Wind Farm on US Highway 52

Wind Farm on US Highway 52, originally uploaded by Andy Wendt.

A newly constucted wind farm in Benton County, Indiana. Photo taken on Thanksgiving weekend 2008 while traveling north on US 52 toward Fowler.

I did hear some talk at the dinner table (sounds a bit hard to believe though) that said the electricity produced from the farm will be going to California as its cost will be much higher than the local residents of north west Indiana are currently paying. I don't know about that but I know these things are big!

Wow, I just found out there is a Wind Turbine Manufacturing Plant right here in Bulter County, Ohio where I live. Small world.

Toms Maze - October 2008 - Corn

Toms Maze - October 2008 - Corn, originally uploaded by Andy Wendt.

Another shot from our October Cub Scout trip to Toms Maze. With the onset of cold weather and the time change that is brining on shorter days I am already missing the great summer and the early fall when the fields were full of corn and the sun stayed up longer than my 7 year old.

Toms Maze - October Color - Gourds

Toms Maze - October Color - Gourds, originally uploaded by Andy Wendt.

Nathans Cub Scout Pack had an outing this month at Toms Maze in Germanton, Ohio. The eight acre maze took about 30 minutes to complete. I am sure it would have taken a lot longer had it been dark, or if Nate’s mom and I were short. After the maze we went back to a campsite the pack had reserved and had marshmallows, hot dogs and hot chocolate. All cooked on a nice warm campfire. Also worth a mention is the pumpkin gun they fire off ever hour. It’s actually a converted fire truck with what I describe as a 8 inch, 16 foot compressed air cannon mounted on top. The pumpkin gun can fire a medium sized pumpkin about half a mile.

Ohio Wind Storm 2008 - My Front Yard - Middletown

Ohio Wind Storm 2008 - My Front Yard, originally uploaded by Andy Wendt.

The remnants of hurricane Ike hit the Ohio Valley Sunday September 14 at approx 1:30 pm. The gusts in my area, Middletown Ohio, were officially clocked at 69 mph with sustained winds around 40mph. With the storm causing damage in 84 of Ohio’s 88 counties and over 1.5 million without power the Governor declared a state of emergency for the first time since 1978.

Here at my house on Creekivew Drive we were without power from Sunday at 2:00 until Tuesday at 2:00 and I feel very fortunate that things were not worse.

Here at my office, as I type this with the help of a single candlelight and a Honda generator, we are hoping the power will come back before we have to spend another night here fueling the generators every hour.

Yellow Shop in Nashville, Indiana.

Yellow Shop in Nashville, Indiana., originally uploaded by Andy Wendt.

I spent a good part of my trip to Nashville Indian sitting out here. As my wife Nancy and step-daughter Leanna went through the larger shop just out of sight to the left of this shot. So you don't get the wrong idea, I went in the shop, looked at everything in about two minutes and decided to go outside and sit down.

Glad it was such a nice spot because this shop sold some sort of bag full of rocks, and you could take it over to their little trough with running water and "pan" for minerals. This took another 30 minutes but it made the girls very happy, though I still hold to my origional theory that just taking a match to a ten dollar bill would have been just as fun.

New-Stripe-Wall-For-Banana

New-Stripe-Wall-For-Banana, originally uploaded by Andy Wendt.

Leanna standing in front of her newly painted bedroom wall which was our July 4, 2008 weekend project.

It was actually easier than I imagined. We simply gave the entire wall a white base coat, then every six inches we use used a two inch painters tape to frame the larger stripes. Then of course we alternated colors on the large strpes and removed the tape to get the little white stripe.

And..Ok. I was wrong. The white stripes look good and I can tell they are not that other color.

Cincinnati Granite Installer - Photos

Kitchen-Island-By-Tropical-Granite-Works, originally uploaded by Andy Wendt.

Cincinnati Granite Installer August Acosta is scheduled to be up from.. well.. Cincinnati tomorrow, yes on the 4th of July even, to finish our install of the grante countertops in the kicthen. The granite you see in this photo from this morning is called Golden Thunder and for my wife and I it was love at first sight. Love at first sight for the granite that is. Hopefully tomorrow will be the end of this kitchen remodel project and so far we could not be happier with August or Tropical Granite Works of Cincinnati.

Once this amazing Golden Thunder granite is on the rest of the kitchen countertops you can bet I will post some more pictures.

Cincinnati-Gas-And-Electric-Bill-1959

Cincinnati-Gas-And-Electric-Bill-1959, originally uploaded by Andy Wendt.

