Missing Pieces

Johnny spent the first week of August up at Kevin and Jessica and Ian's, helping with this and that. I just now got his photos out of his camera. The only ones he took up there were of the Blue Angels. Pretty cool!

Shortly after he came home, Kevin and Jessica and Ian left for Hawaii and are just returning today. Jessica posted many photos on facebook of their trip. I'll steal one of the three of them over there since Johnny didn't take any while he was up at their place...

Guess all facebook will give me is a miniature version...

Back home, in the smoke, Johnny took a photo of the smoky sun setting over the west hills.

And then, he took photos of me. First picking pears out of our pear tree... (I gave up on the ladder quickly since it leaned when I did.)

And then picking blackberries. So many pears and blackberries...

Alas, I did not take photos of the several long-time but seldom seen friends who came by this August: first Suzi, whom I had not seen in 25 years, came by while Johnny was up at Traumhof with Kevin and family. Suzi is an artist friend who shares my love of horses and plants. Since I did not think to take her photo, instead I'll share one that she painted years ago of Charlie, our donkey. It hangs over my desk up here in my office.

Suzi had a bad car wreck many years ago and had to quit painting. She is just now recovered enough to at least start to think about painting again. If you search the web for Suzi Mather you will see many of her wonderful works of art.

Julie Gilbert with her son and two grandchildren were our other surprise visitors this month. Alas, I have no photos of Julie past or present. We took jump lessons together some years ago... she on her Morgan mare, me on my Morgan gelding. And once we rode on the beach together but the only photos I have of that trip are of me on Mr. Smith and another friend on her horse. Next time Julie comes, maybe we'll saddle up two of my horses and ride together again.

A phone call told me that another old and seldom seen friend had passed away... my cousin Sharon York. The only photos I have of her were taken years ago at Dad's place. Rhoda is my Dad's youngest sister. Sharon is my Dad's oldest sister Enid's daughter.

Linda, Dad, Aunt Rhoda, Cousin Sharon, Sister-in-law Elladine, Brother Bob

Sharon and Aunt Rhoda sitting below a partly visible painting Suzi Mather did of my dad's Polled Herefords

Well, that's enough nostalgia for now. Time to milk goats and feed horses. Soon it's back to making pickles, canning tomatoes and pears, and trying to keep the garden and greenhouse watered. No rain in sight but at least the smoke has dissipated.

That's life on the Fink Family Farm.