Melissa's Idea Garden

When I was a child, my parents and I often took rides into the mountains of Bedford and Amherst County on Sunday afternoons. As impressive as the surroundings are, there was something that stood out...

The above photo is from this website.

This thing resembles a huge golf ball perched atop of Apple Orchard Mountain. But it is really a FAA Radar tower that used to be part of a military base. The other buildings that were part of what used to be a military base have been dismantled and only the radar dome remains.

The radar dome continues to be a draw to hikers. Here's a couple of hikers you might recognize checking out the top of Apple Orchard Mountain.

For more pictures that Daniel and Jack took during their hike to the Radar dome, visit Daniel's blog post.

For more photos taken by other hikers, go visit this photo page.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Oops....I forgot last week to do my weekly report and by the time I remembered, it was too late to get something put together and our first week of school was about to launch. Sorry about that!

Bedford County is in the Piedmont (foothills) of Virginia). And the peaks of Sharp Top and Flat Top dominate the horizon. These are twin peaks and called The Peaks of Otter. These are favorite destinations on the Blue Ridge Parkway, not just for locals, but for people visiting from around the country. Both mountains have a hiking trail to the top and Flat Top is actually the higher peak, though the pointy top of Sharp Top gives the illusion that it is the taller of the two.

Here are some quotes about the Peaks of Otter that date back to the days of Thomas Jefferson.

Continue reading "52 Weeks in Bedford County, Va: Week 4 The Peaks of Otter" »

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Bedford County has many fun places to offer those who love the great outdoors. National Forest Land, the Blue Ridge Parkway, The Peaks of Otter and Smith Mountain Lake are just a few. Smith Mountain Lake is considered the Jewel of the Blue Ridge. Smith Mountain Lake is the most popular lake destination in the state of Virginia. It has over 500 miles of shoreline.

From Smith Mountain Lake.Com

Why is there a gorgeous, 40-mile long, 20,600 acre lake, with 500 miles of shoreline, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of rural southwestern Virginia? Because Smith Mountain Lake was created to generate electricity, and to help manage water flows downstream and nearby. The damming of the Blackwater and Roanoke Rivers formed Smith Mountain Lake in a filling process that began on September 24, 1963 -- and ended almost 2.5 years later on March 7, 1966.

Smith Mountain Lake's surface covers 32 square miles. Its highest normal water level ("full pond") is 795 feet above sea level. There is typically very little seasonal variation in the water level. The daily variation for electricity production is 12-24 inches. During severe drought conditions, including 2007, lake levels have fallen by five feet. Under extreme flood control conditions, the water level could reach the top of the Smith Mountain Dam -- 802 feet above sea level. (The US Army Corps of Engineers publishes a daily water level report that is also available graphically over time.)

Continue reading "52 Weeks in Bedford County, VA: Week 3 Smith Mountain Lake" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 6:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Ever since we arrived back in May, Daniel has mentioned us going to State Farm Water Park. It never seemed to be in the cards though. Since he is a contractor, he is not included among those who get to take advantage of the very nice recreational area that State Farm has set up. But, his boss told him this week that she would get passes for the kids and me to go and we went today. It was 74, cloudy and started raining about 4. I was literally sitting with a towel wrapped around me while the wind blew. The kids weren't bothered by the cold and in fact told me I would get warm if I just got in the water. While the water was heated and it probably would have been warmer than sitting in the chair, I knew that getting in meant only one thing...getting back out and I just wasn't up for it.

Continue reading "State Farm Water Park" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Well, here we are back in Bloomington. One week from today we will be half way back to Virginia. We have had a wonderful couple of months and we are looking forward to going home.

So, for our last 36 hours in Michigan City, I am sure you are wondering what we did. Sunday we hung around the condo in the morning. Reading, playing DS and being lazy. In the afternoon we went to the beach. The kids and I played in the water. Daniel went out for a bit, but said it was a bit too cold. Katrina and I grabbed a raft and paddled and kicked through a deep area to a sandbar that was probably 100 yards from shore. It was neat being way out there and being able to stand. We played around for about an hour, then Katrina and I let the currents/waves take us back to shore.

