Wow, last day of August....Philip starts kindergarten tomorrow. I can't believe it. Seems like he was just a little, bitty guy last year!
Bob spent the weekend in Oshkosh with his old college buddy. That means he had to stop in Milwaukee on the way home for brats, sausage and cheese. :) I heart Usinger's! Aaah, I've had a braunschweiger sandwich for lunch the past two days. YUM. That's enough. My arteries are beginning to crackle when I walk.
The heat is making a comeback this week. Tomorrow and Friday will be in the mid 90's, with matching humidity. Aaah, memories of the summers of my childhood. Yuk. On Saturday my sister is having her annual "Nana party." It's for her grandchildren who had birthdays during the summer....this year we're feting Alexander (my great-great nephew) and Reed (my great nephew), who are turning 4 and 2, respectively. My sister goes all out for this party - she organizes games for the kids where they can win prizes (last year Miles won all the prizes) and they get streamers, balloons, games, etc. She spends a frickin' fortune on junk toys. Each time a kid wins a game they go to a big bucket and choose a prize. They have a fantastic time. It is supposed to rain in the morning but get nice in the afternoon.....keeping all digits crossed.
So, plan on pictures on Sunday.....
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Schooldays, schooldays
Nope, not yet. At least, not for Miles - he starts next Tuesday, the 6th.
I've been following a local argument in the Chicago Tribune....Background: Chicago Public Schools are among the worst in the nation. Really. Only 57% of the students graduate from high school. Only 17.4% of 11th-graders can pass a college entrance exam. To any college, including community vocational schools. For the third largest city in this country, that's abominable.
Rahm Emmanuel ran for mayor on an education platform. As you probably know, he won and is now mayor of Chicago. (If I lived here, I'd have voted for him.) He has proposed an addition of 90 minutes to the school day and an additional 2 weeks of schooling for all Chicago Public Schools. This has the overwhelming support of parents. Teachers, however, are furious. They are threatening strikes, etc. Keep this in mind: Chicago teachers are paid more than almost any city in the country. The children in Chicago public schools are among the worst, in terms of test scores. Children in elementary schools here do not have recess......those of you with sons will know how insane that idea is. I have two. Either one or both of them would've driven their teachers crazy if they hadn't been allowed outside to run and chase and use up some energy. Instead, though, children here are supposed to color quietly after lunch, I guess so that the teachers and/or lunch ladies can enjoy their coffee and chat. How nuts is this?!
Anyone who doesn't think accountability is a good thing just never had Miss Mary Frances Word for English. She'd've taught 'em. (It's thanks to her that I know how to contract "she would have," and that the quotation marks always go outside the punctuation. Thanks, Miss Word. You scared the bejeezus out of us, but we are better writers because of you.)
I've been following a local argument in the Chicago Tribune....Background: Chicago Public Schools are among the worst in the nation. Really. Only 57% of the students graduate from high school. Only 17.4% of 11th-graders can pass a college entrance exam. To any college, including community vocational schools. For the third largest city in this country, that's abominable.
Rahm Emmanuel ran for mayor on an education platform. As you probably know, he won and is now mayor of Chicago. (If I lived here, I'd have voted for him.) He has proposed an addition of 90 minutes to the school day and an additional 2 weeks of schooling for all Chicago Public Schools. This has the overwhelming support of parents. Teachers, however, are furious. They are threatening strikes, etc. Keep this in mind: Chicago teachers are paid more than almost any city in the country. The children in Chicago public schools are among the worst, in terms of test scores. Children in elementary schools here do not have recess......those of you with sons will know how insane that idea is. I have two. Either one or both of them would've driven their teachers crazy if they hadn't been allowed outside to run and chase and use up some energy. Instead, though, children here are supposed to color quietly after lunch, I guess so that the teachers and/or lunch ladies can enjoy their coffee and chat. How nuts is this?!
