For Matthew and Ed

Good morning to both of you. We did not forget your birthdays. We just didn't remember early enough to put the cards in the mail and now we will probably beat them home so they will be hand delivered. Don seems to think I am doing too much ABCing. So Matthew, a belated Happy Birthday and Ed a one day earlier Happy Birthday to you. Hugs from Don, Donna and Jr.

Lions and tigers and bears oh my

Catch up time. What a happy man I have. We spent a night in Council Bluff and shared a campground with a truck going to the U. S. Senior Open. That was just the beginning of an extra fun few days for us. Don got to spend time talking to an actual male that he really likes and I got to spend time walking and talking to someone that actually listens to me. We spent a few days again at J and J's.  B and B. As usual they were wonderful host. They even had old people passes ready for us to go to the Omaha Zoo. What a great place. No wonder it has won awards. There were no "cages". All the animals and birds where In a very realistic environment. It is probably the best zoo we have seen. We could have spent several days there. The desert dome was huge inside and then beneath it was a nocturnal zoo.  Jr had lots of fun, monkeying around. We took a tram all around the zoo before our tour guide, ( Jackie) showed us around. Mine and Don's favorite part was  theRain forest. Two.levels of  beautiful plantings besides the birds, reptiles and animals, including bats flying loose. There were pigmy hippos, with a baby. The cats were also beautiful. I liked watching the tiger stretch up to the window. A great day with good friends. The next day, the. Fourth John really made Don happy when he took us into Omaha to the Omaha Country Club where we wandered around pretending we were members checking out the club for next weeks big tournament, We plan on being home to watch it so we can say, we were there. We ended the day on their beautiful patio having dinner with their family. This was the first fourth in many years that we were not with Russell and before we got here we were feeling sorry for ourselves. We appreciated sharing the holiday with them. After the kids left  the four of us were sitting there, listening to fireworks going off all around us. Suddenly I thought I saw sparks in the trees. No, the J and J had arranged the perfect ending for a perfect day. FIREFLIES!!!
I was so excited. I have never seen real ones before. They were even better than the ones at Disneyland. It was hard leaving the next morning but our hearts Re telling us, it is time to be home, but we are definately going back to Iowa. The price at the J and J is great. Hugs to all from Donna

Lions and tigers and bears oh my...pics

Michigan to Minn

We finally had a few days to dry out and now in Iowa, thunder and lightening and the humidity. I think besides getting older, I'm now getting moldy too. We went to the Capitol of Michigan and had a good time there. The dome had an unusual shape. We saw both the Senate and House chambers. They are replacing the carpets and re doing the desks to handle the computers without changing the look of the furniture. It was pretty quiet there so we were able to wander all over. We met a guard in the halls and learned a lot from him. He told us about his favorite portrait. Gov. John Swainson. Only served from 61-62 and since he was not reelected, he felt he only served half a term and so wanted only half a portrait. The guard really liked Jr. and so he uncovered the Speaker of the House's Chair and put Jr in it. We had to hurry and the picture is blurry. I could not take the guards picture because he was afraid someone would see the chair picture and he would get in trouble. One floor of the rotunda was circled with infantry flags from the civil war. Look at the statistics next to the flags. They were pretty much all the same.
We continued North over the Mackinac bridge to the Canadian Border. When we go there I discovered it was Intenational walk the bridge day. It was tthe day to walk the bridge that goes over Lake Superior from US to Canada. If I had been an hour earlier, I could have done it as long as it wasn' the same guard. We went there to see the Sault Sainte Marie locks.  As usual they fascinated me. Then the shipwreck  museum. From there across the Upper Penninsula which the natives call the U.P. and they call themselves the Yoopers. Now all of you people that fly and take trains have to look at the following pictures of The Yoopers and Fred Smiths Wisc. Cement Garden  and try to honestly say you don't envy us. Take a plane or train and you will never put your head through an outhouse hole, or sit below a second story outhouse, or see figures covered with broken glass. Can you even bear to see what you are missing? Are you all making new bucket list?
We stayed at Copper Falls and I was able to get up early before church and take a 2 mile hike. Copper Falls actually has Copper Colored water and the other 2 falls wee beautiful too. Don didn't go because of the bugs.
Ou next big stop was Circus World in Baraboo, Wisc. Th folding seat wagon was really clever. Great Circus and Jr. and I tied the unicycles and did some Clowning around. Beautiful wagons and costumes. Magic Show and Miniature Circus. Went though LaCrosse and saw the worlds largest six pack. Also met Gambrinus, The king of beer. Found a camp down a long dirt road, Eagle Bluff and actually saw  a Bald Eagle but no time for a picture. We were wishing we had Gary with us. With his "hunters" eyes, he would probably have found  a nest for us. On to Preston and a giant trout. Also a car that would be perfect for me when I don't know if I am coming or going.
Today, we checked something else off our bucket list when we visited the Spam Museum. There was a wall of Spam made with 3,500 cans. Don and Jr. tried packing Spam. Don had so much fun, he actually bought 3 different flavors of spam and tonight we had Red Beans and Rice ( a souvenier from Danna's New Orleans trip) and Spam. Very good dinner. Okay, I am caught up and tomorrow we are heading o John and Jackie's B and B in Iowa again. They were such great host in the snow and we are sure it will be even better this time. So good night from somewhere in Iowa. Council Bluffs I think. Hugs, from Donna

Michigan to Minn pics