So I stopped the last blog post in Atlanta. We had some traffic problems that day but had a good nights rest and breakfast then headed out of Atlanta on Saturday morning. It was a good day to travel and we stayed right on our planned time on the road. We landed in Gainsville Florida at a hotel we have stayed at multiple times and it continues to be a favorite. It was Saturday night football in Gainsville with the Gators at home against Long Island University, a college football powerhouse. The hotel was full of fans. We spent a couple of hours at Swamp Head Brewery winding down. They had an interesting food truck, the gentleman was happy to talk about the sausages he makes. The girls were not so sure, as there were no hot dogs, everything from wild boar to gator. They elected the turkey sausage with candied bacon and were pleasantly surprised! I went for the gator with curry coconut aioli. Excellent!

So breakfast in the morning and then on to Boynton Beach. It was good to arrive home and empty the car. We opened up the condos and got everything running, no issues. So we ordered a Josie’s pizza and the next days were about doing some shopping and settling back in. We took care of a few things and caught up with a couple of neighbors and then I was planning to leave. Thursday I headed back to Wisconsin. My homebrew friends invited me to our annual Packer game, they knew I want the early in season games. My wife gave me permission to go. My high school friend Jeff had mentioned a few times he had never been to Lambeau field, so when a ticket was available he said he was in. We had planned on it when we left Oshkosh, so we did not have to prepare the apartment for the winter when we left on our drive, knowing I could take care of details when I came back. Last year the Packer game we went to was very warm, and there was some worry about it being an early September game this year. But the weather was perfect. When I arrived back in Wisconsin the nights were in the 40’s! So no problem with being too warm. Game day was high in the mid 60’s. We left at 8:30 am for the 3:20 game. It was cool in the morning as we arrived in the RV, so we cracked a few beers to warm up. We had a great lunch and fun conversations catching up with those of us who don’t see each other often. We had the usual worries about the first game: how will the Packers look, is the team ready, and against Detroit a team who owned them last season and was one of the best teams in the NFL? Not to worry, the Packers came out strong and really made it a perfect day. Always good to start with a win. It makes the whole day better. We replayed the game back at the RV while we grilled steaks. No need to hurry into Green Bay traffic. When we left at 8:30 Kurt drove us on an easy ride south to conclude the day.

What a great day. Jeff and I had breakfast Monday morning then he headed back to Illinois. I started my duties to shut down the apartment. Canceling TV and internet is always much harder than signing up for it! But all is taken care of. Some cleaning and covering of items in the apartment to wait until spring for us. The car in the garage and battery disconnected. It’s good to know someone who gets up at 3am. Mark picked me up early in the morning so I could make a 5:30am flight. The good thing about early AM flights are the plane arrived the night before, so the first flight was on time leaving. 49 minutes in Atlanta was plenty to make the next flight to West Palm Beach. So I was back in Boynton within a week. Now we are still settling in and organizing the condo and the car for winter in Boynton Beach. We are almost there, a trip to Costco and some trips to Publix. Arranging the things that had been put away on shelves and in cabinets. Marie is getting organized and we will be catching up on some doctor and dentist appointments. My tooth was pulled earlier in the year and this week the surgeon inserts the post that will hold the new tooth. And it’s on to the next 7-8 months of golf, grill outs and pool time. Prayers to our friends who are having surgeries and health issues.

Deep discussion while bottling beer

Packers vs Lions, about to score

Motley Crew

The Ocean is Always Interesting

So the last blog ended with Chris, Marie, and I heading to Oshkosh. We then spent the second week of July in Oshkosh and prepared to head north again. July 12-26^th we were in Door County joined by MJ and our old friends Jeff and Donna. And of course our multiple old friends from all of the years of camping together. We had a great time. MJ kept the list of favorite places we needed to get to, and we finished her list. We had some golf time, lot’s of walking the towns, and a of course some food and drink.

