A twig interrupts the riverflow in a small way

Look closely and find a deer in this shot

Butch walks to the river

Lots of debris in the rain swollen Raccoon River near Jefferson Iowa

Lots of debris in the rain swollen Raccoon River near Jefferson Iowa

From friend Donna G. is S. Texas: Here in South Texas, in restaurants you may find that they serve a dessert called flan, it has a caramel topping and is like a custard, it's delicious! Well a friend of mine makes a cake called cocoa flan cake or chocolate flan cake, here's the recipe! It is like chocolate cake on the bottom and the flan is on top
Donna
Chocolate Flan Cake
Cake
1 (18.25 ounce) box chocolate or devil's food cake mix
Topping
1 (10.9-ounce) jar cajeta (caramel topping) or Smucker?s
caramel topping or homemade cajeta
Flan
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1/2 cup fresh milk
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a large (at least 12-cup) Bundt pan with nonstick coating.
Soften the cajeta in the jar in the microwave and pour into the prepared pan. (If you can?t find the cajeta or do not want to make your own, substitute Smucker?s Caramel topping, but the Mexican cajeta has a richer flavor).
Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour the cake batter into the cake pan over the caramel.
To make the flan, pour condensed, evaporated and fresh milks into a blender with the cream cheese, vanilla and eggs. Mix well. Pour the flan mixture very slowly over the cake batter. Cover the pan TIGHTLY with aluminum foil. Covering tightly is very important.
Set the Bundt pan into a large pan and set on the oven rack and slide in. Carefully pour hot water into the larger pan to a depth of 2 inches (The Bundt pan will be sitting in 2 inches of water).
Bake cake for about 2 hours; do not uncover during this time.
5. After two hours, remove cake from water and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Invert cake onto a large plate with rim. The cajeta will drip down the sides of the cake. Cool completely then refrigerate.
NOTE: Even though the flan is poured on top of the cake batter, it will sink to the bottom of the pan.

Minor flooding on the Raccoon

Minor flooding on the Raccoon

Butch and I have ridden the past two days . Both days the headwind has been considerable going south. Today the river was up and swirling so we stopped to take some photos.

This one was hidden in the picture pile collage I made and it was too pretty to hide.

Rode to Cooper early this morning and the wildflowers are abundant along the trail.

Map Collections Home Page

The Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress holds more
than 4.5 million items, of which Map Collections represents only a small

fraction, those that have been converted to digital form. The focus of
Map Collections is Americana and Cartographic Treasures of the Library
of Congress. These images were created from maps and atlases and, in
general, are restricted to items that are not covered by copyright
protection.



Map Collections Home Page

Truth Or Fiction - email reality check - verify rumors

There is no way for anyone to know how many people you forward an email to. And nothing magical is going to appear on your computer when you do. If I have doubts about the authenticity of an email I check this website.
Click on Search and type in a few key words from the message and info about the message will appear but not magically. Hehehe
Truth Or Fiction - email reality check - verify rumors

Downloads - The home of Spybot-S&D!

This from son Gary:I saw your note on the Spyware. There is another free
one that is real good. Spybot - Search & Destroy
The guy strongly encourages giving him donations but it is not required.



Downloads - The home of Spybot-S&D!

Butch and I rode to Cooper this morning. We went early to beat the heat.

These beauties are right along the trail in Jefferson, about 3 or 4 blocks from the depot.

When we returned from our bike ride Butch pointed out to me that the Bell Towers windows were being cleaned. They would remain dirty if that were my job! Butch could probably handle it.

SpyWare Remover

Spyware has been in the news a lot lately. In fact, the U.S. House of
Representatives recently passed 2 Bills banning SPYWARE. So, let
me explain what it is:

Spyware is software that is installed on your computer without you
really knowing about it. It varies from annoying to downright scary.
Let me put it this way...It can be as simple as annoying ads that pop
out of nowhere or as scary as someone stealing your identity. Yes,
it's that bad.

While the federal government is trying to make it illegal, they won't
prevent it from happening to you.

There are several spyware cleaners out there and I am sure most of them work to some degree and are not harmful in any way. Some are costly and some are free!
My personal favorite is Ad-Aware and it is free. Of course, for me it would have to be free!! ;-)

Here is a place to download it.



Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition - Reviews and free downloads at Download.com

Sherwood Forest pattern on natural monks cloth using Mainstay Fall Splendor yarn. Finished with Italian Hem Stitch.

I finished project number 5 this afternoon. There are a couple of 'firsts' on this one. I followed a pattern and I learned Italian hem stitich to finish the ends rather than making tassels.

The unexpected surprise of the day was the abundance of ripe raspberries.

Dappled sunlight

Even though it can be quite windy when you enter a treed area with an arched canopy overhead it is as if you have entered a cathedral with the only sound that of birdsong, and the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves like a stained glass window.

Today I rode the trail and it was windy, but knowing the wind was out of the south I knew that every mile I made against the wind would sweeten the ride on the way back and that was oh so true.

Yesterday I was a Milwaukee Depot Ambassador at the Raccoon Valley Bike Trail head in Jefferson. I was in attendence from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and it was a busy day tidying up a bit and selling trail passes and letting folks know where the restroom was located and I must say that was the most frequently asked question. I made the acquaintance of several people, one of which was a retired NYC fireman who was working his way around the biketrails of Iowa before going to his most favorite area of the US, Washington and Oregon.

It was the second annual girls day out and in attendence were cousin Sherry, cousin Phyllis, sister Teri, neice Tara, neice Karla and the star of the show Karla's son Devon aged two.

Sister Teri and neice Tara came to visit.

