In Marengo, IA

 59 degrees in Marengo, IA at 1 pm on Saturday.  We are spending weekend with kids, gkids & ggkids one last time before we head for our winter home next weekend.

We made signs for 24 years, but don't recall

having made this particular sign.

I missed the chance to get photo of several "ladies" throwing panties onto the stage week-ago Friday night to Chris & Taylor Malpass at Larry's Country Diner show.  They always have lots to say when entertaining, but they were completely speechless for a bit at this.  Said it was the first time that had ever happened to them.

Last Wednesday we attended Clarinda Circle 8 Square Dance.  Haven't danced for a long time, but kept up 

Though there were more people than one square, was only able to get one square up at a time.  Many of the people were from the Creston club.

While I was working in the shop building this week, Phyllis had me get some boxes down that had been stored there for 13 years and got some of Cam & Michelle's old toys and took some of them to Marengo for the great grandkids.

Did the fall cleaning of shop building rain gutters.

We drove from Clarinda yesterday to Marengo and ate out last night in Belle Plaine, IA for a Friday night Walleye fish night.  Lot of people there, had a good meal.

Today spending time with granddaughters and great granddaughter & great grandson.

Phyllis read to Jessica while David slept and when he woke up Jessica wasted no time entertaining him.

I got in a little lap time, too.

Lots of fun with a helium-filled balloon.  Jessica would bounce it around and David got to laughing at her.

Later, Lynn

Working on shop building.

 50º here in Clarinda, IA at 9:30 am on Tuesday - predicted high of 77º late afternoon.  Was 48º earlier this morning.  Been working on insulating, paneling, painting and adding vertical dividers for 4x8' sheets that have been in the corner of my shop building for the last 12 years, or so.

 These panels have been leaning against each other for ever and I didn't have any idea what was in the pile. On removing them and placing them around the shop I found 5 sheets of new 1/8" Masonite as well as several full 4x8 plywood sheets and many part-pieces.

All the panels cleaned out.

Used panels from the pile to cover wall.

Cut these anchors from aluminum
angle iron left from the sign
company 13 years ago.

Drilled lots of holes

Used all scrap panels I
had gotten from a
cement job for dividers

Front panel was from the original
pile here in the corner.  Door is
heavy oak door that was blackened
by smoke from our fire in Sign
Office back in 2008 

So there you have it -- exciting, wasn't it?  I have only one section of shop wall not insulated & paneled on the west side.  Maybe next year.

Later, Lynn

Last of week in Branson

 57º with light rain here in Clarinda, IA at 11:30 am Monday.  Rained lightly all night - had .35" rain in gauge this morning.  Had real good weather Saturday as we drove home from Branson.  A tail wind all the way which gave us a couple extra miles-per-gallon while pulling the trailer.  Got here about 5:00 pm and unhooked trailer and brought stuff into the house.

We will be re-packing the trailer to leave here early morning of Saturday October 23rd and head for Texas.  Will take about a week, with stop to see Harold & LaRhoda Neher in Kansas, Ernest & Evelyn Baker in Oklahoma, couple nights at a lake in north Texas and three nights at Coushatte Recreation Ranch Pickin' & Grinnin' Bluegrass Festival 2021 Oct 28-30, 2021 in Bellville, TX before going on to our home in Kenwood RV Park in La Feria, TX.

Last Friday we went to the Hughes Brothers Country Music show in the afternoon with BBQ lunch included.

The Hughes Brothers put on a big family show each night.  This afternoon show was there Country Show and did not include all of the 50-some extended family members.

Some of the younger Hughes family performed

Friday night was a huge sold-out crowd for the always fun Malpass Brothers.  Their show is about 1/2 humor and 2/3 singing.  It is a big show.

Was a fun week in Branson.  Will see the kids, grandkids, great-grandkids this weekend in Marengo.

Later, Lynn

Sunshine and warm in Branson

 61º here in Branson, MO at 9:30 am Friday with predicted high of 89º.

Wednesday afternoon we went to the production of Jesus at Sight & Sounds Theater.  No photos allowed there--quite a production with stages to the left and right as well as large center stage.  Many animals coming across stage as well as down the three aisles to exit the auditorium.  Although there is some singing, would not consider it a musical.  Followed the book.

That evening we returned to Clay Cooper Theater and another edition of Larry's Country Diner.  This time the three-member group The Texas Tenors.  This was completely different from Rory Feek and Wynn Varble from the previous nights.  Very close harmony and a variety of types of music.  Lots of lighting effects and "smoke" always emitting over the stage. Nice for a change, but not my kind of thing (the lighting & smoke effect).. 

October 2nd was Larry & LuAnn Black's 56th Wedding Anniversary and had The Texas Tenors sing "Lady" for her.

LuAnn came onstage during the song.

Last night Larry's Country Diner had Rhonda Vincent and her Rage band.

She, and they, put on a very good performance (without all the bright moving lights and "fog" effect).

I bought our tickets several different times as we were just going to see one night (at the time Jimmy Fortune was going to perform-but that changed) and then we added 2 nights and finally the last 2 so we have different seats each night.  Last night we were in the balcony for this sold-out performance so got a different perspective.  Still very good sound and viewing.

Thoroughly enjoyable show.

This afternoon we go to the Hughes Music Show Click HERE for website 

Tonight will be last Branson show for Larry's Country Diner with the Malpass Brothers as guests.  Click HERE for Malpass Bros website

Later, Lynn

Raining in Branson

 63º and raining here in Branson, MO at 11:30 am Wednesday.

Last Sunday, at home.  Nice weather and we ate lunch on the Patio.

In the afternoon we drove to Braddyville, IA  (on the Missouri border) and attended Cowboy Church with Sarah Davison and her High Road band. 

Last evening we went to another performance of the Larry's Diner show.  Rory Feek was once again on, and also a good friend, fellow song writer & performer, Wynn Varble was with him.  Wynn lives near Feek's place and they have been friends for 20 years.  Between the two of them we got a lot of good songs, stories, and reminiscences. 

That was the last night for Rory on this week's show.

We are going to Sight & Sounds Theater this afternoon to see the presentation "Jesus".  Looked up their website HERE and watched several videos of the construction of the set and lots of details on how they train the animals and work them during the performance.

More tomorrow, Lynn