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Camping with Farmers

8/31/2017

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We bought our first trailer from a farmer. He had only had it three years and needed to sell it for health reasons. Besides maintaining it well, he had also added his own touches. Bolt-on step covers made the steps not only safer but usable for seating. Hand-made wooden wheel chocks secured the tires much better than the yellow Lego-like things. There were other little modifications and for the ten years we owned that camper, we appreciated his ingenuity.

Last weekend, we camped with a couple of farmer friends and I noticed that tendency has not disappeared. In a day when six-figure combines are directed by GPS and a myriad of technology developments have changed farming, there is still the almost genetic urge to make do with simple, clever homemade add-ons when that will work. It's not that non-farmers are not imaginative; it's just that that kind of innovation seems a part of the the farm culture.

They provided entertainment too. One night when the topic around the fire was raccoons, I was especially amused by a tale of a raccoon who got trapped in a combine that was subsequently taken into a shop for repairs. The next morning, the repairman found the raccoon sitting on his desk and a record on the security camera of the animal running rampant in the shop all night.

Finally, before we left, I was blessed with a surplus of tomatoes and peppers from one farm garden. It isn't often that we return home with more food than we started with. I recommend camping with farmers.


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Old Man River...

8/27/2017

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Thomson Causeway is at least an annual visit for several reasons--not the least of which is the view of the Mississippi, the barge traffic, the wildlife, and the sunsets. We are here this weekend because I participated in the Clinton Book Festival across the river yesterday. Three other couples joined us and of course there has been biking, hiking, super meals, and great campfires.

We have been mightily entertained by the Ron and Tom show. They are cousins who apparently only narrowly escaped federal prison or being deported to Siberia in their childhood. It isn't clear whether that period of their lives is past.
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The Book Festival, although bringing less foot traffic than when it was downtown, was nice and a great chance to visit with fellow writers who are becoming old friends. Butch picked me up afterwards and we drove to the Clinton riverfront to meet the camping group for a rare treat--supper out--at the Candlelight Inn, overlooking the river. We gorged on Chicken George and brought enough back for another meal. This morning it is raining, but someone has promised sausage gravy and biscuits to comfort us.

One book note: The Lady of the Lake is still free today on Amazon!


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Howling at Howell

8/19/2017

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Well, we weren't really howling but it is a catchy title. We could have howled with glee at the weather. The forecast given the week before included 90 degree temps and severe storms. We enjoyed low 80s most of the time.

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We brought along our friend Ginge, and she would have been forgiven for howling, but she is a retired librarian and more accustomed to whispering. Remember old comedies where the main character would just miss having a grand piano fall on him or stepping off a swinging beam as a high steel worker? Well, first she and I were right next to the trailer when it slipped off the blocks while we were setting up; then that night while she was asleep, a picture fell off the wall and just missed her head. Maybe those experiences were behind her five mile walks every day.

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We all did some walking and biking as well as eagle watching. Howell Station is below the Red Rock Dam so we had to go up to the Visitor's Center for a view of the lake. We also took a drive to check out another campground on the lake.

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Every night was perfect for a campfire and the final night we were treated to Ken's guitar playing and singing. No howling there. (I didn't sing.) It was the biggest group we ever camped with and I'm sure the most desserts. The scale proved it. In the course of three days, 30,000 steps, four pounds, great food, and a new granddaughter for one of our group.  Not bad. We are now back home, the laundry is done, the leftovers gone, and we are preparing for the next trip--Thompson Causeway in Illinois this Thursday. I will be participating on Saturday with 47 other area authors at the annual Clinton Book Fair, held this year at the community college and Thompson is just across the river.

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Going Dutch

8/17/2017

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One of our favorite Iowa campgrounds is Howell Station below the Red Rock Dam near Pella. A stay here always involves a trip to Pella to at least visit the quilt shop and the famous Jaarsma's Bakery. The campground is large and there are lots of places to bike and walk on level ground. Eagles and turkey vultures swoop over the Des Moines River and sunsets are excellent. The shower houses are good and sites are fairly level.

