Sunday, June 28, 2015

Watching Scotty Grow

When Bobby and I were young parents we would joke and say our new life's entertainment was 'watching Scotty grow', based on the old Bobby Goldsboro song with the same name.

Josh and Susan have now entered that same stage of life and are loving every minute of it.  And grow he is, I can't wait to hear how much he has gained since his last checkup.

From Susan's Instagram pictures.






With his shades on! Also from Susan's Instagram!



At Grandma and Grandpa's  house.







Watching Scotty Grow

Lyrics by Mac Davis and sung by Bobby Goldsboro.

There he sits with a pen and a yellow pad
What a handsome lad
That's my boy
BRLFQ spells mom and dad
But that ain't too bad
That's my boy
You can have your TV and your nightclubs
And you can have your drive in picture show
I'll stay here with my little man near
We'll listen to the radio
Biding my time and
Watching Scotty grow
Making a castle out of building blocks
And a cardboard box
That's my boy
Mickey Mouse says it's thirteen o'clock
Well that's quite a shock!
That's my boy
In four short years
I've gone from rags to riches
And what I did before that I don't know
So let it rain on my windowpane
I got my own rainbow
And we're sitting here shining
Watching Scotty grow
Riding on daddy's shoulders off to bed
Old sleepy head
That's my boy
Got to have a drink of water and a story read
A teddy bear named Fred
That's my boy
What's that you say momma
Come on and keep your feet warm
Well save me a place
I'll be there in a minute or so
I think I'll stay right here and
Say a little prayer before I go
Me and God
Watching Scotty grow
Me and God
Watching Scotty grow...

Friday, June 26, 2015

Stormy Skies


Love these shots of storm clouds moving in to overtake the clear blue skies.  
Kansas beauty.

Sara, Evan and their friends Kendal, Tanner and baby Ryker had just finished swimming!  As ominous as those clouds look, we only received a light sprinkling.  Somewhere east of Lawrence must have received the bulk of the storm.





Meet Merle

Meet Merle, adopted by Sara from the Joplin MO Humane Society.  In her early college years Sara discovered the Catahoula Leopard dog breed.  They are very intelligent dogs and are often used to herd cattle or sheep.  She always wanted one and this summer she found and adopted a rescue puppy that is part Catahoula and part Lab.

He is approximately six months old and is quite adorable!  

And Sara is a very happy puppy mama!

Evan is also very attached to Merle and misses the little pupster when he is away each week working in Manhattan.

(Most of the pictures below were stolen from Sara's Instagram feed!)










Saturday, June 20, 2015

Morning Walks (Spring Version)

Since retiring I've been taking a morning walk almost every day!  
A simple pleasure for sure but this daily walk is one of the activities I looked forward to all those months I was waiting to retire.

A pedestrian's roadside view of the neighborhood!


There are critters spotted almost every day; cows, turkeys, rabbits, turtles, snakes.  And this morning I startled an owl from his daytime slumber in the woods about fifteen feet up the driveway. He took off in a hasty loud wing flapping exit. Not sure who was more startled him or me!

For the last two weeks while folks in town have been dealing with the seventeen year cicada invasion, here in the rural areas there have been thousands of moths on the road. When you drive down the road and look in the rearview mirror it's like something out of a Disney movie!  But walking through them is another story, picture me flailing my arms around trying to swat them away with my t-shirt pulled over my face bandit style to keep from inhaling one!  


More Kansas countryside.


Wildflowers or weeds? 

Sometimes Griff goes walking too!

Yes it's a noxious weed, but kind of pretty nonetheless.
A small creek that cuts through the neighbors property and crosses under the road.  
Not much remains of the barbed wire fence at this spot.

Who says Kansas is flat!

I see this Army helicopter almost every day.  One day it flew directly above me, I should have taken a picture that day!  This picture was taken on a different day and it didn't come any closer that day.

Back home again!

Once my walk is complete I usually hang out on the front porch for a bit to cool down.  
What a view!




Bobby's truck is Griff's preferred mode of transportation for cruising in the neighborhood!


Sunday, June 14, 2015

Becoming Grandparents

Welcome to the world Jackson Robert Gering

Jackson arrived June 4th at 8:14 PM on his parent's wedding anniversary
Weighing in at 6 pounds 5 ounces

He has captured our hearts in a big way!

My words can not begin to do justice to describing how it feels to watch your own child and their spouse embrace parenthood. It has been a week of joy and happiness and moments we will never forget.

We are enjoying lots of snuggle time with this little bundle of cuteness!






Aunt Sara loving on Jackson!



He likes his arms free, not a big fan of the swaddle!


Dad getting ready to give him a bath.


Bat baby!

Asleep in Grandpa's arms!  Jackson's first visit to Lonesome Duck!


This is the good stuff!