Mowing

The renters on either side of us (same landlord) will not mow their yard until pushed and sometimes not even then. Fortunately, the city takes a stand on this and if it comes down to it they will mow it at $150 an hour. My guess is neither of these renters mowed and the landlord was warned by the city. I drew the conclusion that the landlord hired a man to mow it. The rent should go up considerably in both places.
Did a wonderful job, Right?

Road trip today

We will be off and running today. Our agenda is a preliminary stop at the drugstore to pick up our "all-the-time meds" and another at the courthouse to pay our taxes before venturing east to Ames Iowa where we will be returning an item to the UPS Store and a 3-month appointment for Butch with the plastic surgeon to look him over for skin cancers. Hopefully, none will be found. Then we will be heading south to Costco. We do not make it there very often when we are in Iowa but today is the day. And then home to Jefferson to get ready for trivia night at the Elks. A very full day.

Yesterday Butch went south to mow the Tallman's yard on Lake Panorama. It is a win/win for Butch. He likes to mow and enjoys being near the lake. I went to JIGS at Casa del Sol and met with 10 of Jefferson Iowa Girls. We all grew up in Jefferson and many of us were in the same class of '61.

The days fill up amazingly so!

Taken a few days ago. A simple house finch. I became intrigued with the feather pattern.

Patti Miller(Class of '61)

Another talented member of the class of '61 Jefferson Iowa.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M15m_U4Z6WE&fbclid=IwAR20hOOrPigVL7y8EOJbNdUgoP3YYbSRTy6q5zIvPrnyJp78e3AzZblU8PY

One Lone Squirrel

It seems we have just one squirrel this season. I do not know why that is so but despite there being only one it is sufficient enough to keep Butch on his toes.
Here is some backyard action from this morning. To my knowledge, the squirrel has made it to the new feeder one time and it did not go well for him. He still covets however.

Noodle-less Tuna Casserole

Easily adaptable recipe
Noodle-less Tuna Casserole
Janet Greone's
No Noodle Tuna Casserole

    There is no extra step in this recipe for boiling water, cooking noodles, draining and mess. Just put everything in a pan for the stovetop or a baking dish for the oven. Serve it over biscuits, toast, crisp Chinese noodles or (my favorite for a healthier plate) shredded cabbage or spiralized zucchini.
     Make it ahead and keep it cold to bake or nuke up to two days later. Double it for a potluck. Vary it by adding different vegetables or none at all. IT's best to use low-sodium condensed soups, then add salt if needed and pepper to taste.

1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ soup can dry sherry OR
½ soup can milk
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and sliced
8-ounce can mushroom pieces, drained
½ stick butter, melted
2 cans, 10 ounces each, albacore tuna, undrained
Optional topping:
1/4 stick butter
About ½ cup bread crumbs
   
    Whisk soups with sherry or milk until smooth. Stir everything else in a pan and heat gently or and mix it in a bowl and turn out into a buttered baking dish to bake at 375 degrees until it’s bubbling. To make the crumb topping, melt butter in a small skillet and add bread crumbs until they’re toasty. Serves 6.

See new shortcut  recipes every week from Janet Groene at https://campandrvcook.blogspot.com

Great Photo Tips

If you study and practice these tips long enough they soon become automatic. This is a well-written article.
https://www.rvtravel.com/eight-tips-for-taking-professional-grade-travel-photos/

One beautiful day after another

I have been reminded of South Texas in a normal year as far as the weather is concerned with one beautiful day followed by another for a whole string of nice days. One of the peculiar things about South Texas weather in a normal year and yes, I do need to repeat, is that the poor weatherman is given about a 30-second slot of time to state his case and then he is done until the next time. It isn't long before the weather is once again taken for granted and rarely if ever mentioned. As a person who is used to that kind of weather on occasion, it gives me a start when we are on the bike trail and a passerby goes on and on about how wonderful the weather is this morning. It will most likely take a 3-day stretch of the icky kind to snap me out of this happy bubble I am in.

Butch and I had a full day yesterday. Butch worked on waxing the motorhome in the morning. The common comment on that is "Didn't he just do that?" and the answer is, " Yes, he did." And I worked on trivia questions for both places-the Elks and South Texas.

And then we went uptown to see Elizabeth Warren at https://www.rvp1875.com/ . It was packed to the rafters-literally. One of the surprising things to us was the amount of out of town people who were here. In fact, I would say it was mostly out of town. Iowans but out of town Iowans.

And this was followed by Butch taking a quick turn around the Hot August Nights Car show uptown on the square and beyond. There were at least 300 entries.

And then we went to Pete and Jerilynns for a party. We were supposed to be meeting their friends from Wisconsin but due to a snafu they were not arriving until today. Hey, it happens! You will be having these kinds of snafu's too. Sooner than later depending on your age. The company was great and the food was delicious. Cannot ask for much more than that!

And of course, from there we had to hurry on out to the casino for trivia. There were 8 teams and the event seems to be growing. We did alright but not in the money. Many of the questions were aimed at a different generation. As I remember it, there were 3 questions answered by Devon and Karla that we would have missed had they not been there. When you need assistance on 3 out of 20 it tells you what a sad shape it would have been without their help. We have told them to bring their friends!

