Roger here.... Our daughter, Robyn, had the lead role in a university production of Butterflies are Free several years ago - a good memory, BUT this post is not about the play or our older daughter. This is about US - Dianne and me. The closing on the house that our younger daughter and granddaughter (now in Florida) lived in was Tuesday, so we are now free again to "roam about the country"!
We have been in Pendleton, Indiana (one of the best small towns in the country) since early May, getting the little house in sellable condition - new flooring, new paint, new ceiling, new wall texture, etc., etc., etc. After we put the house on the market (by owner), it sold in two days - unheard of for the two of us. The inspection resulted in a new roof -- ouch -- but not unexpected. After the roof, all we had to do was wait for the closing. So, we did a few more things to improve the house for the buyer (an elementary teacher who we really like) and waited. Several weeks passed, but all turned out well.
Dianne did her usual super-cleaning (sterilization, actually) of all visible surfaces. We included a few pics of the shiny house. We also included a picture of the empty garage that was my responsibility to clean - the only thing I was allowed to clean. It is so clean that if you squirt a hose on it, it will suds.
All the cleaning was done before the closing, so Dianne was able to spend some down time under the RV awning. Those of you who know Dianne know that she is happy doing this for a couple days before she needs to do something productive. The last couple of days with not much to do were tense, but it is OVER.
We are now at Prophetstown State Park, just outside West Lafayette, Indiana, which has, in our opinion, the nicest state park campground in Indiana. It is truly beautiful. All of the butterfly pictures were taken here. We would have taken more, but even though they are pervasive, they flit away so quickly. More about the ten days we will be spending at Prophetstown soon..... maybe tomorrow?
For now, we are free to wander aimlessly around the country, just like the snail in the picture.
Hi all -- Dianne here. The closing for the little house has finally been scheduled for Monday, August 23 at 4:00! Obviously the photo on the right is NOT the little house. You'll need to read the rest of the blog to learn why people are arriving at our friends' back yard with coolers, blankets, and chairs.
When the closing is finally over, we'll feel like two birds let out of a cage!! As soon as we heard the news, we made reservations for Prophetstown State Park (one of our favorite Indiana parks) for ten days. We'll still be in Indiana until Labor Day weekend, when we have reservations with friends at Patoka Lake. Then we will finally hit the road for New Mexico and on to California.
In the meantime, we've been filling our days by taking advantage of the best parts of Pendleton. Roger has been riding his bike, even in the heat. We took full advantage of a few below-ninety-degree days by hiking and geocaching in nearby Falls Park. We were delighted to learn there are 10 geocaches within walking distance of the little house! We never did find the first one, and we were deterred by mosquitos and poison ivy from the next. It was fun nonetheless, and we might try again slathered with bug spray.
Jasper and Chaplin were very happy to go with us; Chaplin especially liked the fact that there are no fire ants in Indiana, unlike his geocaching misfortunes in Texas. We're happy to report that Chaplin has now made a full recovery; the mysterious growth on his side finally healed, he has regained all of his weight, and is his former happy self. We changed their dog food to a holistic brand (Solid Gold); don't know if that played a role or not.
Last night we enjoyed a special treat. Our friends Jay and Nancy are very active in supporting the Anderson, Indiana symphony orchestra. For a fund raiser, they graciously offered their expansive, beautifully-landscaped yard for an evening concert by a few members of the orchestra. Since we had "connections," we were able to take our chairs over early to claim a good spot right in front of the musicians. We took our places with a bottle of Chianti and my favorite Tillamook mild cheddar cheese and Triscuits.
The weather was perfect and the fund raiser was a huge success. The back yard quickly filled with people bringing chairs, blankets, coolers, and picnics, ready to enjoy the balmy evening. The music ranged from Bach, opera, violin duets from The Magic Flute, and a Benny Goodman clarinet version of San Antonio Rose. For a time we felt we were back in Texas!
The concert ended with several Dixieland selections, with the finale a Basin Street rousing rendition of "When the Saints go Marching In." Reminded us of our parade through the French Quarter at Jennifer Kensill's wedding! (See the "wedding" category on the left if you missed that blog entry).
Our friends have the perfect setting for such an event. Their yard has a beautiful tumbling water feature (their little grandsons enjoy feeding the fish). Nancy has always had a green thumb, but most of us could only dream of a potting shed like hers! We have shared plantings over many years and I learned almost everything I know about gardening and cooking from Nancy.
It will be hard to say good-bye to our friends, but to soften the blow a bit they have made plans to meet us in California in November for a week of touring wineries and San Simeon. Can't wait! Even though we've had our fill of Indiana this summer, we're glad we were still here to enjoy this festive evening with dear friends.
