3rd Day of Clouds

The forecast says sun but it looks pretty dark and dreary out there to me. Oh have we been spoiled!
My next trip on the bike trail I hoped to take some pictures. Sunny day pictures are better of course. So today I am going for a ride on the bike trail. Sun=take camera
Clouds=leave camera at home. I do have some good bike trail pictures from previous years but there is no fun in that.
I made Chili yesterday...an indication of the weather. That comment was for all our Texas friends who are still suffering with heat and could use a little of the stuff we are getting in Iowa.

3 Berry-stuffed French Toast.

Gary Brooker wrote:
We tried a really good recipe this morning. Not sure how it is for a Diabetic diet.


3 Berry-stuffed French Toast.

1/3 Cup blackberries
1/3 Cup raspberries
1/3 Cup blueberries
2/3 Cup semisoft farmer's cheese
1 tablespoon granular sugar substitute
8 slices whole-grain sandwich bread
3 large eggs
1/4 Cup 1% milk
1/4 Cup teaspoon ground cinnamon

In Medium bowl, combine blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, cheese, and sugar substitute. Using fork, mash together lightly. Lay 4 slices of the bread on a work surface. Spread berry mixture evenly on slices and top with remaining bread slices to form 4 sandwiches. Lightly press around the edges to seal.
In shallow dish, beat eggs with milk and cinnamon. Dip both sides of sandwiches into egg misture, allow excess to drip off, and place sandwiches on a platter.
Cook in griddle over medium heat, approximately 2 minutes per side. Serve warm.

A cloudy day in Iowa

Yesterday was more than clouds...much more. It seemed it rained ALL day. So we had an indoor day. A few of those are okay but we get too many and we will be gone, gone, gone for sunnier climes. That is the beauty of the lifestyle. It is supposed to clear up later today however.
Netflix works very well here. Our movies come from Ames (about 40 miles)and they seem to get here before you know it! Last night we watched Tea with Mussolini. A good one. It will go back in the mail today, they will get it tomorrow and send the next one and we should receive it on Saturday. This is one of the few places we have been where it worked that well. Eight to ten movies a month of our choosing for $9 a month. Not bad! I suspend service on it when we are traveling. We do not get charged during that time. I have done that several times and have never had a problem.

Yesterday I cleaned out my email. I had messages from last winter in there that I was saving for some reason. They are gone now! I get behind on the organization part when we are somewhere busy. Seems we have been busy more than not for quite some time. Today I will be cleaning out pictures.


Parked where we are I am eye level with the trees next door.
This has allowed me to be very close to Mr Squirrel and thus the pictures.

Fearless


Tree Hugger

factcheck.org/

I learned about factcheck.org on Iowa Public Television and decided to check it out.

FactCheck.org is a non-partisan, nonprofit website that describes itself as a "'consumer advocate' for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics." It is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, and is funded primarily by the Annenberg Foundation.

Most of its content consists of rebuttals to what it considers inaccurate, misleading, or false claims by politicians. FactCheck has also targeted misleading claims from various partisan groups.
Find it here.

Courthouse and other things

Went to the courthouse yesterday to check on several pieces of ground. The number one on our list of wants is owned by Union Pacific so nothing likely to happen there. Might give it a shot though. It is next to the bike trail and not an existing railroad.
Also stopped at City Hall to check on rules. No, we cannot put our RV on a lot-first answer...but it seems if we build a building on it special permission may be given. That is in our plans but we may revert to our first idea of going rural. All speculation at this point.
Gotta get the Sante Fe ready to tow. So Butch called and ordered parts yesterday.
Usual day to day stuff going on here but when you get to our age excitement is often overrated.
Oh and I am trying the pennies in a zip lock bag to repel flies. So far, so good! The door is wide open and we have no flies and it has been over an hour. Angel is loving the open door policy. Free rein!!

View from my Window

A walk to school

Butch and I went for a walk this morning. Since we are right next to where Butch grew up we decided to retrace the route Butch would take to get to the Pink school(elementary). Of course it is no longer there but we remember well where it was and it is a big empty lot now so not much imagination is required to find its former location. And then we traced the route I would take to walk home. It was a nice pleasant walk- the worst part being crossing Hwy 4 twice. It was hwy 17 back then and two lanes. Now it is 4 lanes. That was fun.
Butch washed the car to prep it for waxing yesterday. Today we were chewed out as it is against the rules to wash vehicles. Now the original plan was for the MoHo to get washed and waxed too. Hmmm... another reason to buy a spot of our own. Where there is a will there is a way.

Long time a comin'

For 2 years or more I have been hearing about the buying of this car. It is a Hyundai Sante Fe - The color is khaki so it has a green tint to it. It is a manual transmission so that we can tow it 4 wheels down. I have driven it and it is like riding a bicycle- once you know how you do not forget.

Feeling Safe!

The wedding afghan is finished and I am quite pleased with it. I know when I am safe in posting on here as the recipients do not keep track of us old codgers. Now I might get caught if I had posted it on Facebook or MySpace.