After Door County it was back to Oshkosh for Chris, Marie and I. We settled in for awhile and enjoyed some warm Oshkosh weather. We caught up with old friends which is the reason we come back to Wisconsin. So much fun and so many stories to share. Chris and I had plans in August that we wanted to accomplish. We continued our years of attending Irishfest. Marie held down the fort in Oshkosh as we headed to Milwaukee to join Jeff and Donna for 3 days of music, food, and beer. We made some good decisions (mixed in with a few bad ones) and had a good time as usual. VW joined us which was a pleasant surprise. We spent Friday night with music, and with Noel and Jo Ann. I think we fit in 5 hours at the festival and then headed to the hotel bar! Saturday was a nice breakfast downtown and then down to the festival to start the afternoon. We had booked some VIP tickets, thinking of last years hot days and wanting a nice place to sit in the shade for awhile, on comfy chairs. It turned out to be a great idea, because it was a relaxing place to sit out some rain and catch up. Plus the private bar and bathrooms. We ended up leaving early in the evening as the rain came back, which gave us more time to bond with the hotel bartender. And Sunday always starts out with Mass on the grounds to get us in a positive mood. After mass the day gets started. My coffee started with Irish Cream which was perfect. We met up with Steve and Tiff at Mass and spent a number of hours together. We found good music, corned beef, and a beer or two. And all throughout the weekend we met other friends and shared a toast or two. Sunday was predicted for rain in the morning and then cloudy, and turned into the best day of the festival. Lot’s of sun and perfect weather along Lake Michigan. We put a full day in, caught some sunburn, and closed the hotel bar. That led to breakfast at Cafe Benelux downtown the next morning, another tradition, then heading home. Marie did well on her own in Oshkosh and welcomed us back. Chris caught up with doing the wash, I caught up with some golf, and the 3 of us caught up with dinner with friends.

 The next weekend we were privileged to be invited to Mark and Terry’s son’s wedding in far north Wisconsin. Chris and I headed up Friday night and caught dinner in a classic northern Wisconsin pub, then headed to the Friday night welcome party. We had a motel room on the Minocqua island and could walk to the party. We met up with Steve and Nancee who came in from KC and we spent some quality hours. The next day we met up for a nice lunch and then headed to the ceremony and reception. It was all well done with no short cuts taken. At the reception we sat with the Oshkosh crowd, partook of the wonderful food areas, and just had a fun time. We left well after dark, leaving the reception to the young folks, and found our way out of the woods and back to our hotels. Sunday morning it was back to Oshkosh for Chris and I. Marie did well on her own again and we went out for a late lunch together when we arrived back in Oshkosh. Monday was time for my last Wisconsin golf round for the year, and Chris for more wash.

So it was a good summer, each New Day of the summer brought an opportunity for something new, or to remember something of the past. We have lived a good life so we can enjoy those memories.

 Each New Day gave us a chance to spend a few minutes with friends that we had previously spent countless hours of enjoyment with, and maybe had a few minutes of foolishness.

A chance for a few minutes with restaurant owners we spent countless Friday nights catching up on business and family.

A chance to spend a few minutes with those kids growing up- who now have their own sons and daughters graduating college and living their own life.

Or a chance to spend a few minutes with someone who we did not know well but still left a memory.

 Each New Day brings thoughts of those – those who their new day brought a life challenging change – that all we can do now for them now is to give prayers; prayers that they can deal with each new challenging day.

Our New Day is a chance to reflect on those that we lost this year and last- who left a strong mark on our hearts and the memories that still bring us joy.

All those opportunities for each day are also reminders that we have lived long lives and we need to find enjoyment for each day that is left. It is too easy to dwell on today’s problem, that soon will be forgotten. Thank you to those of you have added to our good life and are part of each new day.

So back to our recent days: we had a Monday and Tuesday to pack because on Wednesday Chris, Marie, and I headed out on our Florida trip. The first day drive was to Champaign IL, exactly on our 5 hours drive time. We ended up with a new hotel for us, which was right on the U of I campus. It was clean and beautiful so Chris has it penciled in for the next time through Champaign. Modern and great staff. A relaxing 5 hour drive from there was Bowling Green KY. Do you East coasters know how many farm fields there are through out the country? The corn and soybean fields all looked good; and as we came south they are already harvesting corn. It was mostly county and state highways and went from flat Illinois to the rolling hills of Kentucky. All going well and uneventful. The next day we went past Nashville and started to experience more traffic as we headed East. And worse. 30 miles outside of Chattanooga we started to hit stop and go traffic; no good reason. And heading down to Atlanta there were multiple accidents and delays. So we added an hour to our 5 hour plan. Good for us we had a very nice hotel booked, and walked to a nice meal with drinks. So one more night ahead of us, a stop in Gainsville FL, then Sunday on to Boynton Beach.

