icicles to salt licks

Icicles are fascinating to me. Ya don't see them much around these here parts (I just typed that with a cowboy accent), so as you can imagine, I took my share of icicle pics. I remember as a kid, being told by my teachers that if one of those huge icicles fall, it could spear you through the head and kill you. So I never walked under one of those bad boys. Ever.


Speaking of teachers, this is the school I attended for 1st grade. York School is a one-room school, one teacher, 5 girls and 15 boys, 1st grade though 6th grade. They closed the school the following year and years later someone made it into a home.
Mr. Hanson's teaching was legendary. He taught generations of families. He was such a wonderful, gifted man. My most vivid memory from that year... when Beth Moe, the school bus driver (uh, station wagon) came to the school in the middle of the day. She stood in the back and whispered something to Mr. Hanson. He walked back to the front of the classroom and with a shaky voice announced that President Kennedy had been shot and that we all needed to go home. Even as a 5 year old, I knew the gravity of that moment. It is forever etched in my brain.


This is the little school house that the Amish children attend. Aah, so that paint horse & buggy that drove by the farm each day were taking their kids to school.


Love the Amish corn shocks.


My Mom is doing real well. Doesn't she look great! (she'll be 80 in April) She keeps super busy and active. We stayed a couple days after the others had gone home and enjoyed our time together. I made her a big pot of split-peas soup, using a spiral ham that traveled all the way from Phoenix with us. It was still frozen when we arrived! We also saw Julie & Julia one night while Randy & Tyler went to Avatar in Eau Claire. Tyler got me the dvd for my birthday. I just love that movie!


We decided to take a picture of the out-laws that married into the Larson clan. Did they have any idea what they were getting themselves into? I think not.


Now showing- Three Aunts & a Nephew! That's my brother Kevin's son Mitchel with his three favorite Aunts. He's one charming, cute kid wouldn't you say!


And finally, back by popular demand... the beautiful, the bodacious, the bovine beauty herself! Who seems quite taken with herself... or the camera...


... or maybe she just thought the camera was a potential salt lick. Mmm... food for thought.