31 Oct: Cynthia leaves tomorrow for Texas, leaving Ron without adult supervision for a month. The forecast calls for sixty degree, sunshiny weather with 15 mile an hour wind. We successfully completed two long walks, plus getting all of our packing done. Don and Ann S joined us for a long conversation over 2 PM lunch at Los Amigos.
30 Oct: Glorious sunshine and warmer temps helped us enjoy our last two days at Mariners Resort with two long walks. Unbelievably, Ron’s mac rebooted this evening just before bedtime. He was desperate enough to research a fix on the internet and found a good candidate. Cynthia tried blessing it, but Ron’s threat did the trick.
29 Oct: Hurricane Zeta sent moisture to Illinois. We managed to stay dry during a three mile walk trying some of the fitness opportunities. Cynthia cannot lift her body with her arms on parallel bars. Ron was successful on everything (for limited definitions of successful). We will be at Lake Carlyle another 4 days. After lunch at Los Amigos, we are back home eating popcorn and doing computer stuff. The WiFi is on, sort of.
28 Oct: Cynthia tracked 7.8 miles total for two great walks. Nephew Eric, wife Denise, grandnephew Kyle and grandniece Erika joined us for dinner at Los Amigos. The WiFi is down and Ron's computer also went down before dinner, just as he was feeling hopeful to finish the indexing of Volume 7.
27 Oct: Tomorrow Ron needs to get out for blueberries and pretzels (now that his stomach has receded satisfactorily). Cynthia tracked 8 miles total for two great walks.
26 Oct: First project this morning after exercises and oatmeal was to pack the box Cynthia wants to ship back to Texas (so that she doesn't have to carry luggage through the airport). The BIG surprise was that we were able to ship it via UPS at the local NAPA auto parts store. Our Carlyle Lake dam walk was more pleasant this morning without the winds that have made the last several days less so. Cynthia's feet held up well despite keeping a rapid pace in order to arrive promptly at noon+02 at Los Amigos for lunch with Ron's high school friend Dick. Unfortunately we did not get to meet Ruth Ann (who had a crush on Dick in 4th grade). Dick certainly has plenty of interesting stories to tell and claims to have several kids, all students from abroad thanks to Rotary International. Apparently the feeling is mutual. His father lived to be 92 years old, so we encouraged him to consider taking his good genes to the Pritikin, hoping to improve upon his father's outstanding record. No second walk this evening as the rains continued and continued. - until bedtime (i.e. now).
25 Oct, Sunday: Lake Carlyle is chilly again, starting with 48 degrees (after exercises and breakfast). Sad part is that today's high is forecast at 50 degrees. Ron is starting the second phase of edits to The Colonial Records Volume 7, installing the index markup before making corrections that will change the pagination. We did enjoy a pleasantly cool and a bit windy walk below the dam crossing General Dean but turned around early (due to foot pain) and came back to Los Amigos for lunch.
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| Saturday fishermen on Kaskaskia River below Lake Carlyle |
24 Oct: We awakened today to a temperature (after breakfast) of 43 degrees plus a 9 mph wind. WOW, winter has jumped into our neighborhood. Talk about a rude awakening. Our walk across the dam, around the Chipmunk circuit, out & over General Dean bridge, and back was much more pleasant with so much less wind than yesterday. Interesting to see so many folks fishing along the river. Lunch at Los Amigos left us both stuffed, but Cynthia has already requested popcorn to satisfy her munchies. Ron went out for a chilly ride to get foodstuffs to tide us over until the 1st and later for a second walk just after dark, made more enjoyable by a long phone conversation with Sock.
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| Fall is glorious now at Lake Carlyle |
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| And here is another example. |
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| Smooch and SmoochSmooch (in collar) |
22 Oct: The temperature has skyrocketed in the room. Time to go for a long walk before the day heats up, crossing the dam, circling the Chipmunk Trail, and crossing the bridge over the Kaskaskia. It was a good day, a warm walk and we decided to stay indoors until twilight before our second walk across the dam today.
