Our week's trip

72º sunny here in Clarinda, IA at 10:50 am Friday as I start this.  Had .2" of rain overnight, but no storm right here, though there were more storms around.

Well, I took 1400 photos on our trip and already have them edited down to 1053 -- takes lots of time.  Will put a few here.

Phyllis with our only Great Granddaughter

Patty - Jessica's grandmother - holding her
and looking at the phone

I got to feed Jessica a bit.

Jessica being held by her Aunt Emily - Mommy's sister

I'm holding Jessica with my brother Donald

Brother Donald and his wife Vicki

Jessica enjoying some watermelon
from her daddy Heath

Going down the Interstate we saw a travel-trailer
even smaller than the one we pull!

One night we ate at Jethro's
BBA in Ankeny

We shared one Jethro's sandwich
that had a Pork Tenderloin covered
with shredded pork, mushrooms
and bacon. With side of onion rings.
 We had enough left over for
breakfast the next morning

One night we ate at Fong's Pizza -- had a Crab
Rangoon Pizza with a side of Egg Rolls.  Was
good, but different than any pizza we had before!

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Besides seeing the family, celebrating Great Granddaughter Jessica's first birthday we did site-seeing while parking our trailer at Saylorville Lake north of Des Moines and then in our son's driveway in Marengo, IA
Here are the places we visited.  

World Food Prize Hall of Laureates - 100 Locust Street - Des Moines, IA 50309           Norman E. Borlaug, Founder of the World Food Prize - 1970 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate https://www.worldfoodprize.org/

 Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden - 909 Robert D. Ray Drive Des Moines, IA  50309  http://www.dmbotanicalgarden.com/

Salisbury House and Gardens  4025 Tonawanda Drive  Des Moines, IA 50312
Phone:(515) 274-1777- Salisbury House & Gardens is a historic house museum located in Des Moines, Iowa featuring a 42-room estate surrounded by nine acres of beautiful gardens and woodland. It was built from 1923-1928 by cosmetic pioneer and Iowa native, Carl Weeks and his wife Edith. Come tour this exquisite American estate and its diverse collections of art, literature, and worldly treasures.  https://salisburyhouse.org/

Iowa River Landing Wetland Park - 300 E. 9th St. - Coralville, IA 52241  The Iowa River Landing Wetland Park, located between the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center and the Iowa River, is a two-acre pond surrounded by five acres of wetlands.  This public park features three distinct types of wetlands, established in 2006: emergent, forested, and wet meadow. 

  A series of elevated walkways ring the pond and traverse the wetlands on the east side of the Coralville Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, and a viewing tower serves as an observation point. A limestone outcropping with a cascading waterfall is located at the north end of the pond.  The park is an ideal location for nature walks, bird watching, and wildlife photography. http://www.coralville.org/irlwetland

Old Capitol Museum - 21 Old Capitol - The University of Iowa - Iowa City, IA 52242  https://oldcap.uiowa.edu/

Brucemore National Trust Historic Site & Cultural Center - 2160 Linden Dr SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403 Experience Brucemore, an unparalleled blend of tradition and culture. At the heart of the historic 26-acre estate stands a 19th-century mansion, filled with the stories of three Cedar Rapids families.     The Sinclair Family  1884-1906 -- he Douglas Family 1906-1937  --  The Hall Family 1937-1981  - http://www.brucemore.org/

Bastards wouldn't let me take photos inside the house --- something about trust copy-write laws.

Will try to post some more photos and descriptions of these places later.

Is now 3:30 pm and must quit on this.

Don't wait. Do it now.  --  Later, Lynn

Working up a blog about the last week.

72º here in Clarinda, IA at 8:55 am Wednesday as I start this.  Lots of storms around us - tornadoes and straight wind damage with hail - but we only got rain here at our house.

I took 1040 photos on our trip - while I didn't have a way to put them on the blog -- and now am editing them.  Will be a bit before I get them done so just a note here that one will be forthcoming.

Later, Lynn

Des Moines and Marengo

Well, my computer crashed the first night of our vacation.  
So, can't put any pictures on.
Am wrestling with the tablet of Phyllis of which I am not a fan.
Garrrr
We went to World Food Prize in the old Des Moines library and to the Sudbury House built in 1920
Ate at some different eateries
Expecting some strong storms tonight.
Weiner roast tomorrow night at County Park on Great granddaughters first birthday and then celebration Saturday afternoon at the park for lots of friends and family.

Hope to have my laptop working by end of next week.

Lynn

Getting Trailer Ready

84º here in Clarinda, IA at 7:30 pm Monday as I start this.  Basically a nice sunny day.

Watched Dish Tech check out our system, which hadn't worked since Thursday evening, and replaced the black box itself.  Also added a sound bar with speakers behind our easy chairs --- which sure adds to what I can hear!

Mowed the lawn this afternoon.

