Raccoons, Trains and Donuts

Chugga chugga

Day 16 (8/5/2015)

I ended yesterday’s blog with the promise of donuts today. It was Eileen’s day off but she had to go in sometime to work on a new computer system they are starting. We decided to get out early so she could come along. At 7:43 we got a text that Wade was up, had eaten and was ready to go on a donut run. We didn’t waste any time and except for a quick stop to watch some cranes we biked directly to the bakery. Unfortunately everywhere we have ever lived has had great bakeries and although it is four miles away in Oostburg this is no exception. We used to have a bakery right in town and that was very dangerous. I love donuts. Oostburg bakery has a nice selection of fares and with the exception of not having serviettes (for my Canadian Friends) it is a great place to get a fix. Across the street is a cute little park which was apparently the gift of the brother of an equally cute little old lady who told Wade and I all about it. So far it was turning out to be one of those special days that pop up once in a while. After eating or donuts, I had a pistachio muffin; we got back on the trail to head for the Prairie area to do some building. We started by doctoring our builds from yesterday but were soon involved in some new projects. At some point I saw lights at a distance down the track. At first I was surprised because we rarely see trains during the day and even more rarely coming from the south. Soon I heard a horn however and knew that Wade was going to be so excited. He loves trains. It was a very long train and Wade watched as mesmerized. After the train we got back on the trail and headed for the Garden. On the way we had stopped to talk to some past students of mine when I started noticing a raccoon following us. He seemed to have no fear of humans and we decided to get Wade as far away from him as possible. I went back to get some pictures but kept my distance as well. The rest had gone on to the Sculpture Garden where Nate worked on repairing his build from yesterday. Soon we saw the raccoon was still coming down the trail so we got on our bikes and rode for home.

Getting Started

Shushine

A little help from your friends

Here comes Chugga

High

Love this Picture

Nate's new sculptures first test

A couple rebuilds

Action Shot

Nate's Rebuild

Coming or going?

Being chased by a Raccoon

Said Raccoon

Another of Nate's rebuilds

A family Affair

Cranes in the Distance

Day 15 (8/4/15)

It has been awhile since we have made it out on the bike trail. Last week was the first week after “Grandpa Daycare” and I had to get a few projects done around home. My son and his wife decided to join me and Wade for this trip. They have gone along before but rarely have we done any building. Lately my son has been doings some building on his own however. We had a nasty storm on Sunday night with pretty high winds and an inch of rain so I was expecting everything to be lying flat. I was pleasantly surprised when we got to the Sculpture Garden to find both Tripod and another build untouched. A third one had sustained some damage but was still erect. As soon as we arrived at the site we noticed a couple of cranes out in the field just behind the sculptures so I had to take some pictures. We had stopped down the road just before getting to the garden to watch a couple of other cranes. I think one of those was an immature from this spring. I never tire of watching them strut around the fields. Soon though it was down to business and my son Nate started a build using the ceramic pipe parts left over from an earlier build by our friend Chris. I took the opportunity to rebuild a cairn that I had built a while ago. I also did some work on the build that had been damaged by the wind. I find it hard to ever replace one of my favorites. They just never seem to have the same pizzazz. This was no exception. It was ok and it was standing but not something that I would call a favorite. We then rode on to where Nate had built a sculpture in my absence last week. It was still standing and so was the one that I had built at the same location. After finding things standing in the Garden and the next site I was anxious to get to the Prairie. Unfortunately they had not fared as well and although they were still partially standing both would need substantial work. I started rebuilding another one of my favorites while Nate decided to seek out his own materials and start from scratch. Again I wasn’t happy with my rebuild but I can always come back. By now Wade was starting to get a little impatient. He and his mom Rita had been doing drawings and he was ready to get back on the road. We rode on to the Oostburg turnaround, vowing that tomorrow we would bring money for donuts. After that we headed home. 

Adult and Baby

New Cairn

Nate working on his first build

Two more Cranes

Nates finished Build

Oostburg Turnaround

Nate's second build

My second rebuild

Detail

One last Crane

Planes, Cranes and Frogs

Wade flying the Vectron

Day 14 (7/23/15)

All things come to an end and so it is with “Grandpa Daycare”, at least for the time being. The nice thing about living 300 yards away from our son and his wife is that almost every day brings an excuse to see Wade. It was one heck of a summer and even in five short weeks Wade has changed so much. More and more he has gone from being an observer to being an actual participant. This week he made two solo builds of his own not to mention numerous colorings. He has started becoming more aware of his surroundings and it was he who first saw the cranes on Tuesday. Grandma and I have tried to squeeze as much in as possible these last couple of days. We too feel the end of summer vacation coming to an end and want to get as much done as possible. Fortunately the weather has been great for outdoor activities and if we haven’t been on the trail we have been exploring the backyard and all its mysteries or even aviation. 

New Build

A Start

More planes

A Ribbit

Ribbit's new Pad

More building

And more

One more look at the Woodcock

Coloring

Making Ants

Men at Work

Wade's second Solo

Here Papa

Walking the rails

Did I mention Cranes?

Thanks again to Eileen for the Photography and colorings

Looking back on another great summer

Wade's First Build

Wade's First Build

Day 13 (7/21/15)

I interrupt this regularly scheduled blog, which was supposed to be about family involvement, to announce Wade’s first solo build. It had been a typical morning and we had taken off on a windy but otherwise beautiful day. Wade is starting to get a little bored with the whole biking routine and was getting restless soon after we hit the trail. I am astonished at his development over the last four weeks. He is now is not afraid to tell me when he doesn’t want to do something. I convinced him that there would be coloring and that got him more interested. For whatever reason the trail was extremely busy so we stopped once to color at the sculpture garden but didn’t get any openings to build. Wade wanted me to draw him a dump truck so that is what I did along with a barn to go with the tractor that was already there. We then continued on down the trail until we got to the prairie site. I determined that if I was going to get anything done I was going to have to build right away while there was nobody around. I wasn’t sure how Wade would do left to his own devises while I built but before long I noticed he was working on stacking rocks on his own. I couldn’t get the camera in time before he had knocked the first build down but he was fortunately starting on another. At this point knocking them down is as much fun as building them. He is on his way, however. I hadn’t planned on staying long but seeing as he was having fun I actually finished a new build which I really liked and started resetting up one of Chris’s before he started to get restless. We hopped back on the trail and continued back toward home to another of my favorite sites that I still referred to as “American Gothic Site” although the American Gothic builds haven’t been there in some time. I started reconstructing a build there when quite sternly Wade told me, “Grandpa, Go home”. I had never heard that one before but decided to follow his wishes and call it a day.

Wade's Dump Truck

Wade working on his first build

Hmm, lets see what else do I need

Grandpa this is pokey 

Chillaxing

Start of Chris's rebuild

Warrior Class