mulberries

I took this photo of  Olivia on Father's Day out on the farm. Olivia's grandmother, Jean, took her out to the mulberry trees so she could pick a few berries. Jean came back with purple feet & Olivia had found a few to eat. We picked mulberries as kids. We'd climb the trees eating them as we went. Sometimes we'd pick enough to make it to the kitchen so we could pour cream & sugar over them to make them even sweeter. I've been revisiting childhood memories this past week as I prepare for the family reunion this weekend.

playing catch

This photo was taken out on the farm. This is my oldest brother, Don. The evergreen behind him has since been felled.  The front porch has been enclosed to add room to the house also. The date printed on the border of the photo was FEB 64.  I love the sun flare coming off the house. Another gem.

Chevy truck

Another grainy gem of a photo. Dad's '59 blue Chevy truck. Someone is sitting at the wheel but I can't make out who it is.

friends

Another photo that I found in Dad's album. This photo reminds of something we'd now post to Facebook. It's a bit blurry but still a fun photo. On the left is my aunt, Eleanor. And I'm pretty sure the lady on the right is my aunt, Geri.

looking back . . .

Dad says this was taken at the wedding dance for Ben & Geri. His brother, Bud, was gone serving in the Korean War.  I can identify my grandparents, Ted & Minnie, sitting in front on the left. Beside them is Eleanor & then Butch. My Dad is watching between Minnie & Eleanor. I enjoy this photo because it really captures my grandmother at a younger age. There's not a lot of photos that I've seen of her during this time period.

on the farm

My cousins, my sister, Nancy, & myself are organizing a big family reunion soon. I volunteered for a project that involves photos. In my search for some old photos I came across this photo of Dad. It was taken out on the farm. The car gives away the year, but I don't know what year that would be though. I'm guessing the late 1950's. Great photo.

Update: My uncle Butch says this is a 1949 Ford. "You can tell by the door handles." He thinks this picture was taken before my folks got married. Thanks, Butch!

a barn remembered

I have probably posted this barn photo before. I took this photo in April of 2009. It is just down the road from the barn photos I posted a few weeks ago. This barn is on a working farm so I took this photo from the road while sitting in my car. This spring when I drove by again to admire it, I found it collapsed in a heap. I was sad to see it gone.

"I will not make any boring art."

A very creative guy. A fun video too.

pretty poppies

A week ago Don & I attended a bird watching class at the CROPS farm on the edge of town. I saw my first Indigo Bunting. Anyway, I noticed these poppies blooming on a hillside. And since I'd missed the poppies when they had bloomed in my neighborhood I went back for these.

Nebraska wheat

I visited Dad today. We drove out to check on his wheat on the north quarter. It's ripening early this year. Usually they're harvesting about the first week of July. Dad thinks this year it might be ready in another week. He noticed that the heads of wheat aren't bent over yet. A sign it's ready for harvesting.

tulips

I haven't photographed many flowers this spring. My favorite poppies near the park bloomed while I was in Texas the beginning of May. By the time I returned they were gone. I walked by these tulips in my neighborhood at the beginning of April & went back with my camera. I've learned  to not put off photographing flowers.

biology lab

When we visited Austin & Yizhi, they gave us a tour of their labs. And they spent a few minutes checking on their specimens. I did not enjoy my science labs in college but I am impressed with the level they are at. When Austin talks biology, it is like another language. Translated that means I don't understand much of it.