Meanwhile, I checked to see if our site was empty the night before and possibly available early. No it's not, but in addition, due to a septic issue, the shower house and restroom in that campground is closed indefinitely. For a six-day stay, we depend on the campground showers. Since Agatha was not going to head out again the next day, I went ahead and removed the clean clothes and all food except condiments. Don called and said the fridge would run on propane but not electricity. We decided to leap in and take the risk anyway. After all, we're camping, right?
Perhaps too dramatic a title but it has a nice ring to it. My camping trips have often been connected with other events such as barbecue contests, weddings and graduations, balloon fests, book signings, wine trails, car cruises, etc. But this week is a first for me--the Iowa State High School Baseball Tournament. My friend Don's grandson plays for Johnston High School, which has been rated #1 in Class 4A the whole season. So he reserved a camping spot at Coralville Lake early on to be sure of a site. Last week, with a win in the substate finals, Johnston's participation was confirmed. Because it was a six day stay, we had decided to use Don's camper with its larger water tanks and more storage. However, a couple of weeks ago, an issue arose with the refrigerator. Times being what they are, the dealer couldn't look at it until last Tuesday, so Agatha was put on standby. She and I spent most of last week at Beed's Lake and returned home on Saturday. Obviously, while I was gone, someone must have moved the power pole by the alley because after two and a half years of backing her in without incident, Saturday that pole reached out and tore the door off the dump compartment. Meanwhile, the status of Don's camper changed daily and then hourly. Yes, it would be done Friday or Saturday. No, the guy who was supposed to work on it didn't show up for work Friday or Saturday. Yes, two guys were working on it and they should have it done soon. Finally it is ready and can be picked up. Meanwhile, I checked to see if our site was empty the night before and possibly available early. No it's not, but in addition, due to a septic issue, the shower house and restroom in that campground is closed indefinitely. For a six-day stay, we depend on the campground showers. Since Agatha was not going to head out again the next day, I went ahead and removed the clean clothes and all food except condiments. Don called and said the fridge would run on propane but not electricity. We decided to leap in and take the risk anyway. After all, we're camping, right? On Sunday, we met at the campground and got set up. Our site overlooked the river, and the refrigerator appeared to be running on electric power. And the shower house problem had been fixed and it was back open. But we soon discovered the drawbacks to the site. The only shade was provided by a new tree, as seen in the photo, The late afternoon sun baked the sitting and cooking area and the picnic table, even with the awning out. With 90s forecast for the week, we decided decisive action was needed. The next morning, we trekked up to the check-in shack and arranged a trade for an empty site on the back of the campground but with plenty of shade. The switch was done in about an hour, and the rest of the week has been lovely, if a little warm. Meanwhile, back to the reason for the trip and the thrill of victory. The first game was Tuesday at 11:30. Because it was a work day for the surrounding hospitals and clinics, parking was restricted to outlying lots and volunteers delivered spectators to the stadium in golf carts. It was hot. After a slow start, the Johnson Dragons handed a defeat to Iowa City Liberty. They play in the semifinals tonight at 5:00 pm.
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When I camp, I usually hand a couple of free books out to nearby campers as advertising. Yesterday morning, after a three mile walk, I saw a woman out at the camper two sites down so I took her a copy of The Lady of the Lake. As we visited, she said her neighbors Syd and Ken told her about someone who writes books based in different campgrounds. Was I that person? She said she lived in West Liberty, and Syd and Ken--who we have often camped with--are her neighbors! Then I gave another book to the people next to me and it turned out that woman was in my sister's class. Lunch was a reminder that time is also a 'small world.' It always amazes with old friends, even those you don't see very often, how time seems to collapse and you pick up right where you left off. I had lunch at the Rustic Brew, a fun local restaurant, with four classmates. Even though sixty plus years have passed since we saw each other on a daily basis, we managed to keep up a steady stream of conversation for three hours. Fun times! Later in the day, the campground began to fill up and I lost my view of the lake. This loop is especially narrow, making the neighbors across the way very close. I knew it was going to happen but I will have to make a note to avoid these sites in the future. I will say that I have to upgrade the showers here to an A-. They have replaced the two dinky half-inch hooks with much larger ones. And instead of the timed showers where you have to push a button to get 30 seconds worth of a water at a time and you can't control the temperature, they have a temperature conrol with no limits. Great luxury! They just need to add a shelf in the shower itself for shampoo, etc and I will upgrade them to an A+. Although I will probably not make it to the fair, it has been a nice visit. I so enjoy the walks here, especially the area around the dam. In one of the photos below, you can see the hole in the dam in the lower right corner that figures in the plot of The Lady of the Lake.
