in a hurry to put this in when I planted it.

The plastic planter is useful and is inexpensive but the material they are made of does eventually fall apart.  I made one move of this one and I realize I won't be moving it again or it will crack into pieces.  I will toss this late fall after the plants have been frosted down. I always save the dirt and revive it with new.

One last shot here of the train cars going by on the track near the community center in Murray, Iowa.  The photo doesn't have much of a story and the actual train pulling the cars isn't in the photo but the area is of interest to me because of its history.  The Methodist Chruch tower is in the background  in case you had not noticed. As a kid, we would go across the track to buy groceries at a small store and trains were always keeping us from passing over the tracks.  At that track back in the late 50's I would have seen steam engines pass by as well as the diesel engines that were streamlined on theeir front in modern design.  I remember seeing hobos riding along on top of the wooden cars,

 The Murray mail went out twice a day or more from that same location as the postal worker would hang a bag on a tall pole and bar system.  It would allow the postal car while passing, hold out a hook and catch the bag.  It was real tricky when the guy on the train would throw out a bag of mail at the same time he was hooking the mail bag.   Mail would be sorted on the train and mail that was due from Murray to the next town would get there in less than 15 minutes.  Postcards were email back then as the people could send them back and forth in the same day. I really don't remember if there was a mail pole on the opposite side as it was a double track that is still in use today.

The other memory that isn't noticed nor did I see the actual happening of was that street was originally the Morman Trail. On the east end of town there is evidence of the worn areas of the trail as it came into town.  No road ever was built on that area and the whole section of land is eroded and a wash way today.  There has always been some form of a sign that said Morman trail at the corner of the park. Outside of town a few miles is a cemetery where many children are buried.  They died of measles if I remember it.  Mt. Pisgah was the name of the place.  I never have seen it but friends of mine who took drivers ed. did get to go see it.

AJ is really interested in trains and tractors so the afternoon in Murray was exciting for him.  The Amtrak route is on that track and there are continue coal cars traveling east on the track with the empty cars returning going west.  The photo of our oldest kid and his kid is blurred but I think it shows how active he is as he loves being outside.

The last photo shows my grandson studying my photos on the camera.  He is into digital screens on anything and looks so intently as to what he sees. I had a few stray photos on the camera and I had taken a silly shot of my straw hat laying on the ground.  The little guy wanted to see the hat again the next day.  Someone did take his small little fingers and started to mess up all the settings. He is quick but I did get things restored.

Lots of errands to do today and I am buying a can of Off today with deet.  I can't work outside any more and the city apparently isn't going to spray for some reason.  I am sure I would have been a great comedy home video if I was taped while trimming the river birch yesterday.  I trimmed it but then in disgust left it all laying on the ground.  I was busy smacking my neck and face most of the time. I was too stubborn to just quit. It looks like a hen that has shed its feathers out there today.  The furnace was running this morning so I lowered the temp on the thermostat.  It is not good to be running a furnace in the summer.  I think we will be rain free today.   Thank you for stopping by today.