Ghosts and goblins ne'er abound on local streets tonight,
For home they've gone, tummies full with yummies of delight!
Gruesome, scarey, wicked ones, moved spookily about,
In search of candy (more, more, MORE) that, without a doubt!
But where were Mother's little ghouls, spread both near and far?
She wonders what they all looked like; did they dress the part?
Darth and Lucy, re-appeared, or so the story's told,
Would so like to see costumes, of both the young and old.
So share your pictures, if you please, of Halloweeny fright;
Can't wait to see what's yet to come, it should be quite the sight!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
Sharing Some Fall Colors
The first four pictures were taken on Buys Rd., about a week ago. The last one was taken on Giles. Anyone who has done Rte. 531 should recognize the green house in that picture. Hope you enjoy the lovely colors!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
A Hancock Barnhart Pictoral Progress Report
Greetings, fellow Barnhart-bloggers. There have been numerous requests for a pictoral update on the progress being made here in the soon-to-be winter wonderland. So, here are a few favorites from my latest batch of photos (the past week or so). I'll include some text as well. Read on...
...and on, and on, and on....or so the story goes. At least, this one in particular. Here Ella sits through her first reading of "The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins" in its entirety. I'm quite certain it won't be her last, though it might be a while before she picks that one out again (it's a bit lengthy for a girl whose longest sentence is somewhere around 5 words).
Elisabeth turned 4 months old on Saturday (the day before Mom's big birthday). Here she shows off her smile and her bear (we photograph her monthly with this bear to record her growth).
To celebrate the autumn season, crazy hours at work, lots of progress on the garage (wait, Mike, I'll get to those photos soon!), and just life in general, we enjoyed a scrumptious Deep Dish Pizza. It made the menu since the recipe calls for it to be made in a cast iron pan. And because it looked amazingly yummy.
Here's what was left of the pizza after we'd stuffed ourselves.
As Steve watched the weather forecasts, we decided it was finally time to finish harvesting our produce from the garden. Ella and I picked tomatoes and peppers on Wednesday afternoon, and Thursday morning we awoke to a very hard frost. Excellent timing, if I do say so myself. Here's what we gathered. (we didn't pick the strawberries, though there were a few ripe ones still out there, and even more green yet! - a 3rd wave of berries from this season)
And last, but certainly not least, the much anticipated garage siding photos. Please note, it's beautifully sunny and the garage siding looks amazing. Great work, Steve! Feast your eyes on our newly sided garage.....
Steve wonders how much longer we'll have nice enough weather for outdoor work and whether or not he'll get ALL of the siding onto the garage in that span of time. Just a few more boards to go! (we'll be putting on some paint come spring...it - the paint - will spend the winter waiting in our living room for it's final destination)
Well, that's all for now. Back to work...there's more progress to be made!
...and on, and on, and on....or so the story goes. At least, this one in particular. Here Ella sits through her first reading of "The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins" in its entirety. I'm quite certain it won't be her last, though it might be a while before she picks that one out again (it's a bit lengthy for a girl whose longest sentence is somewhere around 5 words).
Elisabeth turned 4 months old on Saturday (the day before Mom's big birthday). Here she shows off her smile and her bear (we photograph her monthly with this bear to record her growth).To celebrate the autumn season, crazy hours at work, lots of progress on the garage (wait, Mike, I'll get to those photos soon!), and just life in general, we enjoyed a scrumptious Deep Dish Pizza. It made the menu since the recipe calls for it to be made in a cast iron pan. And because it looked amazingly yummy.
Here's what was left of the pizza after we'd stuffed ourselves.
As Steve watched the weather forecasts, we decided it was finally time to finish harvesting our produce from the garden. Ella and I picked tomatoes and peppers on Wednesday afternoon, and Thursday morning we awoke to a very hard frost. Excellent timing, if I do say so myself. Here's what we gathered. (we didn't pick the strawberries, though there were a few ripe ones still out there, and even more green yet! - a 3rd wave of berries from this season)
And last, but certainly not least, the much anticipated garage siding photos. Please note, it's beautifully sunny and the garage siding looks amazing. Great work, Steve! Feast your eyes on our newly sided garage.....
