SOUTH BEND, INDIANA

Home to the "Fighting Irish" of Notre Dame.
Die-hard fans of Notre Dame football obviously think of the team when they hear South Bend.

Notre Dame is a beautiful campus that keeps getting larger every year.

There are other famous products for which South Bend is noted.
The Studebaker Museum, J.D. Oliver Family Mansion and Gardens, Wheelhorse garden tractors and the Real "League of Their Own", women who played Hard Ball.

The Studebaker Museum is great. Having grown up in that era, it was fun to re-visit all the old models.

Behind the museum is the Oliver Mansion. The Oliver family manufactured Oliver tractors and farm equipment.

Their home and gardens are large and required an extensive roster of servants to maintain both.

I have visited many mansions from that era, but something stood out in this one. The Olivers actually enjoyed their children and spent a lot of time with them.
Their home is warm, cozy and comfortable, unlike many other mansions which are cold and ornate. Those owners kept their children in the background and brought them out for show like another possession. Not so the Olivers.

Women's baseball got it start there too. If you saw the movie "A League of Their Own", you'll know what I mean.

South Bend was a manufacturing hub with many companies providing jobs for its citizens. Unfortunately they have all gone out of business, changed names and owners or moved elsewhere.

Something else unique about South Bend is their short-line railroad. You can go to the airport, yes the airport, and take the train to Chicago for a day of shopping, sightseeing or work. Many people live in South Bend and commute to work in Chicago.

The cost of living and is less expensive than in Chicago; as are the hotels.

The airport serves as the transportation hub for air, rail and bus.

Next time you are in South Bend for a football game take some time and see the rest of it.

"Go Irish".

Because of the economy and advent of e-readers, main stream publishing houses are having a difficult time financially.

E-readers such as Amazon's Kindle and Barnes & Noble's Nook have taken off like rockets.

I personally as yet don't own one. I met a girl, who was reading one on the beach, in bright sunlight. Hers was a Kindle, and she said she loved it. She offered it to me to hold and check out.

It was very light weight about the size of a large paperback. There was no glare from the sun, so the words were readily seen without difficulty.

This started me gazing into the future.

At the beginning of the school year, the school could issue every student an e-reader, pre-loaded with the books for the year.

Just think, no more back-packs and book bags weighing down young backs. In the long run it probably would save the school districts a lot of money. (They probably would find other places to spend it.)

Actually some schools in Florida are starting a trial program.

Eventually the libraries would all be in e-book format.

For moms, on school mornings, instead of reminding Bobby and Susie not to forget their books, she would tell them not to forget their e-readers.

Just think if Congress put the bills they write and enact on e-readers, they might even read them!

As for me, it would solve my problem of where to store the many books I buy and can't part with, because I eventually re-read them.

Then again there is something to be said for relaxing and turning the paper pages of a real book.

I will continue to learn about e-readers. I'm sure they will get better and the price will come down, as competitors come on the scene.

Now when hubby asks what I want for Christmas, and he inevitably will, maybe now I'll know what to answer!

PHLOX

First I want to welcome home our veterans of the Iraqi War.

Thank you for your courage and bravery. You did a great job and we are proud of you.

You and your families sacrifices are most appreciated.

God Bless you one and all.

Now to the picture of the Phlox. When I see it blooming it reminds me it is the beginning of the end of summer. What I like to call the waning days of summer.

Mid-August and the hustle and bustle for getting everyone ready for back to school begins.

Families hurry to get in a last minute vacation.

Moms hurry to the stores to buy school clothes and supplies.

College kids are rounding up all their dorm needs.

Dads brace themselves for the bills to roll in.

It's also fair season around here.

Tonight the Pittston Tomato Festival begins and runs through Sunday evening.

The Little League World Series begins it's festivities in South Williamsport this evening.

Next weekend it's the Kielbasa Festival in Plymouth.

The Wyoming County and Luzerne County Fairs will begin a week apart starting the end of August.

Can you smell those funnel cakes? Yum-Yum.

I'm sure high school football will be starting in a week or two.