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| Hudson watching daddy in snow |
21 Oct: The pavement was wet when we arose, but no rain is forecast for the day here; a high temperature of 62 degrees. The challenge for today is to get the room ready for the housekeepers. Done, over and out. Now to buy more groceries, then go for a walk. Today we discovered the Chipmunk Trail, a cute little half-mile trail through the woods and across several tiny bridges on the other side of the lake. But, we can be thankful it is not snowing like in other parts of the country. Here is a cute picture of two-year-old Hudson wistfully watching his daddy, Brett, blowing snow.
20 Oct: Another morning at Lake Carlyle dawned cold and foggy, but by the time we finished exercises and breakfast, the skies had cleared. With luck it will be somewhat "warm" by the time we walk to Walmart for flu shots. The long part of our walk this morning was to the Post Office in downtown Carlyle, and we walked four extra blocks because our directions were to turn after CVS instead of before it. We lunched at Los Amigos and were told that we had run them entirely out of mixed veggies, and we were served the last two baked potatoes. They promised to shop tomorrow in order to continue feeding us. At 3 PM, the thunder rumbled and the rains came right on time, but they were gone in a flash.
19 Oct: Good God, did the temperature ever change. Our walk across the dam was dam cold this morning. The color radar forecast gives us until mid-afternoon before showers begin, but I doubt that Cynthia can be convinced to go outside again in 45 degree temperatures potentiated by 30 mph winds (unbelievable that www.weather.com says the winds are only 9 mph). Her stomach did convince her to go outside all the way over to Los Amigos for our usual lunch (less than 100 yards). The first baked potato was small, so Ron ordered a second, which was quite large. He is now waaay too much over-full, similar to Thanksgiving dinners while his mother was still alive. And moisture did indeed fall from the skies beginning around 3 pm. Regardless, Ron is preparing to go for his second walk of the day & talk on cell phone across the dam and back. First half of crossing the dam (talking to Clarence) was windless, second half was windy; all of return (talking to Ed) was misty and wet.
18 Oct, Sunday: We awoke (Thank God) at Mariner's Village, exercised, ate, and are now using our computers before we head out for a morning walk. We need to get our two walks in early since rain is forecast to begin around 3 PM until midnight. Walk #1 was the length of the dam plus crossing the Kaskaskia on the General Dean Suspension Bridge (click here) and return to Los Amigos for our standard veggies, salad and potato lunch. Now Ron needs to gather foodstuffs supplies at Walmart before the rains come. Offta, and with the rains came naptime. Later. Editing Volume 7 index again - more issues. Time for beddie bye. G'night.
17 Oct: Surprisingly windy today here at Lake Carlyle. We've exercised, eaten and walked across the dam and across the Kaskaskia River (click here) suspension bridge that was closed yesterday. Don and Ann came to visit us at 2 PM for a lunch at Los Amigos and stayed until 6 PM catching us up on the events of their lives. Ron repeated the morning walk again at dark and is fading fast now that it is 10:30 PM. Goodnight.
16 Oct: Lake Carlyle really is beautiful at this time of year without any crowds except for the birds on the lake. After exercises and breakfast we went for our typical morning walk and received a call from sistah Carol saying, "Surprise, Bill and I are enjoying the views from the marina." By this time Cynthia and I were near the bridge over the Kaskaskia River, far from the hotel. We agreed to return ASAP but were stymied by a "bridge closed" fence, so we had to retrace our steps on the eastern side of the river. By the time we met up with Carol & Bill, everyone was hungry, so we repaired to Los Amigos for lunch. (Carol bought - Than You, Carol.) Everyone enjoyed their meal, so we can agree with the reviews that it is a good place. Afterwards, we all walked to a mid-point on the dam where a picnic table sits, whereupon we all sat to enjoy lovely views, birds flying & swimming, a brisk wind, and lively conversation. (Bill and Ron are in competition to see who can say the funniest things. No one wins, but everyone smiles.) After they left, we returned to our room and our computers. Now Ron can go to Walmart to get the popcorn as promised. Done, 10:15 and time for bed. Goodnight.
