Rick's Place and Mammoth Moths

Rick's Place____The temps dropped down a few degrees yesterday for my trip to northeastern Indiana. I headed north and west 65 miles to my buddy Rick's place north of Fort Wayne. Rick and I have known each other since high school in Celina...we worked as Carry Out guys at Marsh Supermarket in Celina, back in the mid 60s. Got Drunk together for our first times(I think I was 17 and he might have been 16), both were Military Police during the Vietnam war, Rick in the Army, me in the Air Force...I went to Vietnam, he lucked out and got stationed in Belgium. In 1976 he was my best man when I married Patricia in Wisconsin, I returned the favor when he married his wife Toni in the early 1980s. We now get together every New Year for Football Bowl Games, in the late Spring in Michigan to Mushroom hunt, and see each other a few other times during the year.

Rick and Toni live in the country not far from Fort Wayne...they have lived in the open spaces since their marriage...a few years ago they purchased 17 acres a few miles from their home in northeast Indiana...with the kids moving out, they had planned on building on the property...in the meantime, Rick had a 2 acre pond dug, stocked with pan fish and Bass, planted in quality trees, and built a 3 car garage and workshop....they rented out the remaining 10 acres to have farmed. I had been out to the property on several occasions, smoked some cigars in the garage and walked around the pond. It is a nice peaceful place.

Tomorrow has come___

Out of the blue they have an offer on their home, and if all goes well with the sale, they will be building their dream house starting soon....by New Year 2011 we should be enjoying our Bowl watching at his new place.

Yesterday Rick and I headed out to the pond for a few hours, BSing, smoking some of my new Cigars, and walking the property viewing what will be down the road a few months. It was a relaxing day.

After the visit I headed for Van Wert where I took in a Football Rules meeting, just one more to go, as the high school football season approaches the half way point. I feel a cold coming on, which sucks, since I have a boat load of games coming up: Tonight a Junior High double header at the Wife's school at St. Henry, tomorrow a Varsity contest at Minster, JV game at Convoy on Saturday Morning, and a double header with Sam in the Celina Rec League Sunday...Monday I finish up a long stretch with a Freshman game here in Celina as they take on arch rival St. Marys. Then I get a few days off before going back at if for the seasons second half.

Giant Moths___

In my photo of the day, I put up a shot of one of the Mammoth Moths that frequent my back yard on occasion, usually during the late spring or early summer...sometimes I am lucky enough to get them to stick around for a photo shoot, or even to handle them before they lumber off to do whatever large fliers like these do. My English Island Blogging friend Shrinky:

http://shrinky1.blogspot.com/

Commented on the moth photo, so I have decided to post some of the large buggers from the past years, that we have found hanging around the yard and fence.

Bigger than my fairly large hands...I enjoy these guys when they visit, although they don't do it often enough.

Busy football work coming up, back later>>>>

Photos-The moths that frequent the yard in the past are usually referred to as Cecropia....large members of the Polyphemus Family, although no expert am I. And Rick's property with the long winding drive along a long ago abandoned railroad right of way. Looking acorss the 2 acre pond at his workshop and garage, and the water lilly plants that his daughter set in the pond.