Three Times is a Charm

Memorial Day Ride

2011-06-01T17:26:00.000-05:00

Amvets Post #49, Cedar Falls, Iowa 258 flags representing fallen soldiers

"In honor of those lives lost on June 1, 2006, a memorial ride is planned for 4 June 2011. CW4 Michael Wright, SSGT Mike Hall, Sgt. Rhonald Meeks, SGT Erberich's lives were lost as they were en route to Ft. Rucker, AL from Hunter Army Airfield, GA in a helicopter crash.

This memorial ride is done each year, either the Saturday before or the Saturday after the anniversary date. Soldiers from Ft. Rucker, AL and from Hunter Army Airfield, family, and friends, ride to this event either by motorcycle or automobile."

Since we can't be with them when they ride, we are riding today, Memorial Day. Dave served with these guys when with the 160th SOAR, The Nightstalkers, for 2 deployments. Mike Wright was Dave's other "soulmate" in life, and he is sorely missed.

We all started at the Amvets, Post 49 with the Memorial Day ceremony where Dave was the guest speaker. The wind was howling and the flags were talking. Every time a name of a fallen soldier was spoken, the flags snapped, crackled, and popped! It was if they all could see us there, remembering them and their sacrifice for our freedom. God Bless the United States of America!!

Our ride was led by Capt. Kirk who took us southeast on some great curvy roads. It was quite windy but it wasn't cold. In fact, we all got quite sunburned (fried). We stopped at the cemetery in Waterloo, Brandon, Vinton, Kirk's house outside of LaPorte City, and back into Cedar Falls to Mr. G's. It was a memorable ride.


We are joined on this ride by Brad and Kandie Vaughn. Their son was killed in Afghanistan, February 2006

Chris Neiderhauser in dress blues. Got to love a man in uniform!

Chris and Dave

Photo Op with the Mayor of Cedar Falls, Jon Crews

Kandie starting the day with an ATTITUDE!


Dave, Brad, and Kirk

Standing at attention!

The crowd

The band

The Firing Detail

Dave was the guest speaker

Every time a fallen soldier's name was spoken, the flags went crazy! It was like God was telling us we are doing the right thing with our Memorial Day, remembering our soldiers from all wars.


Rolling Thunder salute! Amvets Riders


Travis Vaughn: Graveside. Travis served in the 160th and was also a Nightstalker. His chinook crashed, killing him and several other soldiers.

Night Stalkers Don't Quit!

Dave's dad and mom: graveside. Dave's dad served as a combat medic in WWII and landed on Omaha Beach. Later he was in General George Patton's 3rd Army

Outside at Mickey's in Vinton

Kandie showing more attitude


Mickey's is painted black, walls and ceiling. We are by the palm tree

Wallpaper in the men's bathroom. NO, I did NOT take this picture!

Kandie: "Getting Fried!"


Back Row: Lori Miller, Kandie, Lois Front Row: Perry Miller, Brad, Kirk, and Dave

Biker Chicks

Twisted Sisters Outrun Tornado

2011-05-24T17:23:00.001-05:00

Here is how this day started: Dave and I were playing with Mikey when I got a call from Tammy. Now, you must understand that Tammy has been working in Oklahoma building bridges for the past 8-9 months and I had not seen her since she left. She decided we were going for a ride, rain or shine and yes, it was looking like it was going to storm. When Tammy, Kandie, and Clancey got to my house, it was a tornado watch. We picked Tanya up on the way to the Amvets, our starting destination. When we left Amvets in Cedar Falls, it was upgraded to a warning but it was northwest northeast of us. As we headed out, someone hollered that a tornado touched down north of New Hartford (NW). We headed south!

My pictures are kind of mixed up so here is the route: Cedar Falls Amvets to Hudson to Dike to New Hartford, back to Amvets, then home. You will see by our pictures we had a great deal of fun. We survived the tornado and didn't get one drop of rain!

Clancey and Lois in Hudson

Kandie, Hudson

Tanya in Hudson


Tanya took pics of us behind her and Tammy

On our way to New Hartford. You can see the sky still a bit dark but much better than when we started

Tammy modeling her new hair

Picking up guys in New Hartford

Clancy left us in New Hartford, we dropped Tanya home, and then my house.

And then there were two :)

Having some fun with Bill

Dancing on the bar at the Federal Pub in Hudson


We stopped in Dike on our way to New Hartford to say hi to Dale and Jackie.	Tammy, Jackie, Clancey

Dale, Tanya, Clancey

Sisters! Kandie and; Tammy


We couldn't resist the ice cream truck when we got to New Hartford

Clancey!

Tammy and Tanya (mom and daughter)

Starting out at the Amvets

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-07T11:01:00.001-05:00

This post is to honor my wonderful mother, who still remembers me but doesn't remember 1 minute ago. She had a hard childhood with the depression and poor parents. She overcame hardship when a teacher visited and witnessed to her about Jesus. She became a Christian at about 15-16 years old. She was determined to raise her children differently than she was raised and boy howdy, she did that!! I remember her sitting beside my bed when I was scared, telling me bible stories to comfort me. She practiced her Sunday school stories on the flannel graph on me. I got a double dose! lol.

Here is to my mother!

Pro 31:25 Strength and honour [are] her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. Pro 31:26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue [is] the law of kindness. Pro 31:27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Pro 31:28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband [also], and he praiseth her. Pro 31:29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Pro 31:29 Favour [is] deceitful, and beauty [is] vain: [but] a woman [that] feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

Mom (Eula) and her twin Lula, and baby sis Helen
Your guess is as good as mine which is which!

Grandma & Grandpa Franklin (front)
Eula, Helen, Lula (back)
Little Dougie Hagen (center)

Eula, cousin Julie and Lula

My grandpa Engblom from Sweden with his girls,
Lula, Helen and Eula

Long time no blog

2011-03-20T14:19:00.007-05:00

CHEESE!!

I totally forgot to blog in the past 3 months! Not a lot has happened with us old folks but Mikey is growing so fast and is, of course, the smartest little boy ever!! The pictures were taken New Year's day when Dan & Tamela and their crew stopped for a visit. It had been a long time since we had seen them and the kids have grown up so much. Mikey thought they were all wonderful.

Carrie, Mikey, Anna & Helen

Anna, who looks just like her daddy here!

Helen, quite the sweetie.

Noah the wrestler

Essie, who along with her sister Helen, can keep up with wrestling brother Noah!

Rachel, who is camera shy but I got her!

Dave and I are looking forward to riding season. We have had a few nice days but the roads are so sandy yet. We start them up and rev for a while, lol. I'll be back soon with more pics and news.

The Year End

2010-12-30T18:11:00.006-06:00

A view from the back deck. After our 37 degree weather yesterday, most of it is gone!

As usual, I have uploaded pictures completely out of order. Carrie's birthday is December 15th. Of course, being winter, we had a bit of weather so we met Mike, Carrie and Mikey at the Pizza Palace in Denver. We practically had the place to ourselves and they have the BEST pizza!

Mikey calls Dave Bapa (Papa) and me Awmaw (how do you spell that?). We had Mikey overnight so Carrie could have her adult birthday celebration. He is always so good for us. He is delightful, loves to throw balls, bounce them or play catch. Bapa is a very good playmate.

Opening presents

Our beautiful centerpiece

I baked cookies! I guarantee that the blue cookies will turn your entire mouth blue!

It snowed all day Christmas Eve and Christmas day.

The back of the quilt

All done!

I finally finished Mikey's baby quilt. The pictures show sign language. It's big enough to last him quite a while. I hope it becomes his favorite.

Oh Christmas tree!

Goodnight Moon

Auntie Lala

Bapa's Chair

Birthday party at the Pizza Palace in Denver

Hi Grammy!

Happy Birthday Carrie!

Video of Mikey opening a present.

Mikey & Grampa sharing a malt

2010-10-16T21:20:00.002-05:00

AUTUMN 2010

2010-10-11T14:08:00.010-05:00

"LEAF RUN"

We joined our friends Brad and Kandie Vaughn Saturday for a trip through northeast Iowa. Leaving from Cedar Falls, we traveled east/northeast. We met Kirk and Wendy in Independence and they joined us for the day. What a gorgeous weekend for riding motorcycles!

We wiggled our way up to Lansing and crossed the river there over a steel bridge to Wisconsin. We road south to Prairie du Chien via the river road. Beautiful views of the river and the bluffs along the Mississippi. The colors were wonderful although the reds hadn't popped yet. With temperatures in the higher end (80s this weekend), the leaves are slow to turn.

We stayed in Prairie, ate dinner at The Angus (after an hour and a half wait, we were HUNGRY!), and sat front and center for a band that played there about 10pm. The Back Home Boys were really rockin' out the country songs. Three guys from Iowa and 3 from Wisconsin. We were too stuffed after dinner to dance, but we really enjoyed the folks that did get up and two-step. We went back to the hotel and sat around talking for a few more hours, getting to bed around 2am!!

We all were a bit slow going in the morning but took off for Clayton, Iowa where Bill's Landing is a great place to eat. "The best Bloody Mary's on the river!" We all wanted breakfast but they were out of eggs and hash-browns. We still had a great meal, stuffing us once again. The roads were good and twisty/curvy all the way until we got to the flat-lands, closer to home.

What a great time we all had. Great friends, great weather, and a great ride!

Sunday was Kandie's birthday. Kyle, the bartender/waiter was very sweet and brought Kandie a birthday basket of Broccoli Poppers and put a candle on one for her.

"Happy Birthday Broccoli Popper"

Dave & Brad

Look what just drove up to Bill's!

No comment.

Dave & Lois

Brad & Kandie Vaughn

Happy Birthday Kandie!! 10-10-10 Whoop Whoop!!!

In Harper's Ferry at Travis's grandpa's cabin. A small memorial to Travis
His grandpa rings the bell whenever he is there.

Brad & Kandie's son Travis.

Harper's Ferry with our Wild Hog friends

Wendy and Dave, Independence, Iowa

Kirk, Brad, Kandie, Independence

Carrie & Mike celebrated their 4th anniversary on Thursday, October 6th and their tradition is going to orchards in Wisconsin for apples. Friday, they took Mikey with them. I am sharing several pictures of their fun with Mikey.

Mikey says apples are "mmmmmmm"

Playing with corn!!

Happy boy!

Big Mikey and Little Mikey

What the Morses have been up to lately.......

2010-10-03T17:18:00.013-05:00

I believe the last post was finishing up vacation. Not long afterward (less than 2 weeks), Dave had his "episode" and subsequent bypass surgery on August 21st. About 2 weeks later, the weekend after Labor Day we had our first visitors, my brother Dave and sis-in-law Elaine. They were in New Hampton that weekend for the Davis Rally, a yearly event for Honda motorcycles like their Goldwing. It was good to see them and visit since we hadn't see them since June.

This is a 2009 picture but this is Elaine on her Yamaha V-Star. Vroom!!

Dave & Dave looking over the map. Dave's Goldwing in foreground.

Us Bikers. Lois's Heritage Softail in foreground.

The guys.

