Greatest Adventure Ever

This last weekend I embarked on the greatest adventure of my life. I finally got to marry my beloved Rachel!

This was more fun than I ever could have imagined. The rehearsal went very well and the dinner afterwards was chaos but a success!
The morning of the wedding I woke up (minor hangover) and was even able to spend a couple of hours shooting bow with the best man. It was awesome and calming. I managed to show up to church right about the time I was supposed to be dressed and ready to go, but no harm done. The rest is sort of a blur. Tons of people, a BEAUTIFUL bride and some vows that I can actually remember going through. I remember through the dismissal of the pews all I could think of was how heavy my wedding band was...funny what sticks out on day like that. Rachel and I were greeted to a wave of people outside and a horse drawn carriage. It was wonderful. I remember it being absolutely peaceful sitting in the carriage across from my wife. There it is again, wife! We had a great conversation just talking about what had really just happened. We were also presented a bottle of champagne (which we almost finished before we got back to Rachel's parents house) and we took a few pictures there before jetting to the reception. This was also a success. I even dances with my wife and then some. I enjoyed the family, friends, food, drink, and them some. Yes, there were glitches, but my wife informed me that I must let it go...damn DJ.

Sunday morning's gift opening was more than I thought possible. It was unbelievable to see the generosity from our guests. We have already enjoyed many of our gifts and are working on putting away the rest. I cannot thank everyone enough but they know this hopefully. What a wonderful day that I think is only going to be trumped by the birth of our children! Until then...


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Contributing to History

Well, I was finally able to be part of the craziness that is the first Iowa dove season in 93 years. After church on Sunday Austin and I were out in the yard and joked about going dove hunting. It then dawned on both of us that we could actually do that! We decided Monday morning we would head to Big Marsh to shoot some doves. Dad, Michael Parker, Austin and I pulled together as many bullets and supplies we could and got out to the spot in pure disbelief that we would have the place to ourselves. After finally settling in and shooting at some passers, we were finally able to see some birds. Michael and Dad split off and brought down the first one. Austin and I were patient and waited for birds to come to us. A group came right in to our gap, and I unloaded my gun. Nothing. Austin proceeded to double on the birds and we had some doves down. After awhile Austin watched one come down right into the sunflower strip we were in. He walked over to flush the bird and nothing happened. He yelled back that the thing would not fly so I instructed him to just pick it up. Third bird in the bag without a bullet spent to boot! We called the morning done, and said breakfast sounded better than more birds.

I was glad Uncle Al called last night and convinced Dad to go. It was great to see him out in the prairie again.

Breakfast was biscuits and gravy, hashbrowns, eggs, and sauted onions with of course, or morning's doves.

 

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Update

I have been so busy with things lately it has felt nice to have "free time"...anyway I digest.......I have started my final year in hell, I mean school, and Rachel has begun her first year at vet school. We have settled into our apartment and have even decorated the damn thing half respectably. We are in the home stretch before the wedding and counting down the hours. I have concluded my job with Story County Conservation and have begun my interm job working for the parking division at Iowa State. I am now that asshole you yell at for giving you a ticket for illegally parking on university property. Horridly satisfying to write tickets...Sorry Lisa. :) It will be another year of surviving and hoping a job awaits me in the real world.


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Coleman's Project: Cuttings

This last summer I had Mother teach me the ways of the cuttings master herself. I took some cuttings from multiple specimens including viburnum dentatum, viburnum trilobum, flowering dogwood, mountain maple, river birch, hazelnut, and hydrangea, and went through the work with Mother in the greenhouse. After almost two months of soaking in the greenhouse I determined it was time to line them out.

 I got some absolutely phenomenal root masses on a few of the cuttings. The dogwoods and the Viburnum trilobum specifically just exploded.

Dad mowed/bailed a patch for me up by the old garden and I began tilling.

Micheal Parker showed up to shoot his new muzzleloader, but I had some work for him to do first. We lined out two and a half trays of my cuttings whether they had developed roots or not.

 We finished up by taking the duff Dad left after mowing and mulched the areas.

I began this project in the hopes that I could take them to Coleman's and work on a browse source out there. It will most likely be a couple of years before I see real results, but I will be able to plant some of them next spring and fall. This has been a great learning experiences and now that I know how to do this I can continue to do it.

MOM! teach me how to root graft!

Once I have learned that, I will be invincible!


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Wood Work

It's has been awhile since I have been able to get on and post. One of my latest projects involved making my first table. My buddy, Ned Parker, helped me with some hauling last October and it was time to repay him for his help. I used 30 year old wild grapevine as the legs underneath the largest eastern red cedar slab I have obtained. It took me some deep thinking and some outside inputs from Poindexter, but I finally figured out a way to attach the legs to the slab.

 

I was able to get the table finished within the weekend and the next Tuesday give it to Ned. 

Nick found it necessary for me to show what my shop normally looks like:

I figured Uncle Dave would appreciate it. 

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New apartment meal

Rachel never ceases to amaze me. She concocted an absolutely amazing homemade spaghetti sauce made from the tomatoes we grew on our deck at the old apartment. Because of the sauce she of course had to make homemade noodles as well. There was a baguette on the side and Shiraz to complete the ensemble. Simple amazing.

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We Moved

We Moved.

 

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