Month: June 2020

Young robin out back

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Immature robin, about 6 feet away

Today was a good day to sit out side. Sher and I were enjoying our own little wildlife show. The feeder had a near constant flow of finches and sparrows. What seeds that fell on the ground below the feeder became a buffet for doves, cowbirds, Cardinals and Redwings. Young squirrels were romping around. We heard the tell-tale rat-ta-ta-tat of at least two woodpeckers. Then came  mature and immature robins. One young one hopped close to me.

And then he saw me

It is so relaxing sitting outside on a beautiful day. Sher and I have our binoculars, books, drinks, critters to watch, and most importantly, each other. We’re already discussing where we want to go this winter, but for now we’re grateful that we can stay safe in our home base.

Backyard visitor

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I was enjoying sitting outside with a cup of coffee in the backyard this morning. Beautiful sunny day, temps approaching 80, and a lot of birds to watch at the feeder.

Then this young squirrel decided to join the birds in the yard. He hopped around for quite a while, and was still there when I went in. In the foreground is the Black Cherry sapling that we got from the DNR giveaway trees program. We are fortunate to have a nice yard where we can watch the wildlife and have space for gardening.

Remember to keep doing the things that keep you safe!

Lucky elephants and BLM protests

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Hand carved resin, stands approx. 14 inches tall

Sounds like an odd combination, doesn’t it? Well, it is. Sher and I have been watching the protests on YouTube. There are plenty of channels that are showing the protests, and we have been watching one that has 6 feeds from different cities around the country. Believe it or not, it does make for interesting viewing. It will be interesting to see how the protests in Seattle with the “Capital Hill Autonomous Zone” will be handled, either by local or state government.

Now to the elephants. We just listed the figurine of seven elephants on our Etsy Store. Elephants traditionally are thought to bring protection, strength, good luck, prosperity and wisdom to your home, or even your office. A stack of seven is an extra boost. Notice that the trunks are uplifted meaning they are spreading the good luck. You can see the listing of the elephants here at our Etsy store. (Yes, this is a blatant plug for our Etsy Store! Not sorry…)

Historic Convent in Oldenburg Indiana

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On our recent RV day trip Sher and I spent a most enjoyable time viewing an Indiana treasure: The Immaculate Conception Convent, which is the Motherhouse of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis.  The Sisters of St. Francis continue to serve the people of Indiana. Learn details at their Website Here including the fascinating history of the Order.

Motherhouse, right and church, left. Parking lot is for the Holy Family Catholic Church, out of view on left

Chapel and portion of the cemetery for Sisters

Beautiful Shrine overlooks the cemetery grounds

Not only is there beautiful architecture on the campus but peaceful cemeteries, shrines, a school and a  farm. Oldenburg is known as “The City of Spires” due to the many church spires visible on the skyline of this quaint Indiana town.

Historic church and cemetery

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A few days ago Sher and I took a nice day trip in our RV to south east Indiana. Our first stop was Batesville, covered in a previous post. Next stop was Oldenburg, another town with a strong German heritage.

 

 

 

The Holy Family Catholic Church has a long history in Oldenburg. The stone church was finished in 1848 as seen in the pictures above. It replaced the original log church, and is now the Rectory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The current church is a magnificent structure. The day we visited was election day, so there was a fair amount of foot traffic in and out of the entrance to the Fellowship Hall. Social Distancing was not a problem. The large stone cross is a remembrance for the first Mission that was preached in 1848.

Rose in bloom near a crime scene

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A pretty bloom

Well, maybe not a crime scene, however some dastardly critter (most probably a rabbit) has stolen one of the two remaining rose buds from this rose bush. I suspect that the perpetrator of the rose bud theft is also responsible for the wanton destruction of a couple of our sweet corn seedlings in the garden.

A road trip on a hot day

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Sher and I had had enough.  It has been since February 25th since we were in our RV. Roadtirement needed to hit the road again.  I put some water in the fresh water tank, and flushed the antifreeze out of the lines. That way we would have water for our bathroom.

We went a town in south east Indiana named Batesville. This town has a rich German history, and is home to the Batesville Casket Company, one of the largest in the world.  The Hill-Rom company, also headquartered in Batesville, is a manufacturer of high tech hospital beds and is also a Hillenbrand company.

Hillenbrand Mausoleum

We visited the Saint Louis Catholic Cemetery of the local church of the same name. This cemetery is in a beautiful setting with tree lined main roads. There is a section in the back of the cemetery that is the oldest portion and has the oldest graves. In addition this is the area where the founders of the Hillenbrand companies are interned in a striking mausoleum and a masonry fenced area.

It was great getting back on the road again, and from Batesville we headed to Oldenburg, another German influenced town in south east Indiana. We were safe, as we stayed far away from any people we saw. Stay tuned…