The following weekend, Larry Ugland, Dave's cousin, came to visit from Montrose, Colorado. If you read previous blogs, we visited Larry and Suzie on our vacation this summer. He was here for a class reunion in New Hampton and stayed with us one night. We had a great time but missed Suzie!

This past week, we were blessed with some more visitors! Dave's cousins Wayne & Linda Borlaug and Sharon Maher were visiting in Cedar Falls. We were able to enjoy a family dinner with all of the Morses and Lofstuens.
One thing, when you have company for 3 weeks in a row, your house gets cleaner and cleaner and stays that way! LOL

SEPTEMBER 25, 2010
AMVETS RIDERS
POKER RUN FOR IAN RALSTON
Ian's Story

Our son, SGT Ian Ralston, was critically injured on May 29th, 2010, while on a mission in Iraq. Ian's Stryker vehicle encountered an IED and Ian sustained a spinal cord injury. One of his best friends, David, saved Ian's life. Ian is a Combat Medic in the U.S. Army and is loved by many and we know that by now there are thousands of people around the world praying for his recovery. Because of Ian being in the Military, we would ask that any comments you make not include unit names, locations or any other vital information about our Soldiers and other Military Personnel.

Riders gathered at the Amvets in Cedar Falls on that rainy morning between 9-10am. People were breaking out the rain suits right and left. Those who didn't ride, followed in cars or trucks.

Dave in his rain suit. They really do keep you dry!

First stop: Denver (see Dave)

Second stop was in Shell Rock. I didn't get any pictures there.
Third stop: New Hartford, where they park in the middle of the street.

The lovely lady who is smiling at the camera is our dear Kandie. She has done so much to make all of this happen for Ian. She is a spitfire and when it comes to our soldiers and their families, she (and God) can move mountains.
We love you Kandie!!

We all took a long break in New Hartford. Leathers were soaked, you could wring out your socks and gloves. They had some great burgers for us too!
The fourth stop was Reinbeck at Jack & Arnie's Steakhouse. No pictures there either.
The fifth stop was at the Federal Pub in Hudson. Sorry, no pics!
The final stop was back at the Amvets, where we bought lots of tickets to win prizes and ate a wonderful steak dinner. Poor Dave was soooo tired after that day. Everyone was amazed he was able to ride since it was only 4 weeks post-surgery!!
Below, lots of leather and suits drying out.

OCTOBER 2, 2010
A day and night with Grammy & Gampa.

Right from the beginning, Mikey and Gampa were fast friends.

Helping Auntie LaLa with her laundry!

At the park, Mikey was ready to climb and slide!

He climbs up stairs and slides down slides with so much confidence!

He went down every slide there at least twice. Including the corkscrew slide. He climbed right up the stairs to the top, turned around and slid down backwards on his tummy! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

He saw some big boys (4 year old twins) climbing up on this thing and just had to try himself! He got a little stuck on this one. lol

After the park, we went for a treat at Dairy Queen! Mikey got a small dish of ice cream with sprinkles and Gampa got a chocolate malt. It wasn't long before Mikey took over Gampa's malt and wouldn't let him have any! It was so funny how he teased Gampa with it!

Gampa and Mikey, all ready for bed!

So, Dave and I are exhausted after playing with Mikey yesterday and today. Neither of us can think of anything we would love any better!

The Homestretch & "Bringing Home the Morses"

2010-09-04T10:16:00.004-05:00

ONCE AGAIN I have uploaded the pictures in the wrong order. I get so confused! So this time, go to the bottom picture and work your way up if you would like to get the story in pictures in the proper order. :o)

The Story: The last day of our vacation was Saturday, August 7th. We started our ride home in Central City, Nebraska at 9:00am. It's funny how the closer you get to Iowa, the more excited you get. At least we did. We rode the secondary roads all the way home from New Mexico. That means we saw the country, the farms, and the scenery instead of blowing through going 80+ mph. That's the way we like to ride. We saw parts of Iowa we had never seen before: Loess Hills for example. Not your typical Iowa farm country. Beautiful rolling hills and curvy roads. Of course, the closer we get to home, the countryside levels out a bit.

When we got within throwing distance, we gave Brad Vaughn a call and he said they had a gang to ride us home. We met at The Boondocks, a truck stop off of Hwy 20 & 35. We got there first...and then, here they come! Brad & Kandie on the Ultra Classic , Randy & Tammy on the Heritage Softail, Rich on his older, classic Goldwing, Kirk on the Road Glide, and Julie on her Honda.

Now, you may not think that after 8 hours on the bikes, Dave and I would want to ride some more. However, it was so good to see our friends and to ride with them again! We took the long way home, through more small towns and country roads, stopping every once in a while for a beverage and some stories. As it was getting darker and later, Dave and I decided to take the last stretch home and arrived at about 9:30pm.

HOME! No matter how much fun we have wherever we go, it's ALWAYS great to be HOME.

Going home, for real this time!

9:00pm

Julie on her Honda

Capt. Kirk

Tammy and Randy

Brad & Kandie

Brad & Kandie up front, looking behind at the rest of us.

What can I say?

Our Gang.

Leaving Reinbeck to "Bring home the Morses"

New Mexico Too!

2010-08-11T21:21:00.008-05:00

Buffy

On Tuesday, August 3rd, we took the Rail Runner from Bernalillo to Santa Fe. It's a double decker commuter train that runs between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. The ride was filled with great scenery and a look at the different Pueblos along the way. Loved the adobe homes and the horno (ovens) in the yard.

Picture of the Horno

Dave on the upper deck.

The Church of Guadalupe

"The Plaza": Native Americans sell their jewelry and pottery. There are so many styles and so many stones. I found a turquoise and sterling silver bracelet. It was really cool to meet the artist. Her name is Wenona and she is the lady

pictured in white. View of the plaza from balcony of The Ore House restaurant

I snapped a few pics from the car on the way back up Diane's lane.

You could get quite a light show from Diane's front patio. I couldn't believe I caught the lightening. Later that night, we saw so many shooting stars!

Rosie (12 years)

We really enjoyed our visit with Diane. Now I understand how she and Dick fell in love with the country there. Tomorrow: Taos!

New Mexico!!

2010-08-10T19:25:00.007-05:00

Durango, Colorado to Placitas, New Mexico

We were on our way to Dave's sister Diane's house in Placitas, an historic village/pueblo. Although I was sad about leaving some mountains behind in Colorado, I had no idea the scenery, culture, and fascination I would develop in New Mexico. You could see the rain ahead of you over a mountain range...but had no idea if the road you were on was going to turn that way. Best to just suit up in the rain suits a few miles before.

This blog has not been cooperating with me. Please understand the first is the last, and the last is the first....

WILD HORSES: We woke up to a band of 4 wild horses that wander the mesa around Diane's home (We have been hearing of these horses for quite some time from Diane). She has a large water tank and salt lick in front of her front patio. The neighborhood looks after them and are fighting for the wild horses that live in the area.

Of course, he looked away with this picture and then the battery died....

Above photo: I'm guessing the white mare on the right is pregnant. Any horseperson confirm my suspicions?? She is also pictured below.

The Kitchen and Pantry

Diane & Dave walking Rosie and Buffy.

"Spanish Broom"

A painting by Rhonda Ransom (Dick's daughter). Rhonda recreated her style of this painting from a picture her dad sent her of a painting he loved. It is very striking in their home.

Beautiful fireplace, high ceilings, and beautiful woodwork.

Diane's front patio. One thing I didn't picture was the short wall surrounding each patio, making it very open to scenery but private from passers by. It's all done in adobe style. I'm diggin' it!

Sideyard and Neighbors places.
Lots of cactus and hummingbirds. Swallows too.

Directly behind Diane's back patio. The small bushy plants mean no mowing...or hiring someone to mow!! YeeHaw!

Sandia Mountain taken from Diane's back patio...unbelieveable!

View from gas station in Bernalillo, a few miles from Diane's house. This was where we peeled off our rainsuits before we got to her house! LOL (Sandia Mountain)

The Million Dollar Highway: Ouray to Durango

2010-08-01T17:58:00.006-05:00

Above: Just about 3/4 mile above Ouray

Beyond Ouray:

Bear Creek Falls

Above: Part of the Red Mountain project

The Red Mountains
They discovered a huge column or "pipe" of silver ore. By 1883, 40 mines were sending silver ore to smelters.

"Yankee Girl" Silver Mine

One peak of the Red Mountains with cloud cover.

We saw a lot of mining buildings out of the sides of the mountains. My one question is: "How did they know where it (ore of any kind) was?"

Monday: We are heading south to New Mexico to see Dave's sister Diane in Placitas. We have heard so much about how beautiful New Mexico is from several sources and now, we will see for ourselves! I can't wait to eat the food!!

2010-07-31T21:38:00.008-05:00

It's a long one folks....Thursday, Friday, & Saturday....

We arrived at Larry & Susie's in Montrose mid-afternoon on Thursday. Montrose is a beautiful town of about 15,000, and has 360 degree views of mountains. Being on the west side, it's more of a desert but they have an irrigation system that is mountain fed, keeping grass green and flowers blooming. That night, Kirsti & Jason and their children Joe, Hannah & Sarah. The girls are twins (if you couldn't tell) and had a dance demo on Main Street for a weekly Main attraction. It was fun to see them all together.

L to R: Susie, Larry, Joe, Jason, Sarah, Hannah, & Kirstie

Sarah
Hannah
View from Montrose Cemetery

Civil War tombstone: 40th Iowa Infantry
Friday was spent relaxing with the Ugland's. We enjoyed spending time with Larry & Susie, seeing Montrose, hitting the Harley shop (our first on this trip), and just visiting with family.

SATURDAY, JULY 31
Our plan is to ride the rides and see the sights!

We started in Montrose, rode north to Whitewater, and followed the Unaweep Canyon ride marked in yellow, far left. We highly recommend seeing this amazing area on a motorcycle! We are staying the night in Ouray, CO.

Our first stop:

Yes. Those are bullet holes.

The Pallisade. One of the most photographed in Colorado (they say)

Gateway Canyon. Note elevation at 4550. We went up and down all day!

Gateway Canyon Outpost. It's a resort with lots of activities and surrounded by gorgeous...well, you know! The Pallisade is directly across from the outpost.

Thimble Rock

Thimble Rock & Driggs Mansion remains

By the time we reached Naturita, it was thundering and lightening. The pattern in this part of the country is a late afternoon thundershower...a gully washer. They call this the monsoon season. We both own rainsuits but have never had need to wear them. We ducked into a carwash just as it started to get some big drops and stayed there about 45 minutes watching the rain & lightening. We were joined by a couple who were going the other way and had been in the downpour for quite a while. We finally donned our rainsuits and broke them in...and we didn't melt!

Arrived safe & sound in Ouray!

Stay tuned....tomorrow is Durango!!

Altitude Sickness?

2010-07-30T21:44:00.004-05:00

Oh yeah, 11,312 feet is definitely high altitude. I felt fine riding on the bike but as soon as we slowed down and I tried to walk...I was a noodle and lost all coordination. Walk 5 feet and catch your breath.

We went through Monarch Pass on our way to Montrose yesterday. What beautiful views at every curve here. The mountains seem to go on forever and ever. Here are a few pics from yesterday.