The good old days are preserved in this 1959 Gas and Electric bill. This bill was lost under our kitchen cabinets for 49 years before it was ever seen again. The last name of the previous home owner was removed though I am uncertain if he is still living.

Memorial Day 2008 - Middletown WW2 Graves

Memorial Day 2008 - Middletown WW2 Graves, originally uploaded by Andy Wendt.

I was very sad when my son Nathan was not interested in going with me to the cemetary this Memorial Day. Nathan, now 6, claimed he was afraid of the cemetary.

My friend Mike Pitts called around 5:00 p.m. and asked if I had been yet. I was glad he called as even I find it sad to go alone.

This picture is of World War Two graves. These were all residents of Middletown who died in the armed services during the war.

This is one of my favorite parts of Woodside Cemetary. There are 8 rows of 20 graves here. Including a sailor who died during the final days of the war on the USS Indianapolis.

Blue Flowers In Bloom

IMG_0727, originally uploaded by Andy Wendt.

It’s nice to see that each spring, despite our total neglect of all things green, that we are still blessed with such pretty sights as these unknown tall blue flowers. This shot is from the front walk at our house on Creekview Drive in Middletown, Ohio in the spring of 2008.

The First Game - Nathan Wendt Spring 2008

Nathan Wendt - First Bat

Nate First Ball Game 006, originally uploaded by Andy Wendt.

Nate at the plate in his first T-Ball game ever. Spring of 2008 on the Maddison School field.

Middletown Ohio - Big Snow March 2008

Middletown Ohio - Big Snow March 2008, originally uploaded by Andy Wendt.

The biggest winter storm of 2008 did not come in until late March. The storm bought with it 24 hours of non stop snow. This picture was taken from my front pourch on Creekview Drive. The two steps below are totally covered with what was by this time about 10 inches of snow with drifts going several feet high.

In 2009 Middletown Ohio had it's first big snow storm in January.
Below you will find two links to photos I took on my drive to work on Jan 27 & 28, 2009.

Pictures from my drive to work in the snow: Middletown, Ohio on January 27, 2009
Pictures from my drive to work in the snow: Middletown, Ohio on January 28, 2009

The dogwood trees in bloom. Late April 2008

The dogwood trees in bloom. Late April 2008, originally uploaded by Andy Wendt.

Mr. Ledford’s dogwood trees blooming on Creekview Drive in Middletown Ohio in late April of 2008. Though there is a dogwood tree in my yard this shot looked a lot better as if you notice there is another dogwood tree in the background. So two pretty trees in one shot!

There is another tree about to bloom in my yard. It’s looking purple so far. I’ll try to figure out what that is and get a picture of that one next.

Dad and Marilyn March 2008

Dad and Marilyn March 2008, originally uploaded by Andy Wendt.

Except for the constant rain on the way back we had a perfect trip. This time, for the first time, my sister Betsy Reeve and her family, as well as my son Natahn, were able to get down and visit Dad and Marilyn at their home in Hardin Kentucky. Thanks again for the great food and weekend, and great timing on the coffee maker. It did a good job this morning and it sure was hot. See you soon!

Nathan Wendt and His Great Grandfathers Guitar

Thanks to my friend Rodrigo Lupi in Brazil for keeping a copy of this video all these years. Without his love for his adopted nephew this clip would have been forever lost.

Hocking Hills May 29 2006

Hocking Hills May 29 06 105, originally uploaded by Andy Wendt.

My wife Nancy and I on a trail in Hocking Hills. May 2006. Another auto / timer shot with the old cannon digital camera. Sure wish it would tell us to slide to the right when we are standing so far off center. lol But I can't blame the camera for putting Nancy in the dead center. Just glad it was not smart enough to zoom in and cut me out alltogether.

Nathan VS The Wall - Remodel @ 4513 Creekview

Nathan Wendt and Nancy Wendt starting to take out the hall wall in Feb. 2008. A month later we are still perhaps a month away from having everything done. Thanks Nanc for all your hard work!

Nathan Wendt - 1st Ohio Light Artillery

Nathan Wendt - 1st Ohio Light Artillery, originally uploaded by Andy Wendt.

Of all the things we saw during the 2007 Gathering at Aukerman Creek Nathan was most interested in the Artillery. Every bit of shyness left my 5 year old that day and he asked question after question of the very kind commander of the 1st Ohio Light Artillery Battery C.

Yorkies Love Snow

Yorkies-Love-Snow, originally uploaded by Andy Wendt.

Our one year old Yorkie, Maddie, playing in the snow. January 2, 2008.