Back in Marengo, IA

76º here in Marengo, IA at 4:54 pm as I start this.  Was 51º this morning near Sterling, IL when we woke.  Left there about 9 am and stopped for gass in Sterling

Beat the $2.549 in Kalamzoo a couple days ago

Lynn by coin-operated item asking for $3,500

Drove from Sterling, IL west to Clinton, IA and then followed the Mississippi River south to Le Claire, IA which is just up the river from Davenport, IA

Stopped at Antique Archaeology which is owned by Mike Wolfe of the TV show American Pickers. 

Book I did not buy, but gives names
of the characters in the TV show

Phyllis by their "logo" car

Clerk at Antique Archaeology talking with Phyllis

A clerk visited with Phyllis extensively, answering questions.  Mike Wolfe owns Antique Archaeology, both the store in Le Claire and the one in Nashville.  Frank Fritz, who appears on the American Pickers show with Mike, owns his own store someplace in Illinois.  It was Mike who tried to get a TV show started and asked it to be named Antique Archaeology, but the producers said viewers would be turned off by the word Antique.  So, they came up with the name American Pickers.  When they are on the TV show, Frank is buying for his stores and Frank is buying for his store.  Danielle lives in Chicago where she does most of her research and finding stuff via internet and by phone.  She comes to either the Iowa store or the Tennessee store only when the TV production crew is going to be at the store for certain filming.

Lots of people in the store

An old, old motor bike - NFS  (Not For Sale)

This is almost entirely rust - "Don't Touch" signs all over it- NFS

Another old bike - NFS

 We had coupon from our Iowa Restaurants from "Our Iowa Magazine" with us and stopped at Big Dave & Hollys about a mile north of Antique  Archaeology, right along the Mississippi River north of Le Claire.  Great food - was really busy and Holly kept up with everything.  We each ordered a Breaded Pork Tenderloin and when they came they were so huge we just split one and got a box for the other.  A customer recommended the Deep Fried Cauliflower so we added that, too.  Delicious.

Phyllis visited with this lady, Vera, quite a bit.  Holly
told me that Vera is 103 years old and is a regular customer.

Stopped at Costco in Coralville, IA to get gas for $2.109 this afternoon.  Since we got here at our son's place about 3 pm and have been visiting with granddaughter Ashley and Great Granddaughter Jessica.

Jessica learning to run a shopping cart!!!!!

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A lawyer died and arrived at the pearly gates. To his dismay, there were thousands of people ahead of him in line to see St. Peter. To his surprise, St. Peter left his desk at the gate and came down the long line to where the lawyer was, and greeted him warmly. Then St. Peter and one of his assistants took the lawyer by the hands and guided him up to the front of the line, and into a comfortable chair by his desk. The lawyer said, "I don't mind all this attention, but what makes me so special?"  St. Peter replied, "Well, I've added up all the hours for which you billed your clients, and by my calculation you must be about 193 years old!"

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- “Learning to sleep upside down is often hard for baby bats, but they soon get the hang of it.”

- What do you get when you cross a pig and a centipede?  Bacon and legs.

- On a rural road a state trooper pulled this farmer over and said: "Sir, do you realize your wife fell out of the car several miles back?" To which the farmer replied: "Thank God, I thought I had gone deaf!"

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Knock Knock
Who's there?
Roland!
Roland who?
Roland Stone gathers no moss!

Later, Lynn