While on shore, the kids decided one last great sand adventure must happen.

Continue reading "Michigan City, Days 4 and 5" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Well, we had another lovely day yesterday, although it was an inside day. We woke up to cloudy skies and pouring down rain. It finally stopped about 12, but everything was saturated, so we decided that yesterday would be a good day to do the one excursion we had planned while we were here. Before we went though, the kids spent the morning playing on their DS and I spent the morning reading.

Daniel has been interviewing some people for a project he is working on, so he wasn't done with that until about 2:30, then we all got dressed and headed for the car and New Buffalo, MI which is about 15 minutes away. For those of you counting...that means another state magnet for our refrigerator...yippee!

We were heading for Four Winds Casino and Kid's Quest. It took us almost as long to find a parking space as it did to drive to the Casino. The place was packed! The first thing we did upon arrival was check the kids into Kid's Quest (and think to ourselves that maybe we should stay there too.

Continue reading "Michigan City, Day 3" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I keep wanting to call Michigan City, Lake Michigan City....my apologies to anyone I may have confused. We are staying in Michigan City, Indiana which is situated on Lake Michigan and we are about 10 minutes from the state of Michigan....

So, what did we do yesterday? Well we read books in the morning. After lunch, we went to the beach and spent the afternoon. The kids did more digging, swimming and building. I spent some time in Lake Michigan too, it was very chilly at first, but once in, very relaxing. The advantage of a huge lake over an ocean is that you don't have those waves trying to knock you over all the time!

We came back, got all cleaned up and had dinner at Matey's Restaurant and Beer Garden. I enjoyed their seafood/prime rib buffet (it was all about the seafood for me). Jack and Katrina had some fantastic chicken and fries. Daniel had steak and crab cake dinner. They were hopping and the chef walked around in his chili pepper pants, greeting everyone and talking to them. It was obvious that this place was a favorite with locals because many people came in and greeted the chef personally.

The food was excellent, the atmosphere/ambience was friendly, and the service was fantastic. Right before we arrived, a group of about 20 came in. This tied up the staff for a bit and they kept apologizing to us for the delay, but let me tell you, they were on top of things, and the only delay I noticed was when we waited briefly to get our menus. One of my favorite moments was when the busboy came by and asked if my hubby was finished. Daniel had eaten his potato, his steak, his crab cake, but he hadn't eaten his veggies. The young man admonished Daniel for not eating his veggies and told him there would be no dessert for him tonight...it was funny!

We had to go by Meijer's to pick up a couple of things. Daniel neglected to pack his swimsuit and I forgot to buy ketchup (Jack can't live without ketchup for his chicken and fries). We also picked up two 1.00 rafts for the kids to play with in the pool and the lake. We came back and played in the pool for about an hour before heading in for the night to watch Stargate Atlantis...one of our favorite shows.

A very nice, relaxing and fun day!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Daniel was done with work early yesterday and we were delighted to head off on our last big weekend excursion. We arrived at the condo at about 1:30 pm. It's very nice. we have a view of the harbor, we are a short walk from the beach (which is still a little long for my problem knee so we will be driving), and the kids love the spiral staircase that leads up to the loft (where they have a bedroom, bathroom and lounging area...)

The only drawback is we are on the third floor...my knee is definitely not happy about all of the steps.

Continue reading "Lake Michigan City, IN...Day 1" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Yesterday, Jack and Katrina and I visited Anderson Aquatic Park in Normal, IL.

For 13.00, we gained several hours of admittance into a lovely water park with two waterslides, a diving board, two pool areas, and a spray area (which was mostly populated by toddlers) and a reasonable concession stand.

Jack and Katrina really enjoyed diving in. Here are some pictures of them having fun.

Continue reading "Diving Champions...Jack and Katrina" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Today, we went to meet a couple that Daniel knows from work and their family. Lisa and Ryan have four children ages 2-13. We met for a picnic lunch of gondolas, chips, fruit and cookies. Gondolas are a local treat made by Avantis. Yummy bread with salami, ham, lettuce and cheese. I went to Meijer's and found some wonderful fruit for us...we had cherries, strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, bananas, and grapes...I love summer time!