Steve wonders how much longer we'll have nice enough weather for outdoor work and whether or not he'll get ALL of the siding onto the garage in that span of time. Just a few more boards to go! (we'll be putting on some paint come spring...it - the paint - will spend the winter waiting in our living room for it's final destination)Well, that's all for now. Back to work...there's more progress to be made!
Monday, October 22, 2007
Fall Harvest of Dune Grass Knees, and Frig Magnets
The dry hot summer took a toll on the knee harvest at Lake Michigan. It's slim pickings, as you can see; the knees are few, and sparse. 
On a happier note, the guys pose for a photo.
Beautiful Lake Michigan, in mid-October!
All those years of keeping my spices in alphabetical order!
Now they tell me!
Well Andy, looks like you're off the hook, ole vegetable lover (NOT!)
Thursday, October 18, 2007
I am gifted
While it is true that I find myself to be incredibly intelligent, I actually meant that upon the occasion of my birthday, I received several gifts. See, gifted.
Anyway, I thought I'd let all the left hands know what the right hands were doing, so here is a little pictorial.
These aren't the exact flowers I received, but they are virtually identical to the bouquet that graced my office on my birthday. Thanks Lisa!
A perfect Janell-sized French Press (I meant portion size, not my actual dimensions)
What more could I ask for? Gourmet dark chocolate from the streets of Paris (imported by Ben), the breathy haunting voice of "A girl called Eddy" floating throughout the house (thoughtfully selected by David), all while I sip on my rich dark coffee, made in my new French Press (expertly chosen by the UP coffee aficionados).
As I'm sure you probably all, with the possible exceptions of Daniel and Rachel, recognize these from years past, I must explain that mom did not carry on the fine tradition of Daniel (and David?) and "give" me something I already owned. Rather, she gave me what I'm sure were several hours of tedious cleaning and repair in order to restore my dress-up favorites to their original glory.
I would like to christen this as the first "blank you" (a blog thank you), of which I hope to post many more. (See how I did that? It sounds like I'm so very thankful, but it actually just means I would have to receive many more gifts in the future to keep posting these. Pretty good eh?) Thank you all for your thoughtfulness.
*If your gift didn't appear somewhere in this post, please don't be embarrassed. Most likely, you are Dad, and I didn't give you a gift idea until several days after my birthday.
Anyway, I thought I'd let all the left hands know what the right hands were doing, so here is a little pictorial.
These aren't the exact flowers I received, but they are virtually identical to the bouquet that graced my office on my birthday. Thanks Lisa!
A perfect Janell-sized French Press (I meant portion size, not my actual dimensions)
What more could I ask for? Gourmet dark chocolate from the streets of Paris (imported by Ben), the breathy haunting voice of "A girl called Eddy" floating throughout the house (thoughtfully selected by David), all while I sip on my rich dark coffee, made in my new French Press (expertly chosen by the UP coffee aficionados).
As I'm sure you probably all, with the possible exceptions of Daniel and Rachel, recognize these from years past, I must explain that mom did not carry on the fine tradition of Daniel (and David?) and "give" me something I already owned. Rather, she gave me what I'm sure were several hours of tedious cleaning and repair in order to restore my dress-up favorites to their original glory.
I would like to christen this as the first "blank you" (a blog thank you), of which I hope to post many more. (See how I did that? It sounds like I'm so very thankful, but it actually just means I would have to receive many more gifts in the future to keep posting these. Pretty good eh?) Thank you all for your thoughtfulness.
*If your gift didn't appear somewhere in this post, please don't be embarrassed. Most likely, you are Dad, and I didn't give you a gift idea until several days after my birthday.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
It's Birthday Time!
Tis birthday time for one who is dear,
I'll give you a clue, in proximity she's not near.
Oops! I slipped and told you the gender,
And as a young Mom, she's ever so tender.
