The Day After

When you're in St Louis, you've got to go to the Arch.  Seems like a given; each time I see it I'm impressed all over again.

We went up to the old courthouse where the Dread Scott decision was delivered.

 The courthouse.

Inside.

The courtroom there the decision was given.

Then over to City Park where the water ran red after the local baseball team won an important game last night.  It seems that there was a bit of celebrating after the game.  There were lots of sirens in our neighborhood.

 I feel so ashamed; I titled this "running in the red".  It's as good as I can do these days.  What with the stress of retirement and all.

This is one of the cleaner spots downtown near Busch Stadium the morning after game 7.

Back at the park now; I'm told there is yet another sporting contest tomorrow.  It is a "football" game, but that can't be because they say that the players are allowed to touch the ball with their hands.

Whatever, I plan to watch some soccer on Roger's enormous HDTV.

Try to stay awake.

RVing Downtown

We moved to downtown St Louis today. The park owners have been here for 26 years and they look like they started this place as a retirement project. It is one city block square and sits between a police station and a church. Totally paved, the spaces are just big enough for the trailer and we park the truck in the adjoining spot.

Tonight it seems that there is some sort of big baseball game nearby as the owners advised us not to try and go anywhere near Busch Stadium. So we're going grocery shopping in the other direction.

Looks like all the DeJean's will be here for an early Thanksgiving dinner next week. We're looking forward to an extra feast this year.

Stay slim.

Arrrrrrrrrrgh......

Eye patch not necessary, but the floaties and general fogginess when I use that eye are annoying.

Besides, it's the season.

Are you prepared for the Flying Spaghetti Monster?

We now pause for this brief medical interruption

We decided to check out the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri before picking up our mail at the local drop (Roger's house).

 Missouri on the right; Mississippi on the left.

 Back upstream on the Missouri.

  Back upstream on the Mississippi.

The interpretive sign at the park.

The bridge over the Mississippi upstream.

We had a late lunch with him, then walked a block or so in "The Hill" an Italian neighborhood famous for good food.

"The church of the Italian Immigrants"

I noticed a flood of "floaties" growing in my right eye.  From previous experience I figured we'd better get it checked out.  There was a VA hospital nearby so we checked into the emergency room.  Five hours later I had been thoroughly examined by a resident eye doc and referred to a local eye clinic for conformation and possible laser repair (diagnosis: PVD or small retinal detachment).

So we spent today doing laundry and getting laser surgery at the "renowned" Washington University at St Louis.  Twenty minutes and a bunch of green flashes later, we walked out all better.  Looks like I'll have to give up heading the ball for a while.

We were going to move the fifth wheel tomorrow but decided another day goofing off was in order and we'd move downtown the next day.

Finally rained today after a fine sunset last night.

Stay well

The Katy Trail

As usual, we were up and underway at the crack of noon.  We went for a ride on the Katy Trail along the Missouri.

 No, this not I70; but that is the I70 overpass up ahead.

The trail is supposed to go to Kansas; we didn't confirm that.

Then we walked the historic Main St.  Site of the first capitol during the transition to statehood.

 This part of the trail has a bunch of Lewis & Clark stuff, so we'll come back and check it out.  They have some of the type of boats they used; pictures to follow.

Yes there's room for two adults and two yappy dogs.

Weather's supposed to be good tomorrow, so we'll go again.

370 Lakeside Park, St Peters, MO

Weather is perfect.  Seventies, no wind, no clouds, no bugs.  Took the bike trail around the park, lots of grass hoppers, should work well in the lake.  I see a few people fishing but haven't seen any fish.  It is kind of a large muddy pond with prehistoric creatures about.

They said the place flooded this year.  Given that and the fact that they just opened this May, I'm not sure what the normal water level will be.  Right now a lot of it looks like swamp but I'm told it is actually.....

Our rig is parked in the cluster in the upper right of the picture on the main body of the lake. 

Going to do some small projects on the fifth wheel and then maybe wash the truck.  I'm saving the job of washing the fifth wheel for Tallahassee, after we finish most of our bug smashing.

Stay warm, we are.

Some City Time

After a few days catching up on the last 16 years, we made the relatively short hop to just out side St Louis, MO.  We are in a city RV park (in St Peters, MO) that was just finished in May of this year.  So no trees higher than me and the grass has a way to go yet.

We met Roger and his daughter, Lily in town for lunch and they came out later for some Bradley dogs and smores.  Before dinner Lily got to play with the house play-dough.  When I asked her to pose for me she stuck it behind her head.  Resulting in a bunch of play-dough in the hair. 

