Friday Night- Reunion for the class of '61

If you do the math you will realize it is the 55th year since graduation. And if your eyes are still functioning you can see that we have all become of an age. The good news is we are on the right side of the grass.

Phil and Toni Roberts make their way to the center of the festivities.

 Greetings taking place

Donna Kafer Lawson looks over the quilt made by Rozetta Renner Fiscus. It contains many of our signatures and it is done with school colors of red and black.

Kay Snow Taylor

Donna and Anna Oaks Diekman

Anna and Rozetta

Pat Limburg Rusnak and 

My signature

We had a great visit long into the night-9:00 pm!!

Visitors!

Friday, our Missouri kids, Gary and Susan came to visit over the July 4th holiday. Saturday our Iowa kids Rich and Donna, Jason and Laura, and Karla joined us for fun and games. The guys went golfing and we ladies played Mexican train. We enjoyed steak and pie provided by Keri and Leo for supper along with a few other fixings. We thoroughly enjoyed the day! So much so that I didn't get any pictures!

Each morning I did my usual 6.1 mile bike ride. Saturday Gary and Jason joined me, Sunday just Gary and Monday and this morning, Tuesday, Gary and Susan joined me.

At Daubindiek Park

Jason and Laura

Gary and Susan

This seemed like a pine tree. The needles were soft. Anyone know what the name of it is?

Sunday, Gary, Susan, Jason,Laura, Butch and I toured Jefferson some after the guys played golf. The kids went up in the Mahanay bell-tower, followed by a walk in Daubendiek Park down by the river and a quick view at Henderson Park. We bopped out to Spring Lake to see how many campers were there. (It was full!)

Gary and Susan paddling on Spring Lake

Laura and Jason

Gary

Jason

Jason broke his paddle so fashioned one out of wood. Typical! That's our boy.

Gary and Susan

Jason and Laura

Bee on Milkweed.

Monday, the guys played golf and then Jason and Laura had purchased a kayak for Laura on Friday so they wanted to kayak at Spring Lake. Gary and Susan went along and rented a paddleboat. Butch and I joined them later and then the guys managed to sneak in 9 more holes of golf. Susan and Laura walked the course with them and I came home and readied supper. Later then, Karla and Devon joined us for fireworks. We went to the Depot area on the bike trail and had an excellent view of the fireworks. We packed a lot into the weekend and it was all fun-filled!

Devon and Karla enjoying the fireworks.

Susan and Gary on this morning's bike ride.

Squirrely

Butch is at war with the squirrels. At least it isn't me! And here is the reason why. He has now greased the wire and for now it is working.

New Flooring in place

We finally are finished with the flooring project in the motorhome. It has been finished for a few days now and pictures were taken this morning. It was raining (THANK GOD) so I was unable to do my biking. It has quit now so may go in a few minutes.

I plan to get better-coordinated throw rugs in the future. In kitchen looking toward bedroom

In bathroom looking toward kitchen

Table has been sanded and fresh polyurethane applied

This is a picture of the slide-out solution.

And then we did...

The weeks fly by and melt one into another.

Have I  mentioned a lack of deer on the bike trail? Well, they must have been in hiding is all or visiting a different neighborhood because they are back!
Deer are nearly blind so they either hear you or detect movement so when I spot one I stop. and then I inch closer to get as close as possible for a photo.
Got some great shots a couple of days ago.

My turn around spot. Corn is growing despite a lack of rain. My bike is about 30 years old and I still love it. Have pedalled many a mile on my Raleigh. 42.7 miles just this past week. 6.1 miles each day.

Bucolic scene. The next day after taking this photo one of the cows was along the trail. I rode right by and it wasn't disturbed at all. Kept on chewing its cud.

I think thistles are very pretty. 

 A half-grown rabbit made its way to the bird seed. Butch didn't think she would eat the seeds but she crunched away happily.

Photos from this week.

 On the bike trail

River bottom cornfield

trailside

   Flowers are always in bloom along the trail

Colleen gave me some Italian garlic to plant and it is taking hold.

Finally spruced up the north side of the front step. The fern likes it there.

 A Bluejay taking a bath on a hot day.

A classmate of ours, Johnny Hamilton was celebrating 50 years in the Hamilton Redi-Mix business. 800 people invited, 40 kegs of beer. It was a big do.

These are 3 classmates of mine Denise O'Brien Van, Darrell Millard and Janet Smith

We were blessed with a few drops of rain tonight. We desperately need much more!

 New kitties at Leo and Keri's place.

Busy week update

Audiologist visit went well. One of Butch's hearing aids had stopped working but he has 3 years of protection so at no cost it was fixed. All good.
Thursday we made our way to Atlantic for a concert featuring our friend Sherri Clark's son, Jared Hall. Jared performs with the group, Velvet Caravan. Their genre of music is gypsy jazz which is experiencing an upbeat of popularity all over the world. It was a great time meeting the band at Randy and Sherri's place, being very well fed and thoroughly enjoying the concert.
Here is a youtube video about the group:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OXur7QAJMo

I will Survive by Velvet Caravan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfCof67qyjM

Even though it was much fun it made for a late night for us and we are getting older by the minute. This morning we had to head east by 6:45 am for Ames and Butch's appointment for his nerve test. Now he has an appt. with a surgeon on August 10th. He would like it to be sooner but we do not always get what we wish for.
So being short on sleep and having a restless night I did not get much of anything productive done today.
Oh well, maybe tomorrow will be better.

Busy week

Rode the trail this morning before getting a haircut- Butch played golf- then road-trip to Menards in Ft. Dodge and Lowes in Ames. That should be enough for today.

Tuesday might be a free day.

Wednesday Butch has appt. with audiologist in Carroll-annual checkup

Thursday we travel to Atlantic for the Velvet Caravan concert-will be a late night.

Friday-Butch has a nerve test scheduled in Ames at 8:00 AM

And I think it is a full week if I have one thing on my weekly agenda!

The floor in the moho is one tiny chore from being completed. It is a glue job, so we let Russ do that. He will be gluing a rubber piece on the transition area from slideout to floor and another on the edge of the landing. And then it will be tada!! FINISHED! It is looking very good and I am quite anxious to get it back in its "ready to roll" mode. Construction, no matter which home it is taking place, puts everything in turmoil.