The kids liked the spray park! I got a couple of good shots of Katrina at play.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 6:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

When we booked our trip to Chicago, Daniel used Expedia. He wanted a top notch place to stay in the Windy City and let me tell you, he definitely found it.

The Sofitel Water Tower is located at 20 East Chestnut Street. Many wonderful things are within easy walking distance including: The Historic Chicago Water Tower, Water Tower Place, The Hancock Building, Navy Pier, Michigan Avenue (Magnificent Mile), and McDonalds (for those picky eaters).

The accomodations are luxurious. We had two rooms, one for the girls and one for the guys. Katrina and I had a king size bed with the softest mattress and pillows you could imagine. There was a desk and chair. And a bathroom with a shower and a bath. Instead of the tiny bottles of shampoo and conditioner that one usually receives, there were larger containers that lasted our entire vacation. There was a mini bar/refrigerator, which we didn't make use of. A flat screen television. Robes to wear, a safe and plenty of closet and dresser space. There were magazines and information on places to see in the Windy City.

Daniel and Jack's room had a bath that was the same as ours. Daniel had a king size bed and his bedroom could be closed off by doors. Then there was a living room type area with television, sofa bed, computer table which we also used as a dining table, a coffee table and chairs. Plenty of space for us to spread out in, relax in and eat in.

Continue reading "A Review: Sofitel Water Tower - Chicago" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Sorry that I didn't blog yesterday, but I was just too pooped to pop last night and I had a killer headache...but I am getting ahead of myself...

For those of you who want just the pictures, here's the link to the photos that I took yesterday. Enjoy!

Now on with the story...

Continue reading "Chicago...Days 4 and 5" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Yep, folks, you heard it here first! NASA has announced the next astronauts that will be heading to the moon. You can see their picture here. NASA has decided that a family would be a great choice for the next mission and I am sure you will agree. Of course, the fact that the family had all recently gone on a shopping spree at the House of Blues was what clinched NASA's decision.

"This family is on a mission from God," one NASA spokesman reported.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Today was long and busy and I am pooped.

I was up around 6:30. I showered and then read a bit before spending over 1/2 hour trying to wake up Katrina who was very, very tired... We went and had breakfast at Starbucks...just what I needed to jump start my day!

Then we got hooked up with the Gray Line On/Off Trolley/Double Decker tour. It is a two hour tour of the loop and we were tickled to be on the top of the bus...though Daniel now resembles a lobster due to his fair skin.

We had a great guide who told us all about the architecture of the area. We rode the whole tour without getting off, then we got off in the restaurant district and went to the House of Blues for lunch. It was neat being there and since we love the movie, The Blues Brothers, we went a little crazy in the souvenir shop...you'll be able to see what I mean tomorrow... Then we got back on the trolley (we were glad to be out of the sun). We went to the Field Museum. Way too much stuff to see in the 2 hours we had. We did make a point to see Sue, the T-rex, the Egyptian exhibit, and an exhibit where we were shrunk down to less than 1 inch in size. I loved the Egyptian section, particularly the mummies, the artifacts and the fact that part of the exhibit was made of actual stones from an actual 5000 year old tomb. That was absolutely amazing!!!!!! The art work on the walls....it was just incredible! Unfortunately, it was too dark for any of my photos to turn out.

Then we got a trolley back to the beginning and headed home. It is 9 pm and we are going to sleep and get ready for another busy day. You can check out photos from our Chicago Tour at my Flickr account.

And for all of you who are commenting, thanks so much. I spend time this morning answering, but then realized that even though I am on the internet, my emails are not going out of Outlook. Don't know why. Daniel is having the same problem. But never fear, all of those emails will get sent when we return to Bloomington! I am glad you are enjoying reading about our trip.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Well, we saw the fireworks. Actually, they were a bit disappointing. They started about 15 minutes early and lasted for about 10 minutes. As we were walking home, we saw other fireworks in the distance...maybe we attended the wrong show....

