March 2019: March 2016

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

03 March 2016

The month of March is so welcomed. I have been hoping for a weather change and warmer days. So far no snow and the days are longer and warmer. We have had one horrific hail storm and heavy rain but no snow. (A tornado alert came with the storm).

The trees are budding out and we have one daffodil bloomed out. The tulips are all up and ready for business.

I have had my “night” game camera out getting photos of the local night life. Raccoon, bunnies, and deer eating off the lawn are all captured on my camera. I am hoping for skunks and opossum to frequent the back door of our apartment.

Dawn has a birthday this month and we have celebrated by going to “Women of Ireland” in Fairfield on St. Patrick’s day. It was a great performance of song, dance and aerobatics. We also had a wonderful meal at a Turkish restaurant.

Our group activities this month has included Bro. Wright, author of a book on the symbols of the temple. It was well done. We are looking forward to hearing from Reid Moon on rare church books.

Another guest speaker we are privileged to here is Susan Easton Black Durrant. She is a BYU professor of church history who is married to George Durrant and spends time here collecting information on church history. She is an outstanding speaker and very enjoyable to listen to.

We are starting to jog outside in the mornings if it is not too cold. If it is freezing we jog at Motley Gym.

We spent Easter Sunday in Galesburg and after church had dinner with the Dobsons. They have been very nice to us and we stay with them on occasion.

The geese are starting to pair up and we are seeing more and more game in the mornings. Hopefully it will become spring soon.

Lemon Pie

Starting to snow outside

Tulip tree in bloom

up close

The Grekels have arrived

Mississippi in the spring

Joseph and Brigham planning to go west

Seeing more rabbits

geese are pairing up

Tomb of the Joseph Smith parents

My night camera

Fairfield Community Theater

Fairfield is full of large protestant churches

Ready for the Prairie Fire burning

Beware of Prairie Fires!

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

02 February 2016

Is it winter or is it spring? This month has been one day of warm and then record cold. The birds are confused as to stay or go! We have also celebrated this month in reaching our ½ way mark on our mission to Nauvoo.

The saints exited Nauvoo under mob pressure the 6th of February 1847. We attended a reenactment of the event as we walked down Parley Street to the Mississippi river.

We also celebrated our 15^th year anniversary. Can you believe it has been that many years since Dawn and I have been together.

Many things have happened this month.

In the temple: we continue to serve a full schedule at the temple. Both Dawn and I have been mentors for new recruits. We are now trained to be coordinators for initiatory and baptistery.

We have had get-togethers at the Arrival Center. Dane Chapman gave us history of his restored home. We celebrated Valentine’s Day with games and food.

Then last night we celebrated “Leap Year Day” at the Stake Center. The Bakers and Russells presented the program at our monthly joint FHE. Bro and Sister Baker gave a quiz on Leap Year history.

We gave a presentation on “The Winter Birds of Nauvoo”.

I have been photographing the birds at our feeder and neighborhood. Along with the reference books obtained off Amazon, I was able to put together a Power Point with sound to include the songs of all the birds. Bro. Lyman added photos of eagles and geese that was most attractive.

We also attended a outing in Quincy, Illinois visiting the historic sites of the saints rescue as they crossed the Mississippi escaping from the Missouri mobs. The Moons accompanied us and we were able to shop at Sam’s Club.

The weather was warm enough to golf and a couple of occasions, however it snowed so heavily one week we could not go to Galesburg to church. This weekend was beautiful and we stayed overnight at Galesburg to attend the Knox College symphony conducted by Dr. Polay. We also had diner with the Dobsons after church.

Thus ends February and into March and it is mighty cold this morning. I set out my “IR” night game camera on the 29^th of February and this morning I have captured a raccoon and deer feeding on our door step late into the night.