So today is starting to feel like a day off!!
Leo sent me these from the car show. I know nothing about them...they are green.

Iowa's Butterfly Invasion

Many people, including us, have been horrified at the number of butterflies we kill with our vehicles every time we hit the road. Here is the story for the summer of 2019 invasion of Painted Lady butterflies.
https://whoradio.iheart.com/content/2019-08-02-painted-lady-butterflies-thick-in-iowa-this-year/

Walking

I have been walking more frequently and the difference in my overall health is astonishing. I think the most apparent benefit is in my state of mind. When you are doing something good for yourself it changes everything.
Another aspect of that could be stepping on the scale. I had made the decision to not step on it more than once a month. Smart decision. Today was the day and it shows fewer pounds than the last time. And that is enough to make me cheerful.
Here are a few pics taken on the trail with my phone. My phone is easier to carry than my camera.

Special Pet Momento

Theresa is my sister.

 "I am a retired art teacher with time on my hands and wanting to draw. My master's degree from the University of Nebraska at Kearney had me drawing animals for my masters' thesis. I am interested in taking commissions. My prices are very reasonable and I have a short turn around time. My drawings are done on poster board in pencil. I do not paint. These make great gifts and memorials for beloved pets. 

Let me draw someone who pulls at your heartstrings.

Oh the things you'll forget!

Sugar Detox- does it work?

Surprised and pleased to find this article in the Washington Post this morning.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/does-a-sugar-detox-work-im-on-it-and-have-had-some-surprising-results/2019/08/02/561245b4-a724-11e9-9214-246e594de5d5_story.html?utm_term=.1a61467c3060

Best sweet corn method (reposted)

I just have to repost this simple method for cooking sweet corn! Sure glad I looked it up because I didn't remember. Check out the video below!

I have used an altered method of this one for quite some time but you can bet this will be my new way of doing corn. This is just slick as a whistle!!!
http://youtu.be/YnBF6bv4Oe4

Rode instead

Some days I walk and some days I ride my bike. Today I rode my bike. I did take my camera along and got a few pics of the river near the bridge. It does not appear that one thing has been done to repair it as yet and that is a big disappointment. I would love to see some progress.

Mother Nature does not take long to reclaim what is hers.

  The river is way down from what it was in the Spring.

 Butch has been anxiously waiting for the birds to find the new feeder and I noticed a visitor for the first time today so this picture is for him.

Yesterday Butch and I went on a small part of the Highway 141 Garage sale. It is an annual sale on the first weekend in August. The traffic was heavy. We both picked up a few items. Nothing noteworthy. We went from Granger IA to Jamaica IA. Butch had to get back home for a golf date with Jason.

Chicken Divine (Keto Friendly/Low Carb)

I found this recipe on an RV site so it serves many purposes!

Chicken Divine (Keto Friendly)
Makes 2 (hearty) servings

2 chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
2 Tbls. oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
Chopped onions (optional)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3 cups broccoli florets
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream

Start by heating the oil and garlic in a large frying pan. Add the chicken. When it is starting to brown, stir to fully cook on all sides. If you are adding onions, do that now. Add the Italian seasoning and continue to cook until fully cooked.

While the chicken is cooking, steam the broccoli.

Mix the mayonnaise and sour cream into the chicken and bring to a simmer.

You can either serve the chicken over the broccoli or mix the broccoli into the chicken.

You can top with some shredded cheese if you like.

Ready for the birds

Our Jefferson Deja Vu friends gifted us with a bird feeder for our 60th Anniversary. I must add it is a squirrel proof feeder. As many of you know Butch has had an ongoing feud with a squirrel for many years now so this will, at the least, slow them both down a notch or two.
It is up and open for business!

Today’s Thought

“Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” — Lou Holtz, football coach

Website of the day

Website of the day

The best blogging platforms for beginners
Do you dream of having your own blog, sharing your experiences and thoughts with the world? Or maybe your goals are more modest — simply sharing your travel experiences with friends and family. Whatever the case, here’s a good guide to a blogging platform that fits your needs.

I use #6- Blogger- Barb

Twilight Riverboat Cruise

Gulls

Eagles Nest- There are 42 on the 83 mile stretch of river we were on.

At the Mississippi and Marine Museum in Dubuque

Mark Twain- He looks like a relative of Thomas Jefferson! That's a joke.

 Lots of Pelicans!!

 Looking to see how close the boat is to hitting the Lock. It bumped and they had to back up and try again.

American Pickers in LeClair Ia

Class of '61 plus

Johnny Hamilton, a member of the class of '61, invited us all to his and Alice's Lake Panorama home. Many members of this class have remained connected throughout the years. Here are some of them.
At Lake Panorama

 Butch Brooker

Sue Durlam Lucht

Charlene (Newcom) King

Andi (Siegenthaler) Blume

Carol (Wilson) Zwicky

Donna (Kafer) Lawson

 Mickey (Sanders) Starr converses with Dwight Tomes

 The "Boys" L to R Jack Harmer, Butch Brooker, Johnny Hamilton, Ed Lawson