15 Oct: Carlyle, Illinois: We are staying at the Mariner's Village (click here) at Lake Carlyle (click here), and we were quite surprised this morning to see a wet parking lot. After eating our oatmeal breakfast and sending in the pacemaker reading over the ether to Dr. Dougherty, we went for a nice long walk 4.8 miles across the dam to the restroom there and back to Los Amigos (click here for Facebook page) for a repeat of yesterday's lunch. Ron's Macbook Pro continues to refuse to boot for the second entire day despite perhaps 40 retries, so he used Cynthia's computer to reply to a couple of dozen e-mails. Then we went for a second, shorter walk across the dam and back, including a climb up the dam from the road below because Cynthia had suggested that we needed more regular aerobic exercise. After dinner of oatmeal, Ron continued to respond to e-mails and restart his computer. Hey !! It came up immediately after I wrote that it refused to boot. Whoopie !! I guess it pays to embarrass it before the entire world. So now it is time for Ron to go on a third walk and talk, this time to Ed. 10:17, time for bed. More tomorrow.
14 Oct: The ride from Litchfield to Carlyle (east on Illinois 16 to south on Illinois 127) looked innocuous enough on the map, but the wind made the ride far less comfortable. Sometimes the crosswind was left to right and others it was right to left. Sometimes it seemed quite light and others it was somewhat fierce. Even long sweeping curves present a challenge to composure when a strong wind gust hits in the middle of the turn. We checked in to the hotel, delighted to recognize our hosts from October 2018, and immediately headed over to Los Amigos, a new Mexican restaurant next door. We ordered large salads with grilled veggies and a baked potato each and were delighted that it satisfied our diet so well. Then we rode over to Walmart for groceries, and Ron plugged his computer into the wall socket.
13 Oct: Mt. Olive, Illinois is the closest town to Ron's sister in the hinterlands of rural Illinois, and we rode the motorcycle to her house soon after breakfast. Litchfield Trail wasn't so bad despite new rock chip, but Panther Creek Road was not rendered any smoother by the chip and there was a surplus amount in the middle of the road awaiting a grader. Cynthia dismounted at Carol's driveway for an eight-tenths mile walk in preference to riding on gravel. (Ever since our New Mexico escapade in May of 2018, she has been terrified of dirt roads.) We walked to Carol's pond to feed the catfish. (I throw in one pellet at a time to watch, whereas Carol throws in half the jar at once.) Carol fixed us baked potatoes upon request, and she and Bill joined us later for dinner at Ruby Tuesday. Not only that, but Carol and Bill gave Cynthia a ride to the restaurant so that she didn't have to endure the insecurity of riding the motorcycle on a gravel driveway. Me, I took Panther Creek Road the other direction into Mt. Olive so that I wouldn't have to ride on newly applied rock chip.
12 Oct: We left Keokuk, Iowa early, continuing south on US Highway 218 briefly until we crossed the Mississippi on US 136. It was quite the surprise that this took next to no time. Then Ron began looking for a quick turn onto Illinois Highway 96 south. Once we were headed south, the wind from the west became quite strong as we continued to US Highway 24 east to I-172 bypassing Quincy and becoming I-72. Ron began to think that he had missed the turn for Illinois 100 south when it finally came into view. Then IL 106 east to Hillview Road south. The wind was quite the nuisance, especially near woods that reflected it so that it shoved us to the west. Then Illinois 108 east to I-55 south to Litchfield. After all these turns we arrived in Litchfield in time to have dinner at Ruby Tuesday with Bill and Carol. The biggest surprise was that the Ruby Tuesday in Litchfield, Illinois had their salad bar open and well-stocked.