Anyone who doesn't think accountability is a good thing just never had Miss Mary Frances Word for English. She'd've taught 'em. (It's thanks to her that I know how to contract "she would have," and that the quotation marks always go outside the punctuation. Thanks, Miss Word. You scared the bejeezus out of us, but we are better writers because of you.)
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Saturday, August 27 (I think)
Little kids are funny. I love little kids. Becky and I were standing around, just talking, and Naomi announced that she was "STARVING, Mom." Becky said, "Well, I can offer you some appetizers. How about a few crackers and some lovely Wisconsin cheddar?" Naomi thought about it, and decided that she definitely "loves appyciders!" Me, too, Mimi!
Today, after a morning filled with shopping for back to school clothes and groceries, and lunch out at Goose Island Brewery (I discovered I like Belgian ale), we decided to take a walk to the Hallmark store, about a mile away. Miles rode his bike and we put Naomi in the stroller. (Bob has decamped to a buddy's house in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the weekend) Miles is just getting the hang of riding his bike without the training wheels, so there was a lot of starts and stops. (You have to stop at every alley, after all, not to mention the streets.) About halfway there, he figured the whole thing out - how to put your leg down and lean to stop without falling over and how, if you pedal really really fast, it's easier to stay up.....on the way home he'd ride 'way in front of us, all the way down the block, pedaling like crazy. Then, he'd stop at the corner, lean his bike on the closest mailbox, and run like heck back to us to get a hug and a high-five. He actually ran the entire mile home that way. He decided he was kind of tired when we got home.
On the other coast, Zakia and Philip had a "mother-son" day in Boston before school starts. (They'll be home before Hurricane Irene hits tomorrow.) Here's a picture of Philip making lightning at the Museum of Science in Boston.
Gosh, he's cute! Look out, Kindergarten, Philip Nelson's on his way!
And after reading my latest email from Mary, I'm missing Oak Harbor. When we get home, I plan to sit in my living room and just watch the water ALL DAY LONG. Okay, maybe I'll have a cup of coffee or knit or something, but that's gonna be my activity for a while. Of course, I have offered Mary a special dessert in exchange for some of the late-season crab she caught yesterday......
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Farmer's Market
The heat has broken - at least for the next few days. Low 80's, pleasant breeze and little humidity. Nice. Especially for a trip to the farmer's market in Daley Plaza downtown Chicago.
We walked up to the train station from Becky's - passing someone's home:
Felt like I was down on 1st Avenue South in Seattle. Every city's the same, I guess. This was clearly the "wrong" side of the street. Across the street, the denizens were really set up with fancy sleeping bags WITH blankets and coolers. Obviously the classier side of the underpass.
The farmer's market was great. I have never seen so many different kinds of tomatoes in one place. I was kind of hoping for different types of lettuces and greens, but I didn't find a single head of lettuce. ?? We ate crepes for lunch, made at a little cart on the street by two cute French guys. The market is in Daley Plaza, named for the mayor of Chicago - which Mayor Daley, I cannot tell you. There have been several. Central to the plaza is this enormous Picasso sculpture.
Here's another view:
I love this sculpture!
Downtown Chicago can be an exciting place. The architecture is amazing, and there are great pictures at every opportunity.....this is our view from the marble bench we sat on at the market:
There is an architectural tour of Chicago that I'd like to go on. (Stacy told me about it.)Actually, I guess there are several. The one I want to go on is a boat ride (imagine that) down the Chicago River. I imagine that one doesn't think overmuch about what is actually IN the river as we ride along.....
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Regional musings....
We drove to Burbank, IL today...Bob wanted to find Harbor Freight - you can take him out of Washington, but there'd better be a hardware store around. Home Depot isn't too far from here, but that's just not the same thing as Harbor Freight. (Now, that's home away from home for Bob.)
