You are welcome to join me for a dream of a lifetime...driving cross country on two lane roads enjoying God's amazing creation and visiting family and friends along the way. Sit back and let me do the driving!
This morning included a nice visit with cousin Al and Lori and their daughter Andrea as the had a “downsizing sale” this weekend. Also picked raspberries for two hours = 6 pints, washed, dried, flash froze and then put up in freezer bags for Joni to enjoy during the winter months with her breakfast. This afternoon picked the last of the tomatoes, helped decommission the tomato and cabbage beds for the winter, picked more raspberries, very pleasant afternoon.
Today was another very special “Friday with Auntie Mavis” with a bonus as her eldest daughter Melody joined us for lunch and the afternoon! Was an extra special treat because Melody is up at The Resort lake in Minnesota from Memorial Day to Labor Day so I never get to see her when I come back each year for Threshermens. Nice dinner (noon in the Midwest) at a quaint restaurant in Lakeview, enjoyed today’s special of 1/2 hot beef sandwich. Mmm good! Then it was back to Auntie Mavis’ apartment to put up a Fall wall panel and use more of our “words”!
Quiet evening on the farm, with tasty left over ribs for supper and yes, work on more packing up for the next leg of my trip, also a little map reading for driving coming up. Will be sad to leave family in Iowa but excited for the adventure and connections that lie ahead.
It has been so much FUN helping “just a little” these last 6 weeks! I will miss it for sure! I didn’t really help with too much this week, just setting up, tearing down and cleaning up after. Produce has changed as the strong sellers now are tomatoes, onions, potatoes and squash. But also available broccoli, kohlrabi, garlic, tomatoes, cabbage, kale, celery, beets, carrots, peppers.
Market was a little slow today, maybe folks are up at the Clay County Fair? But still fun to connect.
Tonight’s supper: grilled steak, fresh from the garden baked potatoes, green onions, and freezer corn. Mmm good!
With 7-8 hours of driving yesterday I decided to stay near the farm today. Loaded the car topper and its contents as I begin to anticipate the next leg of my cross country journey which will begin Sunday. Spent time organizing and reorganizing bags, containers etc. visited the AC. Post office for the last time this trip , I hope. For 2 hours in the morning picked 6 pints of raspberries, then washed them, flash froze them and finally bagged them. Wiped down the door jams of all the gravel road dust, actually most of the interior of the car! Late afternoon went into town for a short visit with cousin Julie, then it was time for a special treat of a massage! That was much needed with all the driving the neck and upper back muscles are all tight.
Then relaxing supper and evening with cousin Julie and Gary. Oh how I wish I lived closer to my cousins!
It was a day of driving but not yet to a new destination, this was for getting my labs! Though I managed to talk my oncologist to postponing my 3 month scheduled CT scan I was not successful in delaying my C125 blood draw which needed to be at a Lab Corp. Yes they are nationwide but the closest were 3 1/2 hours away either Lincoln Nebraska or Des Moines Iowa. I chose Lincoln! Left the farm at 6:30am, arrived Lab Corp 10:15 and by 10:30 was finished! Began my return to the farm with a few stops including Dow City to spend the afternoon and supper with dear friends Carol and Paul Rehm. It was a time to catch up on their recent cruise to Alaska and enjoy fellowship together. And…a delicious meal of potatoes, zucchini, onions and sausage all wrapped in foil and put on the grill for 45 minutes. Delicious!
Loved the drive today which was often on back roads to see the progression of the crops, many near Dow City were being harvested, while up near Albert City they are just getting started.
Left Albert City in the dark and returned after dark! Days are definitely getting shorter!
It was a special day at the Clay County Fair with Tom, Joni and Joni’s mom Darlene, beginning with finding a parking place directly across from the entrance and no lines to get in. But then there were the Veterans events first with a parade and then a special program which included a packed room of about 400 (many were veterans). Program included our National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance, invocation by retired service chaplain, procession of flags and hymns sung in a medley of the five branches of the service with veterans standing during their branch song, excellent speaker (more about her in a minute), with the program concluding with everyone singing God Bless America! The program was done with excellence!
Speaker was from a local town and a mom. She reflected on 9/11 22 years ago when her son returned home from high school that day, he was a junior and announced he was going to enter the Marines! He was passionate about his decision, joined up with his first tour in Afghanistan, then signed up for his 2nd tour January 2006. He was killed during that 2nd tour in May 2006. His mom shared about the day they were notified and subsequent events that forever changed their lives. The support they received from of the community especially their church and how she now serves veterans and their families, Needless to say I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room! Thankful for those who fight for our freedom and certainly for those who have sacrificed their lives.
They day included fair food, visiting the many exhibits, watching some of the judging of sheep and horses, as well as seeing rabbits, some enormous pigs, miniature goats and donkeys…oh so many animals. And then there was the field equipment! Tractors, combines etc that were HUGE!
All in all a great day!
Just some bonus pictures of Finley enjoying the fresh raspberries grandma just picked, helping grandpa make Dutch Babies, and playing with Auntie Karol in the kitchen late at night (taking cups out of the drawer and putting them back, over and over again!)
Bonus pictures of great niece Lillian at her first day of school!!!
And…Grandma Freda with niece Karlee at the wedding of Freda’s grandson Sam.