11 Oct, Sunday: So we got up early, exercised, ate, packed and left Ottumwa too late to arrive at the Methodist Church in Keosauqua on time for the 9 AM worship service, so we tried staying on US 34 all the way to Fairfield before turning south on Iowa 1, and it was quicker and smoother as we had been told, so we were only about five minutes late. Doris was playing organ, and we tried to sneak in late without being seen, but the minister and cousin Marvin embarrassed us (slightly) by introducing us to the congregation. The sermon encouraged us to pray frequently, but my interpretation was that frequent prayer will keep us mindful of God's presence in our lives and will improve our relationships with other humans. After services, Sharon Beatty asked if we would like to see the original Benjamin Beatty house where she now lives. We agreed immediately after she promised to drive us out there in a car and return us to Marvin's house in the country, thereby saving us from riding the motorcycle on two long gravel roads, eating the dust of every passing motorist. Sharon's husband Melvin is a wonderful character. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting him and getting to know Sharon a bit better. True to her word, Sharon and Melvin drove us to Marvins where we got to watch Philip park a tractor and wagon in the middle of the front yard and witness Doris's reaction to this all-too-common occurrence in her life. Holly and Jonathan came by to visit with us, and he is a much-older, much bigger 7-year-old now, and not quite so active as he was two years ago. Doris fed us some veggies before Marvin then drove us out to Lebanon to see cousin Ken's new home. Ken is finishing the interior himself, and it looks to be a wonderfully comfortable place for a bachelor to live in the country. All that work has him looking very thin and fit and happy. The open loft is accented by 8x8 beams salvaged from a barn somewhere nearby. The second-floor deck has wonderful views of fields and woods. Ken really surprised me by saying that he no longer plays video car racing games. Marvin returned us to our motorcycle parked by the church, and we were early enough for cousin Scott and Nadine to join us for dinner at the 1st Street Grill. As it was getting dark, they drove us out to see their property, but it was too dark to see much of the gardening work and they returned us to town quickly so that we could ride south on Iowa Highway 1, east on Iowa Highway 2, south on US 218 to a Hampton Inn in Keokuk, Iowa. After dark, Ron makes it a point to stay close behind another vehicle through deer country. If my headlight is not illuminating their license plate, I need to move closer.
10 Oct: We arose no earlier in Iowa City, did our morning exercises and again enjoyed lots of oatmeal with berries, thanks to Nola's cooking. Ron enjoyed sudokus from a book of Vic's. (Hotels are not generally supplying newspapers now, and Ron is sudoku deprived.) We thanked our hosts, packed and were on the road an hour later than Ron had hoped, so he decided to call cousin Marvin from Walmart. When we stopped at Walmart for MSM, Ron decided to resume riding promptly instead of calling cousin Marvin and to instead call from Washington, Iowa, but Iowa Highway 1 just passed through a brief corner of Washington, so the call was postponed until Fairfield. In Fairfield, the most appealing restaurant turned out to be Mexican, unable to meet our diet, and we missed the Subway as we left town on Highway 1. (Apparently Subway is on a different "Main Street.") By the time we arrived in Keosauqua, it was two PM and time to feed the diabetic weefee. The town was crowded with tourists for the annual Keosauqua Fall Festival and the Van Buren Scenic Drive Festival. We saw lots of motorcycles in town, and the 1st Street Grill was crowded with one table left for us in a corner. The restaurant actually did a fine job of feeding us with a good salad for Ron and vegetable wrap for Cynthia. After ordering, Ron attempted to call cousin Marvin but found no Verizon signal there, outside, by the river, or anywhere within a couple of blocks. The waitress recommended right beside a window, but that didn't work for Ron either. This was quite a disappointment because Ron had promised to call Marvin much earlier. (And it is harvest time.) Only one of Ron's cousins in Keosauqua lives on a paved road, so we went to visit Rex, Suzie, and daughter Brigette. (Ron had to ask directions from another resident after failing to find the house where he kinda sorta remembered it. The house was on top of the hill, not at the foot.) Everyone was cheerful and healthy although Susie has had a number of health problems in the last couple of years. We also met two of Brigette's kids who are probably in high school. The closest accommodation that Cynthia has liked was the Hampton Inn in Ottumwa, and we rode north on Iowa 1 to a left on Iowa 16 through Selma (where Ron's father was born) and through Eldon (where ancestor Jesse Nicholson is buried) to a left on US 34 into Keokuk, then had to stop to find an address since my GPS does not show that hotel. After settling in at a familiar Hampton Inn in Ottumwa and eating at Subway across the street, Ron called Marin and apologized for not calling earlier. Marvin said that church was holding services and seemed pleased that Ron and Cynthia would see them there in the morning (9 AM = way too early). The route from Iowa City was simplicity itself: I-80 west to US 6 exit south to Iowa Highway 1 to Keosauqua.