I got to thinking about different place names in different cities that are hard (or at least not intuitive) for strangers to pronounce. Like, at home we have Kalaloch or Puyallup (most tourists and visitors miss those completely). In New York, they have Houston Street. Now, of course, for the rest of the country, H O U S T O N spells out HYOUston, like the city in Texas. But in NYC, of course, it's HOWston. Here, it's Paulina. Should be easy, right? PaulEEEna, the way the rest of us would pronounce it. But, nooooo, here in Chi-town, it's PaulEYEna. Like I said, not intuitive.
The heat is back up to 90 this afternoon.....we're hoping for some relief tonight. Tomorrow Bob and I are going to the farmer's market in Daley Plaza (downtown Chicago). We went there several years ago when Douglas and Stacy lived here. So I'm looking forward to some great produce tomorrow.
I got to thinking about different place names in different cities that are hard (or at least not intuitive) for strangers to pronounce. Like, at home we have Kalaloch or Puyallup (most tourists and visitors miss those completely). In New York, they have Houston Street. Now, of course, for the rest of the country, H O U S T O N spells out HYOUston, like the city in Texas. But in NYC, of course, it's HOWston. Here, it's Paulina. Should be easy, right? PaulEEEna, the way the rest of us would pronounce it. But, nooooo, here in Chi-town, it's PaulEYEna. Like I said, not intuitive.
The heat is back up to 90 this afternoon.....we're hoping for some relief tonight. Tomorrow Bob and I are going to the farmer's market in Daley Plaza (downtown Chicago). We went there several years ago when Douglas and Stacy lived here. So I'm looking forward to some great produce tomorrow.
Wednesday, August 24
After a day of lightning and thunderstorms yesterday we awoke to high humidity and fairly cool temperatures. I grew up in this climate, (actually, St. Louis is worse than Chicago when it comes to summer humidity and temperature) yet I'm having a difficult time with the humidity. Everything feels damp.....It's supposed to get hotter this afternoon - to the 90's, with more thunderstorms this evening. Yup, it just reminds me of the day we were driving back home to Illinois from Seattle when Trina was 2 - we looked at each other and wondered what the heck we were doing. That was the last time we made the drive. We moved the kids and cat to Seattle a year later.
Yesterday's earthquake on the east coast is still in the news. It was only a 5, but it must have been quite shallow, since it was felt so far away. I wonder if any research has been done on the depth of these things in different parts of the country. At home, on the west coast, it seems that our earthquakes are deeper, and do a lot more damage (at least the ones in California do more damage). The earthquakes in the Midwest and East seem to be felt a longer way away, yet do little damage except for a few shelves and things. Interesting. I think I'll keep our deeper earthquakes and they can keep things like lightning storms, thunderstorms and tornadoes.....a good trade, yes?
No pictures today - you just can't take a picture of moisture in the air.
Yesterday's earthquake on the east coast is still in the news. It was only a 5, but it must have been quite shallow, since it was felt so far away. I wonder if any research has been done on the depth of these things in different parts of the country. At home, on the west coast, it seems that our earthquakes are deeper, and do a lot more damage (at least the ones in California do more damage). The earthquakes in the Midwest and East seem to be felt a longer way away, yet do little damage except for a few shelves and things. Interesting. I think I'll keep our deeper earthquakes and they can keep things like lightning storms, thunderstorms and tornadoes.....a good trade, yes?
No pictures today - you just can't take a picture of moisture in the air.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Sunday, August 21
Wow, what a great day! When we walked out of church we discovered an amazing thing - an August day in Chicago that was absolutely perfect. The temperature was in the low 80's, with very little humidity - a day that simply screamed for hot dogs, corn on the cob and watermelon (our dinner menu, ahem). Clearly, this was a day for the park and the playground.
They had these monkey bars when I was a kid, but I never could do this....and Miles is only 5. He goes back and forth like - like - like a MONKEY!
We discovered that Naomi can sit on these little spring things with her cast - so she tried out several....but Mom got a little nervous on one of them.
After a little Papa instruction, Miles practiced riding without those training wheels....
This is a happy kid!
They had these monkey bars when I was a kid, but I never could do this....and Miles is only 5. He goes back and forth like - like - like a MONKEY!