Hatch Distillery Door County

Hill Street Door County

Irishfest Friends

John watch out for the turkeys

A Mincqua bar for supper

Mom and Son

On from Savannah we went, and took a scenic ride to Asheville NC. It is summer and each leg of our trip included some road construction and slow downs, but that is just part of the trip. Nothing too terrible and Android Auto has already calculated that in to the scheduled time on the road. We arrived in Asheville late afternoon with a little rain. We stayed at an Aloft hotel on the south slope that Chris and I have stayed at in the past, and we knew we had a short walk to Wicked Weed brewery that would have some good beers and food. We took a break in the rooms and when the rain let up headed out. This was a great chance to see our old friend from Oshkosh, Mike Engel. Mike joined us at Wicked Weed and we had fun catching up. Mike and Mary are doing well, with Mike volunteering at a community radio station to do some afternoon time slots and also playing bass with some new friends. It was a fun evening and some new beers were tasted. Maybe not enough because we spent a little more time at the hotel bar before calling it a night.

A little breakfast in the morning and we were on the road again. This time encountering construction in the mountains, where they are still trying to rebuild parts of I-40 that were damaged in the hurricane floods. It is quite an extensive project but lucky for us traffic was light and we kept up a good pace driving through to Knoxville. At Knoxville meet up with I-75 and head northbound for Georgetown KY, just outside of Lexington. Again an area Chris and I have been to in the past and enjoyed, as well as about half way from Asheville to Detroit. It was MJ’s birthday so we had to celebrate that evening. We took her to a favorite restaurant of Chris and I and as is usually the case with high expectations; not everything lived up to our memories. But it was still very good, everyone was happy with their meals and certainly happy with the time we spent with the bartender. There was no need for more drinks when we left there to head back to the hotel that night.

So the next morning was breakfast and on the road again, still heading north. This time through Cincinnati, Ohio, and into Michigan. The worst traffic being near and into Detroit, with a major road shut down and some people getting an early start to the fourth of July weekend. We still arrived at MJ and John’s as scheduled and had time to relax and then head out for dinner. So now it will be a grill out on the 4^th and Chris, Marie, and I heading out on Saturday. We will take the scenic route north through the UP and spend a night in Manistique MI. We should be in Oshkosh Sunday and then have the week to prepare to head to Door County WI.

Wicked Weed in Asheville

Local Feed in Georgetown, Is that good?

Brown Iron near Detroit

So time continues to fly by. Chris, Marie and I did fly back to Wisconsin after Memorial Day. MJ flew into Appleton for the weekend to tour her old spots in Oshkosh with Marie, while Chris and I went down to Milwaukee for my cousin’s son’s wedding. We had a great time with a beautiful ceremony and the reception at the Harley Davidson Museum. A time to catch up with most of my remaining relatives! And Chris and I always love being back in downtown Milwaukee. And to top it off while in Oshkosh we had the chance to catch up with old friends. Marie is still telling everyone how much fun it was to see them all. After a week it was flying back to West Palm Beach. There we continued some small projects and spending time with our Florida friends. The weather has been above normal temperatures in Florida, pretty much the same day to day. It should be the rainy season, and luckily we did have some rain, But not as much as needed, as we are still about 13” below normal.

But now back to some tradition for us. We are heading back to Oshkosh and on July 12^th we check in to our Door County cottage. Marie and MJ will be with us, although we will be missing some important people this year. Jeff and Donna will be checking in at the same time so we look forward to some quality time with my high school friend. Also there will be a chance to see more of our oldest friends and reminisce about our old camping days. We always look forward to old favorite restaurants and bars, and creating some new memories.

MJ was in Florida this past week for a cruise with our friend Audrey. As long as she was there and needing to get back to Detroit, she is riding along with us on our trip back to the north. So on Sunday the 29^th we headed out from Boynton Beach. Marie and MJ have never been to Savannah so that is our first stop. And since was the longest leg of our trip (6 hours) we are staying 2 nights. That allowed us to arrive the first night and be able to check in and have dinner at the Little Duck Diner. And to take a short walk around the hotel area in the historic district. Then the next day have one of my favorite breakfasts, take a carriage tour of some of the city, and do more sightseeing. A good meal and some smores on the patio to end the day, then next on to Asheville.

Sit back and relax

Happy Carriage Ride

Star of the Show

Savannah cocktails anyone?

So after Marie’s birthday we continued to keep busy. Our good friends Bev and Wally flew in from St Louis and spent some days with us. They joined our weekly grill out and we all enjoyed some local restaurants. I think a fun time was had by all.