Because things had ended so early, we treated ourselves to a 30 minute horse carrige ride. It was absolutely wonderful and made Katrina's night.

For photos of our evening, you can check out my Fireworks Set on Flickr.

It is hard to take pictures of fireworks, but my camera has a fireworks setting, I had to try it out...It was fun and some of the effects were very cool!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

First a couple of moments I forgot to mention yesterday. We ordered Deep Dish Chicago pizza for supper! They sure make it different here...and one piece is a meal! I would never say that back home. A corn meal deep dish crust. Then comes a layer of cheese, then veggies or whatever toppings, then the sauce. It was about an inch thick and it was awesome!!!! Also, as it was our first night here at the Sofitel, we were surprised with trays of milk, cookies, chocolate covered strawberries and bottles of water from Norway. Very neat!

Last night Katrina, Jack and I watched the fireworks from our bedroom windows. It was cool, even though we couldn't see them completely for buildings. Tonight we are walking to Navy Pier to see the big firework show.

Today we got up a bit earlier than planned. I told Jack that we would try and leave by 9. Well, at 7, I was still in bed, thinking about getting up when a knock came at our door. Jack couldn't believe we were still in bed. He thought it was 9! He had just woke up, looked at the clock on his computer (which said 8 a.m. because it is on East Coast time). Instead of subtracting an hour, he added an hour and viola...it was 9!!!! He got up and dressed quickly, let me tell you.

We spent about an hour waking up, then headed to McDonald's for breakfast.

Continue reading "Chicago...Day 2" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Years ago, I started a tradition of keeping handwritten journals of our vacations. As I have said, we love to travel and it was a great way to keep up with fun things we did and have them to review later. Now, I can do the same on my blog and the whole world can have the joy of reading what we have been up to...

So for today... Katrina and I hit the Goodwill this morning. I had forgotten to pack her a jacket and the evening temperatures here are going to be a bit cool (plus, it is the windy city and we had some wind today). While at the Goodwill, I also found each of us a patriotic shirt to wear for tomorrow! I couldn't believe I was able to find one for each of us the day before the Fourth of July.

We left for Chicago around 12. I volunteered to drive in...whatever was I thinking? But our Garmin GPS directed us right where we needed to be. There was a bit of traffic of course, but we survived and I didn't cause any accidents:)

Our hotel is something else. The valet ran away with our car (which we are leaving parked for the duration). The bellboy helped get our luggage to our room. The concierge wasn't at her desk when we arrived, so she made a special trip upstairs to our room to introduce herself, give us some tips and give us four complimentary days worth of internet hookup....unfortunately, we had already paid to hook up by the time she came to see us...grrrr....

Continue reading "Chicago....Day 1" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

...and that is what has helped to make hanging out in Illinois so much fun for me. I am hoping some of Daniel's and my love for travel will rub off on them.

Tomorrow we will be leaving for Chicago, apparently along with 2,999,996 other people...oh well, at least there will be plenty of opportunities for 'socialization'!

While there, we will be staying at the Sofitel Water Tower. Daniel found this place through Expedia.com and chose it for location and rating. It looks very posh (I am always worried I will stand out in some way as not posh enough when Daniel picks places like this). We are hoping for a high up room with a great view of the fireworks (which if I have figured right, there will be fireworks Thursday night, Friday night and Saturday night! The kids will be in heaven!

On Friday, the kids and I plan to spend the day at Shedd's Aquarium. Not sure if Daniel will join us as it isn't his thing, but we are very excited about going. And my favorite reptile will be there too! We purchased the Go Chicago Card and we will be using it to go to Shedd's Aquarium.

Continue reading "I Love to Travel..." »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 4:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Well, you may have noticed I didn't blog yesterday...I planned on it, but we got a wild hair and we drove until we got home. We were up in Bloomington at 5 a.m. (6 a.m. Virginia time), we left by 6 a.m. We drove for about 2 1/2 hours, then stopped for breakfast in Indiana. Then we drove for another 3 hours and stopped for lunch in Kentucky. Kentucky is a lovely state and I would love to go back and do some sight seeing there.

