Homebodies . . .

It is no secret that lately we've become "homebodies" i.e. we are enjoying the simple pleasures of things around our home.

The Irises in the front have a different lifestyle from the other blooming flowers in that they do not bloom every day -- they seem to pick and choose on what day they will bloom. We glance out the kitchen window each morning to find out if "they" are in bloom.

This week we actually "set a spell" on the front porch (the picture is a depiction of a porch but is not our actual porch.

We just relaxed along with Dino and decided to stay on the porch until some folks walked by as they often do . . .

But this day was different. Even though it was the middle of the week there was almost no activity down our street -- and after about an hour and nobody walked by, we decided to go back into the a/c and watch baseball.

Our town, like most other towns in California, has mandated a water conservation program, due to the drought situation.

We now can only water outside on two days of the week -- Tuesday & Friday -- and only during certain hours -- after 8 PM and from Midnight to 7 AM. There are monetary penalties for non-compliance. So, we comply, but it really is hard to watch things start to turn brown.

Imagine my surprise on Tuesday night this week when I was poised to begin the watering regimen at 8 PM. At almost exactly the time, as I got up to go outside I was greeted with pouring down rain. We had not apparently paid enough attention to the weather forecast and had no idea that it might rain.

Needless to say, we did not do any watering on Tuesday night. It rained fairly steadily for a bit and even a bit the next morning. But by Wednesday evening it was again "hot & dry". We did reach over 100 degrees on that day and any benefit that the rain provided for the yard was used up.

A Note about our Family Migration

Most migration paths for my paternal side of the family came into and out of OHIO.

We have evidence of early 1800s existence of our
ancestors in Ohio.

In the mid 1800s my branch, via Daniel Hiles and family moved out of Ohio and into Wisconsin. I am not exactly sure as to the reason.

However, Ohio still is the state that has the most HILES families listed in the United States.



Some Random Iowa Newspaper Sleuthing

On my maternal side of the family tree, Iowa played a major role.

The Bumgardner Family, the Butler Family, the Rider Family, the Hoopes Family , the Rankin Family, the Blair Family and many others have
played a major role in Iowa.

On the right are a few of the random newspaper articles that I spotted this week while searching.

Click on them to enlarge and get a flavor for some of what was important enough to put into the newspaper of the day.

I particularly like the one about the Bumgardner family that in 1928 "had a telephone installed in their home" which was worthy of a blurb in the paper . . .

Or the one about Chas. Bumgardner (my Great Grandfather) bringing a few horses through town for his livery service in 1899.

And one other -- C.P.Rankin(s) doing picture framing and making screen windows and doors, a business located at the residence of his sister Mary Sydney Rankin Bumgardner in 1916.

Could have Happened . . .

That actually could have been what my life might have been like if my father had gotten his way.

Back in the 50s his goal was to "buy the farm" up in Wisconsin.

We made several "scouting" trips to find the perfect farm -- one that my Mother might actually even consider living on.

But is was not to be -- the farm that my father chose to hesitate and quibble on the purchase price slipped out of the market when someone else made the purchase . . .

Today though my nephew, Jeremy, lives in Wisconsin and works in Iowa for John Deere . . .

Maybe a 2nd Home in HILES (Wisconsin)


So -- if you heart is set on living in Hiles, Wisconsin, here is an opportunity for a weekend getaway home right on the lake.

Here is over one half acre of land with the house (and a shed) with a dock in the lake . . . what more could you want?

Check it out -- instead of buying that Tesla Model X, you could own a piece of Hiles Paradise!

Let us know if you decide on doing that (either one).

And Lastly

This is how I envision our summer to be -- Dino and I catching some fish for dinner in the Russian River that runs through our town . . .

Right . . .

Well, that is a bit of our week.

See you all "in a few"!

Enjoy the NBA Finals, FIFA and MLB . . .