Kentons First Woodchuck

15 Years Later

Some Concrete Evidence That We Worked!

Framing the Forms

Julia was babysitting Michael Black

He loved riding the hoe.

Ready for some concrete.

Last Job as the Sun Sets

Retaining Wall Site Prep

My backhoe, transit, and family showed up for work day and continued the work getting the site ready for the wall. Just waiting for the base material. It will be delivered tomorrow night.

Of course the boys kept busy keeping their wheels up in the air.

"Look Mom - no hands!"

Discussing the fine art of holding the "grading tape".

We are within an inch difference in 60 feet.

What the Wife Has to Put Up With:

Poor thing just pray for her!

Strawberries - Our First Fruit!

Moving the Organic Fertilizer

Makes the garden grow real good!

Maplewood Minnesota Police Department's June Report

Your Police Report June & July 2010 from Your Police Report on Vimeo.

Field Trip to the Erie Zoo

My first field trip with any of my kids...I guess I say I am too busy....but it had been 31 years ago since the last time I had been at the Erie Zoo. Many things have changed and probably for the better. I missed seeing the big gorilla that would throw up and then lick it up...sounds pretty gross, but to a kindergartner that was hilarious...or the colorful baboons that carried on in such terrible ways. I guess it was good then I did not know what I know now or my observances might not have been so enjoyable. Somehow the zoo seems so dull and boring. Seeing a polar bear living in 80 degree heat when the warmest the typically see is around freezing makes you just feel sorry for the poor thing penned up in an area of a few hundred square feet when they could roam for hundreds of thousands of square miles in freedom. Only good thing.... they are guaranteed 3 meals a day.

Mrs Herl and Kendras classmates.

My sweety and I on the train.

Memorial Parade Thoughts

This year we were a little disappointed in parades. The kids have only seen one parade and that was a 3 years ago and they rode in it, so they did not get to see it. Most parades last at least a half an hour and if you are not at the parade route when it start you can jump into the end of the parade and still get to watch the whole thing. Well in Albion if you are 10 minutes late you will have missed the one tractor, two fire trucks and ambulance and a couple of other things that walked through the couple of blocks of parade route. Fortunately we were able to run down to Meadville after missing the 9:00 parade and see the 10:00 parade. This parade was also short but long enough to be considered a parade.

Observation#1

The Meadville Area Senior High marching band did not have to wear hot and sweaty and certainly odd looking uniforms. They still sounded good although they were not aesthetically appealing.

Observation #2

The Civil War era ladies looked like ladies and although I am sure the ladies today would not want to dress in hoops...they would probably look allot better than how most dress today.

Observation #3

The soldiers knew exactly when to fire their guns - right in front of us. Somehow they knew that Julia hates loud noises. For that...My hats off to the guys that like to pretend war. As I watched each reenactment group come through I could only imagine none of them ever experienced battle. If they had I am sure they would not have wanted to rehash it in their mind, but it sure does make for nice scenery and noise in the parade.

Observation # 4 & 5

The crowd was sparse...which was good as it gave us front row seats just before the squad car leading the parade drove by. As a kid you had to pick your spot an hour early and park your lawn chair if you had hoped to be able to get candy that was thrown. This brings us to another observance..the scarceness of candy thrown. At least with the sparseness of the crowd it made for more candy per child and our kids did good with some tooth rotting sugar concocted chewables that will make their dentist happy.

Observance #6

The classic and antique cars that drove by...hey those were cars we had when I was a kid. Funny how 30-40 years changes what is an antique. I will admit riding around in the 70's was way cooler than today and also way warmer. I guess it depends on the season for both. The muscle car era was a great time to see the cars of the late 60's and early 70's driving around. Makes me want to go buy an old 69 or 70 Chevelle SS with a 396 in it and just enjoy driving it around. You just have to admit those older trucks just look way cooler than the ones today!

Thanks to all who served in our Armed Forces and Special Thanks to those who fought in combat and those who lost their life protecting our freedoms.

Church Sign Preview

Thanks to Amber and Fr. Michael Carney for catching the error on the church sign. The Sign Manufacturer did the typo. Did anyone else catch it?

Memorial Day Swimming to Beat the Heat

The kids took Momma and Poppa to watch their swimming expertise at their two favorite places - The "swimming hole" and "under the bridge". One is the east branch as well as Conneaut Creek.

The "swimmin hole"

Down under the bridge.

Pappa watches from above.

Mom was reminscing of their days swimming in the beaver dam with her brothers.