Blessed in So Many Ways...

Life can turn on a dime and mine changed from being a suburban housewife and mom to a rural empty nester 12 years ago.  Natureman has enabled me to have so many new people in my life. Those Coulee factions were well represented at last night's b-day celebration...

Some 20+ Jazzerbuddies were there...

Folks from my work days at UW-L and Viterbo, many of my Jazzerbuddies, the Happy Bookers, my spirituality buds (both Rosh Chodesh and synagogue), friends met through mutual friends, and of course people I met through Irv. All of these factions were able to mingle last night. 

AND how does an asportual non-beer drinker end up at a Packer Sports bar for her birthday?  I purchased raffle tickets as a donation to a Relay for Life benefit last summer and I won not one but two of the 18 possible raffle prizes. The phrase I never win anything now has been deleted from my sayings...  One prize was the 1/2 barrel beer party at Glory Days in La Crosse. Through word of mouth, Facebook and the internet we gathered to mark my new decade. 

I feel so blessed in so many ways... 

Here's to a new decade and many more happy celebrations from a gal so content with life with my Natureman in the End of the Rainbow Valley... 

Emptying the Bucket...

As I approach this special birthday and enter a new decade the realization hit me that not only is time shorter to accomplish the bucket list but good health is not always a given.  So many friends are starting to have health issues so I feel blessed that this past month afforded me the opportunity to check off 2 more items on my list. 

If I finish my list, does that mean my days are numbered? Oh yeah, it just means I am making the most of them.

Well, I feel super lucky to have had some calm waters to try out 2 'first' new boating adventures. You may have caught my posting about my first kayaking experience on Cedar Lake after the Green Bay trek. 

Then, not long thereafter we took a quick jaunt up to the Eagle River area.  The sun blessed us before our departure so I tried out paddle boarding with the expert assistance of the Sugar Camp paddle boating instructor who BTW has only had 2 students fall in. 

I had an excellent instructor.

Success getting on the board. 

Success going from the fours to to the knees.

And I am up...

 Once my toes relaxed and figured out that they didn't need to do the death grip to the board, it was much more enjoyable.  And off I went... 

Check. 

Stockholm or Bust...

My book group, The Happy Bookers, had their annual get away this past weekend. We spent a day filled with shopping, wineries and camraderie in small towns along the Mississippi. Our destination eventually would be Stockholm, WI, home to the 41st art fair which draws visitors from both sides of the river.

Our first stop was Fountain City where we enjoyed our morning brew on Brones' new porch with a lovely view.  They even ran out to get bananas for my drink. Now that's service.

Fountain City's Brones Bike Shop and World Class Coffee
(L-R )Back row  Susie, Monica, yours truly, Mary, Connie
Front : Nancy and Sally

Stops also included Alma shops and Danzinger Winery where we were interviewed by an Eau Claire reporter who was writing an interest story about the Wine Trail... 

Stay tuned for that publication as I might even be quoted.


For those that know me well, I am not a big drinker so even the tastings added up to more that I probably drink in a year.  I am one of those who gets tired after a glass of wine rather than livening up the party. 

Thank goodness to the convertible ride which kept me awake even after lunch at Nelson's Creamery and more wine at Villa Belleza Winery.

We so enjoyed the front porch and watching the world go by.

The day's final stop was the lovely, small town of Stockholm where if you blink, you've missed it. 

Our lodging was located on the main drag in the recently remodelled Historic Stockholm Hotel where we occupied their six bedrooms/ 2 bath in addition to the fully equipped kitchen, cozy living room and large dining space and terrific front porch where we held our lively book discussion. (This month's read was the Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro for those interested how appropo as we would be attending the art show the next day.)

 A nice early evening breeze kept the gnats at bay and when sunset came and the gnats returned, we moved inside to continue both the lively discussion and light dinner of yummy appetizers and dessert. 

Another gorgeous summer sunset...

We opted to not use the ready firepit out in the great backyard and instead enjoyed a rousing game around the dining table.  We are quite a competitive bunch and we probably should have closed the front door as our laughter ran late. It was the kind of laughter I remember from bunking parties (sleep overs) from much younger days. We probably kept the town awake. SORRY Stockholm.

Our final activity of the day was to list 3 of the day's positives without repeating anybody else's and how each made us feel. 

 There was even prompting to help be more descriptive with those feelings... (Yep, this is a tough group.)

What really mattered was how content I felt to be surrounded by 6 girl friends who have have now become part of my new life.

Who knew I'd ever be grateful for having to read a book? 

(BTW in case you're interested next month's pick is Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Boudain.)

We missed our youngest 8th member, Violetta who we hope finished her dissertation and can join us next year ...

FOTOFRIDAY: PARK TIME

FOTO FRIDAY's topic this week is a result of our usage of wonderful parks.

So do you have a photo you'd like to share taken in a park?

The following was taken in Riverside Park where Judi caught us enjoying the Old School Variety Show after a nice picnic dinner.  We are sated both gastronomically, culturally and socially.

 It was a  lovely evening performance... Do share a park pic.

Judi added more to the 'park' theme with a photo and her interesting words regarding the proposed American Memorial Park Tinian whose legislation's pending and very unlikely to pass).

"It was the most moving place we've ever been. Runway Able is part of the airstrip at North Field where the two flights of Enola Gay and Bockscar embarked. They, of course, are the planes that dropped the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 

The island of Tinian has a population of around 3500 today but after the U.S. captured it from the Japanese in 1944 it was quickly turned into one of the largest airbases of WW II with over 40,000 airmen, seabees and marines.

