Baker's heartbeat

       At top: Steve and I on the Ship Island Excursions ferry boat; Middle: Dolphins follow the boat; Above: The ferry is a good-sized boat found in the Gulfport marina.      Visitors to southern  Mississippi might notice an island off the coast of Gulfport; It's 12 miles in the distance, off Highway 90, but still visible to the naked eye.      This is Ship Island -- part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore and overseen by the U.S. National Park Service.       Ship Island, we were told on a tour, features white beaches, marshes, and history dating to initial explorations of the area and including the Civil War.     It is accessible only by boat, from late March to October. These days, the island itself is closed to most visitors because Hurricane Zeta caused extensive damage to the pier and other parts of the area.     That did not stop Gulf Coast visitors from taking the boat tour, "Ship I...

       That's me, center, biting my finger nails and greeting my friend, Jean Pelzer, while her sister, Diane, is at left. Diane Pelzer was president of the GRA at Tipton High School in 1974. An explanation of GRA activities from the 1974 Tipton High School yearbook.      About a week ago, the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Association sanctioned girls' wrestling for the first time in state history.     It was approved because 58 high schools have committed to sponsoring the programs. There are 1,018 girls  participating in grappling programs from more than 185 high schools. This is the 11th girls' sport sanctioned in the state, and the first since bowling was okayed 15 years ago. (Source: ighsau.org)     Before those 11  sports became sanctioned, there was the Girls' Recreation Association, or GRA.     I attended school in Tipton, Iowa, from 1969 to 1976. In that time period our district started several gi...

The photo at top shows the patio before it was shoveled on Jan. 2; the shoveled version is above. It was a good cardio workout!      A week ago I wrote about derechos, and how we Iowans had become experts in dealing with this. What would 2022 bring?     It didn't take long to find out. We in Eastern Iowa endured a bunch of new snow, wind and the like. Winter clearly has arrived.     About snow: I happen to like snow. What is a burden to many does have an "up" side, so to speak.       To wit:     1. It's pretty. A lot of snow will cover the countryside in a sparkly, white blanket.     2. Birds are easier to spot. You will understand this if you feed wild birds. Those cardinals, Blue Jays, juncos (a personal favorite) and finches have colorful feathers that contrast nicely with winter white.     3. It provides a good work-out. Shoveling snow is good aerobic exercise for healthy individuals.    ...

       That's the big bird feeder whipping in the wind on Dec. 15. I eventually took it down and put it back up the next day.      Last Wednesday I was at a grocery store in Davenport to buy food and a couple of gifts.     I was in a hurry as the oncoming Dec. 15 windstorm had been predicted and was the main topic of news. This forecast meant I needed to return home to take down all sorts of items that could fly off, such as Christmas decorations, bird feeders and the like.     As I exited the store a gust of wind came, and several items flew off the cart. Two Good Samaritans --  including an elderly woman and a young man -- managed to capture the items that included an extra shopping bag and three of those big, padded, beige mail envelopes.     I apologized to the kind folks and made my way to the SUV and home. It took some time to take down and store all the items that would seem to be at risk in a big wind. ...

     The Interstate 74 Bridge opening to the public was on the "must do" list Dec. 1. What a wonderful, historic way to welcome the month of December to our area!     Here are the 'Top 10' impressions from yours truly, who moved to the Quad-Cities in 1982 -- around the first time the idea of the bridge came up:     10. Porta-potties: Yep, there were several, on both sides of the half-way mark on the new bridge.      9. Security: It was everywhere. The photo is of dump trucks, full of sand, parked diagonally.       8. The Big Screen: This was huge, and it showed pictures of how the bridge was built over the past few years.     7. The buses: From Metrolink of the Quad-Cities, the shuttle buses moved hundreds of folks from the main lobby of The Taxslayer Center. The headlines reflected the joy of the day:  'I-74 WE MADE IT."      6. Speech-makers: Mayors from the area spoke to a happy, ...

       Grandkids -- Brady Hansen, Collin Duax and Hailey Hansen -- play cards at our house on  Thanksgiving Day. Christmas lights ready to be used as decorations.      Saturday afternoon was sunny and warmish in rural Scott County, Iowa, and yours truly stayed busy putting up Christmas lights. This is several days earlier than normal.     Daughter Kirstin Rodewald gets credit for getting the Bakers in gear about a month ago. Like others, we have been ordering gifts online, shopping locally, and basically getting ready for Christmas Day on Saturday, Dec. 25.     Steve and I do enjoy hosting Thanksgiving dinner and we did that, kind of on late notice. We were going to Walcott, but a family member became ill and it was re-scheduled for our house. Luckily I had already started cleaning the house so it all was good. We had several  family members stop by and watched a lot of football.     Plus, the others brought all...

       Receipts from my recent flu vaccine experience, at Costco.      I was four years old, perhaps, when I received the first medical vaccine.     Most of my family lined up at the high school in Edina, Minnesota, and I recall the sugary water in a tiny cup. I drank it up and eventually left the school with my mother, and siblings.     Flash forward to 2021: While shopping at a big-box store (Costco), I received a vaccination against this year's flu.     I've been getting flu vaccines for most of my adult life, but they used to be given at our office. When I no longer had an office, I sought out the vaccine at stores -- first at HyVee and more recently, Costco.     I never thought about getting regular preventative health care until I didn't have insurance to help cover the costs. That was the case for a couple of years; I did scramble a bit until I found what was needed. Most costs were out-of-pocket. ...