Neighbors

A couple of weeks ago I walked outside my front door to discover that a small bird had taken up residence in my hanging plant. 

I didn't pay much attention until I noticed she was back in my plant that evening. As I studied her, I noticed some movement beneath her. She had built a nest in my plant. I was so excited! 

Trying not to disturb the nest, I stood on my chair on the porch and put my camera over the plant and took a picture...unsure of what I would find....

What I found were these two little funny faces staring back at me. 

I'm pretty sure these birds are house finches...I've seen both the male and the female.

From what I read on Google....they lay multiple clutches from February through August and they will return to the same nest for multiple years... I'm afraid they may be done reproducing this season, so no more baby birds to watch. But I'm hopeful that they will set up residence again next spring...now that I know they are there. 

I couldn't think of any better neighbors! 

My Fair Lady

It's county fair time in Iowa. It's a great season to get outside, see who raised the biggest boar, and eat whatever you can that someone has figured out how to put on a stick and deep fat fry.

This past week we had an oppressive heat wave....just in time for the Washington County Fair (my hometown)....

 Nathan's hometown of Monticello hosts The Great Jones County Fair every summer. 

My home county is known for growing the largest cornstalk in the world....it's even in the Guinness Book of World Records and I do believe the record still stands....my fairgrounds has a replica of the cornstalk...I don't know how tall it is....maybe 15 feet or so? 

Here I am standing next to what's responsible for putting Washington County on the map.....

***Update***

My fair is a great little fair...I have many fond memories of the fair...I was once a 4-H kid. I showed bucket bottle calves and horses mostly. I can't believe I'm going to post this picture, I'll probably regret it in the morning. Here I am with one of my calves....

Don't I look ecstatic!!

Giving one a bath before we head out to the fair....they had names like Oreo, Spot, and Patches...you know...real 'original' names for black and white, spotted, Holsteins. 

And since I'm embarrassing myself, I might as well embarrass Nathan too....he was a little more serious about the fair than I was...here he is showing his horse at the Iowa STATE Fair....La Dee Dah!!

I didn't make it out to the Washington County fairgrounds this year...but there will be many more fairs to come. 

 I have to give Nathan props...his county fair takes the cake. When Nathan and I started dating, my Dad of course asked where he was from....when he found out he was from Monticello...he said 'well, that's where The Great Jones County Fair is held!' (it seems as though this fair has a long tradition of greatness). 

One of the reasons for it's 'greatness' is because they always book great entertainment. I am a live music lover. I love going to concerts and I'll sit and listen to almost anyone if they are playing live. I wouldn't necessarily consider myself a 'country music girl' but I've seen by far more country music stars in concert than anyone else....largely in part due to the Great Jones County Fair and then of course due to the Houston Rodeo. 

The Jones County Fair has a nack for booking the new 'up and coming' stars right before they 'hit it big'. Over the years we've seen Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Kenny Chesney, LeAnn Rimes, Toby Keith, and Rascal Flatts just to name a few. 

This year was no different and the fair did not disappoint. It's nice to know that since we've moved back to isolation that we can still catch a good concert. Our friends Mike and Andrea came down for the Jason Aldean concert Thursday night....

Before the concert we did our best to set up ourselves for future heart attacks...we inhaled steak tips, tacos, pizza, and topped it all off with fried cheesecake and ice cream.

It ended up starting to rain on us which was awesome...one, it weeded out the fuddy duddies in the audience and revved up the crowd a little more....and two, after the heat wave we've had it was warm and refreshing! 

Nathan and Mike decided it was too wet to wear their shirts....

Nathan showing Andrea the love....

Friday night Lady Antebellum played and I took three of our technicians to the concert. Forgive me, I didn't take any pics...I must have been too wrapped up in my deep fat fried cheesecake. 

A severe thunderstorm rolled through the fairgrounds that evening. We got POURED on...again it was awesome....until the wind picked up and things turned a bit severe. Kerensa...one of our techs is about 8 months pregnant...and I have to say she's probably the coolest pregnant lady I've ever met. After the concert was over and the wind started gusting I took off for the car. If I was going to die, I wanted to be in my car....not under the grandstand amongst all the bodies. I ditched my flip flops and ran through the mud/manure mixture that only one can find at a fair and high tailed it for the car...and Kerensa kept up with me the entire time. Funny though....all I could think about was 'I hope we don't get cutaneous larval migrans from running through hookworm infested 'mud'. I've been teasing the other two girls that they must have been skipping in the rain back to the car....they weren't as 'speedy' as we were. 

Saturday night my mother in law and I went to the Hinder and Seether concert. Figures...the one night I packed my poncho and umbrella not a drop of rain fell from the sky. We didn't make it through the entire concert but we got to see the Budweiser Clydesdales....

These handsome guys make it to the fair every year. They bring 9 horses and their Dalmatian. They were moved into the horse barn after their tent blew down Friday night. 

I'm putting my requests in for bands to come next year! Think we can convince Keith Urban?!? One can only hope....until fair time next year!

Killing Japs

No, this is not a post about WWII...although my Gpa Paul did bomb Japan 31 times during his service as a bombardier on a B-29 during WWII...but I digress...

