my week

Got Will delivered to RAGBRAI, then I closed up the RV and drove up to St Paul for some time with friends.  Dinner with Sandy and a peak at her antique shop in Hastings, gabbed away the hours with Tess, breakfast in Edina with Tess and Linda, a day at the Mall of America with Rosella--girl stuff.  Friday morning early, Rosella and I followed each other on the 5 hour drive to meet up with our biking hubbies.  Found them after their 6th day of riding in Manchester, Iowa and spent the afternoon soaking up the RAGBRAI spirit (and the rain.) Rosella and I continued on to Dubuque and stayed over so we'd be here when the guys dip thier front tires in the Mississippi at the finish.

Just happened to also be my birthday so was as good a way as any to celebrate!  Rosella had gotten a cake for me the night before so it was a good one.

RAGBRAI first day Sioux city to Storm Lake

First day of RAGBRAI.  I drove to Westside to spend the day with my brother and I crossed the route about mid morning.  Parked my car and watched the bikers ride through for a few minutes and take some photos.  Talked to Will after he had finished his ride and he reported that it was a great first day and a beautiful ride.  He had already found a hot shower and was ready to find some entertainment and food.  He was, however, looking forward to a good nights sleep as last night was not a restful one.

RAGBRAI begins

I just brought Will to the riverfront park in Sioux City where he will depart early tomorrow morning along with about 10,000 other bicyclists on the 38th annual RAGBRAI.  More tents and bicycles and bicyclists and people than you have seen in your life!  Mass confusion as everyone is trying to figure out where they are suppose to be, set up a tent, or start the first party.  Luckily we found Bike Burlington pretty quickly.  That is the bike club that Will joined to make the trip easier.  They will carry his gear each day, find a nice site for tents, and have a cold drink waiting for him at the end of each day's ride.  We were fairly early arriving so he found a nice open spot to set up but didn't stay open for long.  Soon it was Tent City!

  If you don't know, RAGBRAI is Registers Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa--always sponsored by Des Moines Register newspaper.  Heard that the very first RAGBRAI started in Sioux City some 38 years ago and something like 150 people finished the full ride.  Today they try to limit the number to 10,000 bicyclists.  It's sumthin'!!

I'm going to play this week also.  Going to visit some girl friends and do whatever but guarantee it will not involve strenuous exercise like this!

Cousin's Party

Word got around town that Art and Lyda's kids were here so a couple of phone calls were made and a party at the local Pizza Ranch was arranged!  Wouldn't you know, I didn't bring my camera to capture everyone but did find this old picture that is even better.  Its the kids of these folks who came--all of these people are gone now.  Mom and Will's aunt Betty are the only spouses of that generation that are still with us.  That's Will's dad, the dashing young man in back row, end left.  All that was written on the back of the photo was 1942 which was quite helpful really.  Dad and Mom had been married a year, Grandpa and Grandma DeBoer (the original) were still on the farm, it was before WWII.

   We had a nice time getting reacquainted with cousins.  There were at least 30 or 35 first cousins who came.  Interesting that so many of them still live in northwest Iowa and an amazing number of their children and grandchildren live in Rock Valley or surrounding communities.  I guess that is only surprising to us who left.

trip down memory lane

We've been busy as beavers all week getting Mom's house ready for sale and finding good homes for her life long possessions.  We came upon this treasure trove of boxes of old photographs that we could not believe.  Took us the afternoon to go through them, figuring out who, what and where.  Baby pictures, wedding pictures, vacation pictures, long gone relatives, precious pictures of childhood. . .we worked until we were overwhelmed.  We needed each other to complete the stories of each glimpse of our youth.

back to Iowa

We're on our way back to Rock Valley, Iowa.  Stopped for the night at a park in Kandiyohi county, MN.  Isn't that a cool  name for a place.  It was a nice evening for a leisurely bike ride on local county roads.  Imagine me right behind Will.  Actually on this kind of ride, I am in front so that I can keep his speed down--that way I can enjoy the ride also.  He is very accommodating on lazy, summer evenings like this one.  We rode past lakes with loons calling with their distinctive tremolo, corn fields flowing with tassel, oak woods, marshes flush with noisy red winged black birds, and chased a couple of deer off the road. 

last day

Will wanted to get some serious biking miles in this morning.  He got up before the wind picked up and did 60 miles--RAGBRAI is coming up soon.  So it was a late start of our day.  Found a cozy lunch place called Emily's--yummy wild rice soup on the deck overlooking the Knife River.  Will had a Walleye sandwich that took fish sandwich to a whole new level. Fun shop piled high with the old and the odd and a Candy Store that was irresistible.

Moved several miles down "the Shore" to take advantage of the sites here.  Thoroughly did Gooseberry Falls--hiked a couple of trails with frequent stops to taste the ripe wild raspberries, explored three of the five falls, picniced on the Lake shore, supported the gift shop.

Drove the Superior National Forest Scenic Byway and wondered how it got its designation as all the back roads around here are equally scenic.

We're eating 'em as fast as we can pick 'em!

