The Farm

07/06/2025

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01/01/2025

The upper pasture at one time had peach trees.

01/01/2025

Many memories walking this.

01/01/2025

The sideyard. Tony and me.

10/03/2024

08/16/2024

I grew up on a farm near here. https://familydestinationsguide.com/historic-german-village-illinois/?fbclid=IwY2xjawErm0lleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQjKpgtdRU4wSiZsJMANAb8ReupxiAKlO-IbpDxvOYHl6rEW6f6Dqyeadw_aem_U5RoR1pDSilIJlhQ9jXhxA

Discover a hidden gem in the rolling hills of Illinois

08/13/2024

❤️🐾

07/08/2024

1993. This is a picture of the low-water bridge that my father built in the early 1970's. We had already moved from The Farm where I lived from birth until going away to college in the fall of 1982.
The original bridge was the section on the right. Two pipes channel the water under the bridge.
Crossing the Maeystown Creek to get home was always a stressor. At times, even a small amount of rain would cause the creek to swell and lose the banks.
There were quite a few times that the creek changed plans. One memorable occasion was on the night that I tried out for the high school musical. I was a freshman and Mom drove me to Valmeyer a 15-minute drive from our home. During the short time we were gone, it rained causing the creek to rise. The docile creek that we crossed only hours early would be an angry churning tide, bent on taking anything in its path downstream. Mom turned the station wagon around and we headed to Gloria Bundy's house in Maeystown.
I am sure that Gloria was a bit surprised by the knocking at her door late that evening, but she didn't show it. A few who may be reading this will remember Gloria and remember her better than my recollections. Gloria was an older woman, a matriarch of the town of Maeystown. She was learned and a keeper of the knowledge and history of that area. Imagine a real-life 'Foxfire'* character and you had Gloria. A real treasure.
She welcomed us into her home and made up the sofa bed in her living room where we spent the night. By the next morning, we were able to cross the creek.
Everyone has challenges growing up I know, but trying to understand and tame the Maeystown Creek so that I could be like all the other kids, never happened. The Creek was always a prominent player in every plan made.

*"Foxfire," is a set of books that contains the oral history of people in Appalachia.

07/07/2024

When I was a young child, my father would take me flying in his small plane. He wasn't certified for instrument flight, so he relied on clear skies to find the airport and land. Most days, visibility was good. However, sometimes, what was clear at takeoff would be obscured by clouds upon arrival, prompting his booming instruction over the engine noise, "Suzy, keep your eyes peeled for a hole in the clouds!"

Barely tall enough to see out the copilot's window, my view was blocked by the wing. One day, I figured out that tilting the plane by grabbing the wheel would dip the wing and give me a glimpse. (As you can imagine, my attempt at banking the plane only resulted in circles and a very frustrated dad!)

Two days ago, I lost my father.

Now, on every cloudy day, I search the sky for that little patch of blue that would allow him to safely land the plane. It's a bittersweet search, a hopeful yearning for a glimpse of the man who taught me to seek the light, even when the path ahead is obscured.

Dad, your guidance ignited a spark in me, a curiosity that forever reaches for the horizon. You nurtured a love of learning that grows brighter with each new question. You taught me that the world isn't just seen, it's understood – through relentless exploration and the power of the right questions. Thank you for showing me the path to a life filled with wonder and endless discovery.

Dad, as you embark on this new journey, may it be filled with experiences that nourish your spirit and lead you to a place of deep contentment and peace. And while I search the clouds, I'll keep hoping to catch a glimpse of you, Dad, soaring high above them.

07/04/2024

A Google Earth view of the road with the switchbacks.

07/04/2024

A Google Earth view of The Farm