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| Ron, Vic and Nola at Coralville Reservoir |
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| Herbert Hoover Presidential Library |
9 Oct: Iowa City: We awoke late, arose late and exercised as usual before venturing upstairs to discover that Nola had cooked old fashioned Quaker oats for us and had fruit to go with. Vic and Nola took us out for a hike on the Coralville Reservoir Trail amidst the glorious fall scenery. They are bird watchers and never go out without binoculars (but we saw no interesting birds). We returned home for a great lunch, then off to the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and birthplace. Surprisingly, the Library and visitor center were closed although the houses were open and park rangers provided a short guided tour. We saw both the tiny house where Hoover was born and the plot where he is buried plus a reconstruction of his father's blacksmith business. We realize how rich we modern Americans are when we see that a family of five lived in two very small rooms in 1900 (14' x 20' = 280 square feet total for 2 rooms, 2 adults and 3 children). For dinner, Nola made awesome salmon topped with balsamic vinegar sauce and fresh berries. Yum, Thanks Nola.
8 Oct: The ride to Iowa City was uneventful. Ron chose to take I-35 from the hotel until old US Highway 6 veered north 20 miles east of Des Moines. US 6 was much quieter and more pleasant over rolling hills although the spectacular fall colors we had enjoyed in Minnesota were less frequent in Iowa. A stop at the Amana Colonies for Amish sauerkraut and pickled beets was a disappointment because that was the entirety of what we could eat (although that is a wonderful combination). We arrived at Vic and Nola's (off Debuque Road) in time for Cynthia’s first ever enchilada (and a delicious one using a Pritikin recipe with sweet potato, spinach and black bean filling). Nola is an awesome cook, and Vic has a million entertaining stories from his 30 years of medical practice. En route Cynthia was meditating that "Politics has become the religion of hatred. Hatred is a cancer that eats one’s own flesh." It is insane.
7 Oct: From Urbandale, Iowa, we rode west and south about 10 miles on I-80/ I-35 to Mills Civic Parkway to visit cousin Sandy in East Des Moines. Sandy is delightfully cheerful as always, and she even fed us an afternoon snack. We all walked around the tiny lake near city hall and thoroughly enjoyed sculptures and colorful red maples and burnt-orange sugar maple trees (even sometimes with hot pink highlights). As we started back to the hotel, we saw the bright white tail of a whitetail deer bounding into the woods. We had hoped to visit Cynthia's classmate Carol, but her independent living facility mandates a 14-day quarantine if she leaves the property, and visitors are not allowed on the property. What ever happened to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness? I guess the same forces that long ago mandated motorcycle helmet laws (which I hate) have grown more powerful. Since we had such a lovely visit with Sandy and had no possibility of seeing Carol, there was no reason to stay an additional day in Des Moines.