I say fairly. Our site this time slopes down from front to back as well as to one side. When we arrived, we got backed in and proceeded to put levelers on the door side. But when Butch raised the truck off the hitch, the trailer rolled back enough that the lift slipped off all of the blocks and the wheel locks were almost crushed. Fortunately the lift didn't bend, and after jacking the tongue up for two more tries and giving up on the levelers, we finally got situated.


We are here with six other couples and one tagalong so meals have been large, varied, and almost heart stopping. Fortunately it's been warm enough that we don't have to get too close to the fire. One prankster produced colored flames last night which he said came from Puffs with lotion, but we think he lies.
Yesterday, four of the women made the requisite trip to Pella. At the quilting shop, I found very cool camping flannel for a new pair of pajamas. we visited the courtyard--forgot the name of it--with beautiful flowers and a canal. We read all of the signs and greeting cards in the gifts shops, had lunch and then hit the bakery. I needed a nap by the time we got back to rest up for another awesome supper.
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Happy Trails

8/7/2017

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The arrival and setup of our friends on Friday signaled time for a walk--at least for the women. Palisades-Kepler State Park has great trails; a little challenging with ups and downs and embedded rocks and roots, but beautiful views of the Cedar River and the cliffs that gave the park its name. We walked as far as the low dam and then headed back.

We decided to take the road back--it's uphill no matter which way you go--and asked a couple in a small car if we were headed the right way. They said yes, but thought it was a long way--did we want a ride? We bravely declined and continued our trudge up the hill. About fifteen minutes later, the couple was back, said it was a really long way, and were we sure we didn't want a ride? We hesitated just long enough to satisfy our egos and then all four piled in the back seat. They were right: it was a really, really long way.

Marcy treated the group to a full Mexican meal for supper, while the rest of us provided sides. We were joined by friends who lived nearby and no one went hungry. Afterwards we enjoyed perfect weather for a campfire. However my Dutch oven dessert was one of my biggest cooking failures ever (possibly since I accidentally used baking soda instead of corn starch to thicken a stir fry) and only edible with the addition of a lot of ice cream.
Saturday was a beautiful day. We girls decided on a more leisurely walk--down the main street of nearby Mt. Vernon, exploring the shops. An old school at the end of the main street was been turned into a mall with a quilt shop, antiques, a lending library, and other intriguing shops. A very fun place to visit!

Our niece and fiance came for supper Saturday night. Afterwards we joined the others for homemade ice cream--a fine finish. Sunday morning Letha provided an excellent breakfast and we packed up to head home. After unloading, I plopped in my chair for a two-hour nap. A perfect end to a great weekend.

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Ho-Hum Camping: Beautiful

8/4/2017

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We are at Palisades State Park near Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Today three couples will be coming to join us for the weekend but last night there were just a few scattered campers. We had an afternoon shower and it's windy and cool, but that didn't interfere with a pleasant campfire. Supper was grilled chicken, potatoes, Waldorf coleslaw, Muscatine melon, and pineapple-zucchini muffins--a tribute to Iowa summer bounty.

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After supper we took a little walk, visited with the hosts and their chocolate Lab, Gibbs, and watched a new arrival struggle with leveling in their site. This campground is an old one, strung out along a road so that sites are not on top of each other and the trees crowd in on both sides. The sites need work. Even set as high as we can on our levelers, any money you drop will end up on the west side of the trailer. The hosts told us the campground will be closed in September and October to add more 50 amp service and work on the sites--a project the park got approved last year before the Iowa legislature slashed the DNR budget.

As much as we enjoy camping with a crowd (Saulsbury, May 2017) or joining an event with lots of scheduled activity (Backbone, July, 2017) or visiting tourist attractions (Cottonwood, AZ, March 2017), it's always nice to just sit back, enjoy nature, and camp.


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    Some random thoughts about writing, camping, and eating.

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