The end of September will be the grandaddy of all them all, the Bloomsburg Fair.

Tonight I noticed the sun is setting farther away from it's maximum western site.

There is cool nip in the air in the evening.

The hummingbirds are scrapping with each other more than usual, slurping up the extra sugar water to increase their stamina for the long trek south.

The experts are saying the leaves won't be as colorful this year because of the drought. Time will tell that outcome.

The days are still warm even hot, which I like.

The sun sets earlier each evening, which I don't like.

These last days of August remind me of getting new clothes to go back to school. Inevitably they would be wool skirts and warm sweaters. September would still have warm days, but we wore the woolens anyway.

I can almost smell the oil scented floors of the classrooms.

Enjoy these days while they are here.

MARCELLUS SHALE GAS LEASES

The natural gas companies land managers have been in Northeast PA for some time signing up land owners.

The farmers were some of the first ones to sign.

Why you might ask?

The milk farmers are in a financial bind. It costs more to produce the milk than they are paid for it.

The government controls the price of milk, however they don't control the cost of producing it.

The grain and animal farmers prices are controlled by the futures market.

Our county recently did a reassessment of property values. They hit land very hard. Who has the most land -- farmers do. Even if they are in the Clean and Green program their taxes have escalated and this year our school board put their hands out again and raised school taxes one more time. No controls on them. All this after values have bottomed in the real estate market.

So the gas companies come to town and offer the farmers the opportunity to keep their farms for a few more years and not have to sell them to developers.

Everyone is happy with the lease, permits are issued and the company is approved to drill a well in Lehman Twp.

Now coming on the scene are the protesters and activists, who for the most part are professionals living in large homes built on land that once was -- you guessed it, farmland.

They threaten a lawsuit, the gas company cancels its permits and are drilling in neighboring townships where they are welcomed. The farmers in Lehman Twp. are out of luck.

The activists are worried about the water supply in the Huntsville and Ceasetown dams.

They of course don't worry about contamination of these same water supplies with the salt brine and salt that is poured on the roads by the tons in winter. After all they need clear roads to get to work. Guess where all that salt goes -- into the dams and wells.

Out here in the Back Mountain most of the properties have septic systems, including the big mansions all around the dams. It all drains into the reservoirs and wells.

All those fancy homes the activists live in have beautiful lush, green lawns and landscaping. They are created that way by fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides.
They all drain where -- into their own private wells and the reservoirs.

Guess what goes through the development for energy source to their homes, yup, a natural gas line. Their electricity is supplied by UGI whether or not they have a third party billing company. The lines belong to UGI. Guess what is used to produce that electricity -- natural gas.

I guess its the old saying "not in my backyard". Well I have a suggestion for the activists, if you don't want the companies to drill in Lehman Twp. then stop using natural gas and electricity in your homes. Not to do it is hypocrisy.

The next time you meet a farmer, thank them for the sacrifices they make to continue to produce the food and milk on your table, because slowly they are disappearing. If the activists have their way it will be sooner than later.

We can only hope the gas companies find an abundant supply of natural gas in this area and be able to call the activist's bluff about a lawsuit.

Gee, I wonder what "Green" organization is behind these activists in order to fund lawsuits and other activities!

Facebook is a great social medium tool for keeping up with family and friends in the neighborhood or all around the world.

When you want your family or friends to know something about you or your family, no need to write an email and forward it to three hundred or so close friends or relatives. Just post a blurb on Facebook and those that are really interested in you will read it, and perhaps make a comment.

Now Facebook has a whole new purpose.

Our local news had a story about homes that had been robbed while the owners were away. Not unusual in and of itself. But in this story the common denominator was all residents that had been robbed had posted on Facebook they were going on vacation. Duh!

So now the would-be criminal has a new tool in his arsenal of ill repute. He doesn't even have to "case the joint", so to speak. Just click on his neighborhood of friends on Facebook, and see where his next gig will be.

Who would have thought the life of crime could get easier.

So now the next thing to be wary of is, just who are your friends on Facebook!