Dangerous foliage? Thistle!

On the way up to the pass

Vacation is finally here!!

2010-07-28T19:48:00.010-05:00

Our trip to South Dakota last year was exhilarating! We decided to continue west this year. I (Lois) have never been west of the Devil's Tower and I believe everyone has been to Colorado except me! Dave's cousin Larry & wife Susie live in Montrose, Colorado so we will be going there, plus Dave's sister Diane lives in Placitas, New Mexico and we have NEVER been there! So here we go.....

We left Cedar Falls, Iowa on Sunday, July 25 around 8:30 and arrived in Lincoln, Nebraska at 3:00 pm. I have never been to Nebraska. I've been told so many stories about it that I was actually scared to go there. "Boring, boring, boring..." Well of course, from Interstate 80 you can't see anything but corn & soybeans. Once in a while you could smell the cows but couldn't see the farm they were on. Once we left I-80 on Monday at Kearney, Nebraska and started south toward Kansas, it got a bit more interesting, if not eye-opening. Kansas ranges from hilly ranch land to flat farm land. Miles and miles of corn and soybeans & wheat. Some sunflower fields. The corn in Nebraska and Kansas doesn't look near as healthy or as tall as Iowa corn. Of course, they have had MUCH less rain that we have had. When it says "Sandy Creek" they aren't kidding! Many rivers and creeks were so low, they hardly had water in them. Iowa needs to share :o). Lots of grayed, weathered farms and towns that looked as though no one lived there. Ghost farms. You could tell that times have been hard over the years in this part of the country.

Needless to say, there are no pics from these 2 states unless it is of our bikes. We didn't stop very often, averaging 300 miles per day. Our 3rd day, Tuesday, led us into Colorado at Burlington. We continued on to Colorado Springs to find a freeway with stop lights and 65mph in between. The lights got closer together and the speed went down to 30mph in places. YUK! It made for tiring riding but we persevered to The Garden of the gods near Manitou Springs. It's a free state park and has a day full of activities, IF you are up to hiking, climbing, adventuring, etc. By the time we drove the grueling ride through Colorado Springs traffic, Lois was crabby and tired and hot. We rode through the park on our bikes, stopping for pictures. No hiking this day! It was a beautiful park though, and had a very nice visitor's center with history and beautiful gifts from the area. We ended up riding through the park 3 times!

The pictures are kinda out of order from Wednesday but there's so much to post. I'll let y'all have a look and fix it later when I'm home.

Tuesday morning in Colby, Kansas. Ready to roll!

Visitor's Center, Burlington, Colorado

1st pic at Garden of the gods

Kissing camels

Garden of the gods visitor's center. There was also a film, "How did these red rocks get here?"

Balanced Rock

Big Sandstone rock wall

Dave & Lois

WEDNESDAY JULY 28

The Royal Gorge state park. Once you pay the park admission, just about every activity/ride is included!
Incline Railway

Built in 1931, and traveling at a 45-degree angle, America's steepest Incline Railway is still considered one of the most difficult structures ever built. Here, timeless granite walls loom all around as you descend over 1,500 feet to the canyon floor, a mere 50 feet at its widest.

Going down!

It takes about 5 minutes to reach the bottom of the gorge.

At the bottom...almost

White river rafters

Big Horn Sheep

Long Horn Cowboy

I miss Mikey....she was so sweet and about 13 months old. I've started looking at children in a grandma way now. :o)

Going back up!

The Tram holds 34 people plus the conductor

View of the Arkansas River from midair in the Tram

View of the Royal Gorge Bridge from the Tram

Sky Coaster...hehe

Mikey's 1st Birthday & 1st Haircut!

2010-07-07T15:41:00.005-05:00

Shane & Sarah Moore

Hannah Harriger (my little great niece)

Mike and Carrie reserved the huge Gazebo in Readlyn Park

Aunt Elaine & twin cuz Sara Lou, Hayley & Hannah

Big Mikey, Carrie, & Little Mikey

JJ Moore & Mikey

I think the cake (mostly frosting) was a big hit!

PRESENTS!

I love this picture of Hannah!! It's a mascara accident (accidentally on purpose! lol)

Carrie, Mikey & Hayley Harriger

Great Uncle Dave Harder is giving the ceremonial First Haircut!

Hair in the mouth...YUK!

No more baby curls :o(

The Big Boy, a couple of days later at Grammy & Grampa's house. No lasting trauma from the haircut.

June 11, 2010 - Our 30th Anniversary

2010-06-14T09:21:00.010-05:00

Dave and I went to Galena for the weekend. Here is where we stayed...

Take the lower path to our Irish Country Cottage

Our private porch

Our view of the Mississippi Valley

We were served breakfast in our room each morning.

Warning: Do NOT put all of the bubble bath in the whirlpool!

The following picture does not do this waterfall shower justice. I'm afraid you just have to be in the shower, waterfall on one side, shower on the other. I loved it!!

Two other cabins available on the property.

We also had a nice time on Main Street in Galena. I didn't make Dave go into every single shop but we did find some mutually fun places. It's a fun place to shop, eat, drink, and spend money!

MEMORIAL DAY 2010

2010-06-02T12:23:00.006-05:00

We had a beautiful, sunny, HOT Memorial weekend. Perfect for all we had planned. Starting Friday night, we headed to Waterloo for "Fridayloo" for some music and people watching. No pics, sorry.

Saturday was the annual "Fourth Street Cruise" on 4th St. in Waterloo. Here are just a few pics...

Sunday was another hot day but perfect for riding motorcycles. From Waterloo to New Hampton.

Borrowed this pic from Mike & Carrie titled:

"Visiting Great-grandma"

Any time we are in New Hampton, we have to visit "the house" on Hale St., which is the house where Thelma & her siblings grew up. It still makes quite an impact; a huge beautiful white house with wrap around porch.... The present owners welcomed us to sit on the porch "where there's always a breeze" and even took us inside for a look-see. They would love to hear some stories from any of the Otteson family and welcome you all to stop by if you're in town.

A couple of watercolors painted by 2 different individuals.

This is the Tiffany chandelier found in the attic when the house was purchased in 1969.

Last but not least, our wonderful little fella Mikey is soon to be 1 year old on June 24th! Here are some recent pics so you can see what a big boy he has become!

Mikey & his best pal Scout

Grammy couldn't wait to give him his birthday present...he already knows how to get on and off by himself.

Grammy just had to give him a taste of lime.

Big Mikey & Little Mikey

Grampa & Mikey at the 4th St. Cruise

That's Our Boy!

2010-04-08T18:24:00.003-05:00

This is my favorite picture of Mikey right now (9m0s.). On Easter he found his "bumbo seat" and explored it. He hasn't fit in it since he was 3 months.

First Easter. First Easter eggs. As you will see in the following pictures, Mikey has a one track mind when it comes to any object.

As far as the rest of us, we are fighting off the remainder of winter illnesses and waiting once again for the weather to warm up. Our grass is green though!!

Grammy's New Daycare

2010-03-30T09:04:00.006-05:00

In the words of his mother when she was little, "GET ME OUTA HERE!"

Mikey got himself trapped like a pickle in a pickle jar this morning. He had fun getting in there but could not get himself out! hehe

Mikey adores his Papa! They are definitely pals.

This was taken shortly after bathtime. I think he likes his mommy too.

I had a great time this weekend helping my mother celebrate her 86th birthday. We ate together 3 times!! Yesterday was the actual day and my Aunt Lula joined us at mom's place. She sure gets good meals! Did I mention that Lula is the other half of Eula...they are twins so it was fun to see them together. Mikey's calling..........................

Is that a robin in my yard?

2010-03-17T08:44:00.005-05:00

No...IT'S A ROAD KING!

Dave tucked our bikes away for the winter (in our basement!) the weekend before Thanksgiving. I couldn't believe it when he was able to ride them up the backyard hill the weekend before St. Patrick's Day!! Did we go for a ride? You bet we did! Straight to the Harley dealer...

My two Harleys:
My NEW 2008 Heritage Softail:

Dave's Road King & Lois' Softail at HyVee:

It was quite exciting to pick up the Softail because I hadn't even been able to ride it yet! I was a bit nervous but that feeling went away fast. It rides like a dream. Now...selling the Sportster....

It just wouldn't be a blog without a picture of Mikey...He loves his Auntie LaLa

Why my grammy thinks I'm cute by Mikey

2010-02-23T19:33:00.004-06:00

I crawl all over now...nothing is safe from me!

I know where she keeps my toys.

I know where the yuckiest places are and I head straight for them.

Who me?

My newest trick is pulling myself up on things. I wonder where all the cool table stuff went?!

Won't she be surprised when come with new tricks next week?

Like the blog says: Three times is a charm!

2010-02-15T14:00:00.003-06:00

This is my 3rd blog today. I am catching up during recovery from left hand carpal tunnel surgery last Thursday. I had the right hand done 3 weeks ago and it is healing really well. Everything is looking good for a good start this spring on the bike...no more numb hands for me!

I want to remind you to please see the previous 2 posts from earlier today (Mikey & Motorcycles).

These pics are from my trip up to Minneapolis in October. The three of us "kids" escorted mom to the doctor. That doctor had no idea what she was getting into with the four of us Harder's, hehe.

For those of you who do not know my family, allow me to introduce you.
Mom is Eula. The guy to my right is my brother Dave, the guy to my left is Steve. I am obviously the baby of the family, hehe.

I believe we are the original LOUD Family.

I know it's February but....We ARE thinking SPRING.

2010-02-15T11:41:00.010-06:00

February 7, 2010 Minneapolis Motorcycle Show Minneapolis Convention Center

My brother Dave, our chauffeur in the big city. Good thing or we would never make it to the Motorcycle Show!

Cool thing about the show is you get to sit on nearly every bike there. This is Dave on a Victory.

There were a lot of reproductions this year. This is a Royal Enfield and it is cool.

This is Dave Harder on a Royal Enfield. Now he's cool too.

There were all sorts of flattened critters underneath kick stands throughout the show: pigs, squirrels and more. This was my favorite.

Don't know what this was except for sparkly and pretty!! (I am a girl you know)

We are all getting these lovely masks for cold weather riding. Thank you Elaine, for modeling.

This kid has been riding since he was 2! Actually, he was sitting on a bike just his size.

Dave on one of the coolest bikes around....an Indian. (Note the flattened pig...)

Close up of seat & bags.

This is what Lois imagines she looks like when she's riding...only Lois keeps her eyes open. (She was really the model from the February issue of Thunder Roads Magazine, a Minnesota publication.)
This is another cool Indian Motorcycle. I love these retro colors and of course, the fringe on the brown leather bags and seat!Another Indian.

And Finally:
2004 Road King
Rider: Dave
2008 Heritage Softail
Rider: Lois

2009 Sportster XL1200L
Looking for new rider!
FOR SALE!

Lil' Mikey - 7 months

2010-02-15T11:06:00.006-06:00

This is Lil' Mikey. He is about 7 months here. At this time (about 2 weeks ago) he was creeping/crawling. We could keep up with him then. See Grampa relaxing?