of my youth, previous camping trips, and the location of The Lady of the Lake. I am back at Beed's Lake for my yearly visit with old friends and perhaps a trip to the county fair. However, my departure from home yesterday was not without glitches--mainly, getting ten miles from home and realizing my purse was back on the dining room table. So turn around (no small feat for me with Agatha) and head back. Kicking myself is awkward when I'm driving. So I arrived early afternoon and got set up in about an hour. These sites are unusual in that the parking are parallel to the campsite on a gravel strip that goes all the way around the loop. It's difficult to tell where one site ends and another begins. After assessing my parking last night, I have decided that this morning I will do a minimum tear down and move forward five or six feet. This has always been a great campground, but the center loops have been devastated in the last few years by the ash bore. New trees have been planted but are not offering much shade as yet. It was a beautiful evening with a light breeze, but the setting sun made my site quite warm. I did get in a short walk along the lake path and over to the dam. This morning (after I move the camper) I'll take a walk around the lake.
It has become tradition for my eldest granddaughter and her husband to hold a joint birthday party for their two daughters in mid-June. Olivia will turn six in mid July and Jordyn reached the ripe old age of three in late May. Cherry Glen Campground, on Saylorville Lake, is close to Brooke and Nick's--in fact, it was where we camped seven years ago for their wedding festivities, held at the Des Moines Zoo. It has the added advantage of being a Corps of Engineers facility, which means they accept my senior pass for half-price site charges. However, after I figured up the cost of gas for my trip two weeks ago to northwest Iowa, I decided to whine to my friend Don, whose camper is stored about ten miles from Cherry Glen, to use his instead of Agatha. She will get over it faster than my bank account would recover. So Thursday night we got set up, had a nice steak supper, and drove over to Brooke and Nick's just as Pat and Jill arrived from Texas. On Friday, Pat, Jill, and Brooke took the girls to Adventureland while Don and I ran some errands after his daily pickle ball rounds. We managed to snag some snazzy outdoor rugs for his camper and picked up a few groceries for supper. We hosted a cookout and it was a real treat for me to have so many family members together: Pat and Jill; Brooke, Nick, and family, and grandson Tuan and his fiance RiannA. Saturday was party day. In spite of her sociology degree and a job in a bank as a risk assessor, Pat and I feel Brooke missed her calling as an event planner. This year's theme was Mermaids, with fish tails on the cupcakes and shirts for adults (Nick--Mermaid Security, aunts and grandmothers--Mermaid Squad), and a fishtail cake. We cut our stay at Cherry Glen short by a day due to refrigerator issues. But this afternoon I will be doing a walk for scleroderma awareness with a woman I met two weeks ago. Barbara is the first person I have met with "En Coup Du Sabre"--ECDS--since I was diagnosed seventy years ago. So it has been (and will be) a very full weekend. The Midwest Glampers gathered this weekend at Marble Beach State Park on Spirit Lake. I didn't see any marble or a beach but it's a beautiful campground with lots of recent upgrades. Most of the sites are full hookups, spacious, and fairly level. Internet and phone service are good. I arrived late Friday morning and skipped the afternoon trip to a glass fusion class to get set up and grab a nap. The evening's entertainment was a s'mores bar and campfire. The weather was perfect with a beautiful sunset. My favorite s'mores combination was coconut cookies sandwiching a marshmallow, dark chocolate square, and caramel sauce. And a few stories were told around the fire. Saturday morning, after a Muffins and Mimosas bar, the project was painting gourd birdhouses. Karen (another Karen) and Duane provided gourds with holes drilled and seeds removed, some even primed. The Glampers are nothing if not aspiring artists and the designs were bright and varied. As I was about the settle in for lunch in my camper and some serious writing, I was a abducted for a lunch trip. Excellent food was obtained at Tweeter's in one of the Okoboji towns (I was lost most of the afternoon. Fortunately I wasn't driving.) 'Lunch' turned into shopping and then a trip to Arnold's Park. We stopped at the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and I snapped a shot of my brother Jim's bio from his 2019 induction as a representative of the music media. We also visited the mirror maze and had a short concert from Lena, our Glamper-in-Training. Saturday night was another beautiful evening for a campfire. Jackie and Harry provided homemade ice cream and apple crisp. Yummy. Sunday morning, facing a five to six hour drive home, I packed up early. Just as I was about to depart, I witnessed Carol and Cookie, laying in the road, trying to stop Jackie and Harry from leaving. Glampers are not only artistic; they are very dramatic.
