Getting settled in to place in Clarinda, IA

 62 degrees with rain and 25 mph winds here in Clarinda, IA at 11 am on Tuesday.  I looked at the rain guage about an hour and a half ago and we had 3 inches.  When I left to go across street to the hospital about 8:10 am (for blood draw for routine checkup tomorrow) we had .2 inch in the guage.  Has poured very hard many times since then.  At 12:30 pm as I finish this we have bright sunshine with very gusty winds.

We arrived in Clarinda around 11 am Sunday, stopped at the airport to dump our trailer tanks at the city facility there.  On home and busilly unloaded much of the trailer and much of the pickup.  By a little after 1:30 we were on the road again, with just the pickup, and headed towards Shenandoah, IA where we picked up Patty Steckelberg and headed to Panama, IA.  

We were notified Saturday while driving from Cape Girardeau to Macon, MO that friend and neighbor in Kenwood RV who lived at Panama had passed away.

Dan Herbst had been coming to Kenwood many years.  His wife died in 2014 and we went to that visitation then.  He had cancer before he came down last fall but declined any treatment until he returned from Texas.  He was legaly blind and did not feel good all winter.  He had been home just 10 days when he got to feeling bad and his lady friend, Jo, took him to the hospital locally and they transferred him to Council Bluffs.  He was diagnosed with a rupture in the colon and died the next morning. He was a very easy-going guy and always had a smile.

I happened upon this photo that was a remberance of someone on Facebook and it reminded me of several photos of my Dad from the 1920s & 30s both in South Dakota and Nebraska.

These two photos are of 40 pounds of 1015 onions above and 20 pounds of Texas carrots at right.  We always try to bring these good vegatables home, but they don''t usually last the whole summer before we head down to Texas to get some more.this fall!

Last fall I replaced the plastic dome over the shower area in our travel trailer.  We started having some small leaks on the way home.  When here and had a ladder to get up there found that all the caulking I had put on it was dried out, curled up and much of it, especially on the front which would have the wind hit it, was missing.  Must have used the wrong caulking.  I used some high-priced special caulking for rubber roof, so hope this stays. Phyllis just looked at it and it is dry inside so far.

Saturday we drove from Cape Girardeau, MO to Macon, MO and set the trailer at the Macon County Fairgrounds campsite.  Looked around town and got a sandwich at Hardees and located the Wilcox Country Opry where we went the the Duke Mason and The Black Diamond Jubalee music show was that evening at 7 pm.  We didn't realize you could reserve seats ahead of time and were lucky to get two seats only seven rows back on the side.  They announced during the show that the attendance that night of 302 was the largest crowd they had had since the Covid slow-down.  We have njoyed this three-foot, ten-inch guy's entertainment for several years, the most recent in January in Baptist Church in La Feria, when he told us of his monthly performing at this Opry in Macon about every month.

Duke was on about half the time in first half and last half of the performance.  They rest of the band were very entertaining.  We were glad to see Vance Monday playing the Steel Guitar.  Had made his acquaintence several years ago when we attended the now-defunct Macon Bluegrass Festival for several years.

This photo should have been above with the Wake for Dan Herbst.  Jo had been a companion of Dan's for many years and she had come south with him for several years.  She was glad to see us.  We found later that another couple, Charlie & Terry Servin from western Illinois who winter in Kenwood had also come Sunday and were staying overnight for the funeral yesterday.

Spent a lot of time Monday, mowing the lawn, digging up dandelions, moving the lid over the escape window from the basement -- at right -- and moving the Softub to the deck and filling it.

The Lilac Bush is blooming -- with these high winds today imagine they will be blown off.  We had planted two lilac bushes to the west of this very old bush and they both took a hit from the spray last summer.  One is really doing well now, but the other looks dead other than a few leaves at the base and a couple buds trying to come out on top.

Filling the tub after moving the wooden
benches away from this area.

Friday we drove the 25 miles from Don & Vicki's place in Cape Girardeau to the cemetery in Jonesboro, Illinois where Jenny's stone is as well as stone for Don & Vicki.  Vicki's parents and two decesed children are also buried there.  Phyllis had helped Vicki buy plastic flowers and she put them on the various tombstones for Vicki.

Don & Vicki's stone

  

While both Don & Vicki are "feeble" and walk very slowly with wakers, they both made their way to the main area of the stones.  The ground was very uneven, but by moving really slowly they were able to get along.   Don soon returned to the pickup where he sat to wait us.  Vicki was able to direct us to her parent's two stones (they were divorced and both remarried and are not buried side-by-side).

We returned to Cape and ate at Asian Yummy Buffet.  They both have quite a time shuffling to the buffet and we fill their plates for them.  They enjoy getting to eat out and have always liked that buffet.

Will get settled into here within a few days.  Just like moving each time we go south and return north.

Lynn

In Macon, Missouri for the night

 81 degrees and bright sunshine here in Macon Missouri at 5 pm Saturday.   Arrived about 2:30, set up the trailer and drove around town a bit, got gas. ate a bite at Hardy's, located the Wilcox Opry House where we will see Duke Mason and the Black Diamond Jubilee at 7 pm.  

Will dump tanks and head out early in the morning.  Hope to be in Clarinda shortly after noon, unhook and leave again.   Learned today of death of one of our neighbors in Kenwood and will pick up Patty Steckelberg and go to Panama, IA for visitation at 4 pm.  About a 90-mile drive. 

Will finish unpacking trailer and pickup on Monday 

Lynn

Time being spent in Cape Girardeau, MO

 61º with NW winds at 15 - 20 mph here in Cape Girardeau, MO at 12:00 noon Thursday.

