Happy February

Here I am at Fort Totten pouring cement for some of their new houses near Devils Lake.  The dots on the drum are so you can tell if it is going around.  This would have been in 1973 and I was earning a whopping $2.00 an hour.  I almost did not drive that summer as the owner stalled at raising my pay from $1.90 to $2.00.  In early May I was actually out the door and almost in the car and he came to get me to say I would get the raise.
I posted this picture because it reminded me of Gail's funeral.  How you say???   Well as we were finished with the prayers at the cemetery and they started to lower the casket into the ground Henry and Liam were right there and Liam was so close someone came and got him back a bit.  John and Travis watching here reminded me of that.  Kids are so curious and always want to see, hear and learn.  It is amazing how we, as a society, seem to often do a good job of stifling that natural curiosity
When Travis and I went to Devils Lake last fall Lake Ready Mix had just stopped doing cement work and was full time into ATV now.  Joe Kraft, one of the owners was still there.
I was able to get several boxes out to the recycle this morning.  I swear that as I go through some of those things I should not but I feel badly.  Gail had so many plans, so many projects and she saved so many things for those that I feel I am throwing a bit of Gail out as I do this but I just know I will NEVER use much of those things so they do need to go.  There was a big box labeled "little boxes" and it was almost full!!  What is a guy to do??
Cynthia is in Milwaukee for the funeral of one of her girl friend's dad.  He got sick in October and passed away last week. 
I went to Mike's and John's soccer game last night to watch Faustina.  It was the first soccer game I have gone to for many many years.  Little Faustina now is not wearing diapers and her little butt is so small that her pants tend to fall down.  So she runs around with plumbers butt much of the time!!