Thanks to Jenny who found misplaced items and corrected them!
1806 Garden Street, when we still had the 3 doghouse dormers, Later, some of you replaced those dormers with one shed dormer. Note that we added another window type A/C (thru the wall) into what became the “green room”Pat in 1806 kitchen. Possible thought-balloon: “I don’t care WHAT the product-placement people say, I CAN’T eat an apple, and I-want-out-of-here!Pat. Poor kid… asleep on the quilt in the back yard…. then two people lift the corners to make a “better” picture. Sorry.Pat with Peg helping him swing, and Willie keeping an eye on things. 1806 back yard.Chris, while we were working on the pool had the idea to dig a pond in the dirt Mike, with Kathy watching. Peg. Camera facing pool and Howenstein’s back porch. Mar 1973 TRIVIA: It must have recently rained because the pool shows signs of wetness.Peg and Willie in Study at 1806. Mar 1973. Trivia: Note 2×4 Toys hanging on north wall of study/playroom.Married 15 years! Count the fingers…Dorothy and Ron in a park probably near LLL conference.
Now we enter the Rabbit Hill purchase phase…
Using money from selling Grandma Katharine Baker’s place @ 509 E. State in Ft. Wayne and borrowing money from friend Dick Little, we bought Rabbit Hill in March of 1973. Named it after the children’s book, Rabbit Hill.The 3Acre Meadow” as it appeared in Mar 1973. Using our white van and chains, Steve pulled all those multiflora rose bushes out so the land could be used. After that, we mowed, and mowed…and mowed to encourage the grass to take over. Wanted a meadow for kids to play on.The barn on Pretty Prairie Rd., that we later tore down, as seen looking back toward the bridge at Rabbit Hill.An old outhouse at Rabbit Hill, as it was when we bought RH.Delivery of the lumber and insulation for the gazebo at Rabbit Hill. Dad with new gazebo materials at Rabbit Hill. Barn (on Pretty Prairie) that was about where CottonTail Lane starts now, then makes its first switchback up the face of the hill. There’s been a LOT of earth moving done between then and now! L-R: St.Tom’s friend Danny Forbes, Peg, and Willie. Willie was Steve’s dog, but Peg took W to training.Ron waving, while building the FIRST gazebo. The post holes at Rabbit Hill were dug by hand and 3 (sistered) creosote 2x6s were bolted together for the holes. The exterior deck was then built on those. Mike found the piece of utility pole that was the center support for the gazebo.This is the tiny mower we used to tame the meadow at Rabbit Hill. WE eventually got enough cash for a WheelhorseOne of the kids was camping out here at Rabbit Hill. Don’t know who. Still a lot of Rugosa rose bushes scattered across the ‘meadow’.Posed pic: L-R: Kathy, Pat with mum Dorothy, and Pete looking at an iris below the dogwood tree(still alive in 2020) @1806. .Ater a La Leche League conference somewhere, for recreation, we stopped at a place rented by Jim & Claudia Dahlke. Peg and Jenny in the boat for a ride in the pond. Kathy Halsema (green shorts), daughter of Phil and Sondra, on dock with Pete and 2 unknown children. Peg rowing, Jenny.Mike ridingSteveAmy Halsema taking Kathy for a ride. ChrisPeg riding. Jun 1973 Pete at Rabbit Hill. Probably Sep 1973.In the fall of 1973, we put on a Harvest Festival at Rabbit Hill for people from St. Tom’s. Dick Little brought his hog roaster out about 5am. Nov 1973This pic gives an idea of the crowd that attended The roasted hog was laid out on paper on plywood tables. L-R: Steve, Jerry, Mike picking out their pieces of the hog Pat riding on Dad’s shoulders Was the music group name Joyful Noise? Peg at St. Tom’s in basement – probably a potluck dinner Kathy at 1806,With Forbes’ family at Hort Park-L-R: Mike & Kathy, Dan Forbes, JerryAnnete’s and Danny Forbes daughterWith Forbes’ family at Hort Park-3.xx.1973-AnnetteWith Forbes’ family at Hort Park-3.xx.1973-front: Chris, next-Kathy, JennyL-R front: Kathy, Annette’s daughter, Pete; rear-Annette,Dorothy/Mum holding PatL-R: Annette’s daughter, Annette Dorothy/Mum, Peg, Willie
