Loki Poki

I went back to review what I had written last year about the newest edition to our family.  NOTHING??  In my defense, between him, and that demon cat, The Magnificent Mo, I have had a lot on my plate. 

So a year ago last June, this happened:

Loki Poki at 10 weeks. He is a German Shepard/Great Pyrenees mix, the same breed as his new big brother, Jacob Barker.

Who are you??

Loki weighed in at 13 pounds during his first vet check, and he has always been a very healthy, happy boy.  This past year has been exhausting for me, but as time goes by it gets easier and easier.  He is completely border trained, so like Jake, when we are home and outside they just go everywhere with us.  Loki is a very smart boy, and only has to be corrected about something once or twice before he gets it.  When we are gone they stay outside. Jake goes on his run, and Loki hangs out in a large kenneled area.  He has a lot of things to keep him busy in there so he doesn't annoy the neighborhood too much.  He is nothing if not persistent if he wants, or doesn't want something.

It's hard to believe that more than a year has gone by.  The boys had their vet check today, and both are healthy dogs!  Loki is about to graduate to adult dog food, finally.  With large breeds they keep them on puppy food longer.  Jake is a very slim lined 81 pounds, and Loki is a very stocky 84 pounds!  Plus, he isn't done growing yet.  Dr. Becky is very happy with their weight.  Right where they belong.

We see you haz toast........

Jake has never been one for car rides, but he hopped right up into the passenger seat of the Nissan Titan this morning, and Loki (with some coaxing) settled in to the back seat with me.  The boys are home bodies, and that's the first place we've gone together in a year!  I think we'll try a few more outings in the near future, now that we have a vehicle big enough for all of us to be comfy.

Cruisin' with Papa

The Season of The Bear

Living out in the country is a constant battle.  Whether it's the weather, the shoveling, the mowing, or the gardening.  The flooding, detours from said flooding or road construction, or it's squirrels taking the seed and destroying feeders, deer, coyote, and on and on.  It's a never ending struggle with one thing or another.  Each season has it's own unique beauty, and it's own challenges.

Original feeder

We also have The Bear.  Every year near the first of June we have a visitor in the night.  The bird feeder gets raided, the garbage goes over, and thus begins the Season of The Bear.  For the last two years it was a Mom and her three cubs.  The first year she very politely ate the seed and left the feeder, but I forgot it out one night and she absconded with it.  The Brown Eyed Man thought he would come across it somewhere on the property when he mowed, but we never saw it again.  I loved that feeder. The next year she banged up the new feeder, but left it here, and I remembered to bring it in at night after that first time.

"Squirrel proof" feeder

This year I have a new feeder, similar to the first one.  The second one just couldn't stand up to squirrel abuse, which ironically was what it was supposed to do.  I really should just start bringing the feeder inside near the end of May, but after the long, harsh winter my first thought is not that it's almost The Season of the Bear.  I'm more concerned with what I'm growing, and how much work has to be put in to get it done.

The Season of the Bear arrived On the 30th of May, and this bear, a male we're guessing, took down the feeder.  I knew it wasn't the regular Mama, because she isn't so destructive.  The entire feeder was taken apart, and I never did find one of the perches.

Most recent casualty

 Duck tape and a piece of aluminum from a can did the trick, and we're back up and feeding.  The garbage will be staying in the house.  This bear actually also destroyed the suet feeder a few nights later, and has tried to get at the hummingbird feeder.  I guess I'll stop suet feeding until this season passes.  We checked the camera, and it's a lone small bear.  Probably one of the cubs that Mama taught to look for food here.  They always bend the hook, and I bend it back.  It's a crazy looking hook, but it still works.  Note that I've also moved the hook out of the garden, so the bear stop stomping on things!

Good as new.......almost.