Of course the next thing up was St Patrick’s day. Our neighbors asked that Chris cook the corned beef, as hers is much better than going out anywhere. We cooked about 20 lbs of corned beef over 3 days and served 28 people. There were also about 10 lbs of potatoes made, 4 heads of cabbage, and carrots. It was all wonderful and we did well with eating most of it up. Add in cocktails and dessert.

Next in was MJ for her Spring Break. We had another fun week that went by quickly, including a number of trips to Copperpoint Brewery. We managed a neighborhood breakfast in there, which must have been good because we all spent a bunch of hours in the courtyard. We had a surprise after that as our old neighbors Sam and Sarah came into West Palm Beach and we had a chance to spend some hours together.

Through it all Chris, I and Marie talked about Marie’s future. Marie is worried about her short term memory and frustrations dealing with her computer and phone. We all agreed it would be best if Marie stays closer to Chris and I and not go back to New Mexico. So we have been working on getting me access to Marie’s accounts so I can log in and help her. And changing her addresses to become a full time Florida resident. We have changed her medical insurance to a Florida plan and are working on getting out of her lease in Albuquerque. I flew to Albuquerque for 5 days to empty out her apartment. Cleaning out drawers and closets, shipping back things she wanted or might need, and getting someone to come in to take the large furniture. Some appointments in there also, but things went well and everything was done that I had hoped to get done. Marie has been great through it all and helpful. Next she is getting a dentist and doctor here in Florida, and we have an appointment for her to get her Florida ID. Of course across the country the departments of motor vehicles are swamped because people finally realized they need to get their drivers license to a Real ID if they want to fly; and we have had to wait a month to get an appointment. Marie is also on the waiting list for an apartment in our complex in Oshkosh. So we hope something becomes available sooner than later. For now we will remain in Florida for awhile, we do have plans to fly back for a wedding at the end of May and stay about a week. Then back here in Florida until probably July. We will take it as it comes.

Here in Florida a number of neighbors have left and more leaving over the next couple of weeks. Then it will be the full timers and us! Enjoy!

Kubuki local restaurant witl Bev and Wally

Corned Beef served

keep the line going

St Pat’s merriment

Can you guess this breweries favorite movie

Last time waking up to balloons in the air

We wish my sister in law Marie a Happy Birthday!    I have known her longer than I have known Chris!   We have had lot’s of fun, and more to come.

1949 Marie and Chris

Graduation

Marie and John’s Wedding

Anniversary Party in New Mexico

2001 MJ and John’s Wedding

2000’s Oshkosh

Brews and Blues Oshkosh, I’ll have one more!

We will all have one more

Oshkosh Boat Trip

2019 New Mexico

Christmas decorating 2014

I have been very lazy the last couple of months.  Not only Not doing much walking but not updating my blog.   I think it is a way to keep in touch with old friends so I don’t mean to ignore it,  just lazy.   We are living a good life here in South Florida.   January was much cooler than normal, and we had the longest stretch of cool wet weather we can remember seeing.  But we are past that point and Florida has settled into normal boring weather; sunny and warm day after day.  I volunteered for some projects around the condo association, some painting, drainage, and water issues.   We found that a 50+ year old galvanized pipe can contribute to water pressure issues.  With the help of the association and good plumbers we have a long stretch of new plastic pipe feeding our condo.  During the Christmas Holidays we had MJ here and that helps keep us busy and having fun.   After the start of the new year our condo neighbors have returned and our weekly grill outs have much larger attendance.  And I am back to golfing every week and enjoying it.   The golf game does not always support what I think it should be, but we always have fun.   Maybe too much bourbon tasting.  For Chris’s birthday MJ bought us tickets to see the broadway show A Beautiful Noise,  which was about Neil Diamond’s life and of course, great songs.   It was great.  We just had what has become our annual Super Bowl Party.  Not much of a game but when you are with good friends and lot’s of food it really doesn’t matter.   It seems our friends back north are having what we remember as an old fashioned winter.  Sorry about that,  but you know where we are.  We hope you all are safe and healthy.   I will keep this short and just say Hi !!

finding drains that have been buried and no longer work.

Amazing there was any water pressure!!