DOLLEY MADISON

When you hear that name you probably think of ice cream.
The brand of ice cream is spelled Dolly Madison.

The Dolley Madison I'm referring to is the First Lady and wife of James Madison the fourth president of the United States.

Dolley was a gutsy lady.
During the War of 1812, knowing the British were on their way to invade Washington DC, President Madison left the city to find a place for the government to set up shop and continue on.

Dolley decided to stay as long as possible gathering artifacts from the White House.

She amassed silver, the original draft of the Declaration of Independence and Gilbert Stuart's portrait of George Washington.

The frame of the first president's portrait was so large it was taking too long to remove and the British were literally at the doorstep of the city. She ordered the frame to be broken and the picture removed. Thus she saved it for the ages.

Dolley escaped but lost all of her own personal belongings. The British invaded the city, set fire to the Capitol building and then the White House. Eventually burning most of the government buildings.

Out of nowhere a hurricane blew up and hit Washington DC. It pummeled the British troops. The hurricane along with a tornado forced them to retreat.

After the British were gone President and Mrs. Madison and the Congress returned to the devastation. That did not deter the president. He set up the government in the Post Office, the only government building left standing.

The phenomena of the hurricane and tornado thwarting the British had to have been divine intervention.

Back in those early days of the Republic, the majority of the citizens and their leaders believed in and worshiped God. He stood by them, heard their prayers and saved their government and Capitol, devastated though it was.

This Republic was again invaded on December 7, 1941 by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor and again on September 11, 2001 by jihadist terrorists in New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania.

After those events, people once again turned to God for help. Again, He listened and healed them and their land. Gold is refined by being put through the fire.

But I wonder if the same refinement would take place today. So many have turned their backs on God and care only for themselves and what is happening in their own worlds. I wonder, would they know enough to ask God's help, or is it too far gone?

We need some more Dolley Madisons, who are unafraid and will stand up and take a risk.

Oh, by the way Dolley Madison was a Quaker.

RUSSIAN SAGE WITH BUMBLE BEE

Russian Sage is one of the few variety of flowers I can raise that the deer don't like.

This one is around my water pond. It is quite lush this year. I suppose the climate and moisture were just right.

It is a variety that bees especially like. I've seen butterflies on it too.

I like to plant flowers and shrubs that are food for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

Some of the flowers that go to seed are favorites of the small birds as well.

I saw something last week I never saw before. My pink magnolia tree was blooming at the very top. That is so weird, since it bloomed abundantly this spring. I hope that isn't an omen of a harsh winter!

As for the deer, the other morning when I hobbled out of bed and looked out the front window, a beautiful doe was in the front yard. She was just posing and surveying the environment and then poof, she was gone.

In a month or so I will have to put up barriers around the holly and rhododendron. The deer love to snack on them all winter. That holly must hurt their mouths.

It is still warm here in NEPA for awhile longer. I will enjoy it while I have it.

SUMMERTIME

In this picture of my water pond, the ornamental frog spews out water as part of the pump recycling water from the top level to the bottom one. He's faded a bit this summer. I think he will need a make-over for next year.

The water lily is blooming and now has two friends blooming farther out in the pond.

The Autumn Joy sedum is still green but this month will begin to turn pink, then by September a deep rose and eventually a rust color. The bees love sedum so I have a lot of it planted around my property. It is a perennial and except for cutting back once a year, takes care of itself.

Next to the sedum is ornamental grass. It too is a perennial and except for cutting back also is carefree. Soon it will push out spikes of feathery white plumes. I love watching it dance in the breeze.

There is deep lilac phlox poking its head between the sedum and grass.

Already it is August. Where did the summer fly to?

I was in Walmart the other day and saw their huge display of back to school supplies.

Yes, I indulged. Now is the time to stock up on office and writing supplies.

As the summer progresses from August to September the colors of flora will deepen and then fade and then the leaves will begin their splashy show of riotous color.

I love the color of the autumn leaves it's just what comes after they fall I could do without. Hint...the color is white.