This is Lil' Mikey being a ham for the camera. I called his name, he turned to look and grinned this grin. How can we resist him?

This is Mikey's Valentine picture. Gramma thinks this is his flirty look cuz he makes this face when playing with her. Grampa thinks he knows a flash is coming! hehe By the way, Mikey no longer "creeps". He is crawling at a blistering pace now. No more relaxing on the floor. :o(

This is what Mikey's Mommy and his Gramma Jeni do to him when they go out shopping. Do you think he has a hat face?

Mikey's Daddy believes in teaching keyboard skills at an early age.... Look out Bill Gates!!

OOPS! I did it again!

2010-01-13T19:52:00.003-06:00

Here I am, sitting on my newly purchased 2008 Heritage Softail. It has 2338 miles and several upgrades including stage 1 pipes (vrooom!!).

The color is called Dark Blue Pearl. It's the color I wanted for my Sporty originally.

Above it is fitted with the stock seat but without the passenger seat. Below it has the "Reach Seat" the previous owner bought for it. I'll be using the much cushier stock seat. Besides, it matches the side bags!

Anyone want to buy a Sportster?

MY FIRST CHRISTMAS by MIKEY

2009-12-27T19:21:00.005-06:00

Hi! I'm Mikey. It's December 24, 2009 and I am 6 months old. My favorite drink is milk, and my favorite food is oatmeal.

Let me introduce you to my family!

This is my mommy. She tells me I am her favorite present!

This is my daddy. We like to chill on the couch and cruise the net.

This is my gampa. He thinks I'll look good in purple & gold or black & gold someday.

Meet my auntie LaLa. She is so much fun! We play peek a boo and roll on the floor. She makes me smile all the time.

This is my grammy. She likes to hug me and kiss me and squeeze me! We have fun playing games that take up all her time so she doesn't have any time to blog.

They tell me I'm cute, whatever that is.

So, what do you think?

We opened presents. Presents have crinkly paper and are fun to tear up.

This one has blanky from auntie LaLa!

My Pal Scout was hiding in this present!

Christmas is a lot of fun but it makes me sooooo tired.....

By the way, we did make it home

2009-08-31T07:46:00.005-05:00

I know I've left you all rather high and dry with the vacation blog so today I will finish the adventure.

Dave pulls out the map each night and we plan our route for the next day. This is a tentative plan, leaving plenty of room for changing our minds about roads, towns, etc. Our plan for this day was to take the Spearfish Canyon Road up to Spearfish, South Dakota, and then head west into Wyoming to the Devil's Tower. You will notice there are no pictures of Spearfish Canyon here; they are all in our memories. Take my word for it, it was so beautiful, green, the creek following the highway nearly the whole way, lots of curves and twists. The only thing disconcerting were the signs: Falling Rock, and the loose rocks at the side of the road that were big enough to...well, you know! The weather treated us well: cool in the morning and heating up in the afternoon. Coming out of the canyon into Spearfish, the scenery just kept getting better.

Neither of us had ever been to Wyoming before and we braved the highway (75-80 mph)to Sundance, Wyoming. From there, we took a very scenic road to the Devil's Tower. My dad used to hunt deer there. I always pictured the area with nothing around it for miles, like it might have been before it was settled. Of course, it has been a national monument for over 100 years so there are a few businesses and homes around! Not too much though. Lots of ranches. You don't smell cows when they are on a ranch!

It may look as though the top was cut off and put back on askew. That would be a problem with downloading pics from the camera; not so much the alien theories that are floating around.

We were a couple of weeks late, but we made it!!

Remember the sunflower fields I talked about? We stopped by the road and the fence was open at one corner of the field. Sunflower fields will just make you SMILE!

Here is something else to make you smile today:

“Buffalo are dangerous. Please, do not approach”

2009-08-25T10:11:00.007-05:00

This had to be the old papa of the herd. He stayed behind until all of the young'uns were ahead of him. He was the biggest one and at times he was no farther than 8-10 feet from us.

Pronghorn

Stockade Lake

Day Four: Custer State Park Wildlife Loop

The Ranger at the gate to the park reassured us that the buffalo were out in the park. Not more than 1-2 miles into the park, the buffalo were on the road and alongside the road. Not just a couple either; a herd! Fences? We don’t need no stinking fences! You just slowly idle by them as they saunter their way down the road. We took many pictures and video clips we hope to share. After following and sharing the road for about an hour, we decided to hang back a ways and were fortunate to see a small herd of pronghorn running down the hill to a flat area for grazing, maybe 10-12 or so. It seemed one male was the one in charge and kept the others in line, herding them back to their small circle. We watched them for a while and all of a sudden, a white tailed doe came into the area for grazing.

We decided to try to get past the herd of buffalo. Very carefully (and some pops from the Road King), we passed those we had followed for so long. A couple of curves ahead, there was another herd at least as big, grazing at the side of the road. We saw even more throughout the park. Custer State Park has the largest number of buffalo in the US.

The roads were perfect for riding; lots of curves and hills (really big hills), beautiful scenery at every turn with the promise of seeing buffalo, pronghorn, prairie dogs, burros, whitetail, mountain goats, etc.

We rode the loop so we would end up leaving the park and heading up Needles Highway:

“On the Needles Highway (SD 87), you'll experience hairpin curves, pigtail bridges, and narrow tunnels that wind in and around massive granite pinnacles and rugged terrain. With views of a variety of spires and outcroppings, the highway is considered one of the most scenic drives in America. At the end of one tunnel, you'll be treated to a spectacular view of the Needles Eye, a granite spire bearing a 3-4 foot wide slit that reaches 30 to 40 feet in the air.”

Needles:

My computer does something to the pic to mess it up but we're still cute!

A rock face picnic area called "Hole in the Wall".

The first of 3 tunnels cut through the rock. The next two got even narrower!

Continuing the Adventure

2009-08-21T09:58:00.004-05:00

Day Three: Wall Drug Day-Day of Rest
Took it pretty slow and easy today. Weather was isolated thunderstorms, which is totally different here than in CF. First real activity was to take our grasshopper riddled bikes to the carwash and blast those suckers off with the power wash. Back to our cabin due to an isolated rainstorm.

Wall Drug has evolved and it hasn’t taken millions and millions of years to do so. Now, they have 4 entrances along a long block. There are so many shops that you would need days to get through them all if you looked at everything. We started at the far end and shopped while it rained (again). Found some cool stores & some that equal the “crapalogs” I get at Christmas time. Of course, you can’t buy much when you’re on the bikes cuz there isn’t much room to pack (picture Dave smiling). We ended up at Badlands Bar for a beer and some awesome pizza, which gave us the energy to go back to the cabin and take another rest/nap/read.

Evening took us to town for a look-see around town, which is smaller than Readlyn and half trailer park. I suppose some of the people here are just here for tourist season work. We had an Aussie guy selling cowboy boots, a Russian waitress, Italian waiter….
Watched another big storm roll in from the northwest at dusk from our front porch. While Dave was trying to move his bike to a better place in case of hail, I had a grasshopper jump up inside my pants leg up to my knee and freak me out. Dave hasn’t seen me hop around like that before. Ah, nature.

Day Four: 50 mile wind

Fifty miles from Wall Drug to Rapid City on Hwy 90, which is really the only route choice you have that is direct. “I suppose the Badlands have something to do with that,” says Dave.

Wind that made us ride down the road at this angle: //. Wind that lifts the helmet off your head and practically chokes you by the chinstrap. Wind that changes it’s mind: north – no – south; but a steady crosswind to keep you on your toes. Wind that blows your mouth open making it pretty hard to breathe. Wind that makes you work and isn’t fun at all….but we only had to endure 45 minutes. At least we weren’t being pelted by grasshoppers. Hehe

Dave says:
The folks at Black Hills Harley in Rapid City convinced us that the winds weren’t nearly so bad in the hills, so we ventured up Hwy 16 towards Rushmore. We chugged up the twisty road towards the monument and the ride was beautiful. Cool, bright sunshine, fresh air, winding through the Black Hills. Man.

The first thing I saw on the mountain was Washington’s face through the trees – took my breath clean away. We did the touristy thing – took lots of pictures, watched a movie in the visitor’s center about the building of the monument, ate some ice cream and just gawked at the four men on the mountain. It is truly awesome to see with your own eyes.

People come here from all over the world. I was surprised by the number of foreign tongues I heard. Kids come from overseas to work at the park and the souvenir shops too. Lots of them. The British kid selling western wear at Wall Drug. The little Russian girl waiting tables at the Badlands Bar, the two kids making ice cream cones at Mt. Rushmore – Italian? Bosnian? Couldn’t tell for sure…

We motored over to the Crazy Horse monument-in-progress. It’s only 17 miles from Mt Rushmore and is awesome in its’ own right. This thing is HUGE. It’s been under construction since 1948 and probably won’t be finished for another 30 years.

Here is Dave: "I'm squishing his head..."

I really didn't have much knowledge on The Crazy Horse Memorial until this day. This is one of the coolest sites I've ever seen with Native American artifacts from all over the country. bead work, quill work, chief headdresses, eagle feathers, bear claws, etc. Another fact is that this is a memorial of The People...not the government. This monument is NOT federally funded but has been carved with donations from various sources, including private citizens. They say they will never accept federal funds, even though it's slower going. I highly recommend this day to everyone! -Lo

Our South Dakota Adventure

2009-08-18T21:00:00.005-05:00

August 17, 2009
Day One:
295 miles from Hwy 58 & Viking Road, Cedar Falls (8 am), Iowa to Parker, So. Dakota…plus 20 miles to Freeman, So. Dakota (5pm).
Interesting things along the way:
1. Storm Lake has a Lighthouse (and a beautiful lake)
2. Cleghorn isn’t a good place to get something to eat or find a restroom.
3. Saw 3 arms of a wind generator being transported….huge!
4. Saw a wind farm of at least 75 generators
5. Saw an older wind farm that had bases more like a traditional windmill but blades similar to the current ones.
6. A bird nearly hit me in the head.
7. Saw a crop duster (or two)(or three)
8. Very few motorcycles on the road today
9. Some folks just love to talk to motorcycle riders :o)
10. Freeman has a 72 year old man who rides his bicycle around and around town, talking to strangers (us). We asked directions to the liquor store and he beat us to town and met us at the corner to show us the way. Speed limit 20 mph: he passed me and went around Dave at the stop sign, then pointed to the street for us to leave town again….
11. Gin & Tonics with real limes, summer sausage & sharp cheddar cheese…yummmmmy

Day Two:
Interesting things today include:
1. Highway 44 is the best way by far. There were miles I could only see Dave and me on the road.
2. Winner, South Dakota is the seller of the winning ticket equaling $232,000,000 (give or take…) to a 21 year old man. They haven’t seen him since winning about 1 week ago.
3. The smear of bright yellow in the far off landscape? Fields of sunflowers. Vibrant yellow sunflowers, tilting their faces to the sun.
4. Miles and miles of farm land, like Iowa; then you top a hill and the rolling hills, cattle, horses……
5. Grasshoppers feel like a hardboiled egg when they hit your shins.
6. Grasshopper guts are gross.
7. Grasshoppers are really juicy.
8. Rode across the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Incredible country.
9. The Missouri River had to look IMPOSSIBLE to cross 130 years ago.
10. I want to see the United States on a motorcycle, with Dave, of course.

