Ward Wanderings

July 10,2015 Travel across Wyoming to South Dakota

We entered Cheyenne, Wyoming, about 10:00 a.m.

Several hills had metal silhouettes that looked like a real person or animal.

Miles and endless miles of wide open spaces and plenty of cows.

We stopped in Lusk, Wyoming, and found the Lickety Split Quilt Shop just beyond the lamp post. I purchased a Row by Row pattern and license plate here. Hopefully I'll be able to collect at least one from participating quilt shops in each state. Check it out here: http://www.rowbyrowexperience.com

This big palomino posed for his photo. :-)

There's a flag-colored buffalo at the corner of this building.

Flags were everywhere--such a beautiful sight to see.

Some campers had painted pictures on the back of them.

This ice cream shop is in Custer, Wyoming, but we didn't stop.

Mr. Rushmore seen from below at the entrance to the park. An avenue of flags lined the walk approaching the looking point. This is an amazing sculpture that took 13 years to do and thousands of man hours.

Henry and I at the entrance.

A bust of the man who designed Mt. Rushmore, Gutzon Borglum

Tourist traps--:-)

Colorado July 8, 2015

In Colorado we saw these water towers. I'll continue my collection from the last trip. :-0

This is the baby nursery at River Front Baptist Church where we went to church tonight.

We stayed with new friends the Gardners. Mrs. G has a huge collection of Coca Cola memorabelia. This is just a portion in her kitchen--lots of glasses, trays, full bottles of ancient coke, cups, holders, anything coke. Almost a museum. Very nice.

We got to visit my friend, Elaine, from high school, many, many moons ago. It was good to see each other after at least 25 years.

This Westminister water tower is close to Elaine's home, taken at dusk.

July 7, 2015 Japan to USA

We left about 1:00 pm in Japan and went to Korea for a short layover. Then boarded a flight to San Francisco, changed planes to final destination of Denver, CO. All flights had a little turbulence, but that did not last long. Good flights all around and we arrived safely on Tuesday afternoon here in Denver. Here's some photos of the places we have been.

This little girl had the cutest suitcase in the form of a cow. We saw a similar one of a tiger. Made of hard plastic and on wheels.

The Incheon Airport in Korea

The Powder Room had side by side seats for parent and child

At the Denver International Airport there was a vintage display of things gone by. I remember some of these. :-)

Thunderheads over Utah and Colorado

Stapleton International Airport in Denver

Today we Depart

Leaving for the airport shortly to begin our two-month furlough that climaxes with Peter's wedding to Jewel in September. Please pray for traveling mercies for us. I'll be posting photos and such about where we go, but not daily, so please check back. God bless!

This and That

In our neighbor's rice field these two large birds have been seen recently. The white one is an egret and the other is the grey Heron. They walk delicately through the rice plants picking out tadpoles and frogs to eat.

These are two of the many colorfully painted pre-school buses here.

My personal favorite is Thomas the Tank :-)

Baby Aito, born Christmas Day 2014 is now six months old and cute as anything. Here he is in church with Mom and Dad.

Mother's Day at Bread of Life Baptist Church in Kobe. The ladies received a flower-covered tea mug.

Night sounds

This time of year out here in rice paddy country is rather noisy in the early evening. Thousands of frogs are singing their hearts out hoping to attract a mate. It must work because in a couple of weeks, there are tadpoles galore in the water and soon little frogs are hopping all over the place.

Meanwhile, this is what we go to sleep by.

Accidents will happen

As I was mowing the yard along the top edge of the back slope, I ran over a tree stump that could not be seen. The blade got stuck and bent it so the machine does not work now.

Now to wait for a replacement blade.

Then a couple of days later I was cooking something on the stove. I needed a small bowl from the cabinet directly over the glass top, four burner stove from the left side. The bowl I wanted was wedged between two others so as I was tugging a little, and suddenly the right side door opens and out tumbles four bowls that fell on the stove and the floor. Amazingly, the bowls did not break, but got chipped around the edges and wound up in the trash. Then I discovered the glass stove top got cracked around the large front burner, about half-way up.

Cracked stove top

Then on Saturday, our dependable front loader Maytag washer bit the dust after 14 years of service. It had been making loud spinning noises for a few months, then it just gave up. Henry took the back off and found the belt had worked its way off the drum and the exterior was rusted.

A sad day--the death of the washing machine.

Rusted parts.

So we went to the local electrical shop and chose this Toshiba 7kg washer, top loader. Japanese and American machines drain differently, so naturally, our water hookup had to be rearranged.

Henry got under the house and took photos of the pipes to figure out what to do.

It took about a day and a half to get the water hooked up and now we have a new machine that is soooo quiet, I did not know the cycle was done until I heard the beep, beep, beep signal indicating it was done. So nice.

A little garden flower show

Spring has arrived here in Kobe and the garden is in bloom. My favorite, bearded iris, is not as abundant as in previous years, but still gorgeous. These are lavender, but to the camera they are more blue. The above iris is at the East corner of the house below the kitchen window. It was a good 3.5 feet tall and was starting to tip.