Hi all -- Dianne here. Well, we've been reduced to this: Writing about cleaning hair brushes and air conditioning ducts!! Seriously, all the chores on our lengthy "to-do" list for this summer are done. Our furniture is gone. The little house is clean and ready (pretty much). Now we're just waiting for the closing to be scheduled.
To make matters worse, it's been so hot and humid here, like much of the U.S., that riding our new bikes, geocaching, hiking, all the things we enjoy doing are just not so appealing when the heat index is over 100 degrees. Let's just say the novelty has worn off of watching the corn grow across the street!!
By now we're looking for chores to do, and have gotten several things done that we didn't really expect to get around to. For instance, I put another coat of white paint on my little drying rack that travels with us.
Yesterday I did indeed gather up all our hairbrushes, makeup brushes, etc. and gave them a good soak and scrub. Today I did indeed take down the ceiling return air filters and gave them a good soak and scrub. (It's amazing how fast those get dirty, especially with both air conditioners cranking it out like they've had to do this summer).
Roger and I have stepped up our exercise program. We are doing our power walk video every day to try to get back into the shape we were in when we arrived here in May. The empty house is a good place for the workout, especially with the fan trained on us and the air conditioning on.
To say we are bored would be an understatement! We are s-o-o-o ready to hit the road again! But, we can park here for free with 50 amp electricity, in the shade, so there is no point in going to a campground.
Yesterday Roger and I took the short drive to Fishers, Indianapolis, and Carmel, Indiana. In Fishers we made a stop at Motion Cycling & Fitness, the bicycle shop where we had purchased our Townies this summer. We bought helmets, water bottle holders, and a storage pouch for Roger's bike. Roger had fun getting his bike all "tricked out" with new stuff.
My bike is now tricked out, too. Here's a shot with the basket and flower on, new water bottle holder, and new helmet. If it ever cools down, I might actually ride it!
From there, we drove to Gander Mountain in northeast Indianapolis with some serious shopping in mind. We decided at Turkey Run that our h-e-a-v-y recliners that have served us well for two plus years have seen too much sunlight and weren't looking so good. We also decided that the heavy folding table we've been lugging around the U.S. was too heavy and hard to get to when we need it. Gander Mountain had perfect replacements for all three; aluminum, lightweight, and the table has a roll top so it stores in a small, easy-to-stash bag. Roger thinks we've dropped about 50 pounds by replacing our old items.
Here's a shot of Roger in one of the new recliners. You know he's bored when he is actually reading an owner's manual!!
After our (expensive) shopping spree we topped our day out by using the last of Roger's retirement gift cards at Ruth's Chris steak house in Carmel. Wow, prime beef filet mignon -- it doesn't get much better than that. Gift cards are a wonderful thing! That meal sure took the sting out of being stuck in Indiana for a while!
Roger here.... This is our fifth summer to spend a few days with our friends (Chuck and Cindy) at Turkey Run State Park in west-central Indiana. As the weekend approached, we were joined by Audrey and Pat, Jessica (their daughter), Bill (Cindy's brother), and Rick. Turkey Run is our favorite Indiana State Park because of the great hiking and kayaking. It is always eventful and this year was not a disappointment.
THINGS STARTED WITH A BANG.... Dianne and I arrived first on Wednesday after a frustrating drive from Pendleton. I made the mistake of taking the most direct western route on state road 32, forgetting the frustrations of driving for many miles through the northern suburbs of Indianapolis. Noblesville and Westfield are great towns, but there must be a stoplight (always red) every 200 yards for fifteen miles. I am exaggerating, but not much - very slow going.
We arrived with plenty of time to set up before Cindy and Chuck pulled in with the rain and storm clouds. The torrential rain made a muddy mess of our outdoor rug while the lightning terrified our "chicken dog," Chaplin. Chuck and Cindy sat in their truck for a while until the storm passed. We sloshed around in puddles and mud for a day before things began to dry up.
VANDALS.... I usually feel pretty safe in state park campgrounds; however, we were involved in a couple of worrisome encounters. The first uneasiness occurred when our motor home was trashed by a red-headed camper. Actually the camper had more than a red head. In fact, he was covered with red feathers, and in all honesty, we were invading his space. The invading cardinal spent several days decorating the motor home. (I have some cleaning up to do.) The bird was fascinated by his reflection in the rear-view mirrors, probably thinking that another bird had invaded his space. He flitted back and forth between the mirrors on a regular basis, pecking at the mirrors and marking his territory with each flight. Despite the mess, we did feel safe because our cat, Charlie (Big Chuck), was on full alert. Perched in a prime viewing area, twitching his tail, and growling; he made sure that the bird did not break through the window.
