Photos at the top and bottom of this Diary page are of family
and friends from around Illinois. There is a different set each month.
Please look for your picture or those of an acquaintance. If you have a
photo to submit, please send it to me!
Pontiac Bonneville
June 26
th
was a landmark day for the Bonneville. She hit the 260,000 mile mark!
She is still going strong and she loves the open road!
My Grandma
My grandma, Nadean, with her sisters Georgie, Shirley and Alta (my great Aunts). We are very blessed. Grandma will be 96 in August. Her mind is excellent, she uses a wheel chair for distance and loves to play cards. She may not be able to play racquet ball, but she sure can have a strong opinion on politics.
Illinois Chairman for Mitt Romney
As you know, I am Illinois Chairman for Mitt Romney's campaign for President. Mitt was in Illinois recently and for one of the events we had about 200 people greet him. Lots of media and great energy!
Redtail Hawk
I live in the country between Chenoa and Pontiac. I really am big on conservation and wildlife habitat. While driving into town I have seen baby skunk and raccoon in the road. I stop and move them well into the ditch near the field, to be sure they do not get hit.
Once I sighted a big snapping turtle along the shoulder of Old 66. He had crawled several hundred yards from the quarry to get to where he was. Since I couldn't get to back to the quarry, I VERY CAREFULLY picked him up by side of the shell (I had no idea they could stretch their neck that far backwards) and put him in the trunk of my car to take to the creek that runs through my property, I know there are other turtles there. He seemed quite happy when put in the water!
Just recently there was a young Red-tailed Hawk in the road near my house. Another young one flew off, but this one wasn't able to fly well. I carefully got hold of him and put him, well off the road, next to the cornfield. I was impressed how far around he could turn his neck.
When I came by a few hours later he was gone; hopefully with his worried mother and older sister!
Parade season has started (and I really do like parades). First for me this year was in Fairbury. Barb, Casandra and Kayla are in the picture. Kaleb was there too, but he is behind the camera!
JOSH ROMNEY
I am pleased that Josh Romney, son of former Massachusetts Governor and presidential candidate Mitt Romney, was with us in Illinois June 29th and 30th
Senator Rutherford
stops for the Lincoln Series at Bill and Nancy
Froelich's home.
Blue Birds
I try to be a good conservationist by doing stream bank
stabilization on my own property and reforesting by planting over 13,000
trees and shrubs. Providing wildlife habitat is another of my interests,
including placing bat houses, owl houses, and blue bird boxes.
Blue bird houses in the field behind my house.
One house has a Blue bird nest with 4 eggs.
After a morning jog I checked out the status of
the babies.
All 4 eggs hatched and 2 are still in the nest.
Now that the baby blue birds have flown
the coop, I cleaned the nest out of the house and they have already started
to built another nest!
Barb and
Austin came down to Springfield and visited me at the capitol.
Here are some of the pictures they took.
New Photos Posted!!
Curacao,
Netherlands Antilles
The notes from the dive trip to Curacao are just about done and I will let you know when they are posted. I have posted the photos, they really are pretty good. The final Diary of the trip will be up soon. In the meantime here are the pictures: Diving Curacao
(Watching squid)
Pontiac Bonneville
The Pontiac Bonneville hit 257,065 miles at the
beginning of June. She is still going strong and loves the open road!
SPRINGFIELD -- On its own, a plan to grant Gov.
Blagojevich, his Cabinet, statewide officeholders and rank-and-file
lawmakers nearly 10 percent pay raises might as well have had an anvil
tied to it.
But tie the politically unpalatable plan to a
funding bill that also provided money to the families of deceased
soldiers, police officers or firefighters, and the $1.4 million in pay
raises are on a fast track to the governor to approve.
SENATOR RUTHERFORD VOTED NO ON
LEGISLATIVE PAY HIKES
McCormick James Stone
McCormick James Stone was born May
21st, 2007 at 1:51p.m in Springfield, Illinois. He came in weighing 8lbs
11.5oz and 22 inches long.
Congratulations Chris and Erin!
Please join me in wishing my Senate
colleagues, Sen. Dave Syverson June 29, Sen. Kirk Dillard June 1, Sen.
Larry Bomke June 6 a Happy Birthday. You can send them a card care of:
Illinois Senate, State Capitol, Springfield, IL 62706
Senator Rutherford is the Chairman of the Committee for Legislative Action.
Its primary purpose is to bring sunlight to attempts to raise Taxes, Fees and
increase Government Regulations in Illinois. Their website is: http://www.CommitteeForLegislativeAction.org
The development, hosting and maintenance of Senator Rutherford's web site
are not paid for with taxpayer dollars. The phone line and internet service
for Senator Rutherford's calls and e-mails are also not paid for at taxpayer
expense.
The final Diary of the trip will be up soon. In the meantime here are the pictures: 
McCormick James Stone
