More of our beautiful country

18 Jul 10 – 25 Jul 10

Another week with two moves, yet there was time to see more of our GREAT country. We left CO and spent two days in Carney, NE before going to Black Hawk, SD. Alternate spelling Blackhawk, SD – the first is the way the Post Office does it while the later is what is on the map – go figure. We will leave here on Wednesday which is just before the BIG BIG show takes place in Sturgis, SD – all you Harley riders know what I'm talking about. Ann says get out before all the noise and Alan says we would stay and see it. You cannot get a place to stay within 100 miles of there if you didn't make the reservation months ago. We leave.

We went to Mt. Rushmore Friday and Saturday. What a treat Friday - as a Model T Ford group held their 54th rally to Mt Rushmore. In listening to one of the people from Quebec talk about their trip it was most interesting - they had 55 start and 47 finish. There was lots of repair work done at overnight stops along the way with 5 blown engines and 3 destroyed transaxles. It was a beautiful sight to see them going up and down the hill leading up to the parking area. We saw some from OH as well as most other states in the 150 or so that were there.

When we went up on Saturday it was with the intent of doing some walking. There is a trail going up under the monument. We were fortunate enough to get there just as a Ranger led group was leaving and followed along to get the whole story. Who knows why this particular four men were chosen to be placed on the mountain? Think about it – Washington, Jefferson, T Roosevelt and Lincoln – they were all changers of America. Who would you nominate? We then walked down the steps to the Sculptor's Studio and listened to another talk about how they did the whole job. The most amazing stat for me was the death toll in doing the work. None. Also how they make the eyes look like they are real. I will use a picture of Lincoln as well as all four that has the piece they used. Look closely at Lincoln's eyes and you will see what looks like a 2” x 4” piece of granite(pupil) with dark all around it. The piece of granite does not protrude, but the dark part is made like looking into a bowl with the piece sticking up. The dark part is cut below the surface of the eye eleven inches and the pupil is on the same plane as the eye causing shadow all around. The whole proposed sculpture was never completed because the government was going to war and spending the money in that effort. If you notice Lincoln does not have an ear. There are other things never completed, and they will never be completed as when work stopped they said it is finished. Washington was supposed to have a coat all the way down past the dark you see at the bottom of the picture. They gave up on that when they run into the black band of mica as it does not take carving because of it's softness.

It is hot again here after a couple of days in the 70s. The humidity is only 40% so it is not totally unbearable.

The crop report: Most of the corn in IA, NE, CO, WY and SD is tasseling. All the first cutting hay is baled and a lot of second. The one thing we did notice along this vein is the lack of small(300 – 500) head feedlots we used to see along this stretch of I-80. Twenty years ago you would see fifteen to twenty and this trip we only saw three. There are a couple of larger ones, but it looks like the small farmer is being squeezed on every side.

Pictures:
Mt. Rushmore – notice the six inch wide crack in Washington
Lincoln – look at the eyes
old truck from OH
old car
T. Roosevelt quote

Family week

11 Jul 10 – 18 Jul 10

Spent the week in Denver, CO. area with our daughter and her family. We had a wonderful week of doing nothing towards being productive, but we had the privilege of spoiling two lovely – loving grand-daughters. Then again – when are we doing something productive? Given the opportunity we share Christ and maybe a little of what we've seen and had the privilege of doing these last seven months. Sometimes the opportunity is taken even when not given.

We stayed in two different State Parks – CO is not all it's cracked up to be. We are still looking for a tree to have a little shade – with the temps in the mid to upper 90s to low 100s it is a hassle without trees. The wind does blow some and the humidity is not high or it would be really unbearable. The AC runs from 10 – 11 AM until after 8 PM and that's to keep it at 82 degrees. It does get cold overnight though – down into the 50s. We are glad we did not want to do any going while we were here. The biggest thing here is the altitude and anything using water costs – even the shower.

Ann, Tom, Meghan and Becca came camping with us when we moved to a park a little further north on Friday. We are in what is called 'The Front Range' of CO. I do not know why it is called that, but I assume they have their reasons, but nobody shared them with me. Their tent was right outside the RV and we had little feet in and out all day long, but it was worth all of it.

Sunday and Monday we even had more wind than we really wanted. You should see people, us included, scramble to get awnings up so they do not blow away. Attended a Baptist church in Longmont and had a real good sermon – it started a little shaky with two stories and I was really scared it was going to be another that would be a dud. It was the end of Matt 11 where Christ calls you to himself and says “take my yoke.”