On the bike trail: A Wild Rose

On the bike trail: Another committee meeting and this time there is a Jackass in charge. L to R Horse,Horse,Horse,Jackass

Yesterday it was finally calm enough and warm enough and dry enough to get on the bike trail.And true to form it was a unique experience. Very near cousin Sherry's place and Winkelman switch I encountered a weasel. At least I think it was a weasel. We surprised each other and as soon as I reached for my camera he was gone. I thought to myself, "Wow that was unusual!" Shortly thereafter I turned around for the return trip and darned if I didn't see the little weasel again! This time he was being chased by birds. I did get a picture of him but I would have to tell you where in the picture he was located so hardly worth the effort to post it.

The frog finally got his hat!! And son Jason bought and potted this mosquito plant (aka scented geranium) for me. Cute!!

I told Butch that a few flowers around our place would make it look more like we actually live here. They are a little hard to see but look toward the sides of the picture.

This is an Iowa Mourning Dove, one that gently coos. Not one of those raucous South Texas doves that talks all the live long day in Spanish at high volume. hehehe

Another view

When I was a young girl my main mode of transportation was my bicycle as it was for most of my friends as well. When I would visit my friend Mickey I would have to return home by crossing the railraod tracks on N. Maple street. Once the tracks were crossed there was a sidewalk on the left side of the road and beside the sidewalk was a wire fence with a very husky fence post in the corner. One time when I was returning home I flew over the tracks and aimed to ride on the sidewalk but missed and hit the fencepost about as square as possible. The frame of my blue and white bike was hopelessly bent and forevermore unridable. I was heartbroken and in tears I left the bike and walked the 3 blocks home. So what does a thistle have to do with a biking accident? Today I went for a walk by the scene of this long ago disaster and the fence post that I hit is no longer there. The post has been replaced. There is however the stump and the cement the original post was set in still remain as a silent memorial to my blue and white bike that is no more. This thistle was blooming about one foot away.

dMarie Time Capsule

dMarie Time Capsule
Try putting in your birthday or the day you were married. Talk about a trip down memory lane! This is a sweet little site.

Jefferson Iowa water tower. It is located in the neighborhood where I grew up but it wasn't there at that time. The neighborhood where I grew up is much improved from what it used to be.

I went for a walk this morning. Too windy for riding. I took my camera with me. These horses were having a committee meeting.

Bell Tower Festival in Jefferson Iowa.

View three of the ceiling in the Greene County Courthouse

View two of the ceiling in the Greene County Courthouse

View one of the ceiling in the Greene County Courthouse

Horse and carriage at the Bell Tower Festival in Jefferson Iowa.

This little gal reminded me soooo much of our granddaughter Amanda a few years ago!

1926 Avery Tractor

Class of '55

Threshing Bee

Jefferson musicians are the best!

This "youngster" Had his candy bag all ready for the parade during Bell tower Festival in Jefferson Iowa.

This young cowboy was working on his grub at the Firemens Breakfast during Bell tower Festival in Jefferson Iowa.

My ironing board with an Angel on it.

Needle Threader

When I started Swedish Weaving I didn't have a needle threader so I used a piece of fish line and I liked it so well I stayed with it.

Butch on number 14 at Nishna Hills in Atlantic on June 5th

Catching Up

In a weak moment I said "Yes" to playing in a 2-ball tournament with Butch at the Nishna Hills course in Atlantic. I hadn't played since in April on a course in S. Texas. What was I thinking??!! Oh well, I lived through it. We had a terrible score (100) but we did win our entry fee back and we had good company on the course. Randy and Sherri Clark and Dave and Mary Jones.

Saturday I had a meltdown in the grocery store. Jefferson has one grocery store and it is a Fareway. I went over for a few items one of which was a delicious ham salad that I could eat with my mouth problems. They didn't have it. Yes, I had purchased it there before but apparently they did not restock it. We like muffin bread. It is real iffy that it will be there. We may have to make several trips just to see if it is there! I was out of cream for my coffee. They had it but it was all outdated. They can get it cheaper if they take outdated stuff I am sure of it!! They are the only game in town and they know it. If I could get by with it I would never spend another dime in that store. This morning Butch poured milk on his cereal and it was spoiled. You guessed it, we bought it at Fareway. Thanks for allowing me to vent.

Friday June 3rd Yesterday Butch went to Des Moines with Bill Gunderson who was working a big
time golf tournament(Allianz). So Bev came here with me and we ate at Angie's Tea Garden for lunch and then walked it off on the bike trail. We walked to the Raccoon
River bridge and back which is over 5 miles. Damn near killed me. Then we
went to the A & W for a tall root beer. We were real dummies and forgot to
take water with us so were very parched by the time we returned to the
depot. We had fun.

I have been fighting a blocked salivary gland so I am just finishing a round
of antibiotics and keeping my bottom teeth out most of the time. I am on the
mend but it has been a bummer! I like my food and the teeth out really slows
me down.

I am scheduled to man the depot at the Raccoon River Valley bike trail head on a volunteer basis for at least one day
(June 18th). It should be fun.

Gee, I guess I am busy!

Stress Buster

Eric Grohe - This guy is incredible!
Appearances can definitely fool you, especially with expert help, as you
can see at this website -- go there and enjoy...aren't these amazing?!

Angel has adjusted to her new digs.

Finished first bike ride of the season!!!! 9.58 miles. It was wonderful. Lots of pretty Spring flowers along the trail, light northerly breeze, overcast sky.

Free Campgrounds for RVs

Free Campgrounds for RVs
A fantastic resource for us frugal RVers. And as people add new ones it is getting even better. If you know of a campground that is $10 a night or less please add it to the site. Also please pass this on to your RVing friends!

Just completed Swedish Weaving project number 4. Number 5 has begun!!

Memorial Day Peony- Our current walking route includes a stroll through St. Joseph Cemetery in Jefferson Iowa.