Love the Lord your God, listen to His voice and hold fast to Him, for the Lord is your life! Deut. 30:20


Wednesday, August 17, 2016

End of season

It is soon the end of summer.  The local schools have started and I realized I didn't post about the kids' fun summer sport!  The older girls found their niche joining swim team this summer!

We were so glad to be able to make it to one of Emeri's swim meets in Arkansas too!




























They have announcers at their swim meet.  Staci sent this play by play.  



Kansas swim team

The kids mark the race # on their arms so when they hear the announcer call out the races, they know it is time to go line up.


They like to mark up their backs too!
Sophie was on a relay team and they generally skunked the other teams.  At one meet, a college swim coach was there and he said to her "Is it too early to talk about scholarships?"  We got a kick out of that.





Claire cheers her sisters on. 
 Between swims we camp out under the canopy.  The kids play quietly or eat (a lot!)








At the Hesston meet, Adam and I took Claire to the waterpark afterwards for her own type of fun.





Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Leaving the nest

In the early spring, barn swallows made their nest outside our kitchen window.    Although barn swallows do tend to come back and reuse a nest, I had never seen another bird take over the nest that had been vacated.  It was the oddest thing.  

A sparrow lay eggs in this swallow's nest and just yesterday, her brood decided to leave the nest.  I couldn't get a good picture through the kitchen screen window.  


The location for both the swallow and sparrow bird's nests (from sparrows in the early spring) is perfect as it is right by bushes and a big tree where the babies can easily fly to and practice their hops and short flights before taking off.





The nest is now empty.  Al wants to tear it down, but I read that you should leave them alone.  It will be used again next year.

Another little birdie has taken flight, still dependant on mommy grackle to feed it.

Last year the purple martins had migrated by Aug. 1.  This year they continue to hang about a little longer.  The babies are maybe not quite ready to take the long flight back to South America.


Claire and I went for a walk around our pond yesterday.  I wished I'd had my good camera.  Both the great blue heron and great egret (we lovingly have named them Willard and Edna) were there.

The great blue heron flew away when someone walked by.  
We spotted him on our way back to the house.
Pretty flowers!

Somebody killed this bug. 

This morning I glanced at a school bus driving passed the window.  Many children have "flown the nest" and gone back to school.  Including my Arkansas grandchildren.


The Kansas grands don't have school just yet.  We filled up the pool for an afternoon of fun.

 
 They were pretending to rescue the "beached whale".



Both the pool and slip and slide have holes in them.  
I had to water the slip and slide with a sprinkler!
I must see if I can get new ones for next summer on sale!