Dave says:
11. Luckiest cat in the world. Don’t know how I missed him… Just going into Wanblee, SD on the Rez
12. We came about 300 miles today from Freeman, SD to Wall. There were times we rode 10-15 miles and never saw another soul. Ya gotta love the two lane blacktops. 65 mph speed limits and towns are about 40 miles apart. Interstate travel time without the traffic and hassle.
13. No McD’s, no WalMarts, no Applebee’s – ate a hot beef sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy at Joie’s Café in Winner. Sure beats the heck out of fast food. Made a couple of new friends in Winner – a really friendly little town.
14. We just rode over one of dozens of hills – and we went from prairie to Badlands in a hearbeat.
15. The Badlands are incredible – almost like being on another planet.
16. The Badlands Loop is a great ride – I feel sorry for the poor caged people in their cars and RVs – they’re missing ¾ of the show.

Summer So Far

2009-07-22T17:02:00.006-05:00

Life has been a total whirlwind of activities for so long...so I'll start with our little Mikey, who is 4 weeks old today. He has grown so much! Today he charts 9.5 lbs and 21.5" long. Can you imagine growing an inch in 4 weeks? Grandpa and Grammy had him over night last weekend and we had so much fun! Between Auntie Laura, Grandpa & Grammy, he was hardly ever in the bassinet! hehe Carrie is enjoying being a stay at home mom for the time being. She's back to work in a couple of weeks though.

Dave and I have been riding our motorcycles every chance we get. Our first BIG trip was the beginning of June when we rode up to Minnesota to hang out with Dave & Elaine. Of course, we picked the coldest weekend in Minnesota June history! We still went for a ride: Dave & Elaine on the Goldwing, then me, then Dave. Dave H. took us on some really twisty roads and beautiful country. Saw some bajillion dollar houses too. Our ride home was cold cold cold, about 52 degrees. We never got rained on but had to stop to warm up!!

We usually take trips from 150-200 miles round trip. Dave takes out the map and plots the roads we take. We've watched the corn grow from seeds to 6' tall. It's a beautiful thing. Our last day trip was to Cedar Rapids. Laura & I wanted to shop at a certain store so she followed us in her car. While we were shopping, Carrie & Mike decided to go to Cedar Rapids to eat at Red Robin...so we met up with Carrie & Mike, baby Mikey, & little Michael (yes, 3 Mikes) and had great burgers there. Red Robin-Yummmmm

We are considering a longer trip on our bikes before the summer is done. Who would have thunk it?

The 3 Michaels & Carrie (sorry honey)

HE'S HERE!

2009-06-25T21:41:00.004-05:00

Michael Henry Lofstuen
Born June 24, 2009
6 lbs 11.6 oz
20 1/2" long

You are all going to be sick and tired of seeing this little guys face...but we can't help it!!

Carrie is doing better now, but needs some time to recover from a c-section. Mikey is the proud papa...he's already teaching baby Mikey to be tough! hehe Pics of Grandpa are on a different camera so coming up soon!

Carrie's first time to hold little Mikey.

Awaiting the call....

2009-06-23T08:51:00.002-05:00

Waiting for a baby. Easy enough for me but Carrie and Mike have been up and down this past week. If you read Carrie's blog, you know they went in early this morning to be induced...whoops! Nope, go home and call us at 11am to see if the unit is ready for them...whoops! Nope, no baby today. Too many things happening at the unit...whoops! Nope, come in at 10am, the doctor said the baby is going to be born today! Phew!

I will be joining them soon after. I've got Phase 10 and Farkle packed, Cycle magazines, cameras, phone, and I'm taking my laptop! I have a feeling not much of this stuff will be touched but it makes us feel better to think we will have something to do! LOL!

We'll let you all know the results :o)

2009-05-30T21:51:00.004-05:00

Dave and his "New" 2004 Harley-Davidson Road King

The Sportster and the Road King together. Aren't they sexy?

Yes, it's true. Lois is actually riding the Sportster and has retired the Rebel (anyone wanna buy a Honda Rebel? It's a sweet little starter bike... :o)

Today was spent doing exactly what we wanted to do when we talked of getting the bikes; riding county roads, viewing the scenery, stopping at new places and restaurants, smelling the manure in the air....money smell!

Somehow, we started going west but ended up going east and in Readlyn. Carrie & Mike had just gotten home from CF. They are very very busy working on their bedroom and nursery upstairs. Dave and I will more than likely go paint some more.

This afternoon: Mike and Carrie....21 days left!

When we stopped in Readlyn this evening, I told Carrie she looked even more preggo than she did earlier in the day. The baby moved up some, changing her shape. She said she could hardly breathe cuz little man was up under her lungs. Poor baby...but it's going to be soon!!

:o) :o) :o) :o) :o) :o) :o)

2009-05-25T01:20:00.011-05:00

When Dave first came home, I had "over 60 miles" on my Rebel. I took this pic last night after returning from Readlyn. As you can see, Dave and I have been riding quite a bit since he got home, mostly around town. I've seen places in Waterloo I haven't seen in years!

Yesterday was also exciting because I finally decided it was time to try the Sportster. Dave and I went to a quiet place in CF. It's definitely bigger, more powerful (healthy respect for that), and sounds cooler than the Rebel hehe. Other than adjusting to the size difference, it went really well. Dave asked if I wanted to ride it to Readlyn...I declined. I need to get some practice going 25 mph first!

A few pics from the homecoming ceremony May 16th:

The Wonderful State of Wisconsin!

2009-05-12T22:58:00.002-05:00

Dave is in Wisconsin...He loves the green green grass, the not so sandy air. Homecoming is going to be soon...soon. It will be at the AASF #2 (the hangar)at 2:00...some afternoon. Okay, you know the Army! As soon as I know, you will all know!! I hope you can all be there. Even if you can't be, he will be here in CF/W'loo for a very permanent time, OR ELSE! hehe

BECAUSE...I said so! Can't wait!

Today's Lesson

2009-05-10T22:46:00.003-05:00

One of the things I wanted to do today on this mother's day, was to take a ride on my Rebel. The problem with the Rebel is that by the time you are going 25 miles an hour, you are shifting into 4th gear. It seemed to take forever to get going and it is common for drivers to go around me if possible. That doesn't bother me much but it is a bit embarrassing.

I have been so cautious when I start out because of my accident last year (extreme acceleration right off the block). For some reason today, I took off from the intersection like a mad woman and put some acceleration into it! That felt just right and now I know how to get my speed up faster...give it some gas. hehe

Best news today is Dave is most likely en route from Iraq/Kuwait. He'll be in the states within a few days and home not long after that. I will announce when and where the Homecoming ceremony will be held as soon as I know that info. Y'all are welcome to welcome home the 20 soldiers we have returning!

NEWSFLASH! Kitchen Essential's ducklings leave the nest!

2009-05-01T20:39:00.003-05:00

This was a National Geographic moment for me. Kitchen Essentials owner, Gretchen and her employees, have been guarding and protecting the mom duck (Daffodil) for the past month or so since she first started laying eggs in the store's planters out front. Please take a couple of minutes and watch this mother duck leading her ducklings against all odds (people, traffic, more people, and more traffic).

Dave News and Shower Review

2009-04-28T09:43:00.006-05:00

First things first: Dave will be home sooner than we thought!! Definitely before Memorial Day weekend. Time is flying!

The baby shower went well. It took a couple of days for me to recover, not from the actual shower, but from the previous week of cleaning and working, etc. Carrie was thrilled with the whole thing, from the cucumber sandwiches to the presents. The gifts were wonderful, and I'm kind of jealous. The things they have now to help mommy and daddy are so cool now (I really could have used the monitors). It's so fun to see the tiny little socks, and the outfits are so darn cute!

My niece Jenny came down early to visit with the girls (and me) and she brought her little Luella along. I hadn't met Luella yet but by the time Jen and Lu left, I was in love! I used my new video camera to take some precious movies. When we went to Mike and Carrie's Saturday evening, Cassy was there with Corina and Carly. Carly and Luella are about the same age and the pool table was their stage. They put on a show for all of us, including Aunt Elaine, Sara Lou, and Great Grandma!

Those who attended included Great-Great Aunt Tommy, Great-Great Aunt Wilma, Great Aunt Elaine (and she is a GREAT aunt!), Great Grandma Harder, and Cousins Sara Lou (Harder-Harriger)with Hayley (4) and Hannah (2), Jenny (Harder-Thomas) and Luella (almost 6 months), and Karen (Morse-Winter). There were so many friends there too, all helping us celebrate the Little Man's upcoming birth day.

Luella and Carly
Aren't they sweet?

You might be the next person I visit!

2009-04-16T09:11:00.002-05:00

Wouldn't you be surprised if I showed up on your doorstep? I'll be wearing a cap and holding a helmet so you may not recognize me right away. Yesterday, I took a late afternoon ride and rode 17 miles total! I rode to the Harley dealership, which was really satisfying, riding past my Rider's Edge Course and riding on Hwy 63, the very road that terrified me before. I just know that driver's steer clear of me when they see me wobble as I start out from the intersections. hehe Then I rode into Cedar Falls to end up at Kitchen Essentials, which had just closed (yes Gretchen, it was me at 5:36 peering in the front door).

Dave has worried that I will run out of gas on my travels. My tank is 2.5 gallons. The dealer filled it up when I bought it and I hadn't added any since so I thought maybe I should put some gas in, as I had 50 miles on the odometer. Premium was $2.01 a gallon. I was a bit surprised when it overflowed a little bit, since I only had put in .92 gallons. My receipt said $1.87! I can get used to that! I'm having fun but I can't wait to have my riding partner home.

Carrie has entered the stage in her pregnancy where she thinks she can do much but really can't. Add in the fact that she is nesting more and more, her nursery isn't done, and she's working full time. Laura and I are going over tonight to help her get some cleaning done. Mike is busy working on the rooms upstairs that need to be done before the baby is born! Sounds like Dave will be home in time to help out too. Yay!

Counting Down!

2009-04-08T11:10:00.002-05:00

Well, yesterday I got some Official - Unofficial news about Dave coming home! Iowa troops will be the first to leave Iraq with the first group leaving within the 1st 2 weeks of MAY! The 2nd group will leave sometime in the last 2 weeks of MAY, more than likely home by Memorial Weekend! The Unofficial part of the news is that this being the US Army...things can change at any time. When I get a phone call from Wisconsin in with an American area code, I'll believe it! hehe Our FRG is busy planning a homecoming for the guys so they can know how much they've been missed.

REBEL RIDING: I love my Rebel! It is so much easier to manage while I'm gaining some skills. I haven't ridden due to weather being cold and about 4" of snow on the ground here. My route was really getting boring just riding in our little neighborhood so I decided it was time to venture out into the world. In the car, I scouted a route that I'd been thinking of, which was a good thing because I found a couple of things I'd want to change. That afternoon I waited until Laura got home (my back up) and told her which roads I'd be on and then took off. SUCCESS! I drove at least 4-5 miles on that trip, although it was very very windy and I learned that wind can be scary. When I got home and parked my bike in the garage, I WooHooed! That was so much fun.