Pictures:
CO mountains
CO thunderstorm
Becca – age three - NO that is not a nickname
Meghan – age seven

Middle of a BEAUTIFUL country

4 Jul 10 – 11 Jul 10

We are out in the Central US where the land is somewhat flat, but the tires are NOT. Two move days this week with some time sightseeing in Amana.

We went to the woolen mill in Amana where Miriam found many blankets and shawls she would love to have. Her side of the bed will not hold anymore than is there now. That is the joke in our house when either one wants something we have no place to put – we'll put it on your side of the bed. Being the Fourth they were not running the mill, but it is replacement for the old one and is very modern. We did go to the General Store, I never did meet him, and get our pound of brats for a dollar and spent nine more on food items. The weather while we where there was 'frightful' – to use a term I heard some where – as they have had more rain in the last three weeks than they need. The Iowa River normally is about 100 feet wide and is now more than a mile wide and four to five feet above flood stage. The ground wasn't the clay we fought in Braceville though as it would soak in in about two to three hours.

We spent three nights in Waco, NE. Go ahead smarty find it on the map. We went more than a mile each way from I-80 and could not find more than farms in either direction. There was a Walmart, Miriam got her fix, about seven miles away. We spent Saturday night in North Platte, NE at the same place we stayed last Nov. There is a great little church right next door, but we will not get to go as we travel on Sunday this week. I hate those weeks and this is only the second and last time it will happen.

We will be in CO late Sunday to see Tom, Ann, and their girls so next week will be all about the kids.

No pictures this week.

1 Jun 10 – 3 Jul 10

Something I fell into!

Good Morning!
This is GOD.
I will be handling
all your problems
today!
I will not need your
help.
So, have a good day!

After the vacation we are back on the road! We spent the first two nights in IN and now are in Amana, IA. What a fascinating place, but more on that later.

It is only fitting with the 4th of July tomorrow and Memorial Day just a month ago that I give you the definition of Honor. All who have served will agree I'm sure:

HONOR

What is honor?
A veteran whether active duty, retired, National Guard or Reserve
is someone who, at one point in their life , wrote a blank check
made payable to
The United States of America
for an amount “up to and including my life.”

That is HONOR and there are way too many people in this
country who NO LONGER understand it.
Author Unknown

We had a great time with old friends and family while we were in Ohio. Some of the people we went to church with we will not see again on earth. We attended both softball teams games every week and even took in a graduation party. We even did some sightseeing while there. Other than short trips back we will probably not be back for any extended duration so we visited Lake Erie and the Ohio River among other places. Miriam liked Mespo because they have a store that serves hand dipped Ice Cream. It is even served by Amish young ladies. It is always fascinating to listen to the soft German accent in their speech.

We had a great day at the family reunion. Not as many there as I have seen, but a few more than the last couple of years. Everybody is getting farther away and has more time obligations – it seems. For those of you not there – John Wells, my cousin's husband, was in a motorcycle accident after we were there in May. He is recovering well. It will take him some time.

Our trip here was only marred by bad driving by Ray. I caught the last door on a protective pipe when we filled the tank yesterday. I do not the cost of the damages, but it does not look to be to extensive. After a month of not driving I forgot how much hangs over the back wheels. NO pictures.

It was fun watching the smorgasbord of license plates as we came across IN and IL before the holiday weekend. I was going to use potpourri but I could not spell it so chose that 's' word instead. Every state within a thousand miles was represented, I think, and some many more miles than that.

We haven't seen much of the Amana Colonies – as they are called – but over the next couple of days we will take in all that is worth seeing. They do NOT have the importance of Gettysburg, historically or emotionally, but to read the story of their founding and demise as a commune was interesting. They still are a functioning community, but do not practice the communal style they used for over 80 years - think twice as long as the Isrealites wandered in the wilderness. In one of the places we were today they had a cross-section of the well drilled in 1893 – over 2200 feet deep. For anyone who has had a well done in the last ten years in Ohio they paid in the area of $10 a foot and complained like crazy if it had to go 300 feet.

For those of you who have not read from the start of our journey – going thru farm states you get a crop report. OH – IN – IL some corn looked great and some was spotty. Beans were the same way. More than one field of corn was well past the knee-high-by-the-4th-of-July mark as it was taller than I and already tasseling. Wheat was being harvested – so bread could be made, but oats and barley were still standing. Lots of hay being put up with some straw also.

Pictures:
General store in Mespo - Miriam's favorite store
Horse and Buggy(Amish) across from above store
Covered bridge in Ashtabula county
Family picture – Gary – can you name everyone?
Amana barn – the last barn built by the commune