Not sure what these are, but they are blooming behind my shop.

Spent most of afternoon hooking up trailer - Phyllis has been loading stuff in in it for several days - finished with the food tonight and other that a few things will be ready to pull out in the morning.  Plan on eating breakfast at the Junction in Bedford and head on to our campsite reserved at Prairie Flower Recreation Area on Saylorville Lake north of Des Moines.  To spend several days touring some museums and gardens and buildings in the Des Moines area.

SOME OTHER PEOPLES THOUGHTS:

The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending; and to have the two as close together as possible.
- George Burns
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Santa Claus has the right idea.  Visit people only once a year.
- Victor Borge
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By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.
- Socrates
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My wife has a slight impediment in her speech. Every now and then she stops to breathe.
- Jimmy Durante
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I have never hated a man enough to give his diamonds back.
- Zsa Zsa Gabor
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I don't feel old. I don't feel anything until noon. Then it's time for my nap.
- Bob Hope
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I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it.
- W. C. Fields
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We could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its way through Congress.
- Will Rogers
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Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.
- Winston Churchill
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Maybe it's true that life begins at fifty, but everything else starts to wear out, fall out, or spread out.
- Phyllis Diller
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By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he's too old to go anywhere.
- Billy Crystal
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And the cardiologist's diet: If it tastes good spit it out.  author unknown

Knock Knock
Who's there?
Mischa!
Mischa who?
Mischa a lot!

Later, Lynn

Fathers Day Flight Breakfast and Air Show

79º in Clarinda, IA at 4:20 pm Sunday as I start this.

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National Anthem was sung as the last of 4 skydivers came in.

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Well, got sidelined - is now 9:30 pm -  Went to the pancake breakfast at the Airport this morning.

Ate with our neighbors Carol and Bob Brown

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Group of 6 pilots from Kansas City, all in home-built Experimental planes, put on quite a show.  These all work at other jobs and this is a hobby for them.

The 24-hour Medi-Flight helicopter that is stationed at the hospital across the street from our house was on display before the air show.  Visited a bit with the two nurses - they say they work 24 hour shifts every other day for 5 days at a time.

 This plane, made in the 1940's one of the last for World War II was flown by Clarinda Native Harry Barr and put on quite a performance.

Good sized crowd in attendance for the breakfast and also for the Air Show.

Will be getting our travel trailer hooked up, final loading done and all systems checked out tomorrow ready to pull out for Saylorville Lake north of Des Moines on Tuesday morning.

Oh yeah, latest picture from Facebook of Great Granddaughter and her new puppy.

Later, Lynn

Lots of rain and wind

68 degrees here in Clarinda, IA at 7:53 am Saturday as I start this.  More rain last night - makes total of 4 inches of rain in last 48 hours.  Hearing of lot of wind damage in area, though we did not have any at our place.  Were without electricity for nearly an hour last evening.

Note -- here is listing of local radio station funerals: 94, Glenwood, IA; 106, of Bradenton, Florida; 78, Rock Port, Missouri; Helen K. Sippel, 99, of Red Oak, Iowa89, formerly of Rock Port, Missouri; 70 of Carrollton, Texas; 45 of Sidney, IA; 95, Maryville, MO;  62, Maryville, MO; 101, Maryville;  66, Rural Bedford, Iowa 72 of Farragut, Iowa, 88 of Sidney, IA
There have been lot of days when lot of younger people -- today mostly older people.

During storm Thursday night lost our Dish Satellite signal and it hasn't returned yet.  After Dish Technicians (in the Philippines) had me go through several checks they decided the area was out.  6 hours later an another call and more checks that I went through they decided it wasn't working -- set up an appointment to have someone come out Monday.  Maybe time to turn off the Dish and go to antenna for over-the-air.

Went down to the Food Pantry and helped unpack donations from the employees of the local prison on Friday.  Helped sort and put on shelves.




Cleaning rain gutters on the shop building today and wondering why I don't remove them completely.

Later, Lynn

The Ides of June

Wunderground (WeatherUnderground) reports Clarinda, IA temperature right now as 97.5º but that it "feels like" 98º  Some breeze, but still warm.
Books --
  Am reading several books now

Finished this hard-cover I received from my daughter.  -- Very interesting book about a dog as a POW in Japanese WWII

Just started this interesting book on Kindle

Finished this book on Kindle.  Straightens out some facts on the young man who died while living in an abandoned bus in the wilds of Alaska.

Just downloaded this book on Kindle written by lady with ALS

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Have read part of this, little difficult staying with it.

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This book will be out in September - was reviewed at the Glenn Miller Festival.  Looks to be a very interesting book

Well, was going to add some more photos of things here at home, including some work in the shop, but alas, can't get the SD card to be recognized by the computer.

PS - just looked at Wunderground again at 5:47 pm:

“Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”

Lynn