Just wow. It is Sunday afternoon and the weather is perfect. Not easy to say in a week that has seen several inches of snow, a freeze, rain and of course the virus! I have a fairly large back yard and I have chairs under the garage porch facing the back yard. It is very peaceful to sit there and just watch the world go by. Today I have blue jays, cardinals, sparrows, gold finches, wrens, doves, some black birds and one middle sized brown bird with a great voice. I also have several squirrels which are entertaining to watch. Once in a while I have a kitty go on “point” but that is all they do. Too much energy would be expended to actually chase something besides the food bowl.
The area suffered two losses this week. Ray Danielson passed way on Sunday. He was a car enthusiast and when we were cleaning up Bob Ruggles estate, he bought a car which Bob had owned. He was married to Jean Douglas who has also passed.
Evelyn Diseron passed away on Thursday. She was the mother of Ernie Diseron who lives in Plymouth. Ernie and Deanna run Pop A Tops.
Our sympathy to both families. I know it must be additionally difficult to not have a funeral so one can at least say good bye and have some closure. So sorry.
How can one live in a town the size of Plymouth and not know that a home has burned until reading it in the paper. Guess I really am on lock down. Since I am not at the store, see few people during the week. So sorry for the family who lost their home.
Congratulations to Jacy Castlebury who won a scholarship from the Feed and Grain Association of Illinois. Each winner is paired with an elevator and works there several days each semester. Jacy is the daughter of Dennis Castlebury of Plymouth.
Got a call from a customer who wanted two pieces of furniture. I cleaned them up and delivered them to her home. That way she did not have to get out and we did not have to get closer than six feet. Was very thankful for a sale. Thank You.
While I was in Augusta delivering the furniture, I ran out to Weinberg King State Park. It is closed. I am not sure that I agree with the closure. If it was a crowded beach, or if there were hundreds of visitors, then I would agree. But a local park, with little traffic, would seem like an opportunity for someone to get out of the house and perhaps catch a fish for supper. It is so difficult to know what is the right thing to do. We certainly do not need to take foolish risks with nearly 40,000 people already passed from the virus.
Tom Ohnemus came on Saturday and laid out the position for my solar panels. He plans to get started on them this week. While riding my bicycle I found that there are at least two panels already in operation in the north east part of Plymouth. I am so glad to see renewable energy being generated in our corner of the world. If our earth is to continue to support life, we must be more kind to it.
I have two books which are new to me on Camp Ellis. One is about the people who built it and about the soldiers who were trained there. I have not gotten it all read as yet. The second book is written by the son of the man who was sent to close the camp. It is very interesting because he tells of the buildings which are still furnished with equipment laid out etc. even though the Camp has been largely unused for two years when they get there. I have ordered multiple copies of each and when I get them read and know more about them, I will have them for sale. For sure the gym at the Plymouth school is from Camp Ellis as there is a photo in one of the books of the building at Camp Ellis. Took a photo of our gym and compared the photos and it is the same building. One of the books mentions that there were four gymnasiums at Camp Ellis.
Have a good week. Stay safe and think of others as well as yourself.