It's 6:30 am on Friday, June 27th - record-breaking morning - $142/barrel of oil. People are talking about riding horses to work on Fox News. Something's gotta give people, something's gotta give. On a lighter note, today I will be preparing to host Jensin's 17th birthday party, which is tomorrow. Attendees include the Koester 5, cousin Krista, friend Carissa, and boyfriend Roger. By request, we will have hamburgers, hotdogs, green bean casserole, and a DQ ice cream cake - crack me up. I think I will supplement the meal with some corn on the cob and a fruit salad. Also requested are activities such as washers, Foosball, Apples to Apples, Kemps (card game) and a water balloon toss and fight (requested by Baleigh, unknown to the teenagers). I will ask permission to post action photos of the party.


We have many critters who visit us in the Bradford Pear Estates. Our first critter was none other than a groundhog affectionately named Bradford Pear Pierre. Much like LouAnne's experience, I fed him a banana and the next day there were 5! We have even seen them in our FRONT yard. Below is Pierre. I'll have to catch the 5 later.



Another visitor, Snappy the Snapper gave Baleigh a new turtle experience. She felt sorry for it because it looked very dry and he was obviously trying to get back to water as he was headed for the creek in our back yard. So Baleigh brought out a pitcher of water and poured it on him and he jumped at her and hissed. We had warned her to keep her distance of course and now she knows why.


I haven't yet been able to capture the deer in our yard and I am too scared to photograph the black widow spider under our TV hookup thingy in the front yard. I saw the red hour glass on her little abdomen and bolted. Next, I told Baleigh to get her shoes on and never roll around in the grass. Now I know why the neighbor girl always has tennis shoes on and not flip flops. Other critters that I hope to never be able to photograph but that we have been warned about include rattlesnakes, copperheads, and bobcats -oh my!

This is a view from our back yard and of the place where the deer come from.


Baleigh has been a busy bee, attending soccer camp, basketball camp, ceramics, art camp, and softball "open field"(hitting drills on Tuesdays and Thursdays). There is a place called The Craft Shop in the basement of SIU's Student Center where they offer kids activities all summer long. Baleigh has really enjoyed going there. I will post pictures of her work when I found the camera cord.