Great Sunday Morning -- 63 degrees, not too much humidity, sun was shining, coffee was strong and hot! I had to make my own coffee and breakfast since Bea and I weren’t doing Breakfast with Bea. We left for Maquoketa mid-morning. Met Barb for lunch at Flap Jack’s restaurant, then spent some time visiting with ‘old neighbors.’
Drove around town and out by the river. I just cannot identify Maquoketa as ‘home’ anymore. Oh, it looks familiar, but when I see places in town that bring back some memories, the buildings have changed or maybe even gone, the stores are different, town looks like a damn car lot – so many places taken up with dealerships. When I saw what used to be my Uncle Frank and Aunt Eva’s drug store, I was sure they were spinning in their graves…especially if they are up there looking down at the paint job on that building…damn embarrassing as far as I can see…but I don’t live there anymore.
The water from the failed dam in Delhi was just reaching Maquoketa when we were there – took some pics of the flooding at the lime kilns north of town. The picture here of the Lakehurst Dam on the Maquoketa River is 'swiped' from the local radio station webpage! It shows the dam at flood level. Compare it to the pic I have below of the dam taken last year at normal river levels. Nice day! No Rain! Food and Friends, what more can anyone want!
My sister is getting quite good at spotting ‘photo ops’ for me as we travel along the highway – all of a sudden, slow down, pull over, back up on the shoulder, take some pics and move on down the road!
Now, if I could find the instruction book for my camera, I may be able to figure out how to use all of the settings and get some decent pictures! I found a manual on line, but kinda hard to take with me unless I want to print out over 100 pages!
Stopped at Hardee’s for their ‘hand breaded chicken strips’ for supper on the way home. Not Bad!
Good, Morning, Monday! And what is a retiree to do? Laundry? Clean house? Naw! Play on the computer! That's it! Cleaned out some computer folders then it was time to take my coffee, my book and Li’lBit outside to enjoy some nice weather! By mid afternoon, it was humid/sticky! Inside with the A/C!
Before going outside, I put on a pot of shrimp soup. I know - Summer - Hot Soup! But it is really good. And since my sister doesn't like shrimp unless it is deep fried with lots of cocktail sauce, I get to eat every bit of it! It was the last of my shrimp from Rockport! Guess I'll just have to go back and restock the freezer next winter!
Tuesday, laundry day – what a routine - stop at the gas station, get coffee and a munchie (usually a donut!) Go next door to the laundro-mat, fill the washer, read my book, drink my coffee, eat my munchies, move the clothes to the dryer, fold the clothes, pack the clothes bag (actually a shopping bag from HEB grocery in TX!) Routine just never changes!
By the time I got back home, it was already sticky outside. Just can’t get over the humidity this late in the year! Someone needs to tell the weather this is SUMMER, spring just refuses to leave.
With the A/C on I was inside all day. Guess it wouldn’t be so bad being inside if I did something – but why waste my time cleaning or organizing or straightening things out – they just get messed up again! Don’t know who it is around here that creates all of these messes – maybe the dog? Cat? Bird?
YEE-HAW! Humidity down to 54% on Wednesday! I can suck in some good air! I spent the morning vegetating. Gall bladder finally cooled off about 1:30-2AM so I did get some sleep.
The predicted rain fizzled out, left us with humidity! Had to go out and water plants...been putting it off waiting for rain!
I did make a mixed berry cobbler - raspberries, black berries and blue berries, just a variation on my peach cobbler recipe with bread strips instead of pie crust. Didn't use a lot of sugar - kinda puckers you up! A little ice cream would probably help!
Went with Bea to Perkins for salad for supper…still careful about too much anti-gall bladder foods!
Thursday - my kinda day! 60 deg, very little humidity, sun shining! Filled my travel mug with coffee, went into town to fill the truck’s tummy with diesel and hit the road. First stop, Kalona, an Amish community, then to Walcott for a late lunch with friends from school! Sure hope I have lunch money left by the time I hit ...the bakeries, cheese factories and meat markets in Kalona!
Had lunch with Ingrid and Judi at Gramma's Kitchen http://www.hoari.com/Grammas/
Judi and I went to Kindergarten together – Ingrid was the ‘late-comer’ – she didn’t catch up with us until First Grade! Oh, how I remember my Mother and her friends, how boring I thought it was, when they would get together and talk about the school days. Well, there I was, just like my Mother, talking school days with friends. We finally decided it was time to leave when the supper crowd started showing up! What a terrific afternoon! Would have been much better if I hadn't left my camera locked in the glove compartment of the truck! Fortunately, Ingrid and Judi weren't as 'brain dead' and I was and they had theirs!
I didn’t get back home until 8 PM, 350+ miles later; I'm one happy camper! Great day, good food, terrific friends! AND, found a new favorite store. Stopped in Stringtown to see the 'Springtown Grocery." Thought it would be a museum or one of those 'historic site ahead' places. WAS I WRONG! It's a Amish Grocery - Bulk supplies, dehydrated foods, spices, homemade peanut butter, relishes, preserves, pastries and baked goods. They even pack your groceries in a BOX. Gotta go back before I head to TX.
The store only has 3 aisles; just enough room for about 1 shopping cart in each aisle (yes, they do have shopping carts!) They do have electricity, too -- and a walk in cooler where they keep produce and meats. Most convenient stores in Texas are bigger than this but not nearly as enjoyable!
Friday morning I woke up moving quite slowly - too much setting in the truck and in the restaurant, I guess – ol’ bones don’t move like they used to! AND, my lungs didn’t want to work too efficiently either! Thunder off in the distance but the weather radar didn'tlook too bad! I'm beginning to think I missed my calling - should have been a weather person! Really getting into this radar, humidity index, dew point stuff!
Cool enough to open the place up for some fresh air, but I can feel the humidity -- another A/C day -- I hate that!!! As the day went on, it was harder and harder to catch my breath – days like this are not my favorites! Puffing on that darn nebulizer is such a waste of time!
My sister said the rain gauge at school had over an inch when the gully-washer blew thru mid-morning.
Put a pizza casserole in the crock pot, Bea picked up a fruit bowl and came over for supper.
Saturday July comes to an end. Got an email from some friends from Rockport -- they are headed this way in their motorhome after visiting friends in PA and NY. Will be great to see them. Should be here next weekend sometime.
After the fog lifted and the humidity decreased some, it was time to open this place up and bring in some FRESH AIR! I really do detest A/C air!
And Here Comes August!
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