We still have gaters on the golf courses

Super bowl party

It’s a Beautiful Noise

Grill Out Group

Wow,   time does go by!    I had been writing some notes on the rest of our trip south and added some when we arrived,  but never updated the blog.   So I guess it’s time.   Travel notes start here where I left off on the last update:   So after a night in Olive Branch MIssissippi we had some breakfast and started heading southeast across Mississippi.  I22 to US 45 are very nice roads and there were low volumes of cars,  so it was a relaxing ride.   Again, very pretty color in the trees.  We had about 6 hours planned for that day, at the top end of our time in the car.  A couple of hours in we found a Love’s Travel Stop to fill up and stretch our legs. Route US 45 travels from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to Mobile Alabama and we have been on it many times in Wisconsin.  What is odd about route US 45 in Mississippi is that while it is a divided 4 lane road there are very few gas stations and restaurants along the road.   And NO state rest stops or picnic areas.  So getting close to 4 hours in we needed a break.  We took a side trip into Quitman Mississippi, a small town with a little restaurant that showed up on our maps.  Cozette’s is in what was once a gas station and serves homemade fast food.   Run by 2 sisters who were inspired by their grandmother (Cozette).   We were welcomed when we walked in the door and in the small confines had a good conversation with one of the owners.   Homemade unsweetened tea and lemonade and some wings gave us a break before we were back on the road.  South Mississippi going into Alabama does not look prosperous.  Lot’s of shacks in the woods and manufactured homes.  Going into Alabama the divided 4 lane goes to a 2 lane highway but still a pretty easy ride.  We rode near Vinegar Bend Alabama and through Citronelle, an area my Great Grandparents farmed and some of my Grandfather’s brothers and sisters are buried.  US 45 did take us into Mobile and then I-10 across the bay to Daphne where we called it a night.  Some drinks and soup at a restaurant near the hotel and then watch the University of Wisconsin football game.  The next morning was breakfast and on the road to Gainesville Florida.Staying under our 6 hours and leaving just over 4 hours the next day.  We have stayed in Gainesville before  and the Fairfield Suites was as good as it was in the past.   And 4 minutes away to Swamphead Brewery, which we also have visited in the past.   They have a nice beer list with a diverse selection including some good sours.   The vibe is relaxing and on a Sunday locals just chilling with their beers and dogs.   We were too late for the brunch food truck but managed to get a pizza delivered that we shared with the bartenders.  So we relaxed, we had a good night back at the hotel and were ready for the morning drive to Boynton Beach.   It is mostly Florida Tollway  to home and an easy drive.  We made it home and unloaded the car, uncovered the furniture, and have been settling in since.  It was good to get back even though it takes awhile to unpack and get comfortable again.   It is good to see old friends again and catch up.   We have had our first grill outs with neighbors.   We visited a couple of favorite places and did the Saturday morning market in Delray.  We are blessed to have so many good people we can call friends.   I have done a little garden work and will got Marie’s condo ready for her.   Marie and MJ arrived on Thanksgiving.  Their flights went well and arrived a few minutes early into West Palm after a stop in Atlanta.     We had most of the meal ready and fired up the oven and the grill and had our Thanksgiving dinner.   For the weekend we were able to meet with our old friend Audrey and get to our favorite brewery before MJ headed back on Sunday.    So time has continued to fly by as I come up with projects that needed to be done.  We helped decorate the Association Clubhouse which was a fun evening, and Chris Marie and I put up some lights in our courtyard.   We have some cocktail hours and there goes the time!  Last night we caught a drone show,  our neighbors saw it start and alerted us.  We guess it had to do with the city tree lighting,  it was amazing.   A figure in the sky would start to scatter and dim and another took it’s place.    Today is the Boynton Beach Christmas Parade.  So we made it to Farmers Market this morning and now the Federal Highway in front of us is closed until 9pm tonight as bands start to gather and get directed to their starting points.   We have had some cool nights,  well not quite what we see up north but hey, 62 feels pretty cold!    Get ready for the season and take care!