We drove for three more hours and stopped for a snack and gasoline...I think we were in West Virginia then. We reached the last mountain we had to cross, only to have to turn back because of a tractor trailer accident on the mountain road. That added about another hour to our trip because of the detour we had to make. So we arrived home at 9 p.m. We were soooo happy...and soooo tired. The cats were a little aloof at first. We let them stay inside last night. They kept waking me up last night wanting me to pet them....

Today we got some groceries and looked at some furniture (we need to replace our two sofas). Now Jack and Katrina have their best buds over. Katrina and Kayley are going to sleep in a tent outside tonight. And my neighbors are visiting and we are watching Rose Red.

The weather is cool and lovely...it's good to be home:)

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

Yesterday was Father's Day. I had asked Daniel if there was anything in particular we could get him this year, but since we have been purchasing several items lately that we have been wanting, he said that we need not get him anything. He said for Father's Day he was going to sleep in, get up and go exercise, then come home and read a book. I thought that sounded like a great idea.

But...the best laid plans of mice and men...Daniel did sleep in and he did go and exercise. He ended up doing some other things besides reading a book. Then he wanted to go out to a local Italian restaurant he had been told about for 'lupper' around 3:30. We found Avanti's and had just finished figuring out what we were going to eat when the electricity went out! Needless to say, you can't cook a lot of food without electricity. We waited for about 20 minutes, but since Daniel wanted to eat relatively early so he could go to bed at an early hour, we had to go. Our waiter suggested we try Alexander's Steakhouse.

We typed the name into the GPS and away we went. Boy were we in for a surprise! In Alexander's Steakhouse the diner gets to choose their steak from a refrigerator and grill it to perfection. There are two grills set up in the restaurant and people were gathered around grilling steak and Texas toast. There were seasonings you could use and you chose the piece of steak you wanted. It was very cool! Daniel was thinking it would be a great experience for one of his coaches meetings.

Daniel received a text message from Charles in Roanoke. Jack and Katrina got him cards. His mother sent him a Father's Day card. And he was told Happy Father's Day by Katrina's best friend, Kaylie and by our neighbors in Virginia who are busy watching our house. Bruce, the oldest, forgot to call yesterday, but did call today. And he has a good reason for his forgetfulness...he gets it honest from his Dad:)

Continue reading "Father's Day Fun and Packing Again" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

As I said in my post yesterday, we wrapped up our St. Louis trip with time at Six Flags St. Louis. I took my camera in, but I only took two pictures. However, there were some interesting things to see there. Check it out....

Continue reading "Six Flags St. Louis" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Yesterday we didn't do much except watch movies in the hotel room and recouperate from our previous two days of adventures. We did try to go swimming at the hotel pool, but unfortunately it was closed. That did not go over well. We did watch three good movies on the Pay Per View Channel though. The Golden Compass, Spiderwick Chronicles and The WaterHorse. Jack liked The Golden Compass best. Katrina and I liked Spiderwick Chronicles the best.

Today we packed up, checked out and spent a few hours at Six Flags St. Louis. It is not a very large park and seems to be heavy on the rollercoaster and dare devil type rides.

We walked around looking for a ride to enjoy.

First we rode the Ferris Wheel, a nice easy ride (though for a son that doesn't like heights, even the Ferris Wheel has its problems). From there we spotted a couple of other interesting looking rides.

The second one we tried was Thunder River. Daniel had his cell phone. I had mine and my camera in a bag. The signs warned that we may get soaked. Daniel was saying...oh, it won't be that bad....

Continue reading "My St. Louis Zoo Pictures and Trip Wrap-Up" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Yesterday we had tickets to take a ride on the Gray Line. We got up, had breakfast and were ready at the busstop where the people at the front desk told us to go by 9:50. We waited and waited and waited. Daniel happened to look up to the front door and there the bus was...turns out that we were suppposed to wait inside the lobby. Oh well, at last we were on our way.