I did it again! Can you figure out who?
She has Ella & Elisabeth; that makes two!
Now you know, and Sunday's the day,
And I've got an idea, oh, by the way!
She needs new tennis and/or hiking shoes,
And contributions toward those would help, tis true.
So Rachel we hope your birthday is sweet,
And that you can get what you want for your feet!
I'll give you a clue, in proximity she's not near.
Oops! I slipped and told you the gender,
And as a young Mom, she's ever so tender.
I did it again! Can you figure out who?
She has Ella & Elisabeth; that makes two!
Now you know, and Sunday's the day,
And I've got an idea, oh, by the way!
She needs new tennis and/or hiking shoes,
And contributions toward those would help, tis true.
So Rachel we hope your birthday is sweet,
And that you can get what you want for your feet!
Saturday, October 06, 2007
A Few Fresh Photos
Here's Lookin' at You, Kid.....
Just a few photos of the project progress here in Hancock. Projects, of course, including the garage (it's pretty much an un-ending project) and the girls, along with grandpa-time.
Elisabeth has to check things out...a nice summery evening and relaxing on the lawn. Life just doesn't get a whole lot better than this.
Grandpa Mike gets some time with the girls. Ella loves her little sister, sometimes to the point of smothering. But Elisabeth just loves it!
Here Steve and Mike install some of our new trim on the garage. It's not completed, but it sure looks a LOT better than it did before!
Ella ready to throw rocks at Lake Superior. What a relaxing way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Elisabeth at Lake Superior. Need any more be said?!
Ella enjoys the beautiful summer weather while Dad and Grandpa Mike continue working on the garage. She's keeping a close eye on them (or maybe the camera). The next thing to come out of her mouth (after this picture) undoubtedly was "See it!"rather emphatically, meaning she wanted to see the photo on the back of the camera. Another "cute" 2-year old thing to do.And that's all for now. We're working on a new website for our photos (photosite has discontinued service, in case you haven't checked for a while), and will hopefully have that up within the month (but no promises!). We've lots to do 'round here getting ready for the snow to fly, so time is in short supply for "playing" on the computer.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Birthday Photo Booth Adventures
"Didn't someone really important just have a birthday? Who could it possibly be?"
"ME?!?!?!"
"You mean you already knew?! Does that mean there's birthday cake?"
"Start shoveling in that Ryke's cake!"
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
The Princess has a Birthday!
Hear Ye! Hear Ye! All loyal subjects take note! The Princess has a Birthday. Gifts must be presented to Her Majesty, or it will be "Off With Your Head!"
An American in Paris
Apparently I forgot to pay my Francification tax, so the pictures weren't all showing up. I think I've got it taken care of now, though. -ben
I know you're all dying to see each one of the 550 pictures I took while I was in Paris, but you'll have to settle for the top 10. I know it's a crushing disappointment, but the French have a saying–which can't be translated directly into English–that roughly goes, "Even the underside of a cow's hoof doesn't get wet in the rainstorm." I'm not exactly sure how that applies here, but I think it's a fine sentiment, and hopefully the confusion will cover over any disappointment.
The short version of it all is that we had a great time. Our apartment was a block and a half from the Eiffel Tower, and close to everything else we wanted to see (the Musee Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay, Notre Dame, the Latin Quarter, Montmartre, the Catacombs, and the list goes on). We walked a lot, rode Paris's new rental bikes (Velib) a lot, talked a lot, ate a lot, and–thanks to the "roll over on its back and play dead" American dollar–spent a lot.
Here's the photo highlights from the trip:
(1) Kevin on the far left, Loren turning toward me, Jesse and Kelly just beyond him. We're riding the Velib rental bikes over a pedestrian bridge that crosses the Seine.
(2) And here's a photo of the Seine; houseboats lining the bank, and the Musee d'Orsay (one of the largest collections of Impressionist painting) in the distance on the opposite bank.
(3) A typical intersection, and a pretty typical picture of us (that's Jesse, Kevin, and Loren, left to right), circling around the street map. Kelly, Loren's wife, is standing behind Kevin in this picture. She was a brave soul to put up with all of us this past week.