We discovered that Naomi can sit on these little spring things with her cast - so she tried out several....but Mom got a little nervous on one of them.
After a little Papa instruction, Miles practiced riding without those training wheels....
This is a happy kid!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Friday, August 19
A first for me - I went to the Off Track Betting parlor today with my sister. My nephew, Patrick, had a horse running in the third race at Monmouth, in New Jersey. So Ellen and I each put $3 across the board (I learned that term today- it means $3 to win, place, or show) and $5 to win on Annie Way You Can. She started out in first place, then went to second place, and kind of ran out of steam just before the finish line. So she came in fourth. Actually, that isn't bad. The 4th place horse wins something, too. (I didn't know that.) Actually, other than the first 10 seconds of the race, the best part was before the race began, when they paraded the horses out and the announcer said, "Owned by Pat Lavin" - always fun to hear your family's name, eh? This was the horse's first race, so she did pretty well. Anyway, a fun thing to do for the first time ever. :)
After the race, Ellen and I went to lunch at Portillo's, which is a popular hot dog place. Hot dogs are very big in Chicago. I'm not sure why - it's just a hot dog, after all. I'm not really a hot dog fan, but it was good.
After the race, Ellen and I went to lunch at Portillo's, which is a popular hot dog place. Hot dogs are very big in Chicago. I'm not sure why - it's just a hot dog, after all. I'm not really a hot dog fan, but it was good.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Tuesday, August 16
Including some action shots of Miles' soccer practice yesterday....he's very athletic, and the coaches kind of fed him the ball. He loved it! He had his own cheering section over on our blankets. He plays in Lincoln Park, a really nice big park on Lake Michigan on the north end of the city. 
He took this shot, and made the goal, btw. :)
After soccer practice, Bob and I took a walk along the lake to one of the city marinas. Nice, but kind of different. No marina office that we could find, no shower or restrooms - obviously not open to visiting boats. Seemed strange to us.....we talked to a guy who was sitting at the pumpout in his sailboat. He has a solar panel and a regulator, so Bob chatted with him about how it all worked. Apparently, Bob's considering adding a couple of solar panels to Nellie...hmmmmm. Sounds expensive.
The weather in Chicago has been really nice the past few days. Low 80's, a pretty decent breeze - no need for air conditioning. It's nice to just have all the windows open with the fresh air coming in. Although Becky's home is close to the interstate, and only a block from a pretty busy city street, there's almost no traffic noise at all. The side streets in this neighborhood are heavily treed, so it's cooler and pretty quiet - except for the construction workers across the street, where there's remodeling on a school being done. Which begs the question: when they have al most 3 full months, why do they wait until the last 4 weeks of the summer to do school construction?
He took this shot, and made the goal, btw. :)
After soccer practice, Bob and I took a walk along the lake to one of the city marinas. Nice, but kind of different. No marina office that we could find, no shower or restrooms - obviously not open to visiting boats. Seemed strange to us.....we talked to a guy who was sitting at the pumpout in his sailboat. He has a solar panel and a regulator, so Bob chatted with him about how it all worked. Apparently, Bob's considering adding a couple of solar panels to Nellie...hmmmmm. Sounds expensive.
The weather in Chicago has been really nice the past few days. Low 80's, a pretty decent breeze - no need for air conditioning. It's nice to just have all the windows open with the fresh air coming in. Although Becky's home is close to the interstate, and only a block from a pretty busy city street, there's almost no traffic noise at all. The side streets in this neighborhood are heavily treed, so it's cooler and pretty quiet - except for the construction workers across the street, where there's remodeling on a school being done. Which begs the question: when they have al most 3 full months, why do they wait until the last 4 weeks of the summer to do school construction?
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Sunday, August 14
Wow....Naomi's cast comes off exactly one month from today - on September 14th. It's hard to believe that she's only one week out of surgery. She's pretty much a regular 4-year-old....except for that temper. oops. (Hey, if I were completely immobile, having to rely on everyone for every single thing, I'd probably be a little whiny myself)....
