Janet's Blog

For several years, as I walked near Scotts Bluff National Monument, I couldn't help but notice a golden, globe-shaped shrub that burst into glorious bloom every September. I wasn't familiar with it, since it doesn't grow in eastern Nebraska, where I grew up, but it lines the fence along the path I walk, and grabs my attention every year about this time. So, last year, I took its picture and let my phone's plant-identifying app put a name to it. Each oddly-named Rubber Rabbitbrush shrub is normally two to six feet tall and two to four feet across. I learned that it grows best in the dry, wide open spaces of the western United States, pollinating and blooming in late summer and early fall. Since Rabbitbrush pollen is a common trigger for allergy sufferers, it might be part of the reason for my fall allergies. Rubber Rabbitbrush is fast growing, reaching maturity in less than four years, and having a 20 year lifespan. It thrives in full sun, tolerates perpetual wind, and i...

Last Wednesday, Meagan and I took her kids camping at Lake Minatare, a few miles northeast of Scottsbluff. We like to go for a couple of days in the middle of week, when most campsites are empty. Neither Bill nor Andy are great fans of camping overnight, so they don't mind staying home to work while we are gone.  The day will come when we can no longer fit everyone in the RV, but we have all slept there comfortably this summer.  Meagan is very conscientious about home-schooling the kids every day, even at the lake, and the kids were motivated to finish their schoolwork quickly, leaving them plenty of time to hike, swim, explore, and build sand castles. (They were especially pleased when Grandpa Stan and Grandma Deb brought their boat out the first evening, so the kids could go tubing, but that's another story.) The first morning at the lake, everyone enjoyed building sand castles. The younger kids worked on this big castle with Meagan, while Tobin designed a whole village of s...

I love thunder and lightning, puddles, and rainbows. I love the smell of rain, and the beauty of the thunderheads as they overtake the entire sky. The last few years have brought an abundance of rain to the Nebraska Panhandle, but this summer is different. This year, our last significant rain was more than two months ago. Since the beginning of June, we've seen some promising clouds, heard a little rumbling thunder, and experienced some devastating hail, but we've only felt a few sprinkles. Just this week, I saw these unwelcome words in print: severe drought . Ugh! So, this summer, we've had to celebrate the wonders of water in other ways, and in other places.  Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; it is the LORD who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.  Zechariah 10:1 We set up our pool early this year, before Memorial Day. Pool accessories have been hard to find this summer, so we've made do with a pa...

There is nothing quite like a tree. I love the sight and smells of all flowering trees, but especially the pink crabapple trees that bloom so beautifully most springs--except, sadly, not for this year's too-cold spring. The majestic oak trees, with their acorns, have always fascinated me, and the vibrant, orange, sugar maples in Michigan are without comparison in the fall. But here in Nebraska, nothing can compare to our state tree, the mighty Cottonwood. One of many Cottonwoods at Scottsbluff's Riverside Park. I'm not talking about the newer, cottonless, ornamental trees, erroneously called Cottonwoods in spite of their relatively wimpy appearance and inherent lack of cotton. The trees I love the most are decades old, or even a century or more in age, stretching their branches heavenward, with trunks that can only be encircled by several people clasping hands around a tree.  Shimmering leaves. The shade of a magnificent Cottonwood provides a refreshingly cool sanctuary on ...

It was a beautiful March day, that last Saturday before Daylight Savings Time lengthened our days--70 degrees, sunny, and amazingly, there was no wind. When I was hiking the Monument the day before, I thought to myself that I needed to text Meagan to bring the kids up for a hike soon, but she beat me to it.  It doesn't bother me to hike the same place two days in a row, especially when the weather is so gorgeous, and the company so stimulating, so we made plans to set off around 3:00 on Saturday, right after Ari's nap. I had estimated that the hike, a little more than three miles from the bottom of Scotts Bluff, all the way to the top, and back down again, would take about an hour. If I had doubled the time, my guess would have been closer. I had forgotten to include the short-legs factor, as well as the curiosity and snack factors. Oh, well--it was a wonderful afternoon to spend outside with Meagan and the grandkids. And we're off!  The girls ran ahead before si...