Outside restaurant on the edge of Mobile, they moved when they detected movement

Swamp Head Brewery Gainsville

Decorating the Clubhouse Tree

The Decoration Committee

Drone Reindeer

Drone Snowmen

Drone Wishes

Center Trees

South End

We had a wonderful time with Bev and Wally in St Louis.   Wally picked out great places for us to eat, we enjoyed the great weather, time on the deck by the fire reminiscing about the 46 years we have known each other.   We were able to see their new beautiful home, and just relaxed.  Thanks Bev and Wally.   After a few nights it was time to give them a break and hit the road.   We headed south. My initial plan this year was to leave St Louis and head east through Tennessee, but after hurricane Helene that would have taken us through areas of East Tennessee and Georgia that were hard hit,   so instead we went through Missouri, Arkansas, and Tennessee into Mississippi just south of Memphis.   It was a good ride. The autumn color in the trees continued, with different types of trees giving us different oranges and yellows.  We knew we were in the south when we saw the cotton fields being harvested.  It is always neat to see ‘snow’ covered fields and rolls of cotton.   All along the highway is lined with white tufts of cotton that have been blown there by the wind.  There was also a lot of acreage of soybeans being harvested.  The National Soybean Festival is an annual event held in Portageville, Missouri.  We made it through Memphis traffic to land in Olive Branch Mississippi.  The south side of Memphis for an easy start in the morning.  I had intended to go a little further south but found small hotels at $1000 a night, apparently Old Miss has a football game tomorrow.  So instead Olive Branch where we had a walk through the parking lot for a cocktail and a steakhouse,  which proved welcoming and tasty.  In the morning a light breakfast and further south.

talk at the fire table

Fields of Cotton

Rolls waiting for pick-up

Cotton on the Road

Looks pretty cool

Welcome to Memphis

So as of the last blog we had gotten home after Labor Day from MJ and John’s house.  September went by quickly as it was a beautiful fall in Wisconsin.   Temperatures remained well above normal most of the month.   I golfed later than …..   Probably ever.     Even when the mornings were cold, and the sunrise kept getting later,  the sun was warm and felt great.    Chris and I had some time to relax and start to plan for our future – Washington Island and heading to Florida.  I was able to attend the Packers game against the Colts and cheer the team on to a win.   It was a warm day at Lambeau with water being sold out in the 4th quarter.   You won’t hear that often at Lambeau.  We had a great day but the heat even made the beer go down slowly by the end of the day.   I made it to see a Wisconsin release of the movie ‘Just a bit outside’ about the 1982 Brewers.  It was great, especially for a fan from 1982 who knew the players being interviewed.  Well Done.  Our friend Jeff came up from Illinois for a couple of days and we had some golf, some food and some beers.   In October we joined our annual trip to Washington Island.  A celebration of Janet and Steve’s anniversary,  we have become good friends with their friends.  It was another successful long weekend.  From meeting at a micro brewery and lunch,  to the theme of black tie New Years Eve party, hiking, biking, eating and drinking.   A super time on the Island.  And the timing was perfect for full color in the trees,   It has been a beautiful fall.  Then back to Oshkosh to unpack and start packing.   Luckily with still that good weather,  I did get out to golf again with John.   Chris and I planned out a few things we want to move to Florida, sort through our clothes -what needs to go?   We are traveling with a little less baggage than past years.  So Sunday Oct 20 we were on our way – to Milwaukee.  My Brother and his wife Claire were celebrating their 50th anniversary that day or we would have already been on the road.   It was a chance to celebrate with them,  and they provided a lunch and admission to the Sunset Playhouse.  My brother is the Master Carpenter there,  he volunteers and builds most of the sets they need for any given play.  We had a wonderful time seeing family and the play 9-5 was very entertaining.  Thanks Skip and Claire, and they said it would never last.    After a night in Milwaukee we were heading south,  well actually mostly West,  but still south.   We made a stop in New Glarus Wisconsin to have a beer at New Glarus brewery.   It was Chris’s lucky day on Monday because she loves watching the bottling line and it was running full speed!  We spent a little time and then on to Cedar Rapids Iowa.   A relaxing ride through the rolling countryside, with corn being harvested and the trees in lovely color.   New Glarus is the Swiss town that Chris’s grandmother took her to when Chris was small, and driving out into the countryside we could see why the Swiss settlers were reminded of their homeland. A warm sunny October drive, we crossed the Mississippi into more color and rolling hills of corn fields.  A stay in Cedar Rapids Iowa was the right distance to drive on a Monday.  We had a great stay and then headed south the the St Louis area.  Currently we are staying with old friends Wally and Bev for a few nights.    Then on to the next phase of our trip.

Jeff joining us in Oshosh

John and I on our last round for the season

The ‘Island’ group

Bitters shots all around

Steve serenading us, looks classy doesn’t he?

A Black Tie New Years Eve party, in October

the Northern Lights on the Island

Randy, Chris, Skip, Claire, Denise, Jason

50 years ago

The wedding party today