We attended services at Covenant Presbyterian Church here in Chicago this morning....I am declaring this one of my all-time favorite churches. The minister of music here is absolutely a.m.a.z.i.n.g. The music just knocks your socks off. The message is fine, the prayers are fine, but the MUSIC.....ahhhhhhhhh. I could (and will) happily attend this church every time I'm in this town! I come away singing every Sunday. (And if I could actually SING, that'd be terrific!)
We attended services at Covenant Presbyterian Church here in Chicago this morning....I am declaring this one of my all-time favorite churches. The minister of music here is absolutely a.m.a.z.i.n.g. The music just knocks your socks off. The message is fine, the prayers are fine, but the MUSIC.....ahhhhhhhhh. I could (and will) happily attend this church every time I'm in this town! I come away singing every Sunday. (And if I could actually SING, that'd be terrific!)
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Thursday
Hey, what a great day! Miles, with the help of his Papa, rode his bike WITHOUT TRAINING WHEELS!! Whoohoo!!! This is a big day!
Naomi, Mutma (that's me_) and mom sat on the swings and wathed. Naomi is chomping at the bit = she;s SO ready to ride, too.....this is what comes from having two kids only 13 months apart.....Naomi is doing really, really well. We took her on the swings at the park - she was fine, wanted to go higher!
Okay, when I grow up, I want to be as strong as Naomi is ....... can that be arranged???
Back to present: the kids are really happy to have their Papa here (I'm chopped liver) - he plays with them, teases them,.....all the things that dad's usually do......he's all over it. Gee, I guess maybe we shouldn't have stopped at 4 - OMG, we could've had 10!!! S.C.A.R.Y.
Naomi, Mutma (that's me_) and mom sat on the swings and wathed. Naomi is chomping at the bit = she;s SO ready to ride, too.....this is what comes from having two kids only 13 months apart.....Naomi is doing really, really well. We took her on the swings at the park - she was fine, wanted to go higher!
Okay, when I grow up, I want to be as strong as Naomi is ....... can that be arranged???
Back to present: the kids are really happy to have their Papa here (I'm chopped liver) - he plays with them, teases them,.....all the things that dad's usually do......he's all over it. Gee, I guess maybe we shouldn't have stopped at 4 - OMG, we could've had 10!!! S.C.A.R.Y.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Monday, August 8
Naomi came home last night! The hospital discharged her at 7:00pm, but, unfortunately, without the meds she needs....so we had to go to the drugstore on the way home. The first one we stopped at, which is closest to home, had a little sign on the door, saying they were closed, but the store on Milwaukee and Belmont (not too terribly far) was open 24 hours. So, off we went. Now, it was around 9:00, and Naomi was getting uncomfortable, since her pain meds were due at 8:00. We took her into the store with us, in her body cast (I told her to look pitiful if she could)....the pharmacist took one look, said, "I'll do this one right away." BUT, he didn't have the valium that she needed......now, it was 9:20.....he came back and told us that the only store at that hour that did have the drug was on Irving Park and Cicero (not all that close)......while we were driving there, we got into a downpour that only the Midwest gets (a real frog-choker). Got to the store around 9:30 (I drove fast).....no one at the drive up window! I had to go inside to get someone's attention...but, FINALLY, we got her the medicine she needed. Home again a little after 10. By that time she was really in pain, but that stuff works FAST!
She got a great night's sleep and looks like our Naomi again.....with the addition of her bright blue cast.
Looking great. Mimi!
Miles is pretty happy to have her home...
... and so is Mom!
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Brown out.....
My first brown out since we left the Midwest in 1973. Lost power for an hour last night, due to overuse - too many people, too many air conditioners, too little power. It rained briefly early this morning, so we now have temperatures of around 80-ish and humidity of around 99-ish. :) I did discover that you can actually turn left at a major intersection on a green light (instead of the red) if you are out before 10am on a Saturday. (That's good to know in a city with very few left turn arrows.)
