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Friday Night Lights

8/30/2014

We participated in a bit of Americana Friday night at the Tom Landry Classic between 2013 5A Texas state champs Allen HS and 4A champs, Denton Guyer HS. This was slightly different than the small town Iowa football games we are used to.

It was held in the University of North Texas Apogee Stadium. Our seats were higher than I care to go unless I'm inside an airplane. The band, touted as 'the largest band in the land,' has over 700 kids and fills the whole field. There were more students in the drill team, flag squad, and cheerleading squad than in my graduating class. Not once did I hear anyone behind us say, "Isn't number 16 the nephew of Gomer who used to be married to your cousin Fern?" The drive to and from was over an hour in heavy traffic through interchanges out of Star Wars. I guess the teams are pretty good but I don't follow football so I can't speak to that.

So how did we end up at this event? Granddaughter Jessi is a senior and a varsity trainer for the Allen team. And an excellent one she is. She is a whiz with a water bottle and a terror with a towel. We did not get to witness her ankle wrapping skills, although you would have thought someone could have managed a little sprain or something. I mean, since her grandparents came 900 or so miles. But I suppose even in the biggest games, one can't have everything.

By the way, Allen won.

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On a Long and Boring Road

8/28/2014

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This is not a camping trip. Thank goodness because shortly after we left this morning on our way to Dallas to visit our younger son and family, we hit driving rain. Several places around Des Moines, those cement barricades that they put up in road work areas create ponds that cause dangerous water planing. Only the skills of my driver saved us a couple of times. So we were very glad we weren't pulling the camper.

But it's a long trip. So we listened to a book on CD, I read, and tried to use the computer but bumpy roads make that very difficult. So one has to occupy oneself otherwise sometimes. Like the sign for the "Peculiar Park Place RV Park." First of all the name is a little redundant but it just cries out for a murder mystery, don't you think? It's located in Peculiar, Missouri, which is--well, peculiar. I also started noticing town slogans that are on the welcome signs. It seems like someone could be a little more original. Most of these slogans could be for any town: "Small town with a big heart," etc. Like Peculiar: how about something like "No strangers here. Our citizens are strange enough." Or Pryor, OK: "Have you been here before?" or "You should have seen us last year!" Broken Arrow, OK could be "Straight to your heart." I think I'll start a city motto business.

I should have been practicing my Texas/Oklahoma speak. I was a little confused when a woman in a truck stop restroom told me "Everything is fool" until I realized she meant all of the stalls were taken.

We are also convinced that a major drain on the American economy is keeping all restaurants and public places at 50 degrees. It is hot out, but really? Since we are told ad nauseum, "It isn't the heat, it's the humidity," why not just remove the humidity and keep the temperatures normal?

Anyway, we are in McAlester, Oklahoma and just have a short jaunt left to Dallas in the morning, so I probably won't have time for as many deep thoughts.

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Fine Finish

8/25/2014

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I think the reason most people don't bail out of Iowa completely is that just often enough, we are rewarded for enduring a stretch of bone-chilling, icy weather with a beautiful spring day or several days of heat and smothering humidity with an incredible summer evening, warm but with just enough breeze to make a fire worthwhile and keep away the bugs. We had one of those Saturday night.

The book signing Friday night wasn't huge but respectable. The best part was visiting with classmates of three of my siblings as they recounted their memories of Beed's Lake and the legend of the Lady. One person said her dad helped to build the dam as a member of the Youth Conservation Corps. Another told of the house, later moved, where the woman lived. Some said their kids beg to go to the lake every time they came back to Hampton to see if they could see her. The Rustic Brew was a great place to spend some time reminiscing and signing books.

Saturday morning we were hit with the line of storms that barged across most of Iowa. The rain finally let up in time to get in the Restoration Run, a fundraiser to help restore water quality in the lake. We did not partake.

Saturday afternoon we drove to Belmond to drop in on the 70th birthday party of an old friend. Instead of cake, her daughters and husband served ice cream with a wide variety of toppings--perfect for a warm summer afternoon. When we returned, we headed to Sheffield for the social hour at my brother's 50th class reunion. We lost Bill eight years ago and they had a nice memorial table set up to honor classmates who have died. It was fun to visit with people who were just obnoxious eighth graders when I graduated. They've improved a lot.

Finally back to the campground and a beautiful evening. A simple supper starting with steaks on the grill and sitting by the fire in the nice breeze. Sunday morning was pleasant until we started to load up. However it was much worse when we got home and unloaded. One of those days that I think air conditioning is the best invention ever.

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There's a Hole...