Ann was our driver for the day and she was very knowledgeable, fun and eager to suggest places that were child friendly for us. The first part of the tour was a drive through the downtown historical area along with running commentary on what was what. One of the things I thought most interesting was a water fountain that depicted a woman (the Missouri) and a man (the Missisippi).

And our driver took us to a neat picture spot. So here we are at the beginning of the day looking rather fresh and peppy:

Continue reading "St. Louis Gray Lines Tour" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Here is the first photo I took with my new camera!

Aren't those cute, cute, cute freckles!

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

When I left you yesterday, faithful reader, I was on my way out the door to run some errands.

First stop was the Krispy Kream Donut Shoppe I had been eyeing since our arrival...you know the ones...they have the little sign that when it is lit up means hot donuts being made inside? Well, it was everything my tastebuds had dreamed it would be. Those were some of the best tasting donuts I have ever had. Then we went to the Casual Male to pick up some shorts and a swimsuit for Daniel. But the store was closed and I couldn't see a time card for when they would open.

So we went next door to the Dollar Tree. Father's Day is coming up and that is the best place to buy cards (.50 each). So we bought Father's Day cards and birthday cards for three upcoming birthdays. We wandered around a bit, figuring the Casual Male would be open by 10:00. When we got there, I pulled on the door while also finally seeing the sign which said 11 was the opening time. At the same time the door came open. The shopkeeper invited us to come on in. Boy, was I glad because I had a lot to do. So we made our purchases and then headed towards the library to return books...but first we made a pitstop.

I did something that I rarely ever do, I made a big impulse buy. I think I have mentioned that I have been wanting a new camera for my birthday. Well, my birthday is coming up the end of July (me and Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling will all be having a party together). And I kept thinking about how many need photo possiblities would be coming up between now and then, so I decided to get my birthday present early.

We swung into Best Buy and I picked out a lovely Panasonic Luminix (that I am in love with), a case for it and some memory. The camera was 1/3 off because it was the display model! Katrina pointed out the video camera next to it (which was also 1/3 off). We haven't had a video camera (DVD) in years and I have missed it. So I did something else I never do, I bought something big without consulting Daniel. Usually he is in charge of the photographic equipment, but the price was excellent and I have missed being able to record things like recitals.

Continue reading "From Bloomington to Hotel Lumiere to the St. Louis Zoo...Exciting Times" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Last night two tornados touched down in McLean County with minimal damage. A number of funnel clouds were seen, but that is not why we are packing up today!

We are heading to St. Louis for five days. We leave this afternoon when Daniel gets off work. We are very excited about it. The Zoo, the arch, a city tour and Six Flags are all on our list of things to do. Expect blog posts and pictures:)

Yesterday at about 2, the mother of a friend of Katrina's called and invited us to meet them at O'Neill Park pool. We had tried to get to this park a couple of times, but construction had made it just about impossible. We kept running into dead ends. She gave me directions and we found the pool easily.

There were two slides, two diving boards and the kids liked it okay, but I think they prefer the Holiday park pool better. After Katrina's friend left, we packed up and headed to Holiday Park and ran into a couple of Jack's friends and another one of Katrina's friends there. I also got to talking to a ocuple of different people. I made three new friends yesterday and all were kind, helpful and more than happy to give me advice about things to do.

Continue reading "Packing Up..." »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 9:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Yesterday was a busy weather day here and at our home back in Virginia. We woke up to tornado watches and grey skies. I watched the radar which was showing a line of severe weather headed our way. I took some precautions...I showered, dressed and we each put on our shoes in case we had to head to the shelter. I kept watching the line of storms as they headed towards us. As they hit Bloomington, the reds began to fade into yellows and while we had some rain and thunder, it wasn't bad at all. I felt a little silly about being prepared, but I figure, better to feel a little silly and have nothing happen, than the opposite.

Since the weather was not cooperating for swimming, we decided to go see Prince Caspian. I just want to say the movie was well done and we all really enjoyed it! I wonder which movie they will do next.

