Sunday, August 29, 2010

I had a visitor………

Lisa and Jeff’s 12 year old came to stay with us this weekend, while they attended a wedding in Sioux Falls…..I was pretty excited about having company and spending some quality time with him!

When he first arrived, we spent some time looking over our house so he would feel more comfortable in the strange surroundings……but it didn’t take long and he was quite comfortable…..

We played together for a bit, and a bond was soon formed…..especially after I fixed him some food and something to drink….

He seemed restless, so we went outside to explore Grampas yard a bit…..he didn’t seem to tire of that at all, so we spent quite a bit of time playing there….a couple neighborhood friends even came over to get acquainted!

Right now, we have a beef roast in the oven and it will be juicy tender by suppertime when Lisa and Jeff will arrive to pick up there 12 year old and head home again……We’re looking forward to the next visit!

Oh, here are some pictures of the 12 year old enjoying his stay with “Grampa”……

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Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Quotations……

Occasionally I run across a quote that just sticks with me….today’s is……

 

“Life is not about waiting for the storm to end. It is about learning to dance in the rain”

 

Pretty cool, huh?

Thursday, August 19, 2010

The Wisconsin Adventure……

We watered the flower beds, cleaned up the house and departed for Wisconsin on August 12……first stop……Jackpot Junction, and a free room plus a delicious buffet!

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I managed to leave with more than I went in with….Marcy lost a little bit…

Here’s a closer look at the Indian sculpture…..kinda’ cool!

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One of my favorite spots in Minnesota is the little town of Henderson….after driving through miles and miles of flat prairie land, the road winds down in to a heavily wooded river valley and the town…..Here’s a couple pics of climbing out on the other side…..

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Crossing the St. Croix River on the MN/WI border….

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and a few hours later, we arrived at Jerry and Nancy’s Summer home in Wisconsin……They are very gracious hosts, and put us up in their camper, so we had private accommodations! Here’s their little getaway….

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Jerry and Nancy treated us to a delicious Wisconsin Friday night fish-fry at the Golf Club…..We all ate plenty, but I stuffed myself and continued to do so well after they were done….buuurrrppp…..This is where we ate….Club X to C…

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and the building……

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Saturday, we just goofed off and visited….Sunday we all went to Greenbay and attended the Tall Ship Festival……What a blast!

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The following pictures are of the tall ship “Bounty”. It was used in the filming of “Mutiny on the Bounty and other films, including “Pirates of the Caribbean”. I managed to get an on board tour of her!

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Below decks on the Bounty…..

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A crew berth……very small room.

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This was actually a miniature cannon….

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This is the “Denis Sullivan” We had tickets for a ride out on the lake on her, but they had to cancel due to strong winds  and the narrow river channel. Only a couple ships braved the wind to give rides (note the flags blowing) and they said they wished they would not have went out, so it was just as good that we didn’t get to go…..

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This “Pirate” was on stilts , and  he was very good at keeping his balance. He really enjoyed joking with and playing tricks on spectators!

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Marcy and I had  visit with a real, live Pirate….Aaaaarrrrghhhh, Hello Matey!

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Marcy’s brother, Jerry, (a retired Navy veteran of 20+ years) giving some seaworthy advice to the pirate…….

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and just in case there any Packer fans looking, here ya’ go!

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After driving back to Jerry and Nancy’s Sunday evening and a little more visiting, we departed Monday morning……next stop….Sandi L’s lake home on Lake Holcombe, Wi…….a beautiful place!

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Sandi has a green thumb!

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Sandi and Marcy….couple of good lookin’ gals!

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Sandi served us a delicious dinner of chicken pasta  hotdish, fresh corn, fruit salad, and carrot cake…….yum-yum! Plus Sandi gifted us 2 quarts of pure, homemade, Wisconsin Maple syrup! Thanks again, Sandi!

 

After a really nice visit with Sandi and Ray, we hit the road again and ended up at Hinckley, MN….at…….you guessed it….a Casino! I done pretty good again……and they had a terrific buffet!

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The Grand Hotel at the casino….very nice accommodations!

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The casino complex was quite huge!

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We got back on the road Tuesday morning and made it to Granite Falls, MN and made one last stop at a casino…….this place had a 1/2 lb. burger and fries for $.99…….DSC00078

 

what the heck, I’ll get back on my diet when we get home…..

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Okay, back home safe and sound!

Saturday, August 7, 2010

I dabble in poetry……

sometimes to cherish my memories, sometime to express my emotions, sometimes to offer advice……anyway, here’s my thought for today…..enjoy!

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

Believe in yourself………………… and dreams will come true

Believe in yourself………………… and others will too.

Believe in yourself………………… with all of your heart

Believe in yourself………………… you’ll have a head start.

Believe in yourself………………… and you’ll find the way

Believe in yourself………………….and you’ll not go astray.

Believe in yourself………………… when life treats you wrong

Believe in yourself………………….and you’ll always be strong.

Believe in yourself………………….and hold your head high

Believe in yourself………………… look yourself in the eye.

Believe in yourself………………… It’s the right thing to do

Believe in yourself………………… just do it for you.

By Larry Munson ©

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

The trip North……

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It’s always good to enter good old North Dakota….somehow, the place you were born and raised at seems to beckon you……

We had a pleasant visit with relatives and friends and of course Cory and Melissa’s wedding was the high point….

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a beautiful outdoor setting…..

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We drove through the little prairie  town that I spent most of my childhood in….sadly it’s pretty much a ghost town now, although a couple houses did look occupied….the rest were totally going to  ruin and the main street buildings are all gone…..here’s a picture of the little church I was confirmed in back in about 1956……

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Some neat river valley scenes near Jamestown…..

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Final stop was my sister’s home, where she had a delicious dinner of a Chicken pasta dish with a side of green beans…….and…..a KEY  LIME PIE! UMMMM! Sisters are good to have!

Stand by for the next adventure……