8/23/2014

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in the bottom of the dam. I don't know about the sea. I included the hole in the The Lady of the Lake, based on information from my sister, other Hamptonites and the park ranger but didn't remember ever seeing it myself. If you are in a direct line with it, it isn't hard to see, but from any other angle, it's pretty well hidden. So yesterday morning we took a little hike to see it for ourselves.

According to the ranger, back in the hole is a solid brass door that is opened when they want to drain the lake. He said the last time was in the eighties and they had to bring in divers and a crane to get it open.

The dam, or more accurately, spillway, is beautiful, whether in low water, as pictured above, and the step design is obvious, or in high water, when the design is completely obscured.

This morning the Restoration Run is scheduled by the Friends of Beeds Lake but given the loudness of the thunder and the volume of rain falling on our camper roof, not sure that's going to happen.

The book signing last night was lovely. I got to visit with a number of classmates of my brothers and sisters--particularly brother Bill's class who are having their 50th class reunion this weekend. It was nice to reminisce about Bill with some of his classmates since he has been gone now for about eight years. I also learned some more about the real Lady of the Lake and that she actually lived near the lake.

We have an unplanned morning, followed by a surprise visit to a birthday party this afternoon and an appearance at the Class of '64's social hour. Then back here for, weather permitting, steaks cooked over the fire. Maybe by then, our camping neighbors will have moved their obnoxious pontoon boat that is currently parked partially on our campsite. Maybe it will fill up with water or be struck by lightning.

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Shake, Rattle, and Roll

8/22/2014

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We arrived yesterday afternoon at Beed's Lake State Park and have a nice level pull-through site so set-up was pretty easy. Until we realized we had forgotten to fill up with water before we set up. Arrrgh. You'd think we'd never done this before. Fortunately, there is a hydrant across the road and we were able to borrow an extra hose from two nice women a couple of sites down (one of whom graduated with my sister Libby) and, added to our two hoses, fill up without moving the camper. Whew.

However, we soon noticed water under the sink and this time it wasn't a leaky water jug. The hot water line seems to have a problem. We attribute it (and the forgot-to-fill-up brain fart) to a rocky ride through Cedar Rapids. They are working on 380 and every bridge and overpass ends in a six-inch dropoff back to the new roadbed with a sign that says "Bump." This is a lot like calling the Korean War a 'police action.' Our bodies, brains, and camper took a real beating.

So it didn't seem wise to cook and wash dishes here and we trekked to town to the Rustic Brew, site of tonight's book signing. This place is a gem. It was a shoe store when I was in school and is now a delightful coffee shop and mircobrewery. (It's in the book.) The decor features great wall murals done by a friend of the original owner.

I had the loaded chicken salad sandwich on a pretzel bun and Butch had the "Brewster", a lovely concoction. We visited with the owner, a coach and liason officer with the school. He also does all of the brewing. We returned to the campground in time for one of the lovely Beed's Lake sunsets and relished the air conditioning in the camper. This morning we plan to walk over by the spillway and see if we can spot the hole for the doorway. (It's in the book, too.) However, we haven't run into Digger Brunsvold. (He's also in the book.)

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Between Engagements

8/17/2014

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In spite of the forecast, the weather last weekend at Shady Creek held and we enjoyed a fire every night plus the Supermoon. We hurried to get home Monday morning before the rain but it never materialized then either.

Now we are preparing for this weekend and a few days at Beed's Lake, site of The Lady of the Lake. Home stomping grounds. Speaking of grounds, there will be a book signing for the new book at The Rustic Brew, a lovely coffee shop and brew pub in Hampton. (It is disguised in The Lady as The Brewster.) Beed's really is a wonderful park and campground so it should be a fun weekend.

Two opportunities to camp with Frannie: There is a Goodreads Giveaway until August 29 of The Lady:

Goodreads Giveaway

And Camping Can Be Murder, the set of the first three books for Kindle will be a Kindle Countdown Deal this week starting tomorrow at noon CDT at the bargain price of .99 for all three. The price will creep back up during the week until August 22 when it returns to 4.99. Still a bargain.

Camping Can Be Murder

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Buttons and Bikes

8/10/2014

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Buttons of course refers to Muscatine, one-time pearl button capital. We are at Shady Creek, a Corps of Engineers campground on the Mississippi between Muscatine and Davenport. Shady Creek has been sorely affected by the flooding this year. We were told that this past Friday was only the second Friday they had been open. There are marks about six feet up on some of the trees from the high water and much of the ground around the cement pads is still cracked, bare earth. But the weather has been great as is the view of the river. The almost full supermoon was beautiful reflecting off the river last night.