My next big ride was last week when I decided to go see my friend Julie. It is a very easy route but I had to cross busy Ansborough by University. I had a light, was first in line and very confident. When the light turned green, I started out and for some reason, the bike killed halfway through the intersection! Squelching the panic, my reliable Rebel fired back up and away I went, kinda wobbly but I made it through. Julie and Sara made me promise to call them when I made it back home. hehe

Lastnight, Carrie and I, Julie and Sara, had dinner at the Hong Kong together. Julie and I have tried for so long to arrange it but it took the girls to plan it and make us do it! We had a great time talking of babies (Julie has granddaughter Jordan) and 2 year olds. I guess that will be primary conversations from now on, "Look at my perfect grandchild!" followed by the 2" thick package of pictures!

Will it be Grandma, Grammy, Mimi, MeMaw, Gamma? I really don't care what he calls me, just as long as he loves me!

Does anyone know what's wrong with me?

2009-03-23T19:23:00.004-05:00

I must be crazy.....The first day the temperature reached 50+ and I heard motorcycles, I got antsy. In February, I went to a motorcycle show with Dave & Elaine. It got me pumped up to ride again. I sat on quite a few bikes (including a Harley Sportster) but the one Dave H. showed me that really got me excited was the Honda Rebel. Cute and sassy, it's a great bike to learn on and get my skills and confidence built up for riding with Dave when he gets home. I have been looking online and in the paper but they are hard to find. After saving up a bunch of my paychecks, I bought a 2009 Honda Rebel, black of course!

Laura watched me take my first ride...not very far but I rode around the circle down the block. She came out with me the next day too. I rode a bit longer then. One time, I took off and went around the corner and saw Jim Olson walking Willow so I stopped to talk. By the time I finished my route and turned the corner back on Lovejoy, Laura was halfway down the block. She said I was gone too long and she was coming to get me! I thought that was pretty sweet, she was worried about me.

I still have the Harley, which now has bags and a windshield. Dave is going to ride that until I decide how I feel about riding myself. So far, it's a real rush!!

Other than that, I've been very busy with work, working extra days. Busy with FRG - Family Readiness Group, our support system for families with deployed soldiers. Busy trying to relearn how to piece and quilt. I've got a baby quilt to make!! Busy with Thelma's house going on the market. All of that plus the regular day to day stuff.

Carrie's shower is coming up in April, and before that happens, she wants the nursery to be all done....ACK!!

Laura graduates May 15th with her Animal Science degree and is actively searching for employment, hopefully in that area. She didn't want to work with pigs though...I wonder why?

Last but not least, we are preparing for Dave's return. He is in Tallil now and has a job he enjoys much more than his other job. We still don't have a definite date for their return but when we do, I'll be shouting from the rooftop!

I leave you with a few pictures....

Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do....

2009-02-08T18:25:00.005-06:00

Last week is a blur! I worked 2 extra days, did a month's worth of paperwork, errands, groceries, and bought a car. Hmmmmm...that part was really fun and a learning experience. This is the 4th car I've bought by myself when Dave has been gone. This time, I got some sage advice from my brother Dave and a few articles about what NOT to do when buying a used car.

So here she is....Lucy, our new used 2006 Buick Lucerne CXL!

It's a bit dirty but that's because we have such wonderful weather and melting.

This picture is one Dave sent me. A friend of Perry's gave Dave a UNI flag and wanted some pics of the guys with it. Dave is wearing his spiffy new flight suit. Double click on the picture to see it bigger.

I'm Back!

2009-01-29T18:46:00.002-06:00

And I'm going to be a grandma of a baby boy!! I'm sure the majority of you have heard that Carrie's expecting, is due June 20, and today, she is 5 months along. She's just delightful as a pregnant woman. After the ultrasound last week, finding out baby is a boy, I think Mikey is getting excited about the baby. I'm so proud of those two.

Dave and I are counting time until he comes home. He should be back in the US by the end of May but not home 'til mid-June. He did have a nice 15 day leave over Thanksgiving. One week after he left for Iraq, him mother passed away so he came back on emergency leave. He says it was his mom's way of getting him back home for Christmas. Now, he wants to come home and I want him home. Just a few more months now.

Laura is in her final semester at Hawkeye and will graduate in May with an Animal Sciences degree. She hopes to get into grooming but will start out with anything animal related until that happens. She and Maggie are here so I'm not alone. That's a good thing.

I just got back Tuesday from Minneapolis where I went with Gretchen to the Minneapolis Mart, a market for retailers and lots of very cool stuff. There's some really awful stuff too but we ignore that stuff. It's fun to help pick new things out for the store. It's a bit different at this economic time although we believe the kitchen biz will be just fine.

I'm not getting much of the stuff done that I had planned at the beginning of this deployment. Some things got in the way. Hopefully, it will got much better and I will have something to surprise Dave with when he gets home, as if a grandbaby isn't enough!

Finally!!

2008-11-11T10:32:00.002-06:00

This is a quick blog today. I just have to show you this picture.

THANKS TO; Mikey, Brad & Kandie, and especially my brother Dave. You guys are the greatest!

NOV. 5, 2008 SNOW DAY

2008-11-07T18:05:00.003-06:00

Imagine my surprise when I looked out the window and saw a blanket of snow...over the blanket of leaves. Yep, first it rained for 3 days and then it snowed, all day. It was really strange to look out and see snow on the neighbors pine tree boughs. I talked to Dave and he says it's really great weather there right now. The rain they had has dried up. In fact, Dave said he wished it would rain just a bit so it would clear up the dusty air. He misses "green, Iowa green or brown or anything but sand color".

I started work yesterday (Thursday). It was sooooo good to be back in the shop with Gretchen! It kind of killed me though so I am waiting until Monday to return. The Christmas season has started already!

My sweet Ranger giving me his "Really?" look when I told him Laura was coming home.

Something you don't see too often. Simon and Ranger drinking out of the same bowl at the same time.

NEWS FROM IRAQ!!

2008-11-04T09:48:00.006-06:00

NEWS FROM IRAQ!!
Dave is going to come home on leave for Thanksgiving! He is supposed to leave Iraq on my birthday if everything goes well. He said there could be a delay in leaving but that's normal. He will be home for about 2 weeks. We are all so excited to see him!! Thanksgiving is our favorite holiday. Dave figured the leave falls about halfway through his deployment.

I haven't gotten many pics from Dave but here is Shane Klein and Dave playing for the church service.

I know I haven't been blogging at all for 6 weeks. There just wasn't anything to write due to a totally boring life, not doing much at all. Things are looking up though. The test was last weekend. I pulled all the plants from the backyard gardens. I couldn't push the yard can back up the hill though. hehe. I really have not done anything that physical because I pay for it by not being able to walk for about 3-4 days. I was just fine that night, Sunday and Monday! I've decided it's time to go back to the kitchen shop. I don't want to miss Christmas at the shop! It's my 3rd holiday season.

I guess I had more to write about than I thought! My brother Dave and wife Elaine (my big sis) visited some this fall on their Goldwing. They were here for the Davis Rally (big motorcycle event) in New Hampton, bought a trailer and needed a place to store the old trailer. The next weekend, they came down to pick up the trailer. I'm not sure if it was the next weekend but Dave came down alone and spent nearly the entire time in my garage, building shelves so I can park my car in the garage this winter! He worked so hard! Everything is off the floor except my goodwill stuff, which is going this week.

The stuff in the middle of the floor is my goodwill pile. I just can't believe all he got done and how could he work like that? I didn't hear of any hospitalizations after he got home so I guess he's ok. hehe. Thanks Dave!!

From the Commander

2008-09-18T11:44:00.004-05:00

Every once in a while, we get emails from the Commander of Dave's unit but today, we received one from the Battalion Commander. I thought you would all like to read some parts of that email.

"Attached is a picture of our battalion "T-Barrier" at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. There is a tradition that each unit that moves through the Camp gets to paint a T-barrier with a unit scene. Without a doubt, ours is among the most artistic in the entire Camp. We will also complete several here at Balad. Each company will get to do one, plus the battalion as well."

This is a good explanation of the Combat Patch...
"To mark our time spent thus far in the middle east, we had our "combat patch" ceremony on the significant date of 11 September. All of our troops had earned the right to wear the 34th Infantry Division's "RED BULL" patch on the right shoulder of their uniform to signify their service in a combat theater. It was a proud day for all of us."

It's a proud day for us at home too!

Dave's Address & Stuff

2008-09-16T08:58:00.002-05:00

Wow! I have been so busy...NOT! Busy playing Mahjong Titans on my laptop, watching movies and episodes of the Shield from Netflix, and....well that's about it. I did get out and about last week though. Julie picked me up and we went to Beck's for dinner and tried to catch up on the last year. We've both had a very busy life but we still love each other! I'm really missing my job too. I want to go back soon but my body isn't cooperating. I'm still having good days and bad days but my left leg is sooo much better!

Dave calls me about every other day; my morning, his evening. It is so good to hear his voice. I am including his address so send lots of letters.

CW4 David R. Morse
HSC 834th ASB
34th CAB
APO AE 09391

My sweet lil' ol' daughter

2008-09-06T22:03:00.002-05:00

Very funny.....
And people say she looks like me. I just don't see it.

Mike, Carrie, and Laura were my helpers today. Mike put up the main light in my room-my hero! (I haven't had a real room light for a lllooooonnngggg time.) Carrie vacuumed, dusted, and did some other general cleaning (she put me to work). Laura worked on her room in the porch. My house actually feels...special again. THANK YOU MY DEARS!

2008-09-04T11:16:00.003-05:00

When I opened my email, I had a long letter from Dave! He has been in Kuwait for 2 weeks now. I have pictures of what he has been doing and seeing this week.

"Pictures One & Two are our helicopters packed on the mid deck of a Bob Hope class vessel."
(Looks like a parking garage to me!)

"Picture three is a Chinook helicopter going up through the hatch taken from the mid deck inside."

"Picture four is taken from outside the boat and shows a Chinook coming down to the dock. It gives you an idea of just how large the vessel is."

"Number 5 is a row of Chinooks after we towed them to the helo marshalling and assembly area"

"Number 6 shows some Black Hawks 'dense packed' in that same area. We had to stack them up while we assembled, ran up and test flew the first ones."

"We had to wait while more than a hundred of the new armored convoy vehicles were unloaded before we could start pulling aircraft off the boat. Those vehicles each weighed over 42,000 pounds and are about the size of a utilities service truck, except they're completely armored. There was also a huge fleet of up armored Humvees on board the boat. Amazing."