(4) The Church of the Sacred Heart (or Sacre Coeur, as the French call it), which sits at the top of Montmartre, one of Paris's nine hilltops.
(5) The face of Notre Dame. Later in the week, we climbed the bell tower on the left.
(6) This is the garden of Versailles, which lies directly behind the palace. The water in the distance is the Grand Canal, which was filled with gondolas and gondoliers from Venice during the reign of Louis XVI (and perhaps other Louis's as well).
(7) Here's Kelly in a pensive mood. This is in a little restaurant in the garden of Versailles, which was rumored to serve cups of chocolat chaud ("hot chocolate," for you Americans) as thick as melted candy bars. I can assure you, the rumors are quite true.
(8) This is Sacre Coeur, seen from behind the clock at the top of the Musee d'Orsay.
(9) One of the bored gargoyles at the top of Notre Dame.
(10) And here's southern Paris at night. I shot this from the second deck of the Eiffel Tower on our last night in town. Napoleon is buried at the end of the long grassy park.
Wow, I can't believe that's 10 pictures already. I'm trying to put together a little photo slideshow, which I may post here if it turns out. Otherwise, each of you can look forward to long-winded explanations about the incredibly funny events that provided context for each one of my 550 photos.
I know you're all dying to see each one of the 550 pictures I took while I was in Paris, but you'll have to settle for the top 10. I know it's a crushing disappointment, but the French have a saying–which can't be translated directly into English–that roughly goes, "Even the underside of a cow's hoof doesn't get wet in the rainstorm." I'm not exactly sure how that applies here, but I think it's a fine sentiment, and hopefully the confusion will cover over any disappointment.
The short version of it all is that we had a great time. Our apartment was a block and a half from the Eiffel Tower, and close to everything else we wanted to see (the Musee Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay, Notre Dame, the Latin Quarter, Montmartre, the Catacombs, and the list goes on). We walked a lot, rode Paris's new rental bikes (Velib) a lot, talked a lot, ate a lot, and–thanks to the "roll over on its back and play dead" American dollar–spent a lot.
Here's the photo highlights from the trip:
(1) Kevin on the far left, Loren turning toward me, Jesse and Kelly just beyond him. We're riding the Velib rental bikes over a pedestrian bridge that crosses the Seine.
(2) And here's a photo of the Seine; houseboats lining the bank, and the Musee d'Orsay (one of the largest collections of Impressionist painting) in the distance on the opposite bank.
(3) A typical intersection, and a pretty typical picture of us (that's Jesse, Kevin, and Loren, left to right), circling around the street map. Kelly, Loren's wife, is standing behind Kevin in this picture. She was a brave soul to put up with all of us this past week.
(4) The Church of the Sacred Heart (or Sacre Coeur, as the French call it), which sits at the top of Montmartre, one of Paris's nine hilltops.
(5) The face of Notre Dame. Later in the week, we climbed the bell tower on the left.
(6) This is the garden of Versailles, which lies directly behind the palace. The water in the distance is the Grand Canal, which was filled with gondolas and gondoliers from Venice during the reign of Louis XVI (and perhaps other Louis's as well).
(7) Here's Kelly in a pensive mood. This is in a little restaurant in the garden of Versailles, which was rumored to serve cups of chocolat chaud ("hot chocolate," for you Americans) as thick as melted candy bars. I can assure you, the rumors are quite true.
(8) This is Sacre Coeur, seen from behind the clock at the top of the Musee d'Orsay.
(9) One of the bored gargoyles at the top of Notre Dame.
(10) And here's southern Paris at night. I shot this from the second deck of the Eiffel Tower on our last night in town. Napoleon is buried at the end of the long grassy park.
Wow, I can't believe that's 10 pictures already. I'm trying to put together a little photo slideshow, which I may post here if it turns out. Otherwise, each of you can look forward to long-winded explanations about the incredibly funny events that provided context for each one of my 550 photos.