Jason's Frog

Jason was mowing last weekend and "rescued" a frog. Of course he had to bring it in to show Laura and I his plump little friend.

It has been driven

This was when we picked up the car and were transferring all the junk from the Saturn to the Sante Fe

I drove it today(Hyundai Sante Fe). No problem. A little rough around the edges but it wasn't too bad.


I went on the bike trail this afternoon and got rained on. Thank goodness it wasn't like the rain we were in yesterday when we went to Atlantic to get my mammies grammed...and my hair cut.

Butch's computer finally bit the big one...the really big one. There is no fixing the problems it has. I have mine diagnosed(by me)...sort of. I think the modem quits on occasion and then starts again. Of course there is never a good time for that to happen. Hey, when you want it, you want it. So if you see a big gap in communication from me and I do not answer direct question emails you can bet I am without internet and I am shopping for a new one.

Here we are!

This was taken by Laura at the Brooker Family Reunion. Not often do I approve of pictures we have taken but this one I do.

We pick it up today

Another trip to the big city to get our new car. I laid awake for a couple of hours during the night thinking about "manual transmission". Oh well, what will be, will be.
I am on the final finishing edges of granddaughter Ann's wedding afghan. So stay tuned for pictures of our new and finished stuff around here.
Rode the bike trail again yesterday. Need to take my camera as there are some really cool pictures of shady glens.
Till next time...

Tomatoes and Cukes

Rainy Day in Iowa. Mickey gave me some tomatoes and cucumbers yesterday and then we came home and found some tomatoes on our step from an anonymous donor. So this morning I thoroughly enjoyed a BLT for breakfast and then for lunch I had a tortilla wrap with ham, cucumbers and tomatoes. Plans for supper include diced tomatoes,cucumbers and cottage cheese and a grilled Iowa Chop if it isn't raining!
If you happen to be in a hot weather area a refreshing drink is ice water with cucumber slices. I enjoyed this at a spa in Glenwood Springs CO a year ago. You will want it in a clear glass to get the full cool experience!

Car deal

The car got finalized today. Had trouble finding one. We ended up with a Hyundai Sante Fe-beige in color. The Saturn was used as a trade-in. We cannot get it until Monday or Tuesday because it is currently in Olathe KS. I will have the challenge of learning to use a manual shift again. It has been many, many years since we had the VW. I am hoping it comes back to me easily and quickly.
Settling into life in Iowa is easy as we had mucho years of practice before leaving! We loved the idea of finding a spot to buy in little Cooper Iowa but Cooper doesn't have very good or abundant water so that isn't an easy prospect. We have only begun to look however. Our list of wants are:
1. Good and abundant water supply
2. On or near the bike trail. Within 1 mile
3. Preferably rural so that it would not matter if we didn't mow the yard for 2 months.
I did find a spot at the very end of the bike trail that is intriguing but that would be in the town of Jefferson. I have the name of this spot if we ever find it. Summerset...think about it!


I have been out on the bike trail two times so far and it is the same trail I know and love. The section from Winkelman's switch to the Raccoon River bridge is a 1 1/2 mile downhill float. I really love that stretch.
Today I visited with my lifelong friend Mickey while Butch did his car dealing. That is FAR more fun than car dealing.

He did it.

Butch bought a car- Hyundai Santa Fe- manual transmission. That will be a new experience for me. I used to drive a VW years ago so it isn't like I have never driven one but it has been a good many years. The car happens to be in Kansas so we do not have it yet. Maybe Friday, they said.
We did take a short ride on the Bike Trail yesterday. Rode to Winklemans Switch and back, including the trip to where our home is parked it would be about a 7 mile trip. It felt good to be out there again.

My friend Mickey is in Minnesota with her daughter who had surgery; at least I think she is. May give her a call here in a minute or so to see if she is back in Clive.

Received an email from Marilynn at Snow Mountain Ranch. It seems they are getting along without us!. I knew the new people would be good at it and they are. Graeme celebrated his 11th birthday. She sent pictures so I will get them on the SMR blog.

I have an appointment for a haircut today. It has been about 10 weeks since I have had a professional haircut. Butch does a decent job in a pinch.

Cleaned house yesterday and worked on Ann's wedding afghan. It is getting near the completion end of things.
Oh Yes, Butch golfed yesterday. Anybody surprised?

Ain't it Funny...

...How Time Slips Away.
We have been in Jefferson a week and today. We promised to help Leo clean his large building in preparation for the Brooker Family Reunion so that was the first order of business. And as those things usually go it took the better part of the week.
The family reunion was a big hit and lots of fun. Three fun filled days!
Yesterday was catch up day.(Laundry) And today is also catch up day. (Pictures, Webshots,Blog and computer) It is amazing how quickly it can all get away from you.

Butch is pictured here looking over the display of old photos.


Mexican Train played by family members. JoAnn J., Nancy B.,Nancy C.,Dick J.and Gary C.


Butch is off to the city of Des Moines today to buy a car. He must be serious as he even took a blank check with him. Car buying is way low on my list of fun things to do so I am staying here in the mobile home park on the north side of Jefferson Iowa.
I still haven't ventured to the bike trail but it is about next on my list.