The other change that has to be made during The Season of The Bear is the garbage situation.  We do a fair amount of burning, and recycling, so there just isn't that much food garbage that goes out.  In the winter I can go several weeks without bringing the can down the driveway.  In the Season of the Bear the garbage must remain in the house, so the garbage goes down the driveway every week.  Now that I'm writing this I am realizing the can is still at the road.  Oh well, that can wait til morning, where I will probably find it in the ditch and have to climb down to get it.  *sigh*    The Brown Eyed Man is snoring, and I just put on my jams.  The dogs have their good night treat, and that is that for this beautiful country day!

So begins The Season of the Bear, and it lasts about six weeks.  Every time I think it's time to keep the feeder out again, that they must be gone, I've been wrong.  So this time when I feel that, I'm going to wait two more weeks.........and hope we've moved on to the Dog Days of Summer.

Up in Smoke (a long story)

Thursday April 26, 2018  will be a day that lives in the citizens of Superior Wisconsin's memory forever.  It was the day that it finally happened.  All my life I have heard people saying, "If the refinery blows, Superior will go with it."  Well, it did, or part of it anyway, and we aren't.  Not a one of us.  How the people working near that blast were not killed, is a mystery and a miracle.

The Husky (formerly Calumet, formerly Murphy Oil) refinery is basically situated right smack in the middle of this spread out city.  I don't know who thought that was a great idea back in the day, or if the city just grew around it.  Possibly because of the rail system?  It has been here longer than I have.

I don't know the word for a "perfect" disaster, but that's what it was.  No one was killed, although several folks were injured, none life threatening.  Emergency response was well trained for this, and right on the scene.  People thought this fire would burn for days (it was an asphalt tank) and a special team from Texas was summoned, but our Superior fire fighters, ( I am assuming other local departments were there too.) along with the Husky EMT were able to quell the blaze around 6 pm last night, and then when another broke out around 9:30 they were able to contain it quickly.  Several local police departments sent officers to assist our Superior Police Department in handling the evacuation of most of the city, and being smack dab in the middle of it, I can tell you that most people really did evacuate in an orderly manner.  

There are so many stories floating around about acts of kindness, it is amazing.  When push comes to shove, we are truly SUPERIOR people.  

This was my day.

The daycare where I am employed as a Preschool teacher is located less than a mile from the refinery.  At roughly 10 o'clock my assistant Nikki had to go across the hall to cover while the director helped a parent.  She was only gone a few minutes when the lights flicked off and on several times.  Of course the kids were wonky about it, and I was like....... hey, sometimes it happens.  We're fine.  (They are 3 and 4.)  It's a split level building, and being in the basement I didn't feel anything.  With the roar of preschool, I didn't hear anything either.  That was not the case upstairs, and the one year old class was outside on the playground.  The building shook, and they heard the boom.  The one year old teachers had a front row seat.

Nikki came back across the hall a few minutes later and told me I had to go look at what was going on at the refinery.  I shrugged, and walked over.  The kids were all standing on chairs, looking out the lower level windows at the huge black cloud billowing up from the refinery and the fire.  I'm not sure how I didn't swear, or panic in front of them.  All I could hear was my Dad in my head.  "If that thing blows, we're all going with it.  There wont be anything to worry about."  I just said something to the kids like, "Wow, that's sure a big fire!" as they were excitedly telling me how they saw it blow up. (They are 4 and 5.) I was nonchalant about it, but looks were exchanged over their heads with the director.  

I have been through this before.  A benzene spill back in 1992 (maybe 93), and a bomb threat in the early 2000's.  I worked for the Y during both of those.  The second incident happened at nap time, and because the children were sleeping we had some with shoes, some with one shoe, some with none.  We did manage to grab jackets.  That day I just ran down the cubby hall and grabbed everything as I went.  We had to wait outside ( a chilly spring day) for 45 minutes until a DTA bus took us to the Y where we had parents pick up the kids.  It has made me a little obsessed about shoes.  After the Oklahoma City bombing, no one was fooling around looking for things.  You just get out.