A Baby, A Beauty, & Two Dogs

2008-09-03T18:16:00.014-05:00

Hello all of my dear family and friends!! I thought I would give you an update on ME. I am about the same as far as good days and bad days; however, I have done a couple of fun things outside of my little box (2912 Lovejoy). Sunday, Carrie & Mike had a small get together and I actually drove for the first time, out to Readlyn. That was the day I decided I'm not ready to drive. Anyway, I even spent the night. Guess who was there? Corina. Okay, so I'm posting pics of that cute little doll on my site too but who can resist? Say hello to Holly! Holly was there too. For those of you who don't know Holly, she has been friends with the girls since Carrie and her were 3. It was really fun to have her by herself and talk with her some more. She's an ambitious college student and a very sweet young woman. It's so much fun to see since we watched her grow up with our girls. I also got out and went out for lunch at Applebee's with my two lovely daughters. This is what we had to drink with our "little lunch".
Thank you to all of you for offering your assistance during my recovery. I promise, I will call if I need you! (you'll be sorry!) Thank goodness for Netflix!
Last but not least: This is what we hear every month when they test the defense sirens, two dogs:(Play Video)

Carrie's Big Baby??

2008-08-29T10:26:00.003-05:00

See a very happy Carrie? She tuned it and it sounds great!

Big Baby Taylor that is. When Dave was leaving for his second deployment (supposed to be Iraq) he couldn't see taking his favorite guitar to a place with temperature extremes, sand, and unpredictable shipping. He bought a big baby Taylor. After he came back, Carrie adopted it because it was just a bit smaller than a dreadnought and fit her so well.

Fast forward to Iraq 2008, Dave wants to take his big baby again leaving Carrie with only regular sized guitars. Weds night I was browsing the ads and found a big baby complete with gig bag, tuner, stand, and strap "nearly new".

Congratulations on your new Big Baby Carrie!

From Dave

2008-08-27T09:06:00.002-05:00

Dave actually got an internet hookup for a little bit and sent these pictures. His descriptions of the pictures: "Me in our big ol' tent. There are about 40 people living here. The others are the outside of our area and my favorite, the locals sucking out the port-a-john."
Here is what he says about the temperatures there: " I thought I knew what hot was - whoa..... Well, I'm getting acclimated - slowly. I don't even want to know the temp today. The folks here think it's the hottest day so far, but it doesn't matter. I've heard people say it feels like a hair dryer, but it's more like an oven - a Convection oven."

He may not be able to access his blog all the time so I will share what I can to keep you all updated on Dave.

He Called!

2008-08-26T21:34:00.002-05:00

Dave called from Kuwait this afternoon! He couldn't hear me very well but I could hear him just fine. He said he has already been in a sandstorm and a very unseasonal summer rain. He was just letting us know he made it over there okay. Sounds like he will be in Kuwait for about 2 weeks and then will head up to Ballad (sp?). It's already lonely without him here.

As far as my recuperation is concerned, I have good days and bad days. When I have good days, I try to do too much and then I have a bad day or two. Carrie & Mike come over fairly often and last night, Carrie cooked supper. Mike is helping me by taking my ripe tomatoes and peppers from my garden and canning salsa! It's so good I could just about drink it. Laura is back in school full time and she also has her internship at the groomer. It'll be a while before her schedule settles down.

I hear Ranger calling me. He's on the wrong side of the door again. Later...

The Big Question?????

2008-08-16T09:59:00.003-05:00

The Answer is? YES

Sorry about the sideways pic, I'm still figuring this stuff out.

Hello everybody! I think today is Saturday...I have had a hard time keeping track of the days & dates since last Friday. How humiliating! To buy my bike on Thursday and wreck it on Friday...there are no words. I remember most of the details up until they started injecting morphine, and then things get a little fuzzy.
This was the 2nd and 3rd ambulance rides I have taken. They need to put better shocks on those things, it was terribly bumpy. They took me to Allen Hospital and something was up with their MRI or CT machines so they transferred me to Covenant. Turns out I have 4 fractures in my pelvic bone. Guess what? It really hurts!! I was so ready to come home Thursday and they were still evaluating my skills on dressing myself, bathing myself, getting in and out of bed (the hardest). I showed them; once I was dressed in my own clothes, there was no stopping me! I walk with a walker (no snickering!) and have to take it easy for a while. My bike will probably be healed before I am.
Dave was able to stay home for another week to get me taken care of and settled at home. That was a wonderful surprise because I thought he would be gone before I got home. Carrie has been a tremendous help too. We had Laura's b-day party the night of the accident and Carrie tore herself away from the ER to help make it happen. We made Laura stay home and enjoy herself. Thank you to everyone who came to the party and helped Laura celebrate.

Thanks to all who have visited, called, sent best wishes, etc. I'm thankful for all of my family and friends who are there. I'm also thankful that I had great nurses and CNA's at Covenant Hospital who were so kind and careful with me.

Oh, the big question is: "Will Lois ride again?" (see answer at the top of thie post)

2008-08-08T10:12:00.003-05:00

I'm sitting here looking at my blog trying to think of what to write first. Dave got home at noon Tuesday and we have been doing fun stuff and family dinners and motorcycle shopping. The promised pictures of Dave aren't on my camera but will be soon. The focus has been on the motorcycle shopping and the motorcycle.

Once we signed paperwork and got the bike on our own, I relaxed and the riding went quite well. For those who are concerned: I wear a helmet & jacket when I ride. The hat is for helmet hair, you have to hide it somehow!

Here it is: 2009 Harley-Davidson XL Sportster 1200 low. It's very shiny with it's vivid black paint and lots of chrome. It's fuel injected so I don't have to remember to turn on/off the fuel valve. The turn signals are self cancelling so that's one less thing to worry about. I've gotten it all the way up to 30 mph and in 3rd gear!!

Three nights & a wake-up

2008-08-02T18:10:00.005-05:00

It's not long now! Dave will be home Tuesday evening!! He hopes to be home in time for the send off for the Medivac unit. I just know the time he's home is going to fly by and I just want to stop time for a while.

ACTIVITIES OF THE HOUSEHOLD PETS (AT LEAST 2 OF THEM):

Simon seems to sleep anywhere just comfortably.

You know how you can hurt yourself and man, it really hurts but you don't even get a bruise to prove it? Well, this bruise is a doozy! It's one week old now and getting more colorful every day. Doesn't it look like a continent or something?

Next time I blog, I'll have pictures of Dave!!

That's gonna leave a mark!

2008-07-27T19:08:00.004-05:00

For those of you who didn't know, I took the Rider's Edge course to learn how to ride a motorcycle. Today, I finished my fourth and final day. Both Saturday and Sunday were spent on the "range" for at least 8 hours each day. They put us through grueling exercises that taxed muscles I haven't heard from in 30 years. I always tried my hardest, even though the result wasn't always what the instructors were looking for. hehe. I tipped my bike over 2 times, both times were just stupid mistakes that were embarrassing and of course, I was the first to do something to feel stupid. Today we were back out at the range about 7:45 am ready to mount up and ride. Today is where I really felt the skills we were learning were really starting to go more smoothly...right up until I forgot to put my kickstand down and got off the bike with it landing on top of me. Good thing I took an icepack with me today! ha. We had our final evaluation on the range and if we passed, we could go take the written test. I PASSED!! I PASSED I PASSED I PASSED!!! Here are some pictures from class.

This fella is Marty. We both had to think a bit before we realized that we really did know each other. We met through Kevin & Mary Kahl who were our neighbors across the street for several years (and we still miss them). Marty was a great champion for the underdog (me) and helped me get through it with encouragement. Thanks Marty!Our fleet of Buehl Blast motorcycles (500cc).
See me? I'm the one with the orange hanky in her back pocket (thanks to Laura for the pics of me riding!)
We shared the range with FEMA trailers for the families who lost their homes in the flood.
Last but not least, my left leg with bruises that have just started getting their ugly colors. I hope I never have to "power walk" again!

I still have a long way to go before I feel comfortable joining regular traffic. I plan to hone my skills and then find someone to ride with...maybe Dave & Elaine? (hint hint)

Lesson #1

2008-07-25T10:24:00.003-05:00

Dave at the Rochester, MN Harley dealership

Last night was the first night of the Rider's Edge class at the Harley dealer in Waterloo. We toured the dealership and were given a quick lesson on the different "families" of bikes HD makes. We saw the service area and the mass of bikes in for tune ups before Sturgis. We were shown the coolest leather motorcycle jacket ever. It has so many features and pockets! It's also $595...awk! Classroom was interesting and will be more so tonight.

What I got from my first session? Harley is the best motorcycle made ever or anywhere, and you can spend limitless amounts of dollars customizing any bike you buy. Oh yeah, and you can get anything with "Harley-Davidson" printed on it.

I want to ride!

Long lost relatives...

2008-07-21T09:03:00.003-05:00

It has been raining again in Iowa. Looks like it might rain again today. I'm not sure how much we can hold againtThough it did make our yards nice and green. Other than rain and humidity, I had a great weekend. Got lots done Saturday and nothing on Sunday. Perfect!

I got a call Saturday afternoon from someone I haven't seen or heard from in years. My cousin Dan Minion from Windom, Minn. He drives truck and just happened to have some time as he was coming through Waterloo. We met at Junie's truck stop/restaurant, which didn't take him out of his way at all. It was great to see him and hear how he is spending his life and about his family. I took this cheesy picture of the two of us for proof. BTW, he sounds just like my Uncle Les in the way he talks. I think it's a Mountain Lake thing hehe.

Empty Nest

2008-07-17T08:40:00.003-05:00

Well, my birdies flew the coop! It was the day after I took the last picture. Unfortunately, what I was afraid of happened...Maggie got one and brought it to the deck as a gift to Laura. I checked the yard and I guess the other two got away. Phew! I showed Ranger the empty nest and he sniffed it thoroughly. I don't think he understood the birds were gone cuz he still focuses on the area on the deck that was above the nest.

Laura got her internship for school...Yay! She is working at a groomer in Hudson and she has already started working 3 days a week, 10 hours a day! She has been clipping nails, bathing dogs & cats, shaving the tufts of fur between the paw pads, and a bunch of other stuff. She is very happy as she was thinking of going into grooming after graduation. This will give her an opportunity to see if that's what she really wants. So far, so good!

Baby Birds

2008-07-10T09:01:00.004-05:00

I took another picture this morning of the babies in their nest. They are getting bigger for sure. I need to keep an eye on their development so when they get out of the nest, our dogs don't get to them first!

What's up?

2008-07-08T09:44:00.003-05:00

Tomatoes! As usual, the plant explodes and I can hardly contain it.

Peppers! Sorry the picture is sideways but I just had to show how big these are!

Parsley, Basil, Chives, Rosemary, Lemon Thyme, and 2 pepper plants.

This nest under our back deck has made Ranger obsessive. He can smell the little birds through the space between the boards. I went to throw the nest out the other day and whoa! there are 3 babies in it! If you look closely at the top of the nest you can see 2 little heads & beaks peeking out.

I have been nagged a bit by some to blog, as it has been a while. It's just not real exciting here on Lovejoy. My gardens are growing, there are tomatoes and peppers, parsley & basil. We had a great storm last night with lots of rain, which believe it or not, we really needed. We haven't had rain since the flooding.