Continue reading "Prince Caspian, Tornados and Lightning Shows" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

If you sit on our patio at the apartment, you will find the air is filled with the sounds of happy birds. You will look at the chain link fence about 15 feet away that is periodically dotted with bird feeders that the apartment dwellers have put out. Then you can look through the fence to a lush undergrowth that surrounds Angler's Lake.

This is a protected wildlife area. There are signs around it stating you are not to bother the vegetation. And the birds are very happy here. Water. Plenty of cover for their nests and humans willing to throw some extra food their way.

Yesterday, Katrina and I decided to take a walk around the lake and see what we could see. Why don't you come along with us...

Continue reading "A Walk Around Angler's Lake" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

I was up at 5:15 this morning. What the heck is wrong with me? It is bright here very early and I don't sleep well once the sun comes up. And I didn't sleep well last night which didn't help either. It was one of those nights for restless tossing and turning. Hate that!

So anyway, got up, answered some emails, took a shower, and got the kids up. We left the apartment around 7:30. We wanted to be gone when the maids got here (they arrived at 8:30 last week). We planned to go to McDonald's for breakfast and play in the play place (Katrina picked it out as her choice for our breakfast out). Daniel called when we were there and told me Bloomington had been put under a tornado watch and for me to keep a lookout. He also said, I should try to get my running around done by 11-11:30.

We left McDonald's at 8:30 and drove to State Farm to meet Daniel for a tour. We toured around from about 8:45 to 10:00. The place is huge.

If you go to Google Maps, type in Ireland Grove, Bloomington, IL. You will see the number 28 and to the left of that you will see a body of water. That is the pond next to the State Farm complex. All the buildings to the left of the lake are part of the complex (there is another huge building a couple of miles down the road). Each building is four or five stories tall and several have a floor underground as well. NW, you will see Angler's lake. The apartments we are staying in are south of the lake. And you can zoom in for better views. Google maps is cool.

Continue reading "Tornados, State Farm, and Errands" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Yesterday was a hodgepodge of activity. I started out the day by watching Mary, Queen of the Scots. I have been enjoying watching a variety of movies about that time period in English history. The movie had lovely costumes and was well done. After that, the kids and I piddled around for awhile and they took care of their piano/typing practice and did their math. We went up to the Dollar Store and picked up goggles and pool toys.

Word of Advice...the goggles at the Dollar Tree are not worth the 1.00 that the Dollar Tree charges for them. I get lots of great stuff there, but the goggles were not great!

Then we headed to the pool for the afternoon. There's nothing better than getting into an 85 degree pool...until you step out into the 74 degree busy day! Something I thought really cool was the music they were playing at the pool. They were playing country music. People here are laid back, don't seem to be in a hurry, and are very friendly.

Still, we enjoyed our time at the pool and ran into our new friends from the previous day. We found out that it was going to storm on Friday. (BTW, I started this post early this morning, but things got in the way, so here it is 7:16 pm CST and I am finishing that post). Did I mention the pool is only a mile from our apartment? I soooo love that! I have to drive a mile to get to the hard surfaced road!

Continue reading "I Could Get Used to This" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 6:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Yesterday afternoon, we decided that it was time to explore some of the parks in the area. According to the Bloomington Parks and Recreation guide, there are over 40 parks! And that doesn't count those in Normal. We chose four parks to visit. Two because of their pools, one because of the fact that it has a zoo and one because it has a walking trail.

First we visited the one nearest (less than a mile). Holiday Park has a lovely pool, a very nice playground area and backs up to a lake where you can fish. Illinois has a state law that if the air temperature is below 70, public pools cannot be opened. At the time we stopped by, it was only 65. The water however was 85. We found that we could join the pool, which would give us swimming priviledges at both pools in Bloomington, for 90.00. To go one time would cost 10.00. Even if we only stay a month, I imagine we will go at least 2-3 times a week, so it was cheaper to go ahead and join up.

Next we visited Miller Park. Miller Park has a zoo. There is a lake nearby with paddle boats. And they are in the process of rebuilding a minature golf course and spray park and they have a huge new playground they are putting in. While there, we tested the older playground equipment.