I went back to my class, had them go potty and put their shoes on for outside time, like I always do, knowing full well we weren't going out there.  I needed them to be ready for whatever happened next.  A little while later they were wondering why we weren't going outside.  I just explained that there was a fire down the road, and we didn't want to smell the bad smoke.  We were safe, but nobody wants to smell icky smoke.  That was all they needed, and they went back to playing. Nikki and I both just sat down with them and watched them play.  Periodically someone would come through with news, but it was all conflicting.  

The schools sent out word to parents that they were remaining in place for the time being as the situation was under control.  My break came at 11:25, and I left to run my errands with a firm "If things go bad you text me and I will be RIGHT back here."  I made contact with all of my siblings on break.  My brother Jerry works closer to the refinery than I do by about four blocks.  My sister lives right behind the daycare, and my brother David's family is close by too.  All of my younger nieces are at the Middle School, which is close also, as is the High School where Paul was.  David's wife Elise already had both the girls out of school with her, so I didn't have to worry about grabbing them if the need arose.  

I went to the library to return books, and I went to the dollar store to pick up some things for my classroom (God bless the dollar store).  Everywhere I went I could see the smoke.  This is from the intersection right in front of the Middle School.  The smoke was dying down and things really did seem under control.

While finishing up at the dollar store it almost appeared back to normal.  Breathing a sign of relief, I grabbed a chicken slider at Arby's and an iced tea and zipped back to work.  I pulled into my spot and took a minute to check facebook, where I marked in as "safe".  Got out of my car and that is when the second explosion took place.  Pic below is from my brother Jerry, who, as I stated before, works just a few blocks from the refinery.

I ran into the building and up to the office to let them know what happened.  They weren't in there, but in classrooms, and were totally unaware because the window covers were on for nap time.   I then ran down to my class, who were mostly asleep, and very calmly, firmly said, "Ladies, please put their shoes by their nap mats, there has been another explosion."  Christy and Nikki were awesome.  No questions, no freaking out, they just quickly got it done while I clocked back in and put my things away.  Our owner, who is in the cities, and was trying to assess the situation from there, decided right after that we were to close, it was before the schools did, so our parents had a little bit of a jump on the traffic.

The next hour was spent quickly packing up kids into worried parents arms so they could head to safety.  We let them sleep (if they were sleeping) until someone arrived to get them.  They were confused, and again, I explained it was the bad smoke.  We were all going home because no one wants to smell icky smoke.  Lots of smiles, and see you tomorrow, as they were whisked out the door.  I'm sure I will have lots of stories on Monday. (We are closed today, as are all the schools.)

At 1:45 I was free to go, so then I could consider my family, and myself.  I already made contact with my sister.  She and her hubby, and the two dogs were picking up Cece and heading toward our house.  I spoke to Jerry, who was on his way home, and he let me know that his wife Jenny had picked up Paul and they were home.  Elise, Dave and the crew were all up at the Duluth Mall, making plans to get safe for the night with Anthony's family.  (Ashlyn's boyfriend )All kids and siblings accounted for.  Leon works in Duluth and I text him I was leaving, I knew he was safe.  I walked outside and just stood and stared.  At this.  It was much more intimidating than the picture, I assure you. 

The quickest way out was to turn left and drive toward the smoke. (my usual route is to drive right by the refinery) and then turn onto 28th street.  It was still open.  I didn't want to get stuck in the school traffic, so I turned right instead.  I also really wanted to stay away from the refinery. That choice turned into a half hour adventure of gridlock, but people were patient and sane.  Leon was concerned that I not drive through the smoke.  I was like dude........ I have been here all day. If there are bad things in the smoke, it's a little late to worry about it now.  The smoke at that time, and all day in fact, blew south, away from the center, away from most of the schools.  I can't imagine how awful it would have been if that hadn't been the case.