We had a good 4th starting with the Lofstuen 1st annual 4th of July party. Mike never disappoints with his grilling skills and fireworks. The best was the grilled corn on the cob! Yummy! Ranger and I went and we stayed overnight. I must admit that Carrie's potato salad was pretty darn good. I was the "old" person there, more like the "grandma" or MeeMaw as Cassie calls me. There were a lot of little kids and Dusty's little 2 month old boy, Ayden.
I forgot my camera so for pictures, see Carrie's blog at www.mikeyandcarrieslife.blogspot.com/

That pretty much says it for today. *************lois

Grump Days

2008-06-23T09:27:00.002-05:00

Okay, it's not the way it sounds; I'm not grumpy these days. Readlyn has had a resident Grump in town for years and years. The special event is called Grump Days. They crown a new Grump (an elected position) and have a parade and fireworks, music & food. I went Friday night so I could see fireworks. Anyone who knows Mikey very well knows how he likes to set things on fire, blow things up, and especially doing fireworks. While they were setting up, he introduced himself and ended up with a headset & remote control for several special effects. He's so cool. (I tried to put his picture here but my blog thing won't let me) I ended up staying overnight on Mike & Carrie's new big couch with Molly sleeping at my side. We had a great time.

I need a break!

2008-06-19T19:47:00.003-05:00

Monday I started cleaning the garage. Mind you, there was still construction materials in there from 4 years ago. First picture is Monday night after cleaning all day. I cleaned Tuesday and finally Weds. The last two pictures are of the garage, now cleaned & organized, and the load of trash. I had to put stuff for the garage sale back in the garage and a couple of other things but it's clean enough to fit a motorcycle in it!!

Break it up!

2008-06-14T22:51:00.004-05:00

I know the previous blog was huge...lots happened! This blog is just one day in the life.

Several employees and 2 husbands went in to the Kitchen Essentials to put the store back together. After being closed for a business week, it will be busy this coming week!! I believe by the time everyone left, the store was fit to open Monday. It better be, Gretchen and I picked out really cool stuff that will be shipping soon!

After work, I came home and I will let the pictures talk for me as to what I did. The only pic I didn't take was cleaning all the baby trees and "helicoptors" out of my front flower bed.

This is our old mailbox. It is old. It is broken.
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This is our NEW mailbox ($10.97 at Lowes). This took me 5 minutes.
This one took me a bit longer. You see, we haven't had a house number for 4 years. This one is even reflective. Now the pizza guy knows where to go.
Ranger is doing very well after his surgery. He still walks 3-legged at times but is frisky and his fur-cut is pretty much normal. He is still restricted to his leash for 2 months more.

Brody is spending the night at my house for the first time tonight. He is Spiderman in this photo. Notice his hands; he is "webbing". He is a very sweet little boy. He gave me a hug tonight and called me Mimi. I think I'm in love!

What a WEEK!!

2008-06-14T21:22:00.002-05:00

1. Thursday, June 5th, Dave leaves for Oklahoma. Sigh.
2. Friday, June 6th, Lois, Laura, Tyler, Ranger & Maggie go to Mpls for pleasure and business. I took my camera but never took a picture cuz I didn't have it when I could. The dogs traveled so well, Ranger just really liked being with me. They both made themselves at home at Dave and Elaine's house, plopping on the furniture (Ranger) and walking on the back of the couch (Maggie).
3. Saturday: The 3 of us went to see my mom at her new place and took the dogs with. She enjoyed seeing all of us and meeting Tyler. I also showed Tyler around my old neighborhood and of course, I took him to see Dave's barbershop, which was my dad's when I was little. Dave (Harder) tried to sell the shop to Tyler...hehe. Tyler told him he would have to make some changes, like "gut the shop". I went to see my Uncle Les and Aunt Luella later on and had dinner with them. We had a wonderful visit. He has always been my very favorite uncle (my dad's younger brother). After that, I went to my brother's house in Blaine. My niece Jenny was there (cute baby bump) and we visited for quite a while. We don't see each other enough. I would love to see my nephews Eric and Charlie and of course, my great nephew, Jovanni. Maybe next time.
4. Sunday: I met up with Gretchen (my boss) and went to the Minneapolis Gift Mart. We saw all of the new products coming out and ordered a ton of stuff for "our" shop. This actually went on for about 8 hours Sunday and Monday.
5. Tuesday: Met Gretchen and her husband Kim and then on to downtown Mpls to choose some display fixtures for the store.

This is where we got the call that the downtown area of Cedar Falls was dangerously close to flooding...that is where the kitchen shop is. Ahhhh! Poor Gretchen was shaken and we made a hasty exit, she and Kim went home and I went to the Mall of America. People back home were sandbagging and a crew of townsfolk came to the rescue by going to the shop and making sure all was out of the basement and off the lower shelves and floor. Amazing! The river crested the highest ever at 102.12 feet. Downtown was closed as well as quite a few streets and bridges in both Cedar Falls & Waterloo. I'm sure you've all seen the pictures...and today, most of Iowa along the Cedar River is under water.

6. Wednesday: I head home hoping they will let me into Cedar Falls. There was only one bridge open between Waterloo & CF and after several detours, I made it back to my favorite house on Lovejoy Drive.

7. Thursday-Present: The flood moves south of us and we begin cleanup. Thank to all who contacted us and Thelma to check on things. It's just crazy to be all over the national news for about a month...and it's not even a caucus!

Say Goodbye Once & Leave...

2008-06-05T18:40:00.003-05:00

This is one of our 3 new trees in the backyard. This is how tall it is on the day Dave left for Oklahoma (tonight). I'll take another picture when he comes home next year.

The send off was brief and hot/humid. Good ol' Mayer Crews from Cedar Falls was there and gave a short and nice farewell. General Dardis was there too and did the same. Our thanks to Perry & Lori, Chuck, Brad, Kandie & Lucas Vaughn, & Jim & Mary Lee for joining us to say goodbye. It was good to have you there and know you care about Dave and our family so much. We love you guys too!

This time, we agreed that we wouldn't watch him get on that bus and wait until it left. We just said goodbye and head out. I think that was easier on all of us, Dave especially. The ceremony started off with the national anthem which of course, all of the soldiers in uniform saluted. Halfway through, I turned in time to see Lucas standing at attention in his little uniform and saluting too. That's when I lost it. It was so sweet and cute.

Lucas and Alexis

Deployment Briefing-GRRRRRRRR!

2008-06-02T21:27:00.003-05:00

That's what they call the meeting that takes 4 hours and gives you all of the info that you should know while your "soldier" is gone. It actually only took 2 1/2 hours, I believe because our group was smaller than most (30 vs. 200). I think I have this down pretty good. However, the reality is hitting me pretty hard today. I found myself feeling anxious and not tolerating any kind of inconvenience. Even though the meeting was short, we had a family picnic from 1-2 and then were supposed to get ID cards issued from 3-5. Guess what? No ID personnel showed up. GRRRRRRR! People brought their children and we killed 2 hours before the other meeting. Oh yeah, the meeting room had no AC because of the construction at the hangar. GRRRRRR! You know how I feel about heat and humidity. Thankfully, the meeting was very informational and necessary, and was much shorter than planned. Phew! I'm home now and trying to relax. Dave's send off is Thursday at 5 pm. Won't see him until August for about 4 days and then he leaves out of country for a year. I might be cranky then too!

By the way, to all of our dear friends and family who have been there for us and continue to be there with offers of help and company: We love you and Dave will miss you. You won't miss me though...I'm calling you!!!

It's a lot of BLOG

2008-05-28T11:35:00.006-05:00

Ranger: He is doing great since his surgery. The vet said he would start touching his foot down at about 3 weeks and he was touching down after less than a week. He still has that funny haircut. We got an Elizabethian collar for him so he wouldn't lick or chew his stitches (staples). However, I just couldn't put it on him and leave him home alone. I put it on Tyler instead.

Spring: Our flowering crab tree out front was beautiful this year. It helped that the winds were down and no hail or hard rains so it stayed full over a week. It looked like snow when the petals fell. Carrie brought me some lilacs from their yard, which makes me happy. I remember walking to school down Lilac Lane and picking them to smell all day in school.

Fires: We have had two fires in our back yard...in the fire ring of course. Perry came over one night along with Mike and Carrie, Tyler, Laura and Brody. It's so nice to gather around with guitars and fires.

Mushrooms: Mike brought us some beautiful morel mushrooms and even cooked them for us! They were so yummy!

Tornadoes: Where we live, it's hard to believe that the tornadoes even happened. We never even got any rain at our place but boy did they ever get hit in Parkersburg and Dunkerton area. I'm sure you've seen pictures of the houses and businesses that were just leveled. We were grilling steaks when the sirens went off. I hate to say it but we pretty much ignored the sirens because we could see the weather was north of us. After seeing Parkersburg though, we will go downstairs next time.

Memorial Day: What a gorgeous day! Dave and I got Thelma and went out for lunch and then to the cemetery. We told Big Davy stories. He sure is missed. I am including pictures of Travis Vaughn's site. He is in the same cemetery as Dave's dad. It was so hard to think of the young soldiers who were killed. There were 2 new graves of young soldiers this year, very close to Travis's grave. God Bless their families who miss them.

Poor Ranger

2008-05-17T10:50:00.002-05:00

Our little buddy had his ACL surgery yesterday and we picked him up this morning. He looks pretty rough with his new haircut. He has lots of staples on an incision about 6-7" long. The physical therapy will be intense however. He has to be on a leash for 3 months every time we go outside, for everything. We will be taking him swimming every day too once his staples come out. Thank goodness it's warming up! I stopped in to see him at the vet yesterday after his surgery. He was so happy to see me but he was kind of dopey. We sat on the grass and he fell into my lap and fell asleep. It's really good to have him home. Oh yeah, Dave's home too! It's good to have him here. He wants to take his recliner back to Camp Dodge.

And so it begins....

2008-05-12T10:04:00.004-05:00

Well, it has started. One week down, about 60 more to go! Dave was in Des Moines last week at Camp Dodge going through the Combat Lifesaver Course (see pics). Having been trained as a Medic when I first joined, I was quite impressed with this intense course, which ended up with the guys starting IV's on each other.

We had a very nice weekend together. Dave was so tired Friday night and his arm was sore from an anthrax shot. We stayed home and grilled pork chops for supper. Saturday we went to Lowes, Menards, Best Buy, Blaines, & Walmart....looking for the perfect tomato cage for the monstrous plants I grow. That wore both of us out! We did manage to stay up late and head downtown CF to the Reverb to see Tyler's band play. Quite an interesting place with lots of artwork on the ceiling panels. Tyler's band rocks out pretty good. It was fun to see all of the "youngsters" in their different styles of dress. (Do I sound really old yet?)

Mother's Day: What a lovely day! We all met at the Hong Kong and had yummy Chinese food. Brody was mostly interested in leaving the restaurant to go see the Ironman movie. Thelma and I were showered with hugs and love for being the moms. We went to her house for a while afterward but it was soon time to leave so Dave could finish loading up his car to go back to Camp Dodge. I got a cool phone call from my Mom and talked to Mom, Elaine, Steve, & Dave. I am excited to go up to Minnesota in June to see everyone again. Dave left around 6:00 and the blues set in. I'm gonna miss my guy so much. Sigh.