This is what the lodge looked like when we headed for home this June. Thanks again to Bill and Dave Steele for mowing the place...it sure looks nice.

We worked pretty hard on the bunk room this trip. After last fall's big push on it all remained was clear coating all the knotty pine / installing the laminate floor and the trim. We will be getting a new door to put on the old rollers that came off of the old granary.

Put a close line up and Susie gave it a pretty good work out.

Susie put a bunch of work into her landscaping which is looking really nice.

And of course once again we timed it perfect for the asparagus.

Sitting on the front porch one morning having coffee and around the corner comes this skunk...he has no fear what so ever as I stand up and holler at him...he just ignores me and crawls under the porch. So he stays there all day and so...the Steele bros. had noticed his hole and brought over a live trap to catch the dirty rascal...well sure enough in the morning we have him in the trap. Now what do you do?...Well Kelly Smeltzer's advise is to walk up easy with a blanket of sorts and lay it over the cage...then pick it up...skunk and all and cart it away and finish him off a good distance from where it is you are. I had an awfully feeling about following his instructions however I had no better suggestions and so I did just that...I was successful thank God and I hope I never have to do that again....

A couple deer have made the place their home this summer and were out and about most mornings and evenings.

And yet another pretty sunset.

This was an interesting cloud formation with some pretty awesome colors to boot.

Not much for color but interesting cloud formation just the same.

This picture was taken just West of the farmstead...from down at the corner.

This little wren made her home in the DuckButt bird house mounted on the front porch and was there all the time just a singing away.

Well have to see how this works out....we put a tomato plant on each side of the gate, a pail of water for each with a dipping cup and a towel to dry your hands if needed. Hopefully folks driving by will take notice of this and stop and lend a hand in the watering.

There were a few jack rabbits around for most of the time we were there this time.

And just the one morning we were lucky enough to see these 3 critters scooting across the meadow.

As were we heading out...this was the way we left the barn yard looking...

We were really feeling like North Dakota folk when we finally got around to putting a rain gauge up on the fence post. And was amazed at the nearly 3 inches of rain we got the last night we were there until we told Kelly how much we got...he laughed and said "no way"....well he was right...the knuckle headed Steele bros. poured the 3 inches in on their way out the that night...seriously?...Who does that?

But hey...you can't knock them for putting flowers on my grandpa and grandma's grave now can you?