BACK IN OMAHA

Monday morning we went on to Omaha. Russ brought the kids home Monday night, so we shuttled kids to help him, and went to Jenna's volleyball game and Dan's football game-both won. Today was the big dental procedure. It started with three sticks for the IV, but went well for the next four hours. I feel pretty good tonight and am glad to have it over. The dentist was pleased with the results. so-so far,so good. More volleyball tomorrow and homecoming Friday night.

BREAKFAST IN GRINNELL

We stopped in Dubuque just long enough to visit Grandma, and then went on to Tama. Sunday morning we drove to Grinnell to go to church and see old friends. Afterwards, we went out for breakfast with our daughter, Heidi, and grandson, Lucas, and Scot, Colette and Larry Wilson.

Afterwards we went over to Wilsons and watched Larry put a TV cabinet together , the wrong way, until Don helped him. It was finally finished and the new flatscreen TV put on top. Now we can't tease them about the old console TV anymore!

Later in the day, we drove to Waterloo and attended the wake of our daughter-in-law's step-father, Ron. At one time he played cornet for Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison. He was a very nice guy and he will be missed.

NATIONAL BREWERY MUSEUM

We stopped in Potosi, WI, at the National Brewery Museum, which has only been open a short time. It's not hard to find- Potosi only has one very long street.

Along with the museum, is a restaurant and an eating area outside beside the bluff gardens.

They also have a micro-brewery and brew five different kinds of beer. They use the old cave as a cooler.

The museum part is filled with displays of things from breweries all across the nation, including five in Dubuque, and the old Potosi brewery. There was a poster about the Cincinnati Cooper Company, that made kegs and barrels. My great great-grandfather was a cooper in Cincinnati and possibly could have worked there.

PULPIT ROCK CAMPGROUND

Wherever we go, we encourage people to spend time in Decorah at the city park campground. It's cheap, beautiful, has large spots, pretty trees clean shower rooms and a trout stream running through it. I took a couple pictures to show our fellow campers before we left on Friday.

OUR ANNIVERSARY

Thursday was our 43rd anniversary, and as usual, was an exciting (?) day! By afternoon, the only highlight, was the mess I made putting the groceries away. The lid on the flour container came off, and flour flew everywhere. My Aunt Weenie was the queen of messes-she would have been proud of me! Don was nice enough to help me clean up. Later we did enjoy going to Albert's in the Winneshiek Hotel in Decorah for dinner with Karen and Willie Brown.

ROAD BUDDIES

Yesterday afternoon we took a short trip to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, to see Jake and Nancy Jacobs, friends we met at the Rose Bowl rally. They just returned a couple weeks ago from about 70 days in Alaska and Canada, and Don had many questions for them. They shared their pictures, stories, hints and interesting acquisitions. We saw their freezer shelf of halibut that they caught, two chunks of glacier ice that Nancy picked up walking on a glacier, and the diamond willow sticks that Jake is making into walking sticks, which cost $100 in Alaska when finished. An interesting and fun afternoon!

Jake, showing us one of the willow sticks that he already removed the bark, but still needs to scrape the diamond areas, sand it, and apply at least six coats of lacquer.

Jake, Nancy and Lady Liberty, better known as Libby, in front of their RV. Notice the cheesehead hat on the mirror-they're natives of Wisconsin, Jake is from Green Bay!

FUTURE PLANS

Today we arrived in Red Wing, MN and will stay north for about a week, and probably will be in Decorah in a few days. We want to see our friends that just returned from Alaska, if we can find them. Then it's back to Omaha for the dentist. Jenna was just chosen for the middle school volleyball team, so we'll return by the 9th to watch her. Being grandparents is great!

Two of these buses passed us yesterday on their way to Minneapolis-the coffee group will understand that Don wished he had a rock!