While I was on my lunch break my youngest niece text me to see if I was alright.  She also called me while I was in the traffic jam, just to make sure.  Love that girl. ♥

When I finally arrived home Kate, Tom, Cece, and their dogs Keeper and Princess were there to greet me.  I had left Jake in the house because it was supposed to rain. (didn't)  He was excited to get out and see what the heck was going on!  Because of the south wind the evacuation area ended just a few miles from our house.  Here are a few pics from about 3pm from my front yard looking toward Superior.  I live 25 minutes away from the refinery.

People thought the fire would burn for days, but at about 6pm they had it out.  There was talk about lifting the ban around 9pm.  That didn't happen.  Another fire popped up, which they quickly contained, and the ban was lifted this morning at 6am.  My sister and her clan left around 7:30 am, but we were all up at 4:30am.  Her husband is a railroad engineer, and of course he got the call, and HAD to get to a train.  Kate drove him in and I got up to sit out in the living room with Cece.  She has a safe sleep "tent" that worked awesome!  She has down syndrome and this is the first time she has actually slept when she was away from home.  Usually she just wanders. Keeper was upset so I took him out in the rain to go potty.  We finally settled down and then Princess jumped onto Cece's tent and plopped right down to lay on her.  I jumped off the couch and pulled her off, and she tried it again, so I put her in the kids room and shut the door.  (what the hell?)  Then Keeper started in again, and Jake was joining him from the bedroom.  Leon came out and put Jake out to go potty at some point, and then I tossed Keeper outside on the tether at some point.  We settled again, but Mo started flinging himself against the big bathroom door where I tucked them for the night.  I let the cats out since the other dogs were away.  During all this Cece would stir, and she did wake up for a minute after Princess jumped on her.  I opened the tent to make sure she was OK.  It has mesh on the sides, but I wanted to check for scratches.  She was fine.  

Kate got back at at about 5:45, just as Leon's alarm was going off for work.  Cece also woke up for good.  So Leon got ready for his day, and Cece got ready for hers.  I made coffee and some breakfast, then helped pack them up and get them all stowed away into the vehicle.  They are now home safe and sound, and Cece had her first sleepover at Auntie's house.  

I'm a little shell shocked, and a whole lot grateful today.  There's a news conference in a few minutes that I will catch, then I need to put this away and get back to living.  There is a nap to take, and then groceries to get.  Life goes on.  ♥

Henry the Eighth

Today as I was wandering up and around the family tree I landed on a Great Uncle who lost his head to Henry the Eighth.  My reaction?  "He was probably a jerk." It seems that if I come across a well known male in my tree, that it the case, and it was.  My 15x Great Uncle, Sir Richard Empson, served King Henry the Seventh. He carried out his financial policies, basically making him a tax collector.  He did well for himself, and for the King, but he was very unpopular with the other Nobles. 

When King Henry the Eighth took over things, one of his first acts was to charge Richard with "Constructive Treason", and send him to be beheaded.  Well.......ok.

What most of you don't know about me is that I was obsessed with Henry the 8th.  I've read numerous books about his wives, anything I could get my hands on.  I love the series. "The Tudors".  I wrote this blog several years ago:

http://queenie930.blogspot.com/2010/11/headless.html


In it, I wonder why I relate to his wife Katherine Parr so much.

Well, when I read about Henry lopping off my cousins head I wondered if I could connect myself to any of his wives?  I can, and it's Katherine.  She is my  3rd cousin, 13 times removed.  Of all the special connections I have found, this touches me the most. 

I had a situation the other day, and I sought to diffuse it with silence.  Suddenly I straightened my spine and in my head I told myself, "Enough! You are descended from Kings!" and I said my piece, which did more good than being quiet would have.  This journey is amazing, and I feel like it's helping center me back to who I am. 

Royalty

I was reading my last post about how much you can do online with genealogy these days.  I wrote that two months ago, and had a few folks in the 1700's.  I had a good laugh, because of what I'm about to post.

