Hittyville Welcomes New Friends

 Hello and welcome to the Hittyville Friends Newsroom.

Today I have a very important story to share with you about our new Hittyville Friends.

 In the Black Forest of Germany, a small group of Friends were in danger of losing all the land around their little village.

A developer wanted to build a planned community with many shops right in the Friends backyard.

A meeting was held by the Friends and it was decided they would relocate to a peaceful place...together.

One of the families had heard about Hittyville and after much research and communicating with Mayor Hitty, the Friends knew they had found their forever home.

Meanwhile...

Mother Hitty Marie offered The Hittyville Convent as a sanctuary until the German Friends were able to build their own homes.  Mayor Hitty knew just the place for this small band of Friends to establish their new community.

A month later...

 The Friends from Germany arrived and were welcomed with open arms by Mayor Hitty on behalf of Hittyville.

In time...

 Five Chalets were built thanks to teamwork!

 Once the flowerpots were put in place, it was time for the German Friends to move into their new homes.

Hittyville is a place where all Friends are welcome.

A big party is being planned by our new Friends to thank everyone for their help and support.  I understand the menu will be one of traditional German dishes.

Now that's a story I will have to cover.

This is Erin Baldwin reporting from the Hittyville Friends Newsroom wishing you all a good rest of your day!

Fat Tuesday

Back in "the old days", Fat Tuesday meant pancakes for dinner!

Mornings with Mabel

I love this little lady who watches over Hittyville Park day in and day out.

I make a point of greeting Mabel every morning and can't imagine our farm without her... 

Thought For the Day

Life is a journey...

Enjoy the ride!

An Everyday Kind of Adventure

 Sunday morning was dedicated to our eight guinea pigs and cleaning their cages and sanitizing their water bottles.  It is amazing what a wee bit of bleach does to get rid of any traces of algae.  We rinsed and rinsed the bottles, so the fresh water was safe.

Notice my healthy snacks in the background...donuts and Kool-Aid!

And then...

 We headed to Smithville to have lunch at The Barn.

 The view from our window!

After lunch...

 Joe and I decided to visit the Wayne County Airport.

Joe loves anything that has to do with flying and I am always up for a new adventure.

Look at that blue sky!

 86 of Ohio's 88 counties have at least one airport!

 Not much going on here today.

I had so many questions about Ohio's airports and we decided to head to our very own Ashland County Airport to see if we could get some answers.

On the way...

 We stopped by our River Park and took some time to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

 In my mind, I was creating a story about little critters who live alongside the river.

Mooving on...

 I love cows and often roll down my window and say hello to them.

 Joe said this sweet friend stopped and started toward the car when he heard my voice.

Next...

 We stopped by The Parsley Pot to look for some things for Hitty Daisy's soon to be built homestead.

The owners were so welcoming and we chatted with them for quite a while.

Finally...

 I just love this little airport!  Noah took a couple of flying lessons here and also went on a few charter flights.

My son decided he would rather be a passenger than a pilot...

 We could hear laughing inside, so in we went...

 We were warmly greeted by four pilots and their wives and had the best time talking about flying.

One of the pilots owns two planes and flies all over the world.  He has been flying longer than he has been driving.

 Every pilot has their own cup...

 We were given this directory in hopes of answering my many questions.

There are over 150 airports in Ohio!

 Our very own Ashland County Airport pages with a warning about deer on the runway!

Thank you, dear Pilots!

On the way home...

 Joe wanted to stop by his old stomping grounds where he spent many happy hours as a member of the Ashland Cloud Chasers.

I really encouraged him to start flying again.

I hope he does!!!

Back home...

Hitty Daisy and Goldie are wondering where they will put their Pleasant Hill Lake treasures from last week once their homestead is built.

 I am glad our Hittyville Friends liked the rugs and wall hangings Joe and I found for their new home.

Joe decided to clear off his worktable so he can get started on The Pleasant Hill Lake Homestead.

Joe is my hero!

Meanwhile...

 Lewis overheard me talking about building a new and improved airport for Hittyville.

He can't wait.

Lewis believes there is nothing quite like flying over Windy Ridge Farm and Hittyville in his YELLOW airplane...and that is just what he did!

~Joe and I definitely had the best of days~

Fun Fact

When a male penguin falls in love with a female penguin, he searches the entire beach to find the perfect pebble to present to her.

All Aboard The Abe Express

Last night we all gathered at Noah, Amy, and Abe's home for a delicious pizza dinner.  Joe and I returned Ellie to her humans as she had spent the night on the farm for Saturday's family dog grooming day and Brooke and Scott were having their pre-theater meal.  They have Playhouse Square Broadway Series tickets this year and "The King and I" is this month's show.

After dinner, Abe lined up all the chairs and told us...6 grown-ups...to "get on board" his train for New York City.  Scott was assigned the role of conductor...He was such a good sport as this was WAY out of his comfort zone.

Abe was waiting for Noah and I to take our seats.  Notice Joe is the caboose and his little "pizza holders" I am sure had a special meaning.

After we passed 5 houses, which meant 5 stops, Abe proceeded to guide us to the sofas aka a helicopter and jet which would be taking us to our final destination in New York City.

When we arrived, we were pretty much on our own.  Abe had done his job!

My grandson has the most wonderful imagination and being part of his world...if only for a short time...is one of life's greatest joys.

~I love being Abe's Oma~

A Spectacular Find

Look what I found at Walmart!  

We have the original television series on dvds and now...My Perry Mason collection is complete.

~Happy~

Happy Birthday to My One and Only Brother

My brother is 63 years old today!!!

I actually remember the day he was born...Johnny was so loved and happily welcomed as he was a BOY!  Cassi and I had a new baby doll to play with. Those days bring back such wonderful memories.

Johnny loved animals and being outside.  He still does!

~Happy Birthday, dear Johnny~

The Best of Thank You Gifts

Noah and Amy sent Joe this Keurig to thank him for building Noah his long awaited study shelves and all the other projects he does for them.

So very thoughtful!

Joe was like a little kid at Christmas and we went right out and bought all kinds of "pods".

Thank you, Noah and Amy!

Abby

 With Brooke and Scott being gone all day teaching, Brooke is convinced Abby needs some human companionship during those long hours.

So when I am out and about, I stop by and give Abby my undivided attention.

 Abby wonders why Hitty Daisy and Goldie don't join her for a walk around the yard.

Maybe next time...

Brooke and Scott's beloved guinea pig, Beatrix, isn't so sure why these two strangers are trespassing on her territory.

She did warm up after a few minutes...

~Friends come in all shapes and sizes...and species!

The Most Pleasant of Days

 With temperatures in the mid 60's, it was definitely a day for an outside adventure.

Joe and I traveled to the Pleasant Hill Dam for some fresh air and a beautiful view.

 A perfect day for a walk...

 Joe and I will definitely come back for some serious walking.

At the Pleasant Hill Lake boat landing...

 The lake waters are lowered during the winter/early spring months to accommodate the melting snow and spring rains as this is a watershed area.

 ~Bliss~

Meanwhile...

 Hitty Daisy and Goldie enjoyed their time in the sun, relaxing by the water's edge.

And a bit later...

Hitty Daisy found a stone just the right size to paint a daisy on!

~It was the best of days~