Skip to main content

Flashback Friday


The old house in Galesburg with its stately lines and 19th century glory (and problems) had no backyard with any features when we bought it.  Conceived in ignorance and maintained with flagging strength and decreased motivation, it ended up with three ponds, massive flower beds and was truly something to wonder (and wander) at.

                                  

Birdbath, a unique fence, annuals, perennials, and bushes of every time and flavor.


Cobblestones guided your journey.



A cement park bench to sit and gaze.


The pond deck built by me and the huge deep pond dug by me as well.  I may have had a little help but since its my story, I did most of the work.  Hidden beneath the decking steps was the filtering system that had to be cleaned every 2nd or 3rd week.  The filter was built by Dave Makeever, Harley rider and neighbor extraordinaire.


Even with its hassle, this was a paradise.  You can see the pergola covering the back patio.  Man oh man, we sure put a lot of time, money and pleasant hours in the back yard. 

Cleaning the filter.


Our beautiful koi, especially Gus...hungry Gus.  The frogs that would come to mate with their deafening noise in the Spring were welcomed by me, but not so appreciated by others in the family.

It was here that Missy saw the moon one evening and barked her little head off.  It never happened again, but for that one time it sure was funny.  It was the only time she ever looked up I guess.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Flashback Friday

Class, Or Lack Thereof The Dwight Vice gravestone in Oquawka, Illinois. I bring this old chestnut out every so often just to remind me that class is classless.  Dwight Vice was killed in his home near Oquawka in 2001.  It was one of those things that can generate crime:  two guys thought Dwight had a lot of money stashed at home because of his pot-selling sideline to supplement his fishing job.   Not really one of those big drug deals gone-bad things.  Marijuana was, according to the trial, about the only stuff Dwight sold.   But these two guys barge into the house and killed Dwight and attempted to kill his 11 year old kid, Darryl, before they took off with what money they could find.   His son, now 23, was stabbed in the back and left for dead.  He survived and is wheelchair bound and has undergone several surgeries to repair his wounds.  He will be paralyzed for life.   None of this is pleasant.  Reading the f...
Post a Comment
Read more

Philippe Park and The Tocobaga Indian Mound

About ten miles or so north of Bedlam is a place called Safety Harbor.  Its the place that has the 300-500 year old oak that the city tried to kill I featured a couple weeks ago on BFE .  They have a pretty nice park that has some interesting history, too.  Count  Philippe landed here and introduced the pineapple and cigar making to the Tampa Bay area. Today, however, I want to mention something else about this area, besides the really nice scenery.  Phillipe Park was also the home of the Tocobaga Indians.  The Tocobaga occupied the Tampa Bay area from around 600 A.D. to the 1600's.   This is a fairly common view of old stately moss-laden oaks down here.   This shot was taken atop the only Tocobaga Indian mound in the area.  This exact spot is home not only to the Tocobaga until they died out, but then to Count Phillipi who settled the area after the Tocobaga died out.   The place is full of oak and ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Mary Davis Home - Part 2

None of these pictures were taken by me,  they came right from the MDH website.  I am posting these so that friends who have never seen inside where I worked can gain access.  After 27 years I have many stories, tales and acquaintances.  But, I wouldn't know how to express them appropriately in a few paragraphs.  I enjoyed 98% of my stay there and hope I made a difference in the lives of a fraction of the kids who entered.  The original MDH at this site was just the front part.  The large red-roofed area in back was added on in the 90's. This is the Jerry Carlton library.  It was unofficially named after one of the counselors who truly loved the place.   He passed away around 2002, I think.  Mr. Farber looks like he is explaining a few things to a client. The classroom. Activity area with the gym behind the windows. Another shot of the classroom. It was a little different area to teach since we had 2 classes and 2 teachers i...
Post a Comment
Read more