Friday, August 5, 2011
Lollapalooza = traffic
We got caught up in the Lollapalooza traffic yesterday afternoon, which added 2 hours to the trip. While we got to Illinois around 2, it was 5;45 before we pulled up in front of Becky's. About 100,000 people arrived in Chicago yesterday evening - and I think we found most of them on I90/94.
While we were in Minnesota yesterday morning, we followed a city-owned car (I think we were in St. Cloud, MN) that had this bumper sticker: "My goal is safety." Huh? First of all, "safety" can't be a goal....by definition, a goal has to have an ending - you have to know that you got to your goal. Second, I'm not at all comfortable riding on a highway with this person.....how do I know where he is on that continuum? Maybe he's just starting out and hasn't made any progress at all toward his goal. One hopes that he's well on his way, but who knows? Very disconcerting.
No good signs or anything to take a picture of in Minnesota, Wisconsin or Illinois. Well, there's corn, of course, but that's just not all that photogenic.
As soon as we hit Wisconsin I missed driving in North Dakota and Montana. In those states trucks (and everyone else, for that matter) know how to drive. One stays on the right EXCEPT TO PASS. I'm not sure what part of that concept misses the folks in Wisconsin and Illinois, but they clearly do not get it. I was going along just fine, passing the trucks, then getting back over in the right lane until I came up on the next truck, then repeating. But in these two midwestern states, I kept getting stuck in the right lane behind the trucks, because some yoyo would pass the truck, BARELY, then sit there in the left lane, so no one else could get over to pass, thus creating long lines of cars in the left lane, and a single truck in the right lane. The truckers in Illinois and Wisconsin also drive the same speed as the cars (often faster) and they don't even make the pretense of staying in the right lane....so, then you've got a long hill, and two trucks, side by side, holding up both lanes of traffic. Staying on cruise control is hard out here in the corn belt!
We are home at Becky's now, with Miles. (He'll be with us through Monday.) He's running around, giggling for all he's worth.....he's pretty happy that his Papa is here! The training wheels are coming off the bike tomorrow. Whoopee!!!
Oh, yes, Naomi chose blue for her cast this time. Shocking pink last December and blue this time. I'll post a picture tomorrow.
While we were in Minnesota yesterday morning, we followed a city-owned car (I think we were in St. Cloud, MN) that had this bumper sticker: "My goal is safety." Huh? First of all, "safety" can't be a goal....by definition, a goal has to have an ending - you have to know that you got to your goal. Second, I'm not at all comfortable riding on a highway with this person.....how do I know where he is on that continuum? Maybe he's just starting out and hasn't made any progress at all toward his goal. One hopes that he's well on his way, but who knows? Very disconcerting.
No good signs or anything to take a picture of in Minnesota, Wisconsin or Illinois. Well, there's corn, of course, but that's just not all that photogenic.
As soon as we hit Wisconsin I missed driving in North Dakota and Montana. In those states trucks (and everyone else, for that matter) know how to drive. One stays on the right EXCEPT TO PASS. I'm not sure what part of that concept misses the folks in Wisconsin and Illinois, but they clearly do not get it. I was going along just fine, passing the trucks, then getting back over in the right lane until I came up on the next truck, then repeating. But in these two midwestern states, I kept getting stuck in the right lane behind the trucks, because some yoyo would pass the truck, BARELY, then sit there in the left lane, so no one else could get over to pass, thus creating long lines of cars in the left lane, and a single truck in the right lane. The truckers in Illinois and Wisconsin also drive the same speed as the cars (often faster) and they don't even make the pretense of staying in the right lane....so, then you've got a long hill, and two trucks, side by side, holding up both lanes of traffic. Staying on cruise control is hard out here in the corn belt!
We are home at Becky's now, with Miles. (He'll be with us through Monday.) He's running around, giggling for all he's worth.....he's pretty happy that his Papa is here! The training wheels are coming off the bike tomorrow. Whoopee!!!