We trucked our bikes to Muscatine yesterday and began our ride at Musser Park. Much as I would like to claim ownership of that, as well as the Musser Public Library or Musser Art Museum, I'm afraid it's a different, much distant, branch of the family from mine. Anyway we followed the levee trail upriver almost to the bridge--at least 50 miles, I think. Well, it felt like it going into the wind.

Crews are working all along the railroad tracks that also follow the river and the equipment is amazing. No large gangs of men driving spikes with hammers.

At the marina is an old bridge pier. The small square above the darker area is a plaque marking the high water mark from the flood of 1993. The return trip to Musser Park was much easier with the wind behind us and the whole exercise earned us naps and an awesome supper.

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Summing Up, Packing up

8/6/2014

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I didn't get some of the photos that I intended at the Glampers gathering. But I have to say there are some pretty amazing members. Susan and Mark are redoing a 1973 Holiday Rambler. They took it down to the skin and put up beadboard and benches, all painted white to give a more spacious feel. Her 'glamping bling' includes flags and matching awning lights that she made, a solar chandelier hanging from the awning, and an awesome collection of picnic baskets and thermoses. They were on their way from Lincoln NE to Elkhart, IN for a Holiday Rambler Rally.

Linda from Kansas only purchased her small, newer trailer named 'Madame Butterfly' earlier this summer and has already pulled it to Virginia, the Carolinas, Alabama, up to Illinois and will continue on to Wisconsin and Michigan.

Cindy and her husband run a restaurant near St. Louis and since it's difficult for them to be gone at the same time, she often camps alone. She said she has three trailers at home but brought a tent on this trip, along with three teenaged girls. How brave is that?

I also met a woman who flagged me down because of my very cool bike. :-) She was not a glamper but had driven from Massachusetts to Oregon and was on her way back. Her 13-year-old daughter had accompanied her but had to be flown home in time for a music camp. She was tent camping.

So now we are back home for two days to clean and wash and restock and then off to Shady Creek on the Mississippi.

A couple of writing notes: I just posted a final revised version of the book trailer for Lady of the Lake because of the cover changes: http://youtu.be/bmJ06foWlFA

And I am well into a new non-Frannie book about a vintage trailer that is a time travel portal and having lots of fun with it. Watch for it!

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A Journey of a Thousand Steps...

8/5/2014

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...is only the start of a million steps if you walk the trails at Mathiesson State Park in Illinois. This park is only down the road a piece, as they say, from Starved Rock. It centers around a canyon formed off the Vermillion River. To access different parts of the canyon, Illinois has built a million steps and I think we stumbled up or down them all yesterday.

Well, at least the kids did. There were some spots where we waited halfway down while the kids descended to the canyon floor. We aren't afraid to be wimps.

I hate graffiti and defacing public property, but if it has to happen, a sense of humor is good. At one of our waiting spots, "5 men died here" was carved into the railing. One benefit of waiting is that you get to meet other people in the same boat. We visited with several interesting persons, as much as gasping for breath will allow.

But the scenery was worth it. It's hard to imagine that a mile down the road from these canyons are corn and bean fields. There is a lake at the park also but the kids were disappointed that we never found a place where swimming was allowed. Others in the Glamper group came later and apparently went to the other end of the canyon than we did.

We rewarded ourselves with lunch on the deck at the beautiful Starved Rock Lodge. By the time we got back, we indulged in the AC of the camper and some long, much needed naps.

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Glampers and Gadabouts

8/4/2014

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After three weeks of no camping, we arrived at Starved Rock State Park in Illinois with no hitches. When you reserve online, Illinois has no photos of campsites and they described the slope of our site as "slight." Right. It's fine if you have a ladder to get up to the first step of the camper. The front end is as low as it will go in order to be near level. That said, behind this site is a clearing surrounded by trees with our picnic table and firepit. A lovely spot.

We met the "Glampers" who were here and did a group photo before the Campbells left with their short schoolbus that they are redoing. In case you are not in the know, glampers are into glamorous camping. Campbells' bus is now black with gold filigree on the front and octopus arms wrapping the back. One holds a clock that is always 5:00. More photos later.

Andy and the kids arrived, as well as summer with a vengence. To beat the heat and humidity, Elliot found two super-soaker squirt guns, one of which even worked, and proceeded to shoot himself with it.

Wild life is in evidence. A group of turkeys wandered through the woods around our clearing and crossed the path 20 feet from us, oblivious to our presence. We were warned about the racoons. The night before, they raided the Campbells' cooler for all of their meat and food. One couple found their cooler dragged almost into the woods. Apparently, racoons are concerned about food safety too.

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