The other two vandals were of the human variety, and I am embarrassed to admit that I know both of them. Since one of the evenings was supposed to be cool (for Indiana at this time of year, that means less than 85 degrees), we talked about having a campfire. The previous campers left us four decent logs. Chuck thought we needed more, so he began raiding fire pits as campers packed up and headed for home. After a couple armfuls, much to my chagrin, Dianne joined him. In a short period of time, they had brought back enough partially-burned wood for a couple of nights. Cindy referred to their antics as the campground equivalent to "dumpster diving."
LOUNGING.... While we waited for the weekend and the arrival of our other friends, we enjoyed a lot of quiet lounge time.
HIKING.... The hiking at Turkey Run would be good for any part of the country, but it is amazing for Indiana. The water-eroded canyon, much like slot canyons of the west, are both interesting and beautiful. After Audrey and Pat arrived, we hiked for about four miles - up and down steps, over and across small streams on stepping stones, underneath rocky cut-outs, through the mud, through the pine trees, and next to the river. I was able to get a picture of a neat-looking salamander before it scampered away and swam across the stream. Look at that blue tail!
Naps were the order of the day after the hike. The dogs hit the mats immediately. Dianne and Chuck nodded off shortly after. Doesn't Chuck look content?
After dinner we walked another mile or so around the campground. It was a rewarding day of exercise.
KAYAKING.... Bill, Rick, and Jessica joined us. Kayaking eleven and a half miles down Sugar Creek is always a highlight. It is usually eventful, and this year was no exception. Unfortunately, we did not have the camera out most of the trip due to threatening rain, so we missed some interesting pictures, but I will do my best to describe three of the highlights.
THE RESCUE OF JESSICA.... Our group lost Chuck and Pat early in the trip as they lagged far behind the rest of us. After a while, Jessica disappeared, as well. After quite a while, we beached the kayaks on a gravel bar to wait for them to catch up. When queried about their slowness, Jessica said she was stuck in a tree, and had to be rescued. None of the rest of us bought the story. It did not seem to add up for some reason, and it was a good one. The guys had coached Jessica to cover up for their sneakiness. They had stopped paddling so they could drink a beer. Jessica then joined them (she is an adult despite her youthful appearance).
OH NO, NOT AGAIN (REDUX).... The past two times we have gone kayaking with Chuck and Cindy, Chuck has overturned his kayak and lost a pair of prescription glasses. He has received his share of grief from the group after it happened the second time. We got in a single file line as we approached a tricky area of downed trees. Cindy was in the lead, I was next, Chuck was behind me, and Dianne was behind Chuck. The rest of the group followed. As Cindy (in the lead and just ahead of me) approached the worst part, Chuck (just behind me) again tipped his kayak. (He was probably still recovering from the rescue of Jessica :) He did not lose his glasses this time, but he did lose his paddle. It floated past me toward Cindy. Cindy retrieved it, but while attempting to turn around to take it back to Chuck, she tipped her kayak, stayed under water (and a log) for an uncomfortable period of time before popping up, and guess what? She lost HER new prescription sunglasses. She had trouble getting back into her kayak, but safely floated downstream. I got through without trouble and stopped along the side to walk back to help the others through. (Dianne had already beached her kayak ahead of the obstacle). When I got out of the kayak, I sunk in the mud to my knees (not an exaggeration) and could not move. I leaned across my kayak to keep from sinking further and after a few minutes was able to pull myself out. By that time Pat and Audrey and Dianne had made it through. I paddle up to Cindy who had gotten back in her kayak. She pointed out Chuck's paddle that was floating far downstream by then, and I was eventually able to retrieve it. Paddling upstream with the extra paddle, we determined that Rick and Bill had made it through, leaving Pat, Jessica, and Chuck (the three trouble-makers from earlier in the day) unaccounted for. The three of them formed a flotilla (with only two paddles) and made it through - not sure how they were able to do this. I gave Chuck's paddle to Jessica, and told her not to give it to Chuck :). I then told Chuck that their optometrist was in for another windfall.
As it turned out, no one was hurt, but Cindy could have been in a lot of trouble. She lost her glasses, but it could have been much worse.
FINDING NEMO.... I did not see the last event, but I did hear it. Several members of the group were ahead of me downstream. When I heard Dianne screaming, I thought that maybe Bill and Rick were splashing her. As it turns out, a fish had found access to her kayak through one of the two holes that go directly into the water. The three-inch minnow was swimming in the foot holes of the kayak between Dianne's knees. While she screamed and thrashed, she attempted to splash it out of the vessel with her hands. The terrified fish eventually found its own way out back through the hole where it entered.
CELEBRATION.... We safely made it back to the take-out point. Everyone OK. No rain (to speak of). Wet. Tired. But, happy. We celebrated with cold margaritas that Pat had hidden in his lunch cooler. A good day.