Oh, yes, Naomi chose blue for her cast this time. Shocking pink last December and blue this time. I'll post a picture tomorrow.
Friday
I'll post again later. Right now, we're heading out to Rush University Hospital - Naomi goes under the knife about 8:00am, finishing up around 5:00 pm. A long day for a little girl.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Oh, no, Mr. Bill!!!
My pictures didn't post....so here they are:
This is the "Be An American" picture"
Here are the great North Dakota pictures:
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This is the "Be An American" picture"
Here are the great North Dakota pictures:
>
Wednesday - 1500 miles from home
As I was walking that ribbon of highway,
I saw above me the endless skyway.
I saw below me the golden valley.
This land belongs to you and me.
- Woody Guthrie*
* this is a guess - it just sounds like something he wrote.
Another long day....central and eastern Montana are really something. We've never driven this particular highway before, and we really enjoyed it. It's a two-lane road, 70 mph, but there are no other cars on the road. Miles and miles of nothing, as far as you can see. Western North Dakota is so different from South Dakota - except for the black hills - those are pretty similar. You have to love that 75mph through these two states!
They take these things seriously in North Dakota! Be an AMERICAN!!
North Dakota has great signs:
For God's sake, PLEASE be polite and kind! (especially to me)
My brain is fried....yesterday’s post didn’t publish until today, so you’ll need to scroll down to read yesterday’s. Sorry about that.
On to Chicago! We should arrive at Becky's office around 3:30 tomorrow afternoon. Naomi's surgery is on Friday, so we won't see her until afterwards. She's doing pretty well, for a scared 4-year-old. She's doing better than I would be, facing a body cast for the next 2 months.....Phew.
I saw above me the endless skyway.
I saw below me the golden valley.
This land belongs to you and me.
- Woody Guthrie*
* this is a guess - it just sounds like something he wrote.
Another long day....central and eastern Montana are really something. We've never driven this particular highway before, and we really enjoyed it. It's a two-lane road, 70 mph, but there are no other cars on the road. Miles and miles of nothing, as far as you can see. Western North Dakota is so different from South Dakota - except for the black hills - those are pretty similar. You have to love that 75mph through these two states!
They take these things seriously in North Dakota! Be an AMERICAN!!
North Dakota has great signs:
For God's sake, PLEASE be polite and kind! (especially to me)
My brain is fried....yesterday’s post didn’t publish until today, so you’ll need to scroll down to read yesterday’s. Sorry about that.
On to Chicago! We should arrive at Becky's office around 3:30 tomorrow afternoon. Naomi's surgery is on Friday, so we won't see her until afterwards. She's doing pretty well, for a scared 4-year-old. She's doing better than I would be, facing a body cast for the next 2 months.....Phew.
Lewiston, MT - 740 miles from home
A loooonnnnnnngggg day. Left Seattle at 0500 and watched the sun rise over Cle Elum. We've certainly driven this route a lot - Trina and Ross both went to Central, and there were a lot of trips back and forth. I don't remember any of these wind farms back in the early 90's, though - obviously, Ellensburg is getting green!
One of my favorite places in Washington state is Vantage. (My kids are all laughing right now - because they know, as I do, that there is NOTHING in Vantage. Nothing.) Every time we'd get one of these non-summers (much like this year) I'd forget how much I disliked the heat of the Midwest and start to whine about wanting some sun. I always wanted to come to Vantage. For you non-Washingtonians, Vantage is about in the middle of the state. As you pass through the state, once you've crossed the mountain passes, you've entered arid country (especially on I-90). This is horse country....and the Yakima Nation. It's mile after mile of dry, dusty hills, covered with sagebrush and dirt. Rattlesnakes, rabbits and hawks. (Besides the cowboys) It's hot and dry. Picture in your mind an old western movie. The camera pans over the hills and there are about a hundred Indians in war paint, atop a hill, watching the luckless wagon train down in the valley below - that's east-central Washington. After about an hour of this scenery, though, you begin to drop down a long, long hill. You turn a corner, and BAM - there's Vantage. It's nothing more than a wide spot in the highway with a bridge over the Columbia River. That's it. Once you've crossed the river, you're right back in the heat and dry hills. I love Vantage.