6 Oct: Northwood, Iowa: We need to pack and leave before noon. Done. Upon Cynthia's request, we stopped in Nora Springs to see her niece Penny, who suffered cancers of various forms and is missing most of her left jaw. Penny is living with her sister Paula and is speaking much better than two years ago. As we prepared to ride away, Penny asked for a motorcycle ride. Ron agreed after asking if her leg is strong enough to get on the bike. She assured me that it is strong enough, but the problem was controlling the other leg, which was tough to get over the seat. Cynthia has prepared me for a passenger balancing precariously on one peg, and Penny managed to eventually get seated properly. We rode through town two different ways and back to the house without incident. Penny was thrilled but tumbled to the ground while Paula helped her get off the bike. (Cynthia got a great video of that fall.) Thankfully, she is well! As we rode south in Iowa, a large pheasant flew up right in front of us, and we missed it by about a foot, a GREAT view of pheasant in flight about a foot away from the top left front of the fairing (windshield). We took Iowa 105 east to US 65 south to East State Street in Mason City east to business US 18 east to Nora Springs (and were lucky to discover the Ponderosa Trail subdivision). Then we took Zinnia Road (county road S70) south to county road B47 west to US 65 south almost into Hampton (including a detour to county road S43), turned right on Iowa Highway 3 west (which was a rough road) to US Highway 69 south through Ames and Ankeny into Urbandale, Iowa where we got on I-35/ I-80 west to the Hilton Garden Inn. This was a very nice, very uncrowded route, but it was a windy day, seemingly far windier than the 11-15 mph forecast. The bonus was discovering a Texas Roadhouse restaurant immediately adjacent to the hotel and further discovering that they served baked sweet potatoes, a favorite for us on this diet.
5 Oct: We woke up early despite going to bed late. Jane at 9 AM, Annie at 11, hiking until exhausted, dinner and collapse are on the schedule for today. Ron and Richard had a great deal of fun conversations discussing "guy" things. We assume that Cynthia and Jane did not discuss guy things. Dave and Annie showed up promptly before 11 to take us to the Lime Creek Nature Center (click here) for a lovely hike with Connie and Heather, during which Cynthia and Ron mistakenly thought that the girls were going off to "La Femme Toilette," and consequently became totally separated from the group and thereafter became totally lost without any clue as to location or direction other than picking the most likely trail underfoot. Eventually a bicyclist, the only other person we ever saw, gave us simple directions that allowed us to find the correct parking lot. 4.4 miles according to Cynthia. Annie and Dave were waiting for us at the parking lot, and off we all went to Subway for lunch. Now poor Annie has to rush through preparations for dinner whilst I type on this computer. Usually Ron tells people that they cannot cook for us because our diet is too restrictive: no oil, no butter, no fat, no cheese, and no salt, but Annie cooked a magnificent meal for us two years ago, and I am looking forward to stuffing my face again tonight. Face happily stuffed, now we need to retire to rest our tummies. Annie again cooked a magnificent meal for six (Ann & Dale, Annie & Dave, Cynthia & Ron) and used her guest Corelware (click here). Ron thoroughly enjoyed the dishes that were made specifically for his diet. (He did share.) The discussions about fine china prompted Ron to reflect that no one uses china any more because no one cooks any more, hence the younger generation has no use for the parental china when serving carry-out meals.
4 Oct: Who knows what tomorrow brings? At least we woke up well rested and ready for our morning exercises and breakfast. Looks like we will spend most of the day working on computer projects followed by an evening visit with Ann 'n Dale, God willing. Thanks to cousin Charleton, Ron has just found out about the Rambo Mansion in Rock Hill, South Carolina (click here for video tour). We arrived more than an hour early to revisit all of Cynthia's memories of Swensrud Park, which sits just below her childhood home. Our picnic at the park with Ann & Dale, Tanna & family was lovely, even with an energetic two-year-old and her five-year-old brother making use of every slide and climb on the playground. However, it did get too cold for nearly all the adults by 6:30, so we brought our celebration of friendship to an early ending. Tomorrow is another day. Good Grief, how did it get to be 10:42 already. Goodnight.
3 Oct: In Northwood, Iowa, today dawned early for us and cloudy too. We miss our Western sunshine, but it is good to be seeing familiar faces and sights. We rode the 9 miles to town at 10:20 AM and 47 degrees, Brrrrh, and visited with a couple of Cynthia's cousins (everybody in Northwood is Cynthia's cousin) at the "creamery" being restored at 611 Central Avenue (Iowa Highway 105). Our excitement of the day was provided by medivac helicopter which landed smack in the middle of the street. Afterwards we walked around the Northwood cemetery, taking in the sights. The cemetery walks in Butte were much more pleasant since we did not know anyone buried there. 4 PM sharp, we assembled with 6 of Cynthia's classmates (plus 4 spouses) for a fabulous, fun evening of dinner, drinks, and a tiny bit of conversation. Present were Annie and Dave, Vic and Nola, Jerry and Betty, Myra, Laverne and Cynthia and Ron. At 9 PM, the last of the stragglers straggled out of the restaurant and headed home.
