Summer’s End Photo Journal

Published on by Violet Rhodes

Is there anyone else frantically savoring the fragments that remain of sweet summer days? Maybe there’s no such thing as frantically savoring. But I’ve been doing something of the sort…

I used to get peeved at people who roared loud and long about all the glories of summer. I mean, summer also means sweltering heat, and ugly things like ticks and weeds. But I’ve come to appreciate summer. (If the heat stays in moderation.) My mental health needs the warmth and light of sunshine! The coming winter and all its grayness can look a tad intimidating. But as I say goodbye to summer, I’ll anticipate basking in the autumn sunshine and crunching orchard fresh apples before I meditate on the harshness of winter.

Here are some highlights of our Summer:

The first part of June we made a trip to KY for my family’s reunion. Enroute, we stopped at the Ark Encounter. A first for our little family.
The first evening at the reunion we had supper at my sister Geneva and Paul Peachey’s back patio.
My sister Faith and my mom are on the glider. Otherwise, it’s all neices and in-laws on the picture 🥰
Low country boil supper one night at the reunion
We were happy to get our Grain Bin gazebo finished out with a custom made sign and a clock. (Jerald sells grainbin gazebo kits if any one is interested)
The children have spent many hours in this cow tank turned pool! Sometimes mom joins them.
We enjoyed having my brother Millard and Carolyn Yoder and family stop in the first part of July on their way out to Montana. We had a grilled supper in our grain bin, then finished off with smores. The little ones made good use of the pool.
We were blessed with pleasant temperatures in July, so that our church was able to enjoy a hymn singing out in the Halteman’s back pasture one Sunday evening.
Kettle corn and other snacks were served afterward.
For my birthday we ate at this wonderful place. They have the best food!!
This southwest chicken salad was my choice and it is over the board delicious!
The owner of The Bread Bowl tore down multiple old barns/houses to build his restaurant. Unique indeed. If you’re going through Hiawatha KS be sure to check it out!

Late July, we were back to Southern Indiana for Jerald’s brother’s wedding. The four wedding pictures are credits of Jamie Lynn Photography.

Roger and Janet
Luke and Arlene Rhodes family
The Rhodes siblings. And yes, in case your curious, Roger has a twin. Rodney is on the other side of their only sister Kaylene
The bride’s family- Darrell and Becky Wagler
Some Greene Co. Indiana beauty
We celebrated Reece’s 4th birthday July 27
The children on top of their makeshift playhouse in the pines
Inside the playhouse. I love seeing their creativity come out as they make stews and soups with all manner of greens, pines, mud
and sticks.
Jerald has experimented with smoking cream cheese a couple times. It is delightful served with a raspberry chipotle sauce and crackers!
We were blessed this summer with rain and thunderstorms in abundance.
These tube roses are my favorite flowers around the house. Their delicacy and scent fills me with nostalgia of late summer evenings.
We celebrated Josie’s 8th birthday on August 22nd. She told me what kind of cake she wants, but wanted me to decorate it when she’s not around “so it’s a surprise“, she said. 🤩 She also had her best friend over for supper and a sleep over.
Josie is becoming my right hand laundry girl. When she can’t reach the bottom, little brother comes to the rescue. And for the curious, the silver machine on the right is our Waterwise distiller. We are quite partial to distilled drinking water! This one has served us well for 9 years.
These are the days I will miss all too soon.
Sunset in our backyard

Intentionally pick yourself a bouquet of summer flowers, sit outside in the gathering dusk and remember the day’s blessings. Just because summer brings bountiful blessings, does not mean the next season won’t. God’s gifts are always abundant, no matter what season we’re in. When we choose to pause and reflect, we will be sure to find the blessings! 🤍

7 thoughts on “Summer’s End Photo Journal”

  2. Looks like a full, happy summer with lots of good memories!
    I’d be interested in hearing more about your stock tank turned pool. Do you have a filter and treat the water like a regular pool?

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    1. Hi Deb! We purchased the tank off Marketplace from a family who used it for the same purpose but outgrew it. It is 10′ in diameter. We purchased a sand pool filter system and used that to filter the water (although we still screened the bigger stuff off daily- grass, bugs, etc). I couldn’t bear to think of treating the water with chlorine but if you don’t treat it, algae starts growing. After doing some research we tried 35% hydrogen peroxide which worked fairly well but does cost more. Hope this helps!

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      1. Yes Thank You! My husband’s uncle does a salt treatment in his pool. I like that so much better than chlorine. I’m guessing something like that would work as well. I agree with you on chlorine!

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