I was really interested to see the name "Hiawatha" about 4 or 5 times through Washington and Idaho. Ummm, Hiawatha was an Iroquois chief - I'm wondering how he got to the Northwest.....Oh, well, perhaps readers of Wordsworth or Longfellow (I can never remember which one wrote "Hiawatha") moved across on one of those wagon trains.
After 2 1/2 hours in eastern Washington, entering the lush Idaho forests was really refreshing. Northern Idaho and western Montana are really beautiful - the Bitteroot Range is just so pretty....on the down side, however, we got stuck in an hour's worth of single-lane traffic, with 35-45 mph speed limits. Yuk.
We took a new route today....going up north from Missoula to Great Falls. This route takes you through a bunch of tiny little towns - Bonner, MT, has hit hard times...half the houses are boarded up. BUT - hang on, Bonner! The Testicle Festival is coming! (I am NOT making this up. I'd have taken a picture of the poster but I didn't get the camera out fast enough.) Surely that'll bring in the tourist trade!
After 12 hours of driving, we finally arrived here in Lewiston, MT. We've never been here before. It's easy to miss - matter of fact, we DID miss it. Drove right by and had to turn back and come to the motel. Right across the street is the premier dining establishment in town: Doc's OK Korral. :)
No, I didn't play Bingo.
One of my favorite places in Washington state is Vantage. (My kids are all laughing right now - because they know, as I do, that there is NOTHING in Vantage. Nothing.) Every time we'd get one of these non-summers (much like this year) I'd forget how much I disliked the heat of the Midwest and start to whine about wanting some sun. I always wanted to come to Vantage. For you non-Washingtonians, Vantage is about in the middle of the state. As you pass through the state, once you've crossed the mountain passes, you've entered arid country (especially on I-90). This is horse country....and the Yakima Nation. It's mile after mile of dry, dusty hills, covered with sagebrush and dirt. Rattlesnakes, rabbits and hawks. (Besides the cowboys) It's hot and dry. Picture in your mind an old western movie. The camera pans over the hills and there are about a hundred Indians in war paint, atop a hill, watching the luckless wagon train down in the valley below - that's east-central Washington. After about an hour of this scenery, though, you begin to drop down a long, long hill. You turn a corner, and BAM - there's Vantage. It's nothing more than a wide spot in the highway with a bridge over the Columbia River. That's it. Once you've crossed the river, you're right back in the heat and dry hills. I love Vantage.
I was really interested to see the name "Hiawatha" about 4 or 5 times through Washington and Idaho. Ummm, Hiawatha was an Iroquois chief - I'm wondering how he got to the Northwest.....Oh, well, perhaps readers of Wordsworth or Longfellow (I can never remember which one wrote "Hiawatha") moved across on one of those wagon trains.
After 2 1/2 hours in eastern Washington, entering the lush Idaho forests was really refreshing. Northern Idaho and western Montana are really beautiful - the Bitteroot Range is just so pretty....on the down side, however, we got stuck in an hour's worth of single-lane traffic, with 35-45 mph speed limits. Yuk.
We took a new route today....going up north from Missoula to Great Falls. This route takes you through a bunch of tiny little towns - Bonner, MT, has hit hard times...half the houses are boarded up. BUT - hang on, Bonner! The Testicle Festival is coming! (I am NOT making this up. I'd have taken a picture of the poster but I didn't get the camera out fast enough.) Surely that'll bring in the tourist trade!
After 12 hours of driving, we finally arrived here in Lewiston, MT. We've never been here before. It's easy to miss - matter of fact, we DID miss it. Drove right by and had to turn back and come to the motel. Right across the street is the premier dining establishment in town: Doc's OK Korral. :)
No, I didn't play Bingo.
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