HOW WE ARE RELATED TO ROLO OF NORMANDY

Rollo of Normandy (836-932)

William Longsword Second Duke of Normandy (893-942)

Richard the first, Duke of Normandy (933-996)

Richard the second, Duke of Normandy (953-1027)

King Robert of Normandy (999-1035)

KingWilliam 1 The Conqueror Beauclaire (1028-1087)

King Henry the 1^st Beauclaire

Emperess Matilda Beauclaire(1102-1167) m.Geoffroi V Plantagenet Count of Anjou

Henry the Second Plantagenet (1133-1189)

King John the First Plantagenet (1166-1215)

King Henry the third Plantagenet (1207-1272)

King Edward the first Plantagenet(1239-1307)

Princess Elizabeth Plantagenet (1282-1316) m. Humphre deBohun Earl of Hereford

Eleanor de Bohun m. James Butler Earl of Ormond

Pernel Butler m. Gilbert the third Lord of Talbot

Richard the 4^th Lord of Talbot m. Ankaret le Strange Baroness of Blackmere 1361-1413

Mary Talbot m. Sir Thomas Greene

Sir Thomas Greene

Elizabeth Greene m. William Raleigh Esquire

Sir Edward Raleigh

Edward Raleigh Esquire

Bridget Raleigh (1506-1558) m. Sir John Cope (1504-1558)
Elizabeth Cope (1529-1584) m. John Dryden (1525-1584)

Bridget Dryden (1563-1645) M. Rev. Francis Marbury (1555-1611)

Anne Marbury (1591-1643) m William Hutchinson (1586-1641)

Anne Hutchinson (1626-1643) m. Rev. William Collins (1612-1705)

William Collins (1642-1716)

Martha Collins (1688-1769) m. Joseph Curtis (1691-1756)

Joshua Curtis (1731-1814)

Ethan Curtis (1753-1815)

Ethan Curtis (1783-1833)

Lucy Elizabeth Curtis (1829-1908) m. Harmon Lee Tuttle (1814-1871)

Cordelia Ann Tuttle (1859-1919) m. William Wagner (1866-1220)

Ruth Mary Wagner ( 1897-1991) m. Joseph Lenihan (1894-1962)

Ruthmarie Lenihan (1937-2004)

Joan Marie Meys (1969- )

Now, a brief question and answer period.....

Yes, if you watch the TV show  Vikings   it's THAT Rollo.  He was a Viking who became the first ruler of Normandy. (France)

Yep, that's William the Conqueror.

King John the 1st is that very king from the Disney animated movie, Robin Hood.  *sucks his thumb* Mooommmmmyyyyy!

I am a proud Plantagenet.

I really enjoy Ankaret le Strange, Baroness of Blackmere.   Look at that, the Harry Potter names are not totally made up.  Belatrix le Strange of The Black.

We are connected to the royal family.  Ankaret is my Great Grandma(18x), and she is also Charles (15x) and Di's.(16x)

Anne Marbury is a force that will get her own blog!

Finding Anne Marbury unearthed a relationship between us and the President's Bush, Garfield, and FDR.  They are all in her siblings direct lines.  We are in hers.  Posers. She is my 9x Great Grandmother.  She is W's 9x Great Aunt. Mitt Romney also ties in to one of her siblings.

Anne Hutchinson made me cry, more than once.

I wish my Grandma and my Mom were here to see this!

My sister wasn't surprised to find out that we (OK, she said ME) come from royalty.  I don't know what she's talking about.......  It sort of does explain why I've always felt like I'm in the wrong life, and why I'm always looking for my servants. ;)  I had a dream once that I found them.  It was so vivid, I could repeat it exactly, down to what I was wearing.  I was so angry when I woke up.........

So this is one direction that the Curtis line on my Mother's side has lead me down.  This also connects to French Kings.  I just haven't done all the branches yet.   It is so interesting, and so much fun!  It's like all of these little mysteries, and because of the Internet I can separate fact from fiction fairly quickly.