Grandma Barb’s This and That

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Stone Arch Bridge

The Stone Arch Bridge crosses the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis.  It was built in 1882 and 1883 to carried freight and passengers across the river.  The bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.  In 1978 the last passenger train crossed the bridge and in 1994 in was transformed into a pedestrian walkway.



The bridge is near Lock and Dam #1 and I believe the bottom part of the picture below is where the boats come up to the lock to be raise and lowered.




Looking downriver towards the 35W Bridge

These photos were taken back in August 2009

You can read more about the bridge here

Linking  to Watery Wednesday

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time.

Barb

Saturday, January 26, 2013

More early morning shots on my way home from my sleep study.  I really think I need to get up early more often, don't you.


The sun peeking over the barn roof on a winter morning.

The sun as it peeks over the cattle shed.

Many of you asked about the number on the horse in my last post.  I tried doing a little research but didn't come up with any information.

They are predicting freezing rain for tomorrow.  I hate ice.  I would rather have a snowstorm any day.

Linking With:
Sunlit Sunday at My Little Home and Garden
Weekly Top Shot at The View From Right Here
and
Barn Charm 120 at Bluff Area Daily.

Thanks for stopping!  Have a sunny Sunday and the rest of the week.

Until next time.
Barb


Thursday, January 24, 2013

Behind the Fence

Not much of a fence here, but I like what's behind it.


What's that lady doing over there, 315?


Oh, she's just taking pictures of us.


I'm bored with this picture taking.

To see fences of all kinds from all over hop over to Fridays Fences #67

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful day.

Until next time

Barb





Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Lock and Dam #7

Crossing the Mississippi River between LaCrosse, WI and LeCrescent, MN, October 2011 on my way back from New Hampshire.



The dam was built in 1937 and underwent major rehabilitation from 1989 to 2000.


The lock and dam crossing the river


Close up.


Locks and dams were built on the Mississippi, not for flood control, but for river navigation and allows vessels to step up and down from one water level to the next.  The first Lock and Dam was built in 1917 at St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis.  I was fortunate to take a river boat cruise through the lock and dam at St. Anthony Falls many years ago.

You can find more information about the lock and dams of the Upper Mississippi River 

Linking to Watery Wednesday

Thanks for stopping!  Always enjoy hearing from you.
Barb

Monday, January 21, 2013

Early morning light

This old barn/shed sits all by itself in the middle of a field.  I took this shot on my early morning trip home from my sleep study.

Linking to Barn Charm 119

Thank you for all your kind comments on my Light at the end of the tunnel post.  I appreciate each and every one!  Thanks too for all of you that have followed along for the last couple of years and all my new followers.  I feel like you have all become good friends.  I have reached 200 followers and will be having a giveaway soon! Stay tuned.

Have a beautiful sunny week and I'll see you soon!

Barb

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Light at the end of the tunnel

I was up before the sun on Thursday as I had an appointment with a sleep study doctor 90 miles away and had to be there by 9:30  There was only a few minutes you could see the sunrise as the clouds took over.  You can see by the foreground that we have had thawing weather as there's not much snow left on the plowed field.  That is changing as I write this.  We are headed for below zero weather, but not a lot of snow.



I was very happy with this doctor as he explained a lot of what my two sleep studies showed.  And it's complicated.  I have complex sleep apnea, which mean obstructive and central.  Obstructive is the air ways collapsing during sleep. Central means that you brain doesn't tell you to breath.  On top of that I have extremely restless legs which move 74 times an hour!  That's more than once a minute! With the combination of these 3 things I have  19 arousal's per hour.  It's no wonder I've been tired.  He is going to have me take another sleep study using a bi-pap machine rather than the c-pap.  The bi-pap will take care of both kinds of apnea where the c-cap only works on the obstructive.  He also gave me some medication for the restless legs.  After the sleep study I will get a bi-pap and that should take care of most of the sleep problems.