North Shore

Three days camped at a private park near Schroeder and Tofte, MN on the North Shore of Lake Superior.  Lots to see and do. . .and remember.  Will and I lived here for 3 1/2 years, 1969-73 on an Airforce radar site near Finland, MN (its been long closed and abandoned) and both kids were born in Two Harbors.  After our family moved to St Paul area, we spent many summer vacations at various state parks on the Shore when the kids were still kids.  And made annual canoe trips into the BWCA with the Massey's for a lot of years running.  Lots of things are very familiar, lots of things are changed or gone.  Lake Superior, the deep blue water, is the one constant.

Drove up the 26 mile (still gravel) Sawbill Trail to Sawbill Lake where we rented a canoe for a day trip into the Boundary Waters (BWCA.)  We packed a picnic and pretended we were backpackers for a day.  We portaged the canoe in and out of three lakes to loop back to where we started and thoroughly enjoyed the long, leisurely paddle. 

An icon of the North Shore is Split Rock Lighthouse.  It is celebrating its 100 year anniversary.  Of course, it is not operating anymore but the Minnesota Historical Society is taking very good care of it and they do fire it up every November to commemorate the sinking of the Edmond Fitzgerald.  Remember Gordon Lightfoots' famous song about the ore ship that was lost with all its crew in a storm in 1975.

The Cascade River is one of the many scenic streams that tumble over rocks and through cuts to make its way to the Lake.  We stopped at all the waysides and took so many pictures that I couldn't remember which one was what!  This one was most impressive and even more so a day later after a big rain!

Duluth

Hugged Wayne and Judy good-by and then drove back to St Paul on Sunday to worship at the church where we were members all the years we lived here.  Lots of new faces now but found plenty of people we remember.  Loved being back and worshipping at Grace Church.  We were blessed.

  Left right after church and on the road again!  This time its Duluth, Minnesota and the North Shore of Lake Superior for a week.  First night at an RV park across the Aerial Lift bridge on Park Point that we did not know existed until this trip.  Great location to enjoy Canal Park and the downtown lake front.  And a nice view of the bridge and city lights after dark.

Watched the Lift bridge move up and out of the way so that a huge ship could leave the Duluth harbor from the outdoor seating of "Grandma's" restaurant.  Get a load of that blue, clear northern Minnesota sky over Lake Superior.

An early morning bike ride before we head up the Shore this morning.  Some of us get up earlier than others. . .so he rode considerably farther than I did but the bike trail along the lake front starts at Canal Park and goes for miles and is a wonderful asset to this city.  It was clear, it was quiet, lake was calm, sea gulls calling, loons on the water. . . what can I say.

Huang family

Angie is 2 1/2 years old now and definately the star of her family!  Her daddy, Wei, was a part of our family for a while 15 years ago when he first came to this country from China.  Its a joy for us to get a glimpse of his life and watch his family grow.

Angie, Qing and Wei; and then Angie with her grandmother who is here from China

Next stop

Now, we moved in on Wayne and Judy Massey for two days!  Always a good visit, always a good time.  Got to see Loren and Rosella Miller also.  Dinner together, mean game of Euker (girls rule!!)and picnic the next day with lots of gabbing and laughs. 

first stop in the old neighborhood

Gathering of dear friends.  Conversation and memories never end.  These are the priceless moments of our summer!

Breakfast at Gerry and Tess';

Duane and Linda's home, our RV "spot";

Marlene, Wil, Gerry, Dwain, Linda G.,Tess, Lyle.

This is not that uncommon to see in the midwest, but it is a site that one never tires of seeing.

Next Stop Minnesota

Back on the move.  We'll be coming back to Iowa later in the month but for now we are taking a little detour and going to Minnesota to see friends and visit places we haven't been for a long time.  Stayed a day at Camden State Park out on the western Minnesota prairie.  Tons of rain again last evening but today was sunny and clear.

That's me at a railroad museum in the little town of Currie.  I am on the only working locomotive turntable in its original location in Minnesota.  Completely manually operated, smooth and quiet.

4th of July, Iowa Style

   Start with a parade complete with kiddie parade, local hi school band, floats, area Pork Princess waving from the back of a convertible, and lots and lots of very large farm machinery.  Oh and some horses, firetrucks, an enthusiastic crowd and hand fulls of candy thrown at all the kids! Lots and lots of American flags.  Was great.

   Then to the park for pork sandwiches or hot dogs, homemade pies and ice cream and tons more.

   The Tractor Pull begins at 11:30.  We actually watched through the fence as neither of us wanted to sit in the sun and dust and noise all afternoon.  Will had to explain what was going on and even he had to be reminded of what all goes into determining a winner.  Carnival, rides, craft and antique fair all day and fireworks at dark.  Small town of Inwood was hopping today and everyone was having a good time.

dinner at Pam's house

Got a chance to meet the newest member of Helene's family--grandson David's bride of 3 months, Allie.  We weren't able to make it to the wedding, but this way we got to see the kid's house and some wedding pictures--plus Pam cooked us a yummy dinner (the proper term here in Iowa is "supper.")




Howard, Pam, David, Helene, Allie