The 2011 summer version of the Iowa Senior Games is underway. About 1000 athletes over 50 years old are competing in 30 different sports in West Des Moines. I spent yesterday at the pickleball venue at Valley West High School. Participants over 65 competed in mixed doubles and men's and women's doubles. Through the day, I made several observations. Knee braces, elbow wraps, and other supports were more in evidence than at most sports venues. Many tee shirts sported medical insurance logos. On the other hand there was a noticeable lack of tattoos, torn jeans, and piercings. Competition was fierce, but good-natured, odd as that may seem. Overheard scraps of conversation were different, too, than one would hear at high school, college, or professional events. Terms like bypass, pacemakers, and hip replacements were frequently scattered through discussions of players, matches, and techniques. My favorite comment was from a man behind me about one of the players: "He moves like he's 55." Since this was the 70-74 bracket, he meant it as a compliment. I had tremendous admiration for all of these people who thrive on being active. The pervading feeling throughout the day was, regardless of outcome, was that everyone there was just glad to be alive and moving. A plug here for senior facilities. There were many comments about the lack of pickleball courts (currently the fastest growing sport in the US) for seniors. The traditional view has been to throw 'em in a nursing home in a rocking chair. But perhaps so many care facilities wouldn't be necessary if more active lives were encouraged and enabled? Jus a thought. Writers, like all artists, sometimes have to suffer for their craft. Several years ago, I started a campground mystery involving a barbecue contest. About a third of the way through, I hit a wall and it has been gathering virtual dust in the nether regions of my computer ever since. Years ago, we attended a number of barbecue contests with my sister-in-law and brother-in-law, who are certified judges for the Kansas City Barbecue Society. But due to numerous circumstances, after I started the book, I didn't get to another and plot lines dried up. But this last weekend, an opportunity for inspiration presented itself. Ken and Harriet were tapped to judge a contest at the Steele County Fairgrounds in Owatonna, Minnesota. Saturday included, besides barbecue, a blues fest and classic car show. Camping sites were available on the grounds. So plans were made. My friend Don and I would join the Halds and Ottaways for the weekend. Agatha would stay home this trip and we would take Don's fifth wheel instead. Friday was beautiful; low 70s and brilliant blue skies. Don and I arrived first and found that the 'sites' consisted of a grassy field with power and water hookups scattered willy-nilly. With the host's help, we managed to find a spot with space and hookups for two more units. It took some finessing when the others arrived to get campers and trucks parked and hooked up, but those are the challenges of 'roughing it.' Soon lawn chairs were out, beverages opened, and a heavy planning discussion held on supper. Although we each probably carried enough food for six weeks, it was decided to sacrifice a night of cooking and try out the food at the venue. There was a 'shuttle bus'--a contraption of park benches mounted on a wagon pulled by a garden tractor--but our timing wasn't right so we walked to the other side of the fairgrounds. The food venue offered varieties of BBQ-brisket, pulled pork, ribs, etc.