I also had a pulmonary function test and that showed I have asthma.  Therefore the shortness of breath.  I now have an inhaler with medicine to help with that.  I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel with my health problems!  At least most of the answers.

I'm linking this to Sunlit Sunday, Season 2, Week 3 over at My Little Home and Garden.

Thanks for stopping by and have a Sunny Sunday!

Barb

Friday, January 18, 2013

Fence at Niagara River

Looking through the fence on a bridge over the Niagara River as it rushed to the falls.

From my archives of 2011 trip

Linking to Friday Fences #66

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!
Until next time

Barb

Monday, January 14, 2013

Barn at Sunrise

I showed you this barn earlier when I took it in late summer or early fall.


Here is what it looks like in the winter





Linking to Barn Charm #118
If you love barns hop over there to see barns from all over.

Thanks for stopping by!
Have a great week and I'll see you next time
Barb

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Thursday, January 10, 2013

I have no idea...

 what these fences are for? There are many Hmong families in this area and they are big gardeners.  This is one of their gardens, but I have no idea what they grew here.  Does anyone have a clue as to what these vines are.






Linking to Fridays Fences #65

Monday, January 7, 2013

Barn Charm Gone

This farm has been in my friend, Eugene's, family for 3 generations.  His son and daughter-in-law are farming it now.  It's a beautiful place where they raise cattle, corn, and soybeans.


First is the farm house with a big wrap around porch built in 1930


A little out building 


The barn built in 1938


2 of the Silos


Another photo of the barn with the silos



The whole looks of the place was changed New Years night when the barn burned to the ground.  So sad.     Thank God there were no cattle in the barn so no animals were hurt.  They think is was an electrical fire that started in the haymow.  I am so happy that I got these photos last summer. 

Linking to Barn Charm # 117 at Bluff Area Daily

Thanks for stopping and have a great week.

Until next time

Barb

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Sunrise through the trees

If you've followed me for awhile you probably know that I am not an early bird.  But I had another sleep study and they wake you up bright and early and send you home.  So on the way home I got a few photos of the sunrise.  Here is one with the sun shining through the trees onto an old silo.  I will share more later.



Linking to:
&

Thanks for stopping.  Have a great Sunday and I'll see you next time.

Barb

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Snow Covered Fence

The snow covered fence and trees look like it's a black and white photo, but it is SOOC. 


Linking with Fridays Fences #64

I hope you are all having a good week
Until next time.
Barb


Wednesday, January 2, 2013

The Falls in Sioux Falls

After spending 5 days in Sioux Falls at the hospital with my mom, I'm back.  On Friday she was having chest pains and was taken to the ER at the local hospital.  Her heart rate was in the 30's, way too low!  The local doctor thought she had either had a heart attack or was about to have one.  He wanted to fly her right to Sioux Falls but neither a helicopter nor a fixed wing plane could land because of weather.  So she went by ambulance with the doctor riding along to keep her stable.  When she got to the hospital in Sioux Falls they found out she had not had a heart attack and took her off a couple of meds that can lower heart rate  This did help to bring it back up.  So they monitored her for a couple of days to see if it would stay stable.  But she a couple of times it went back down into the 30's so on Monday morning they put in a pacemaker.  She is doing fine now and I brought her home yesterday.  What a Happy New Years Day!

While I was in Sioux Falls I remembered the pictures of the Falls I had taken in September when I was there for my angiogram.  Since I had never posted them I thought I would now.  It was only a few years ago that I even learned there were falls there. dah  I didn't get out to take any photos of them in the snow.  It was so cold and I wanted to just stay with my mom.



I found this timeline interesting.







I want to wish all my loyal followers and all my new followers a Happy New Year!  Thanks for following along with me this past year.  I appreciated everyone of you and your comments and encouragement.  I will try to catch up with all of you soon.  Have a wonderful first week of 2013.

Until next time

Barb