Gran(d)nie Time

Tree Pick-Up

The city has 3 rounds of tree pick-up before leaf pick-up can begin:

Bitmoji Boredom

 

Franklin Lake #2

BIG DOG, LITTLE FROG

Step-Siblings

Mia and Sean came to stay with us for a week. The theme seemed to be Marvel. We each took on a Marvel character.

Eric - Thor

Mom - Hulk

Emmie - Ironman

Mia - Black Widow

Sean - Dr. Strange

At one point, we were talking about SuperFoods and Sean kept saying "Hulk". Mom informed him that Hulk was not a SuperFood, but Hulk probably eats SuperFoods. Emmie then told Mom that Sean was trying to get her attention. Mom admits that she enjoyed being called "Hulk" for a week. :)

Eric cooked eggs to order each morning. Apparently, Sean went home and had the following conversation:

Sean: May I please have sunny side?

Daddy/Anna: No, everyone is getting scrambled.

Sean: Why not? Thor does it.

Meals, games and a sleepover in the RV:

Daily Dog Walk:

Backyard Fire:

"I made this!"

Frog Hunting

BOATING:

Iowa City:

Frisbee Golf

RV TRAVEL

Note to Future Self: Don't give Sean McDonald's and then drive around in an RV.

Rorschach Test

TIMBER!

BEFORE:

DURING:

AFTER:

Emmie's Portfolio

 

Emmie's Coffee Company

The neighborhood was without power for days. We received power on Thursday (3 days later), but it took another 7 days to restore power for the remaining 75% of the neighborhood. We made (in the RV) and delivered coffee in the mornings and ice from the Racquet Center in the afternoons (the neighbor kid still calls Mom the Ice Lady).

Daily Deer Sighting

Tips Not Accepted (Mom paid Emmie $2 per cup handed out though)

Derecho

Cedar Rapids was given little/no warning as to the intensity of this storm. Mom raced home from an errand and had seconds to bring a few things in and unhook/prep the RV (the power flashed when she first reached for the garage door button, she raised it an inch, unhooked, lowered it, and power was lost 5 seconds later). 100+ mph wind and the sound of trees cracking/falling was our next hour. When all was said and done, the Derecho was considered a Category 2 Hurricane. Miller's were at Lowe's; the back window of their mini van was blown out, it took them over an hour to get home (4 miles) and they still had to park at the bottom of the hill 1/2 mile away and walk the remainder.

Radar:

Looking out my back window....

These pictures were taken the afternoon of the storm. Neighbors (including Mom and Eric) spent a couple hours clearing roads so there was at least one lane open. This could not be done for a nearby cul de sac as it had 7-8 trees in a row across the road. A house at the bottom of that cul de sac had a showing scheduled for later that eve, the potential buyers walked to the house and crazily, ended up buying it!

OUR HOME:

Looking to the Right in our backyard.

Looking to the Left in our backyard.

Tomato plants fell off the deck, but surprisingly, still produced a pretty good yield upon replanting.

Left side of our house.

Left side of our house.

NEIGHBORS:

Shaylee's Backyard

This is the front of Shaylee's house. There is a red truck that you can't see in the driveway. They were out of town.

Shaylee's house from the top of the hill.

Mitch (next door) lost his 200 year old oak tree. Mitch was on a fishing trip.

Far side of Mitch's house.

These are the track coaches at Coe.

The slightly left of center object is a lightpost.

Power lines to the left here.

These pictures were taken on dogs walks over the next couple of weeks (and all within a 2 mile radius):

Hope the kid that lives here is a good shot!

Coe Courts: