Company!

Dee's brother, Joel and his wife, Elana arrived on Thursday, May 23.  We had a great time exploring behind the scenes of Nauvoo, and part of the Mormon Trail in Iowa. We really enjoyed the break from routine.  But we also had work to do this week.  Dee is out of the attic and back to doing work orders for the most part.  He came home one day declaring how much he loved fixing air conditioners.  At least he can stand up straight from time to time - unlike in the attic.
The grounds crew finished the major planting and the senior missionary sisters actually had time to do some weeding - our favorite summer activity.  So here's our week in photos.

Ground's Crew

Planting at Browning Gun

Hyde house raised higher. 

Lyon's Drug in purple

Chives, allium, and false indigo

When planting is all done, we start mulching.  It's dirty, hard work. 

Joel and Elana's Visit

We started out by discovering how many Barrow ancestors lived in Nauvoo.  This is Joel's (or Dee's) fan chart. All the grandparents with checks lived here, along with their children, aunts, uncles, parents, etc. 

FM Nacho lunch

Nacho lunch in the break room

Sarah Granger Kimball garden

 Every May and June volunteer archaeologist come and dig around foundations in Nauvoo.  They have set up a museum and work station in the basement of the Red Brick Store.

Archaeology museum

Miracle of the quails camp.

In 1846 the saints were driven out of Nauvoo. They crossed Iowa, headed for the Great Basin.  You can follow the Mormon Trail today and learn about their experiences. On Saturday we followed it for about 40 miles. Our first stop was where the miracle of the quails took place. 

Lunch at Bonapart's Retreat.

Brothers have to check out the gutter display. 

 As the saints came into Bentonsport they saw an opportunity to make some much needed money by building for the citizens of Bentonsport.  We met the owner of Mason House, who has done a lot of research into the history of this town.  The hotel was built by the saints, and all of the features, and much of the furnishings are original to the house.

Chandelier designed to cast colored light onto ceiling.

Building modeled after Nauvoo's Red Brick Store

 We did a lot of exploring outside Nauvoo's historic district, including the American Indian mounds just north of the historic district.

We had so much fun with Joel and Elana.  There are more photos - but they are in Joel's camera.  I think you get the idea of the variety of things that we did.  The best part was just enjoying each other's company. 

Reconstruction

 One really exciting thing happened this week.  Four historic homes are being renovated, or rebuilt and the work began in earnest this week. Here are two of them.

Orson Hyde home, the apostle who dedicated the Holy Land for the restoration of the gospel. 

They are removing the East wing of the house. 

The William Weeks home, architect for the temple. 

Mother's Day/ A Time to Plant

Mother's Day Week

Since last week was Mother's Day, I was busy visiting by Facetime with each of my children and grandchildren, so the blog didn't get done.  It was a lovely day, and in addition each child wrote me a personal letter.  Nicest of gifts.  So all week I've been getting snail mail in my mailbox.

The first full week of May was too early to plant, but more annuals came out of the greenhouse to "harden off" as my dad described it. Richard calls it transitioning.  Did you know plants can get sunburned if they get too much sun right after coming out of the greenhouse?  Even when the weather is moderate.

Perennials shine, while waiting for annuals. 

Last week this bed was full of tulips.

On Saturday we took our third field trip since arriving - out to Dickson Mound State Park, which is near Lewistown, Illinois.  We went with another missionary couple, Elder and Sister Christensen.  They make excellent travel companions.  We are into a rain on Saturday pattern, and when we tried to go over the Illinios River to Havana, we ran into a flooded road.  But our trusty GPS found another way to go.
The museum's exhibits told a lot about the archaeology process and described some of the cultural aspects of the Mississipian Indians, the mound builders. The Griffith homestead in Marshall County, Kentucky had a mound on it.  It is no longer there.

Flooded park at Havana.  Illinois River

Not just a hill, an American Indian mound.

A Time to Plant - 2nd week of May

This week was planting.  We load the trailer with plants from the outside tables at the greenhouses.  Then we drive them to wherever Adam and Louis have tilled up the beds.  We unload the plants and Richard starts his artistic pot throwing - no, not pottery turning.  He throws the pots where he wants us to plant.  He's thinking about the height each mature plant will grow, the color, and shape of the plant.  And then we start digging holes and plopping the plants in.  When we are finished the interns water, using the big watering truck.  It's hard work and takes the whole day.  I come home, shower, eat lunch and crash until dinner time and dance practice.  Saturday, yesterday, I rested.  It was, of course, raining most of the day, so a good day to take it easy.  I'm reading a collection of stories about Porter Rockwell, one of the more colorful characters in church history.

Plants loaded in trailer

First Richard throws the pots. 

Then we plant. 

One garden done - 30+ to go.

Mission President's house - same procedure.

All done.

The women's garden was next.  More pictures next week. We were too busy to take pictures in this garden with it's multiple beds.

How do you plant a huge banana plant? Roll it. 

Into it's hole. 

Just as we finished the Visitor's Center entrance, the president walked by. Good timing for a photo with the gardening crew.  Interns, young sister missionaries, and a couple of temple missionaries joined us for the work - thank goodness. 

I'm planting peonies in my yard when I get home. 

front entrance of the visitor's center. Richard calls this "instant garden".  People expect it to be half grown when planted. 

Our dear Sister Pinette.  She and her husband are assigned the Visitor's Center, including the Women's garden.  They work so hard.   They are also our zone leaders. 

April Showers, Bring May flowers

 April Showers kept coming and coming and coming this week.  The Mississippi is higher than the great flood of '93.

The end of Parley Street

The YPMs came to Nauvoo this week. 

Sandbagging the Nauvoo House

The fence above is actually half under water, but the reflection makes it look like its above the water.




The rain didn't stop us from gardening. Or pulling daffodils and tulips.  The greenhouse is also emptying.  We carried several tables of plants outside.

The flower parade, from the greenhouse to outside.

Outside tables

Digging tulip bulbs.

 
All dug up

On  to the dump.

We took a Nauvoo break on Saturday, traveling south to Quincy to hear President Lincoln speak. Lincoln told stories and gave the Gettysburg Address.  Stephen Douglas told the story of the trial of  the abolitionist, Dr. Elles.  Quincy was a stop on the Underground Railroad.  This event was mostly historians interpreting different aspects of 19th century life.  An undertaker explained embalming. A Civil War nurse brought her equipment.  The fire engine pumped water.  And the vintage Baseball umpire explained the rules of 1860 baseball. There were too many presenters to hear them all.  We will need to go back after our mission.  There were very few vendors. A good way to end the week.

Lincoln telling stories

Stephen Douglas

Vintage Baseball - Umpire and player