-plus onion rings, cheese curds and other healthy sides. The only music available at the time was at the indoor beer garden, which required a cover charge, so we opted to return to our campers. The 'sites' did not include either a firepit or picnic table, and since we had all eaten more than our fill, it was an early night. The weekend forecast for Owatonna included showers on Saturday and we were hoping they would be wrong. They weren't. The off-and-on rain caused the cancellation of the car rally and the outdoor music venues. Fortunately for the judges, the contest judging would be inside. So, after Ken and Harriet left for their duties, the other four of us made a field trip to the large Cabela's located in Owatonna. Lots of outdoor scenery with no rain. While Don and Vince salivated over depth finders, boats, and other fishing gear, Letha and I checked out the clothing and decorative items. We returned to the fairgrounds and made another trip around the venue. I am always fascinated by the various cooking rigs and team names. I may have been the only attendee, however, who was also keeping an eye out for good hiding places and murder weapons. At least I hope so. Saturday night supper required more self-sacrificing. During their judging duties, Ken and Harriet receive samples of chicken, brisket, ribs and pulled pork. They cut one bite of each as part of the judging and the rest goes into a cooler which they bring back to camp. So we must help them eat that and for our part provide the sides for a sumptuous meal. Sunday morning, after a great breakfast from the Ottaways, we packed up , and dodging a few rainstorms, headed out. Halds and Ottaways continued to a county park near Mankato. Don and I returned to Des Moines to unload. I picked up my car, made a quick visit to see my great-granddaughters (and their parents, of course) and returned home. I needed to be back in order to ready Agatha for a Wednesday departure for Marble Beach State Park at Spirit Lake with the Midwest Glampers. I also have a Mystery Sisters book in progress that involves glamping. More grueling research.
The weekend was a success! Everyone arrived safely, we got tours of Andy's wide-ranging projects, we had beautiful weather for a supper at the campground Saturday night, and most importantly we got Elliot graduated. I think he'd been practicing his graduation smile. I arrived on Thursday afternoon in sweltering heat and needed to run the AC all night. By Sunday night, I had to run the furnace a little! Friday morning I met and had a great visit with a woman next to me. She had lost her husband to ALS about a year before Butch died and decided this past winter to begin camping again, starting with a tent. She plans to work toward a small trailer if she continues. Saturday, Pat and I were sitting outside when another woman pulled over in a Minnie Winnie and asked for help. She had bought this RV three weeks earlier and this was her first trip. She thought she had filled the fresh water tank but they were already out of water. Her husband had suffered a stroke several years ago and was unable to help her. I only saw one water inlet so thought she was doing it right. But when we talked to her later, we found out she had made several trips back to the water station before someone showed her that the actual fill was inside a locked compartment. Through all this, she kept the most amazing attitude. It must have been newbie weekend, because on a trip to the dumpster, Pat ran into a couple of guys trying to figure out how to dump their tanks. Andy has always said that his life is a grease fire and I don't think any of us would disagree. Besides two houses (long story), they have three dogs and two cats. Holly, an Australian shepherd, dislikes most males and especially Elliot. Max, a very large cinnamon colored retriever is old, showing his age, and pretty much clears a room when he walks through. Andy says that Frank Clark, a black Lab, thinks that Elliot's girlfriend Bethany is actually his girlfriend, but he lets Elliot drive her around town because he (Frank) doesn't have hands. And on and on. We visited the other house to see the progress on a wrap around porch, new downstairs bath, the in-ground trampoline, and the windmill that Elliot built with his welding skills. As I said in my previous blog, Elliot is the last of the eight grandchildren to graduate so that also finishes a couple of traditions. I have done a scrapbook for each of family trips, holidays, and his or her activities. Elliot's presented a special challenge since many of his high school activities were cancelled due to Covid. And I have always made 'mortarboard' cupcakes, a recipe that my mother originally discovered. I can't really blame Covid, but maybe my age--they turned out a little subpar too. I wasn't able to find the bigger chocolate covered graham crackers this year and the M&Ms I bought were caramel which I didn't realize the were