Will post a few photos of closing up house, etc.

Photo at left is when we

were loading up final

stuff to head north.

Final packing of pickup at right.  Had to take several things out and put under the trailer or inside trailer while at Cape Girardeau now so could put their two walkers in the back when we take them out later today and again on Friday.

Back door locked and covered with
reflective bubble wrap

Bedroom closed up for the summer.

Awning down over bedroom west window.
I got some "thrown away" roofing metal
and covered the back door to Texas Room

Hot tub in shop room within the Texas room
drained, aired and Damp Rid set in. Ladder
 and some waste baskets off the floor.

All the "hangy things" stored (except big chimes)

Clothes dryer vent closed off to mice, etc.

Rest of shop room in Texas Room

Leaving 1 recumbent trike.
Raised so when tires go flat in
a month or so, wont be resting on them.

Phyllis' cousin Jan's golf cart covered for summer

Had lemon pie & coffe with Darlene's daughter
Laureen & Darlene.

Had lemon pie & coffe with Darlene's daughter
Laureen & Darlene

Photo at left taken by Laureen of Darlene in front of

the place she and Bill bought in 2000.  She had sold

the house and will stay home in Michigan now.

All Texas Room windows covered with
insulation on inside.

Phyllis' first cousin Steve Cabbage
passed away last week at 65 years old.

We are heading back to the Chateau to spend afternoon with Don & Vicki.  Think Vicki wants us to driver her to a couple stores today and maybe eat out.

Tomorrow she wants us to drive them to the cemetery in Illinois where her husband and parents are buried and niece Jenny's tombstone is.  Heavy overcast all day here so far, but is to be sunny tomorrow.

Later, Lynn

Lots of rain, no Solar Eclipse for us

 63º and raining in Cape Girardeau, MO at 7:00 pm Wednesday.  We hooked up the trailer in La Feria Monday in the rain, finished loading the trailer and the pickup in the rain, drove all day long in either a heavy mist or heavy overcast.  Here is photo taken at the time (I think) when the eclipse happened--at least Facebook was posting pictures of it and San Antonio radio was talking about it at the time.

We arrived at our camping spot near Angelina, TX about dark, in a drizzle and were welcomed by several thousand mosquitos!  

Our spot was very narrow and when
you come out the door you drop
off about 8" down to the grass.

On Tuesday we had about 3 hours of sunshine as we went north through Houston.  Then rain, rain, rain.  I ran the windshield wipers on fastest speed for about 95% of three hours with it just pouring down.  It did let up when we were setting up at a camp near Hot Springs, Arkansas Tuesday night.  Today was another heavy overcast all day, and it startedf raining about 3:00 pm here in Cape Girardeau right after we were set up.

Had supper with brother Don and wife Vicki tonight.

We will take them out tomorrow for a bit of shopping; won't spend too long out, they are moving really slow.

Hope to have a bit more time tomorrow to post some photos of our closing up the house in Kenwood, etc.

Later, Lynn

Busy getting ready to move to Iowa

 74º at 8:30 pm here in Kenwood RV Friday evening.  

Last few weeks an endless series of meetings, eatings, goodbyes, and working getting house ready for abandonment until this November.

Received

photos of

sister-in-law

Lin Nelm's

gravestone

in National

Cemetary

near Bushnell

Florida

Today is her birthday anniversary.

Flowers Phyllis got from Izzy's place
at Barbrshop Chorus picnic

Monday we drove to fellow singer Dennis Bush's place in Mission, TX where he showed me many old photos of the Barbershop chorus.  I took photos of them to add to my Google Photo Album of the Men of A-Chord History Album.  Without being able to get away from the glare on all the glossy photos they will not be good, but will probably bring back memories to some of the older guys.  Did our "last of the season" visit to Costco for some meds and, of course, the all-beef foot-long hotdog.

We are only taking one trike back to Clarinda
I put it up on a stand to disassemble much of it.

By removing the front wheels, seat,
carrier, then folding the back wheel up
over front, it compact to pack in the pickukp.

The trike is under the shelf, on the left side,
it was soon completely covered with small items.

Collecting boxes and bags from everywhere. 

 By today it is pretty well packed -- hopefully will still be able to put in several bags of 1015 onions, carrots, and avacodos we are going to get tomorrow from Vegiman Joe at Donwes Fleamarket.

Today we went to lunch at Rooster's Country Cafe in western Harlingen with what is left of the group Phyllis plays cards with every night.  She takes Darlene, with the golf cart, so she doesn't have to be on her bike in the dark.  They are at the Rec Hall about every night.  She enjoys games and being with people so she goes.  I enjoy not playing games and not being with people, so I stay at the house.

I rode the recumbent trike around the park today and there are hardly any of the RVers or the winter texans in the permanent dwellings left.  We, and several others will be gone by next week.

Darlene's daughter flies in Saturday and flies with Darlene to her Michigan home on the 11th.  We will get to spend one day with her before we pull out Monday, the 8th.  Will be the day of all the hupla over the Solar Eclips that day.  We are going away from the trajectory of that eclipse and have guaranteed space to park our trailer Monday night near Houston and Tuesday night near Hot Springs, Arkansas.  The next three nights we will be at Cape Gerardeau.

Put water in the trailer tank.

Strung out electric cord to trailer
to run the refrigerator/freezer.

Lot of "stuff" being stored under the trailer.

Today we emptied the 140 gallon hot tub,
scrubbed it, and dried it out.

Using the sun to dry the lid, and towels

Took weather station down.

Growing up on a ranch in west
central Nebraska, this struck
a chord with me.

Till next time, Lynn