And forgive me for two posts on the same day, but I was pretty sure Harper didn't want to be included in the carnage that is about to be displayed....

I am referring to Japanese beetles....this summer I am trying my hand at gardening...I tried in Texas with little luck and so I'm giving it another go 'round in this great state that I now call home (cough!). 

I planted a flower pot on my deck with basil, cilantro, and Italian parsley (my three fave herbs to cook with)......and they have been beautiful! I've even had to cut back on the use of my basil cause I was going through it too quickly...(I will clearly have to plant more next summer.) So I arrive home last week to find close to a zillion japanese beetles swarming my basil plant and leaving it like this!!!

I quickly gasped and ran outside to beat the living daylights out of my precious plant! Now, I've seen these beetles for the last couple of weeks....as they are the main 'victims' I find that have perished in the redneck pool. I felt bad at first...now, not so much. But all of a sudden they have found my basil plant and taken it upon themselves to feast....and to have bug sex!!

All day today I've kept one eye on whatever I'm trying to accomplish at home and one eye on my basil plant....my deck is a war zone of bug corpses...

They are actually pretty easy to pull off the plant and drop on the deck to squish...probably cause they are so preoccupied with their bug sex and all. 

I did google 'japanese beetles eating basil' to find out what to do and pretty much the only solution was this 'bug bag' one purchases from Wal-mart to lure them away and trap them...but of course, they were sold out by the time I arrived to the gardening department. 

So...I've been on beetle patrol today...it's kind of like the Green Mile....'dead beetle flying!'....my neighbors probably think I've come down with epilepsy watching me flail my arms and stomp all over my deck trying to kill these things! 

But who wants to eat holey basil covered with the remnants of bug sex?!?

Not this girl!! 

Here's a closer view for those of you who like violent movies. 

Aunt Bea and Uncle Jesse

Well, we don't quite fit those descriptions...Nathan definitely doesn't have the mullet...or are we talking Dukes of Hazzard here?....or I guess the overalls either (thank God)....and I'm definitely NOT as 'auntie' as Aunt Bea...but nevertheless....Nathan and I became Aunt and Uncle again this week. 

The Hein fam-damily got some much needed estrogen as Nick and Bridget were pleased to welcome Harper Elizabeth into the world on Monday. 

We stopped in on Tuesday over lunch to say hello.

Uncle Nathan....Aunt Joey is behind the camera. 

Nick and Nathan

From what I hear...all is well and everyone is happy and healthy...and I'm sure glad to be home!

Iowa Ironman

My cousin Lisa is home visiting from Atlanta where she just finished her masters program. Lisa is the youngest of the four cousins and therefore has the most energy. She had a 'bright' idea on the 4th of July...that we should enter as a family into a relay triathlon that was being held in Fairfield July 9th. It was a 'mini sprint' triathlon meaning the swimming was only 250 yards, the biking was 6 miles, and the run was 1.3 miles. We could split up and one person do each leg of the race. Lisa convinced Nathan and I to participate as well as my Aunt Nancy and Uncle Al. Lisa and another friend of hers would swim, Al and Nathan would bike and Nancy and I would walk/run. Our goal was simple.....finish the race! This was our first 'competition'...all except for Lisa. 

The venue was Waterworks park in Fairfield....

Team 22.....Katie, Me, Nathan....

Team 21....Aunt Nancy, Lisa, Uncle Al.....

I have to admit...one main reason I agreed to this was for the photo ops! Ha!

The whole group before the race began....

Lisa had originally wanted to get us all matching colored t-shirts...but instead we got 'power bracelets'....it builds team unity! 

Our cheering section of one....she also doubled as support staff....

And we're off!!....Katie and Lisa led in the swim....

Katie tagging Nathan for the second leg....

Nancy and I ready for the guys to tag us so we could start the run....

Run, Joanna, Run!!

Nancy is the fastest power walker in the county!

After the race...Nathan had to leave right after we were done to get ready for our Client Appreciation BBQ at the clinic that afternoon...so he didn't get to stick around for the awards ceremony....

Each team won first place in our age divisions! Team 22 1st place for the 99 and under category (combined ages of the group) and Team 21 1st place in the 150+ category!! ( I won't divulge how many teams we were 'competing' against) 

We got these nifty medals.....and knowing that we accomplished our goal....we finished!!

Hein Camp 4th of July

This 4th of July in Iowa was a very busy weekend. I've deemed our house Camp Hein...and Nathan has been appointed the Activities Director. He didn't disappoint...we had more than enough activities to keep us busy!

Looking at the hay field from my parents balcony...

We had fantastic weather all weekend. We loaded up the pups and headed out for my parents house Sunday afternoon. We started out with a little of this....

Everyone had a great time catching up....

Wrigley of course found a friendly lap....

After dinner we headed off to see fireworks...

Monday morning we headed out for some family golf. 

Lisa, Mom, and Nathan...We played best shot to speed things up. The course was pretty busy. 

Such skill.....

After lunch we headed back to Marion to host Nathan's family in the redneck pool.

I think the redneck pool was a success!

We had more of this....

After dinner we loaded up in the 'Hillbilly limousine'...aka a 1965 Ford Truck....

to head out for more of these....

 Happy Independence Day!