Birth of Taylor Rhea

Little Taylor Rhea was born this afternoon at 1:15 to Audrey and Dan in Chicago.  She weighed 6 lbs. 13 oz. and appears healthy and rather mellow.  Audrey and Dan are doing well too.  I was fortunate to have arrived in Chicago by 11 a.m., so was with Lauren when Dan texted the news.  I met little Taylor this evening.  She is adorable!

Tobacco Barns

I happen to be visiting Kentucky while tobacco is being harvested.  Kentucky is the 

largest producer of burley tobacco, used in cigarettes.  I took photos this morning at an old barn full of fresh hanging tobacco.  It will dry for two to three months before being taken to market 

and then dried for 1-3 years before used to make tobacco products.

Dinner with a Long Time Friend

I met my friend, Barbara, for dinner late this afternoon.  We met in sixth grade and were close friends all the way through high school.  I call her when I visit KY, so we've kept up sporadically over the years.  We laughed and reminisced, while catching up on each other's lives, as well as other old friends.  I especially enjoyed our conversation about our life viewpoints and realized that Barbara and I are on the same page about most things, even though we live over 2000 miles apart, with very different lifestyles. 

Farm to Table

I spent last night on my Dad's farm, which is covered in soybeans ready for harvest.  By mid-morning, I was off to visit Aunt Guyneth and on to Owensboro, for a late lunch with Mom and Sonny.  My cousin Dickie met me at 2 and we walked on the Greenbelt over 2 hours. We talked nonstop and caught up on family and travel.  Mom, Sonny, and I met
my brother's family at Moonlight Barbecue for a buffet dinner.  

In Kentucky

I flew to Kentucky on Saturday, to spend a few days with my parents.  I flew from Tucson 

to Phoenix to St. Louis, then took a 9 passenger plane on Cape Air to Owensboro.  The Cape Air puddle jumper was an interesting experience, through fog and clouds.  

Mom and Sonny picked me up and we went to Old Hickory Bar-b-q for supper. 

Photo Framed

A few weeks ago, I wrote here about a photo from our Branding that I had blown up.  

I had the giant photo framed, and Papa and I picked it up today.  

We hung it in the dining room of our Tucson house.  We love it! 

Walking Stick

Over the past few weeks, we have had several walking stick bugs on our south facing patio.  They eat leaves and we have a terrific crop of grass this year.  This one was walking up the side of our picnic table. 

Moving a Drinker

Papa was hard at work this morning as I hiked down the hill.  He was digging up the water pipes to a drinker that he will move to another location. He stopped to catch his breath after I got to the drinker and we heard a vehicle coming down the road.  It was Carly and the kids, on their way to check water across the ranch.  Colter Lee and Traven wanted to help Dale.  They were good helpers!

Planning a Family Trip

I love planning trips!  I have spent some time over the past couple of weeks, searching for a chateau in France to accommodate all our children and grandchildren, next April.  There will be 18 of us!  After much searching and several inquiries, I reserved Chateau Sommesnil today.  Papa and I are quite excited about the possibility of spending a week with our family in France.

Grasshoppers

With the moisture and grass growth this summer, grasshoppers are prolific!  They are everywhere!