bigger than the regular. Transporting them in to town, a few tipped over and got a little smeary. Sorry, Elliot. Despite all, it was a wonderful weekend. For the most part, the weather cooperated and it was so great to see them all. We had a lovely evening for an outdoor meal on Saturday and Elliot's diploma was signed. A reference to a movie that our boys watched 857 times when they were in high school about a time traveling aircraft carrier. At this moment, it refers to the end of an era in my life: my youngest grandchild will graduate from high school this weekend. Consequently, Agatha and I are camped at a favorite spot--Johnson Sauk Trail north of Kewanee, Illinois. I love the stand of pines that covers half of the campground. Grandson Elliot has provided plenty of entertainment in his first eighteen years, and I'm sure there will be more to come. His career plans have ranged from playing baseball for the Chicago Cubs and working for Wendy's in the off-season (because of course he would have to have a job in the winter) to underwater welding. For his eleventh birthday party, he requested that his friends bring an item for the local food pantry instead of presents. During high school, he has pumped gas at a full-service station still in operation in Kewanee and has developed a following of older women to the point that he makes more in tips than in wages. A couple of years ago, when I was looking for a camper, he wanted me to buy a big toy hauler, he would quit school, and we could hit the road together. He ditched that idea when I told him as a former teacher, I could home school him on the road. He plays first chair trombone in the concert band and has been active in robotics. He plans to enter an Air Force technical maintenance program in August. I think he should run for office eventually, but I may be biased. While we anticipate his future, we will have a great gathering and celebration this weekend. Daughter Kate, her husband and son are on their way from West Virginia. Son Pat from Texas will join me at the campground the next two nights. His wife Jill is unable to be here since next week is her last week of teaching fourth grade before retiring! And we are so thrilled for her. But it will be the first time, I will have all three kids together since Christmas. I'm not sure Kewanee is ready for this.
Last weekend's forecast: Friday-some rain, windy; Saturday-all-day rain, windy; Sunday-partly sunny, cooler, windy; Monday- afternoon and evening rain, windy. But a shakedown camping trip to Lake Darling had been scheduled since February, and we aren't ones to let a little forty-mile-an-hour breeze and pounding rain to dampen our fun. I arrived at the dump station to fill the fresh water tank and probably could have done it with a large upside-down funnel, since the skies had opened up shortly before. There had been enough rain that the camp sites, badly in need of gravel, offered a sort of spongy parking base. My camper started out fairly level until the levelers began to sink. And shall we say set up was a breeze? Because there is no point getting out lawn chairs, grills, awnings, etc. in the rain. So my little space heater was welcome, and Agatha doesn't leak so I chalked those two things up on the plus side. In the afternoon, we did some visiting and the rain ceased long enough to grill some steaks and have a campfire. For about 47 minutes. The return of precipitation forced six couples under my awning, from where we could gaze at the sputtering fire fifteen feet away. The next two nights, we crammed in Ken and Harriet's camper with plenty of sides to accompany Letha's ham and beans and Ken's smoked meat loaf, so as usual we didn't starve. A trip to Cantril and the Dutchman's Store on a rainy Saturday provided diversion. Good food and good company can go a long way to overcome dreary weather. Shower report: I think the DNR has added hooks in the showers, but they have also changed out the shower controls so that a push of the button gets a two-second burst of water. You can't even get the water hot! They need to work on that and add a few truck loads of gravel to the sites. Agatha goes to the doctor tomorrow to have the water issues addressed that Camping World "couldn't get to" last fall. My next foray is to Johnson Sauk Trail in Illinois next week for grandson Elliot's graduation. Right now the forecast looks pretty good but surely that will change. |
AuthorSome random thoughts about writing, camping, and eating. Archives
September 2023
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