Continue reading "Park Exploration" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 8:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

No, I am not referring to the group, Rolling Thunder, whose major function is educating Americans about MIA-POW issues. This group is also dedicated to helping all American war veterans. I am thankful that this group exists though.

And I am not referring to Garth Brooks' song Thunder Rolls.

But, I did think of Garth Brooks' song last night when I was awakened at 3 a.m. by the flash of lightning and the roar of thunder. I have always liked that song, but never understood how long thunder can roll until last night. At home, in our hilly world, thunder will rumble sometimes for 20 seconds. But last night, the roar of thunder lasted for a minute, I bet. I was pretty sleepy, so I wasn't actually counting. My hypothesis is because the land is flat here that the sound can travel longer without bumping into stuff and diminishing.

I admit to being a tad spooked. While I am not sitting around dwelling on it, the signs for tornado shelters abound here in Bloomington, and one cannot help but be aware.

Posted by Melissa Markham at 1:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Today we got up, ready for our first sight-seeing adventure. First order of the day was breakfast. At home, we don't go out for breakfast very often because it just isn't practical. But with a Starbucks and a Panera Bread within a block of the apartment...a special Sunday breakfast was in order. Katrina and I went out to fetch our 'gourmet' breakfast and on the way saw the local residents out walking their children!

I wish I had a better camera so I could have zoomed in better. Maybe for my birthday in July...Anyway, we were very tickled to see the cute goslings and their parents.

Continue reading "Visit To Abraham Lincoln Museum" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 7:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

We were up early this morning because we all went to bed early last night. I was dreading the fact that Daniel goes to bed so early (like 8 pm), but it hasn't been bad. We go to bed between 9 and 10 and then we are ready to wake up about the time he is heading out to work (around 6:30). Today it was raining, raining, raining and thundering. Jack is a bit concerned about the tornado potential here and when it was thundering this morning he looked a bit wide-eyed.

We got up, ate, got dressed and then were playing UNO while waiting for the maids to arrive. They arrived about 8:30, so we headed to the office. I found out last night that our garbage disposal unit doesn't work and we are having trouble with Jack and Katrina's beds rolling across the wood floor (the twin beds are on wheels. I am concerned about scratching the floor, plus the beds keep rolling in to the wall and thumping (not very quiet) when the kids move around in them. And I wanted to see if they would provide us with a DVD for the kid's room (we rented the apartment furnished.) I also needed to pick up a letter from them saying we lived here so that we could get a library card.

Well, got to the office and it was 8:32. The office doesn't open until 9. I decided to go on and go to the library. Of course part way there, I remembered I didn't have the letter I needed.... but I went on to make sure I could find the library. Of course, it didn't open until 9:00 either! (This getting up at the crack of dawn has its disadvantages).

Continue reading "Day 3 Bloomington Trip (apartment photos)" »

Posted by Melissa Markham at 6:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Well, I didn't sleep as well as I would have liked last night, but you know how it is when you get to a strange place...getting used to it takes some time.

This morning, the sunny skies woke me up(well, the second time. The first time, Daniel woke me up, but the sun wasn't up then), then Jack. I can't get how Katrina can sleep in front of a window with the sun streaming in. I have to have a dark room to sleep through that.

I did some more straightening up and finished up my shopping list and my 'complaint list for the office'. They had only given us one set of extra sheets for the kids room, but we needed two. Also, the phone in the MBR didn't work and the cable wasn't plugged up to the kid's tv. We took our lists and hit the road.

First we stopped by the office, filled out a work order and got the 25 cent tour. We oohed and ahhed at the pool and hot tub. We admired the pool table and checked out the exercise room. Then we headed off to breakfast at Denny's before tackling Walmart. Not only did we need groceries, but there were several housekeeping items we needed as well. I didn't think we would ever get away from Walmart...ever! We came home, put stuff away, had lunch and watched Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade. We are all looking forward to seeing the new Indiana Jones movie this weekend.