Miss Angel

Sometimes the Swedish weaving gets slowed up by Miss Angel 

J.I.G.'s

Some Jefferson Iowa Girls (J.I.G.'s) get together every Friday for a potluck. Mickey and I, official members rode our bikes from Yale to Jefferson to join the group. We rode to Russell park in this wonderful jeep for great food and conversation. Pictured from L. to R. Colleen O'Brien Clopton, Mickey Sanders Starr and Chris Henning. 

Butch and I went to Mickey's in Clive IA on Saturday. Enjoyed a delicious meal and played Mexican Train with the grandkids. On the way home at 9:00 PM we saw a bicyclist on the bike trail! Sure hope he didn't run into any raccoons.

Ledges

At the Ledges State Park near Boone Iowa
Old Rock Face...Looks like he was blowing a bubble and it popped on his face.
This fountain is at Jason & Laura's place in Boone

Sister Myrla sent this picture. I think it is excellent and even more so if you know the story of these two cats. The one nearest to the camera is Tippy rescued from a life of hardship and crime by Myrla and Scott. The one outside is Scrappy, Tippy's brother who was somewhat rescued by a neighbor but does not have the same sort of life that Tippy enjoys. Write the rest of the story as you see it from the picture.

Yesterday I did not leave the house all day. It was a rainy chilly day and one made for staying inside. We listened to a book. 'The Kite Runner', I did some Swedish weaving and took a nap. Spaghetti and meatballs for supper. We do not often have days like that and they are nice for a change but not ones we want frequently. We will be in Yale until the 10th or 11th. Butch has his pre-surgery physical on the 11th in Atlantic so we will have a one or two day stopover there before going to the East Pottawatamie County Fairgrounds at Avoca IA., where we will be for the upcoming month.

Surgery Date ...Butch's surgery date is Friday,September 15th at 7:00 AM, Bergan-Mercy Hospital Omaha, NE.

Chuck Woodbury'sRoadside Journal

Chuck Woodbury's
Roadside Journal

I have been terribly neglectful lately but we have been in a holding pattern. It has been a weird summer all around! Butch was diagnosed with prostate cancer about a month ago so we have been involved with tests and lots of research. It was caught very early so the prognosis is good but still something that needs tended to. After to talking to lots of folks and reading lots of medical info he has decided on surgery. The actual surgery is two to three weeks off so we continue to be in a holding pattern but at least at this point we have a plan. I like having a plan. ;-) So instead of heading east and south this fall we will be staying put until the ol' guy heals up and is back to his usual hyper self. Then we will head back to the old stomping ground in south Texas to hole up for the winter. It looks like we will be in Avoca Iowa shortly before and after surgery. We need a place with full hook-ups as near to Omaha as we can get and that seems to fill the bill. Actually it is the only one that fills the bill! Maybe now that I do not have quite as many question marks in my head I can be a little better about posting. I had hoped to fill this space with the new and wonderful sights we were seeing as we traveled east and south but it will have to wait for awhile and maybe the fuel prices will go down. Yeah Right!!!

Another view

Another view of the overgrown bike trail 

My friend Sherri Clark took about 10 of her current and former daycare kids on a bike ride. She is pictured here with Parker. I went along as back up. It was a 6 mile ride on the T-bone trail and all but one made the entire trip. We did have one ,Sara, who crashed and ended up with some nasty scrapes but she too was a trooper.

Hannah has made the turn. 3 miles down-3 miles to go

Whoops!! I wanted to get this picture in with the ones about Floyds winemaking. Too good a picture to merely pass over so here you go even though it is out of sequence.

Matt is starting back

Overgrown T-Bone Bike Trail near I-80

A close up of a pine cone at Floyd's place

Went to see my old friend Floyd Pearce who we discovered has added winemaking to his numerous other pursuits. He is pictured here with grape, peach and rhubarb wines in the works.

Rolling Hills of Southwest Iowa

On Lake Anita- Butch's co-worker Marty Mills used to call it Lake of No Bites.

Butterfly