Fran’s father built the family home in Kettering, while he worked at Frigidaire. It was in this house that Fran and her 5 siblings were raised. A few years ago we were in a position to keep the home in the family, and purchased the property from her mother’s estate. In addition to our home in San Diego and the beach house in San Felipe we also have this ‘money pit’, with so much sentimental value and so many treasured memories it is priceless.
Although the house represents a physical anchor, the family in the area is also an emotional anchor. Fran’s brother Billy stays here as our ‘caretaker’ to keep the house occupied, her brother Joe is a few blocks away and in exchange for keeping his work equipment in the garage maintains our yard and uses his skills to perform repairs when he is available. Nephews Steve and Kenny are nearby with their families, we have the use of car. Niece Lora has bought her own home not far away in Columbus, niece Katie is pregnant and great-niece Cora has a new addition to the clan. We are now great-great a aunt and uncle.
Say hello to the first of the next generation SWAYZE DEE! GrandPa Steve and mother Cora bookend Great-GrandPa Bill holding Swayze. Cora looks more confident than Bill! Four generations!
Cora with her husband Evan live on a section of the family farm. Together they farm 800 acres near Greenville OH mostly soybean and corn.
But 40 acres are left as maple woodlands. On this section they tap the maple trees in the spring. It takes about 5 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. They generated 15 gallons of syrup last year, in their little ‘sugar shack’. And I can tell you it is the best we have ever had!
As I blogged previously HERE Greenville is the home of Annie Oakley … and Wayman’s Corner B&B. Fran’s Grandfather built this home. This is the first trip to the corner for Bill, but Joe and Fran have been here before. Fran had a couple more old pictures to give to the owner, Vicky.
He also built the one the owners now live in. He also purchased the corner property, but never built there. The Root's’ now are taking great care of all 3 parcels.
So yupper Dayton Ohio is HUMID – Fran calls the evenings balmy, I disagree they are indeed muggy!
Each trip we do a bit of work on the old house, we installed gutters and concrete to improve drainage in 2015, this trip we can address other concerns and improve the ability to sit outside on those ‘balmy’ evenings. After power washing the porch I installed an overhead fan, the breeze makes the humidity more tolerable and helps keep the bugs away.
The Fraze Pavillion is an easy walk away, tonight Boz Skaggs is performing. Fran and Billy went, but I’m sitting here on the porch just listening … Tomorrow it’s the music of the Eagles, I’ll be there and Fran can listen from the porch
….This weekend at the Fraze is the Kickin Chicken Wingfest. With free concerts! Even the hottest of the hot wings are more tame than those at the Anchor Bar and elsewhere. But it is an older crowd…
With free concerts! Altho the band was good this gal cannot sing Aretha! Still a free event draws a crowd.
Another issue I hope to address is the dead ash tree in the back yard. This majestic tree fell victim to the Emerald Ash Borer. A family of 3 hawks eat there breakfast in this old tree.
There are now treatments that have offered some success in saving the ash trees. Chemicals are fed into the tree while the sap is running and have provided a reasonable success in saving the tree.
Fran’s mother and I would sit on the porch, with our morning coffee and look for an albino squirrel. She’d be pleased to know the tradition continues.
Fran enjoys tennis with her brother Joe, with a little coaching from brother Billy, they win the tiebreaker.
There’ll be lots more tennis for them while we're here, more concerts and events at the Fraze.
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