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!

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.  

Quincy crossing

Saints monument

Quin

John Wood's first cabin

Anderson's 50th wedding anniversary

President and Sister McArthur

Dawn at Quincy cemetery 

Veterans Home in Quincy  

History Museum at Quincy

John Woods home in Quincy (First mayor helped the saints)

Winter birds of Nauvoo

First counselor of Galesburg ward Bro. Glass

Congonese brother in Galesburg

Just pared this hole in Deer Run Golf course 

Ricky Raccoon at 3:30 AM

Deer at 4:13 am

Wedding photo 15 years ago

Carts ready to exit Nauvoo

Exit day

Oxen wagon

Parley Street

Leaving Nauvoo 

Winter Birds

Temple in February

Snow in February

Walking Princess in February

Sledding near our apartment

01 January 2016

The first of the year 2016 was welcomed by warm and wonderful weather. We were able to golf the first week of January and be outside without much protection.

We did attend church on the first Sunday in McComb, Illinois with the Burns. We normally go to Galesburg but we wanted to visit Sister Dewey who was in the hospital following a hip surgery. We have been walking her dog, Princess, each day while she was away with the surgery. She is the secretary at the temple.

In addition, to temple duty, Dawn and I did go to the movie in Keokuk……”Star Wars”. I recall the first time I saw the beginning of this epic movie was in Pullman, Washington while I was in vet school. The feature began with word scroll introduction and this last feature was the same. So amazed with the first movie, it was so iconoclastic.

Now that the weather has turned to winter, we are spending more time inside because if you go outside for any length of time you will freeze to death! The temperature on the 10^th of January was ZERO! We have had wind as well and I am very uncomfortable. All the little birds at the feeder are ravaging down the seeds and the squirrels are picking up the leftovers.

(Our next mission will be in AFRICA along the equator!!!)

Dawn and I travel to Galesburg, Illinois (80 miles one direction) to attend church. We have been active in the ward by teaching lessons in priesthood and primary. I was asked to speak in the ward on Sunday. The trip home is doable if there is no ice on the road. However, the wind blows very hard and it is difficult to drive. We saw a large deer dead along the side of the road hit by car.

We have had three double shifts this last week training three new individuals at the temple. Those are long 16 hour days. Dawn had a bumper week at the baptistery doing 150 names for a patron. Our baptisms are sent out to our grandchildren (Tate, Baya, Kesler and Tanis) to do at their local temples. Family members who have passed on are receiving the ordinances. So far Dawn has completed all ordinances for over 100 of them. I am approaching 50. We spend three to four days a week at the Family Search Center behind the temple searching names. We also take classes from Suzie Swing each Monday morning in Family Search before we go to the gym. Monday is our day off.

This month is quickly coming to an end. I spoke in the Galesburg ward sacrament meeting last week on How to Live in Today’s World. I told about making the right choices….and sometimes you just have to say NO….then mentioned Dawn’s brother Brian when he remarked “You just have to pick your “Nos” carefully!

I made a video presentation entitled “Winter Birds of Nauvoo” with sound and photos I have taken with my new camera. I will give the presentation next month at the combined Family Home Evening event.

We have hope for warmer weather to close out the month.

Cardinal at the feeder

Red Breasted Woodpecker at the suet block

Goldfinches

Winter in Nauvoo

Bald Eagles on the Mississippi

Got a new pair of Rockports

Winter golfing in Hamilton

Talk to the grand kids on Facetime

Family File Cards

Tufted Titmouse