Didn't bother her much except when dad tried to get the big clumps out.

So we decided, after consulting Google, to let the rest dry and wash it out the next morning.

Just to set the record straight, it was all MY fault.

Some bike riding tomorrow and after the weekend, some shopping and sight seeing in the city.

Nice weather here; hope you have the same.

Down the Mississippi

Yes, we're in MO.

We followed the Mississippi south for a while and headed west to just south of Columbia, MO.  This is where Ron And Cary Sherman live.  Ron finished up with flight service here after a career that covered most of Alaska and lots of the lower 48.  He has been building houses around here for a bit and Cary is in grand child central,  so it seems natural that they would build a nice spread and stick around for a while.

Here is most of the estate.
The Sherman's
Here is a link to a google eye view.  Zoom in on Sat view to check it out.

Here's the house.

Here's the pole barn/car port.

Here's the garage/shop.

Here's the deck.

And the view from the deck.

Then the view back from the driveway.

Not too shabby, huh?

We took a short drive to Jefferson City to see the Capitol and a few of the houses that Ron has built in the area.  We'll spend another day catching up (been 16 years since they left Kenai) and then get on the road Thurs.

Then the obligatory bridge picture.

This is over the Missouri.

I didn't realize that we got away from Bob and Virginia's without one picture of them or their house.  I'd promise to not let that happen again, but you know what good that'd do.

Staying warm here, waiting for a giant high pressure to catch up with us tomorrow.

Do the same!

As Bob Hope would say....

Thanks for the therapy.....  If you recognize the small table below you'll remember that I have been threatening to throw it away if I didn't get to a shop and fix it soon.

It had no center divider and needed one to give it shear strength and stop the wobble.  When I showed it to Bob he said, "Sure, you can use my shop.  I'll leave it open and there is plenty of wood, you should be able to find something to do the trick."

So I spent the morning in my favorite therapy, making sawdust and noise.  He had everything I could have needed and more.  I now have a serious need to own a jointer.  I'll think up a project later, for now I could just make wood chips for fire starters.

Anyway, I'm in his debt and he must now come to Alaska, use my shop and catch a bunch of fish to even the scales.

After three days of eating, drinking and talking our heads off, we figured it was time to get moving again.  There was still more to cover (we never did get to hear Bob play the pipes or Virginia the piano), but we must leave something for the next trip.

We decided to take the scenic route to the Mississippi and it was worth it.
Iowa grows some serious corn.

 Think they had any flooding problems this year?

The Mississippi at Guttenberg.  There is a lock and dam just to the right of this picture.

 This is right behind our site

This is a cool pedestrian bridge behind our site.  Note a little debris left over from the recent high water.

We settled in at Spruce Creek Park just a few miles down stream.  Where we had great pizza and conversation at the bowling alley (8 lanes).  The best part is they get the "ROOT Sports channel" and the bartender/lane manager said he'd be glad to put on the Timbers game tomorrow night.  I hope it is Family night so I have a chance of not getting thrown out by the locals.  I'm taking Teri along for protection.

Thanks again to our Zumbrota friends, Bob and Virginia,  we hope to entice them up to see us soon.  You know, we'll still be there next summer, but no promises after that.

Been thinking of our Alaska friends and family.  Hope you guys are all well and warm.  Our grand kids there just turned 15 and 16.  That just doesn't seem right.  I'M NOT THAT OLD!  Until I try to get out of that recliner and feel like I need a rope in the ceiling.

Stay well and warm y'all (I gotta get in practice for Florida).

Zumbrotaville

So we are here in Zumbrota, MN.  We've been catching up with our friends Bob and Virgina Schmidt.  They were neighbors and friends in Thousand Oaks, CA when we were first married.  Bob has been with IBM since then (that would be just about 40 years) and is considering retiring soon.  They moved here in the mid 70's and have a great house next to a corn field (but everything is next to a corn field here), complete with wood working shop and tree house.  What more could you ask for.

Virgina works at the local newspaper and Bob writes a column when he is not playing the bagpipes in two local bands.

We started the day here.

Then moved 11 miles to this park in The city of Zumbrota. It has nice bike trails and the covered bridges.  Hence the name, Covered Bridge Park

 The view from one of the windows in the bridge.  The City moved it when a new bridge was built to preserve it.  We were appreciative. 

 
  Another covered bridge, this a steel trestle 2 miles up the super bike path.

We plan to spend tomorrow planning the next few days travels and then head out Thursday.  Supposed to rain tomorrow anyway.  We've got to start planning ahead as we are finding that a lot of the parks are closed for the season.

Stay dry.