2 Oct: Annie brought us an amazing vase of flowers and wonderful homemade, homegrown foods, and left without saying hi because there was a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door !! (Annie, that sign is meant for the housekeepers, not friends. Y'all hear !!) Cousin Ray showed up at the stroke of noon and drove us inside a heated car to Subway for another veggie sub, a wonderful warm trip to town with good company to boot. We talked genealogy, covid and politics (since we agree). Personally I think that it is great that the president has covid, and I feel confident that he will recover fine without undue discomforts, thereby proving that he walks the walk and that most of us will be among the 98% that recover without problems. VERY amusing that after all the trash talk about President Trump, the stock market has experienced a major fall due to the announcement that he has covid. Tonight we walked over to the Diamond Jo casino restaurant to meet cousin David. No telling what he has been up to since we last saw him two years ago. He and Pat did tell us lots and lots that they have been up to, but my memory isn't good enough to repeat all that. We all enjoyed our conversation and the good food there at the Woodfire Grill. Dave gave us a parting gift of CDs that he has made of his music. A multi-talented individual, he teaches history in high school, has played in bands all across the states of Iowa and Minnesota, and enjoys being a re-enactor of pioneer festivals (and he looks the part with a huge long scraggly beard).
1 Oct: Eagan, Minnesota: After packing our bags and loading the motorcycle ASAP this morning, we rode through very chilly temperatures (51 degrees) to Hasting, Minnesota, where we enjoyed our second windowside visit with Greg for nearly an hour before we lunched with Donna, again at Perkins. The ride southward through the Minnesota countryside was punctuated by a stop to see the Valley Grove Lutheran Church where Cynthia preached at one snowy midnight Christmas service in 2007. The skies were threatening for much of the day, and we rode through winds and light rain on I-35 after passing through Faribault. About 20 miles from the Iowa state line, the skies looked too dark dead ahead, so Ron opted to exit the interstate when he saw a sign indicating that an alternate I-35 route was somewhat east of the interstate. This kept us out from under the darkest skies but did not keep us entirely dry. When that county road 26 came to a T intersection, Cynthia piped up, "US 65 is right there," so we rode into her home town of Northwood in a light rain and immediately parked the bike, looked for an open restaurant, and found Subway. Ron was a bit shocked to discover that his hands were BRIGHT red from the cold rain. By the time we finished our vegetable sub, the rain had stopped, so we walked about town briefly, visited the house where Cynthia had lived and talked with the new owners, a couple whose husband had also grown up in that house. We were able to ride to the Holiday Inn Express beside Diamond Jo Casino without difficulty (except for still being cold - high temperature all day was 51 degrees). Ron plugged the Macintosh into power and was delighted that the machine rebooted successfully without excessive restarts so that he can resume working on the index for Volume 7. Our routing for the day began at the Hilton Garden Inn in Eagan and proceeded east on Cliff Road (county road 32) to Blaine Avenue (county road 71) south to 117th street east to US 52 south to Minnesota 55 east to Hastings. From there we rode south through town to Vermillion Road (county road 47) west to Northfield Boulevard (continuing county road 47) southwest into Hampton, MN, L on US Highway 52 south to a R on Minnesota 56 south to R on county road 31 west to L on Minnesota Highway 246 south to county road 30 (160th Street) west to Valley Grove Church. From there we continued south on 246 briefly and continued straight onto Kane Road which led us to county road 20 through Faribault to I-35 south towards Northwood, but we soon exited after rain (maybe Ellendale) and continued south first on county road 26 and later on US Highway 65 into Northwood, then Iowa 105 west to the casino and our lodging.
