Nebraska Road Trip August 2017

August took us on a 5 week road trip.  We began by driving to Durango, CO, to visit friends, Tammy and Cory where they were staying to avoid a few days of the Arizona heat.  We then headed to Angostura Lake in South Dakota for a 3 night stay with friends Virginia and Dennis who treated us to daily excursions on the lake on their pontoon.  We then headed to Harrison to meet up with Larry's sister, Linda and brother, Wayne and then the work began for those three.  Their mother is selling her home of 50 plus years and moving to an apartment in eastern Nebraska to be nearer to family. We knew there was a bit of stuff accumulation as a result of those 50 plus years which resulted in a 4 day yard sale.  This August day started off cool.

The guys and Sophi took a day off  to hike Black Elk Peak (formerly known as Harney Peak) where they were treated to seeing Mountain Goats.

The group took an afternoon off to see Chicago at the Post Playhouse at Ft. Robinson during cleaning/packing activities.

After 2 weeks of the three siblings cleaning out closets, the basement and garage, it was time for Wayne and Linda to head back to their respective homes.  Larry, mother-in-law, Dorothy and I headed east towards Minnesota to visit Dorothy's sister, Dee.  We made stops in Rapid City to see Larry's Aunt Co and Uncle Richard and his wife, Marjorie (I did get a picture but it was terrible quality).  We then continued east to Presho and stopped in for a visit with my cousin, Angela who I haven't seen for 20 years.

We stopped to visit the Dignity statue near Chamberlain - very impressive.

We visited the Corn Palace in Mitchell.  Dorothy and I had been there in 2014 when she and I drove to Minnesota to visit her sister.  Larry had never been this far east in South Dakota so was enjoying his tourist experience.  The outside of this building is decorated in 12 different types or color of corn each year.  Truly a unique story as to how it came about and continues to exist today.  Stop by in your travels to South Dakota or Google it to learn more.

Dorothy and I visited the Dimock, SD, cemetery when we drove through in 2014 but we never visited the inside of the Catholic church associated with the cemetery, where my great-great grandparents and great grandparents are buried.  The inside of the church was very European with German influences from those early days.

Google Dimock Cheese when you are there and visit and make a purchase.

We ultimately arrived in eastern Minnesota and enjoyed our visit with Aunt Dee.

We then traveled west and south to the Omaha area to visit niece, Karyl and her family and Dorothy's brother, Ron and wife Lola and cousin Pam and her daughter, Paige - (again, found I just wasn't good about pictures) as well as Ashland to see Linda and Jeff's new home (they've relocated with the Methodist church to Ashland from their time with the church in Wichita). I failed to use my iPhone camera, again.  Larry and I did take a day while in the area to visit my aunt and uncle in Columbus, NE.  Aunt Jackie is the twin sister of my father.  It was a gift to be able to visit them.  Aunt Jackie is in the memory care unit while Uncle Clyde is in the assisted living area.

We then traveled to Kearney to overnight with niece, Crystal and her family.  We began with lunch at niece, Elizabeth and her family's home (where was my iPhone camera?)

And then it was time to return to Harrison - Larry had more work to do while we waited to view the eclipse on the 21st.  In the meantime, we met up with several of my high school friends at Chadron State Park.  What a fun afternoon and thanks to Steve and Virginia for making this gathering happen!
(Back Row l-r: Kenny, Steve, Bill, Benny, Jim and Luanne Front Row l-r: Cherri, Tracy, me, Virginia and Janet)

We also returned to Rapid City to visit friends from Larry's college days.  It is always a pleasure getting to spend time with this group of friends.

The wives: l-r Diane, Ann, me and Miss

The guys l-r: Dan, Brett, Brad and Larry

And then it was the 21st and time for the much talked about, hyped eclipse.  Dan, Brett and Miss, Brad, Virginia and Dennis, Larry's cousin, Sandie (all from or near Rapid City) traveled to Harrison to view the eclipse at 100% with us (Larry, Dorothy and me).  We went to a hay field (recently hayed) with our chairs, food and conversation waiting for the event with no other people and very, very limited traffic on the dirt road by this hay field outside of Harrison. What a unique event!

Larry, cousin Sandie, Dorothy and Wayne.

Virginia and me - loved all the time we were able to spend with Virginia and Dennis.

I like this picture.  Miss brought solar lights in case it got too dark during the eclipse.

Larry and me after the eclipse.

We've been back in Carefree now for nearly two weeks - even with the heat, feels great to be home!  Our next trip will be another road trip so Larry can help with the actual move of his mom to eastern Nebraska  We're not exactly sure when that will happen.  

Years ago, Larry's dad, with the help of his granddaughters husbands, had planted two large pieces of petrified wood on either side of the walkway leading to the home.  With Dorothy's impending move, Larry wanted them for our Arizona yard landscaping.  Friend, John, who has a lumber/hardware store in Harrison and with the help of his able grandson, Pacen, came with a small front-end loader and removed the petrified wood from where it was planted to a wooden pallet.  They tied down the petrified wood to the pallet and then used their fork lift to put it in the back of Larry's pickup. This week, Larry was able to removed the petrified wood pieces from his pickup using a padded moving blanket and his wheelbarrow!?

On the health front, I am doing better than I was a year ago - yay!  On the retirement front, Larry is doing limited consulting work for Freeport and enjoying that.