I am not feeling settled in yet. It seems to take longer some places more than others. Maybe once I get all my loose ends tied together...

Here is a link to the Webshots Brooker Family Reunion Album.
http://community.webshots.com/user/barbie1943
Anyone wanting prints of these photos or any other photos can get them directly from Webshots. It is easy to do and the quality is good. Also inexpensive. I recently ordered pictures from them. I ordered 17 pictures including 3 or 4 5x7's and it was less than $10 with S & H.

About Bears

About a week before we left Snow Mountain Ranch a camper approached us in the morning to relate her bear story. She said it was 3:30 AM and she needed to go to the bathroom. Her husband was awake when she left the tent. As she rounded the corner she saw a black shape next to the sinks/garbage cans. The motion light came on and she saw a big bear. The bear ran away from her. She went into the restroom but was afraid to go back to her tent. She was hoping her husband would notice she was gone a long time and come looking for her. He didn't. She finally returned to her tent. When asked how large the bear was she said its back was even with the top of the garbage container. That would be a large bear.
We had a rain storm the day before we left and there was a BIG foot print on the back road in Geronimo Campground. It is pictured here. Butch's hand gives perspective. Click on it for a closer look

Polishing Up

Yesterday we helped Leo do some polishing up getting ready for the family reunion this weekend.
We are staying at a mobile home park on the north side of Jefferson. 108 E Central St. Lot # 2. Being in town I have better and quicker access to the bike trail. I can hop on the bike and go. Haven't been there yet but hope to soon. Maybe Monday...

Been off line

I have been off line for a few days. Traveling is sometimes like that. We are in Jefferson Iowa. Big Brooker family reunion this week end. It will be fun seeing many people we have not seen for ages. Then we will be in Iowa for the next couple of months. We are on a quest. We plan to look for a small piece of property near the bike trail and near Jefferson/Cooper Iowa. We do not know at this time if it will all work out but we are going to look into it. Our plans are to have 2 to 4 RV hook ups so our RVing friends can come visit us and join us in the fun stuff like biking and golfing or perhaps just visiting.
I read the article below and enjoyed it very much. Butch and I are Netflix members and we too enjoy the movies we can see both old and new. When I hear of a movie we might like to see I add it to our queue and we know we will see it sooner or later.
Enjoy this little stroll down memory lane!
AT THE MIDDLE PASSAGE

By Walter Mills


At the Movies

This has been the summer of Netflix, of old movies delivered by mail two
or three times a week. This is like being set loose in the candy store,
like summer nights at the Breezeway drive-in theater with the car
windows down and a pillow to curl up on when I was four years old, the
big screen seen through a shimmer of heat haze.

This is like the old movie house on Krome Avenue in downtown Homestead
with the “We Are Air-Conditioned” sign on the door, a rarity in South
Florida in the 1950s. I saw my first sit-down movie there, in the cool,
something with alien creatures with large brainy heads. I’ll try to
track it down again this summer.

After movies downtown, we could walk past the barbershop where I got my
hair cut and get a soda at the open air cigarette and magazine store
that had no front wall, only a metal gate they closed at night. Coming
into town with a quarter in my pocket on a Friday night with my family,
strolling down the avenue past the drugstore with its big lighted
windows, past the Western Auto store, looking in with longing at the big
rubber tired bicycles hanging on racks and the wall of baseball gloves,
then seeing a movie and afterward eating a purple snow cone at the
cigarette shop up the street, well, I could walk on that street forever
and never be bored. Who needs Broadway? Who needs Manhattan?

This summer is like walking home in the Texas twilight with my older
brother and sister after seeing “Mr. Sardonicus,” a horror movie from
the late fifties, and being terrified by my brother twisting his face
into the horrible mask of Sardonicus to scare me. I’ll leave that off
my movie list.

And it is like going to the 10-cent movie on the naval base in
Millington, Tennessee, with my whole family to see the musical “Li’l
Abner” based on the characters I studied every Sunday morning on the
comic pages. After the movie we took paper sacks to the grove of pecan
trees near the theater and filled them with the windfall pecans. To
this day I associate pecans with autumn in Tennessee and the lost comics
of childhood.

I remember all the theaters: from the rundown movie houses with sticky
floors showing Saturday matinees to teenagers in Key West, Florida, to
the glorious Castro theater with its Mighty Wurlitzer organ rising up
out of the stage in San Francisco. I especially remember the weekend
shows at the Naro Theater on Colley Avenue in the old part of Norfolk,
Virginia, the great double bills, and the restaurants on the avenue open
late and music in the cafès.

This summer is like coming out of the movie house after hours of
darkness on a Saturday afternoon when you are twelve and being surprised
that there is still daylight. It is disorienting like that and a little
self-indulgent, like too many trips to the candy counter, and it is
good, like summer nights at the drive-in theater with your parents when
you were four.




(The above column originally appeared in the Centre Daily Times and is
copyright © 2009 by Walter Mills. All rights reserved worldwide. To
contact Walt, address your emails to awmills@verizon.net ).
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