On the Ponderosa, Today

Where do you hang your hat?

 Parker hangs his hat on a chair in Nana's kitchen so it will be handy when he goes out the back door to do some farming!

Summer Storm

The first day of summer brought high winds to the Ponderosa.  It's a mess!  We were not at home when it happened, but I am sure it would have been scary and loud with all the crashing of trees.  As far as we can tell there is no structure damage, but it was a close call for a storage shed and Parker's swing set.  We have not been able to survey all the damage because of darkness and rain, but here's what we can see from the house, to quote Parker, "Look at all this damage!"

Two of a Kind

Trains

If you have a little one who loves trains, you must take them to Cheekwood this year for the current exhibit called Trains in Tennessee.

It is an outside display filled with bridges and tunnels that go through the trees and miniature models of many Tennessee landmarks.  It is a delight to walk through or just sit and watch.  We took Parker who loves trains and he was fascinated with it. At first he could not  decide which way to go!

He just ran from one side to the other!  I told him we could stay as long as we wanted, but he said, "Nana, I do everything in a rush!"

Cheekwood is a botanical garden and the trains are part of a special exhibit that lasts until the end of this year.  Despite the heat, we enjoyed some of the gardens on the property.

 This is the mansion at Cheekwood, built by Leslie Cheek who was in the wholesale grocery business in Nashville when he invested in his nephew's idea of developing a superior blend of coffee.  The coffee became know as Maxwell House and Leslie Cheek and his wife Mabel Wood Cheek built this house and garden in 1933.  It opened to the public in 1960.  It houses an art collection.

 

We had to visit the trains three times while we were there and we cooled off by wading the creek before we left!  It was a great way to spend the morning!

Sunday Afternoon on the Ponderosa. . .

I returned to the Ponderosa today after being away for over two weeks!  I've been helping take care of the newest grand kids aka the Ponderosa Stink Bugs!  I miss them already but their parents will do fine on their own!  I will go back when they get too sleep deprived and help out, but I was glad to get home.  It's true there's no place like home!  The first thing I did was inspect all the growing and blooming things, which are only alive because my parents were excellent caretakers in this heat wave.  So here's some Sunday afternoon scenes from the Ponderosa!