The whole north end of the island is basically abandoned now. We rented a motorbike and headed north. For over an hour, we never saw a house or person. Apparently some kind of front end loader drives through monthly to try to keep the jungle from encroaching on everything but we still came to several dead-ends where vegetation had taken over. The area is beautiful and haunting. We felt amazed, saddened and solemn. 

In a way, we hope the legislation doesn't pass but that it remains underdeveloped but discoverable to people who are interested in the amazing history of North Field." 

Colleen submitted such a great shot we may just have to go exploring at High Cliff Park and the swing bridge in Galesville. Natureman has pointed out the park to me but we have yet to visit the trails and this bridge. Thanks for the push.


Last week's FOTO FRIDAY: FUNNY CAPTIONS only encouraged one addition but hey we'll take whatever we can get. Thanks Queen Jester. Click :HERE
 AND remember, it's never to late to add...

Summer Daze

As long as the skies had cleared, we had a forecast of a lovely 70 degree day to enjoy and we packed it full of summertime activities.

Natureman and I arranged to meet in town after I had my Jazzercise class. We would go on a bike ride. I actually thought we would head out to Trempeleau since we haven't been on that bike trail in a couple of years but instead we headed to the marsh trail which starts by the International Friendship Gardens. We did a quick stroll through the gardens first and of course everything was lush after Nature has been so generous watering.

The biking was cut short though as the marsh had spilled over its banks due to those rains and sludge and debris closed the trail. It was not a pretty sight and disappointing to say the least since the air was crisp and bugfree. Perfect bikeriding weather. I realized Natureman had ulterior motives for choosing this trail as apparently the train tracks cross the marsh. AHA. He wanted to check it out. Apparently there might be an open hearing about the impending disaster and destruction of this wildlife ... 

It wasn't difficult to imagine this sludge overflow as Bakken oil.

Anyhow we had to turn back and our biking was cut short but actually we had a bit of exercise together and fresh air.

Home we went to have a light lunch, rest a bit after some planting and serious weeding before we headed back downtown for me to pick up my repaired car and do errands while Natureman attended his regional planning meeting. We met up afterwards back at Riverside Park for a picnic dinner and community concert "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." 

What a delightful night to be among the community, enjoy good music  with about 900 folks with 130 marchng in the kids's parade.

After the last selection  'Fantasy of Flight,' it was home we flew after a wonderful full summer day... 

Take a look at the sunset that took us home along the Mississippi to the End of the Rainbow Valley...

Appreciating the Little Things...

I don't know about you but we've been experiencing daily rainfall. Though I am thankful to not have to water every day, I am a bit sick of that precipitation and greyness.

It hasn't helped the bug situation too much either as they keep hatching. Everybody's complaining about them, not just me.  But the good thing is if another front is blowing in, the wind's strong enough that those pesty biting gnats are dispersed. OK never mind about those bugs. Winter didn't kill them nor the mosquitoes off is all I'm saying.

Today it took most of the day before the sun broke through all the clouds. But even in late in the day one really appreciates seeing blue skies with as much cloud coverage and rainfall we've received this past month. 

As everyone in this area will attest, the clouds have really been phenomenal. AND the colors, unreal. 

Are they gorgeous or what?




If it's going to rain so much it's nice when a rainbow/two are thrown in for good measure.  Here's that rainbow from Saturday night (thanks Cari for the pic) which of all things I couldn't see here in the End of the Rainbow Valley. You mean it can end other places? I am shocked...

                 

                            
                           


 

A Paradigm: How Cool is Cool?

I have to be honest. I thought you would be reading about our trip to the butcher to retrieve the quarter of a friend's cow that's going into our freezer in the End of the Rainbow Valley. Maybe another day. 

Something unexpected happened en route back home. Parked in front of the Tippy Toe, there do you see it in the side mirror?

A 1936 Chrysler Airflow! Who wants to talk about a dead cow when a beauty like this is sitting in Chaseburg (pop 306) no less. "Stop!" I exclaimed and Natureman didn't argue. He knows about cars. And although he knew about this model had never seen one in person. Natureman insisted I had to get out to take a closer look.  

This is one of the first stream lined models but had the misfortune of coming off the lines during the Depression. OOPS is right. Really bad timing. Not a success and not many were made.

We oohed and aahed at all the details like the fender skirt, the 
insides - ample leg room, nice upholstery, the dashboard with the key on the passenger side a button starter on the driver's...





the white walls ....



               the lights...

rear tail light

An inline eight...

The Airflow's proud owner joined us gladly filling us in on all the details... 
Special touches such as the way the doors closed with the efficiency of a jewelry box, (his simile, not mine) And they did close softly with ease and the nifty front hood support arm mechanism held the hood in place with a smooth catch, another bar adjusts the fenders, the bumper's visible spring like support. Ingeneous as anything bumping into this fender might just be bounced back a half a block. And the windows... 

The windows were very unique and really cool as the front window louvered outwards. Talk about air flow/ the first AC!

The side window had a small window within it and could operate independently from the entire window but then could fold back together so that the entire window can be rolled down.

The Airflow is not exactly ecofriendly consuming gas at about 10 miles /gallon but hey if you have $50K today for this gorgeous vehicle, I bet you can afford the gas.

I know you'll enjoy this video as much as I did. How cool is cool? Click on : Chrysler's AirFlow