Veterans Day 2016

Yesterday I experienced Veteran’s Day in the heartland of America.  The exact location is not what matters; the sincerity of the thanks and the kindnesses shown blessed and humbled me.  I’d like to write a few lines about the day.

At the local school, a breakfast of pancakes, sausage and copious cups of coffee greeted us at the kickoff of an event that included all the kids. From Kindergarteners reciting the Pledge of Allegiance through to the Seniors hosting the program, every student had a part.  Each of the Veterans was asked to introduce ourselves; no mean feat considering the sixty or so of us present.  The last to speak was the most moving.  He addressed the students and said, “Here’s how to thank a Veteran.  Love our country… don’t include violence to protest the process that makes us a free nation.  To dishonor America makes our hearts ache as we are here being singled out for what we’ve done.  Respect the flag that is the symbol of our United States; each of us have seen it fly over land that was at war with us.  It has always indicated a place of safety and peace to us.  This is how you thank us.”

I’ve got to tell you that throughout the rest of the day, from free lunches, drinks, coffee… pats on the back, handshakes, hugs to the awesome Iowa State basketball game that I was treated to.. this Veteran’s words stuck with me, often bringing me to the verge of tears.

Thanks to all who thanked a Veteran yesterday; I’d encourage those who don’t agree to rethink your position.  Even you have the freedom to protest and disagree; it’s the very thing we have served to guard and protect.  You also have the right to visit other nations where our freedoms do not exist… provided they will let you in.  Then come home and see which is better.

Oh... Oh... Ohio

Every so often you run into a place you just enjoy… maybe you can’t really put into words exactly why, you just do.

This past week found Diane and me driving through a good part of east central Ohio.  We left Wooster after an incredibly enjoyable visit with Steve and Ginger, friends from our snowbird haunt in Naples, Florida.  Heading south for speaking engagements in Mount Vernon and, a day later, in Newark brought us through some of the most wonderfully colored hills and valleys.  We both thank the good people of Ohio for decorating their land for our enjoyment.  We’ve not seen fall colors like these since our drive from New Hampshire back to Minnesota several years ago.

It was when we drove into Newark that we realized we’d stumbled onto something special.  Our first stop was at the Earthworks Museum, the site of a prehistoric lunar observatory that is awesome… the only thing “prehistoric” about it is that Europeans were not around when it was built!  The perfectly laid out circles and geometric shapes are aligned with the 18.2 year cycle of the moon.  Walking around made me wonder just what else we “western thinkers” have bulldozed our way over in a mad rush to colonize and “civilize” this continent.  Enough of that…. this is about travel, not ripping into our own past behavior.

The city of Newark is under renovation… literally.  The main streets around the square are torn up, several buildings are being worked on and a recently completed, beautiful pavilion and farmer’s market area enhance the feeling of having stepped back a century in time.  A canal used to cut through town, bringing commerce (in the form of whiskey and hard cider) that earned the city the title “Sin City”… now it’s cleaned and shining and very, very pretty.  Murals cover multitudes of walls and a form of sitting bench artwork appears on several corners.  Pictures don’t do justice, though I’ve included a few to try.  A new Library is there, along with work on a Louis Sullivan “Jewel Box” bank building that will be completed in two years (did I mention these are part of our quest this fall).

You have got to include Newark into any trip you make here.  It’s bound to get even better by the time you arrive.  Newark also marks the point at which we turn to head west and north for our return to see our little peanut, Phoebe, in a week.  The hardest part, right now, of travel is to try and imagine how much she’s grown in our absence (though it’s not like she’s graduating from college next Thursday).

Yesterday we visited the US Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson in Dayton.  Naturally, the sight of so many, unbelievably many, aircraft from our history has left me dry eyed and drool-less.  I must have seemed like a little kid, hurrying from one to another… just to stare, mesmerized by the stories that were flowing through my mind at each one.  I’m probably the only person you know that can get downright giddy at the aquamarine and yellow coloring of a P-36 “Peashooter”…. no, I didn’t include a picture of that one… Google it for yourself!

 

 Diane and I really enjoyed the newest part of the museum as we toured the first four aircraft used by Presidents from Franklin Roosevelt to Clinton.  We stood on the spot where Lyndon Johnson was sworn in after Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas.  You can feel the history!

One picture I did include is of a B-29 Superfortress named “Bockscar”.  It was the plane that dropped the second atomic bomb, on Nagasaki.  My first thought was of the Minnesota Vikings, who have never won a Super Bowl (our chant for them is “We’re number two… we’re number two).  A couple of weeks ago I happened to visit the gravesite of Frederick Bock in Greenville, Michigan while speaking at the Flying Falcon Museum.  Fred Bock was the pilot, and namesake, of the plane… though on the Nagasaki mission he traded places with another pilot, Major Sweeney.  Sweeney dropped the bomb and Bock observed while flying “The Great Artiste”.  It’s amazing how history weaves a tapestry of time and events that connect in strange ways when you look hard…

Marvelous Michigan

What can I say about Michigan… sand dunes, apple orchards, small lakes dotting the landscape, streams and rivers at every bend of the road.  This place is marvelous!  The people we met, and stayed with, are equal to their land.  We could never express our thanks enough to those who hosted us during our journey through The Great Lakes State. 

Our first stop was at Warren Dunes State Park, on the southeast corner of Lake Michigan.  What a difference between here and Door County in Wisconsin.  Instead of sandstone and granite cliffs, we were surrounded by soft sand beaches and dunes, stretching up (and I mean UP) and back for a mile or more.  Our hike to the beach across the dunes felt like a trek through the Sahara, though it was a comfortable temp the day we did it. 

We were then on our way north, past signs telling us town names like Kalamazoo… which made me burst forth in song… a bad rendition of  Glenn Miller’s “I’ve got a gal…”  Fortunately, Diane came to the rescue with a quick push of a button on the dash to let Sirius channel 66, smooth jazz, fill the cab.  We drove through Grand Rapids and on to the Greenville area, where we stayed with fellow snowbirds and gave two talks; one on the Waco gliders built by the Gibson Refrigerator Company during The War.  A week there and on down through the center of the state to the town of Dexter, just outside Ann Arbor…. you’d be smart to know about the expression “Go Blue” while in this part of the state!  We got to see some of the college, including their enormous football stadium, from another couple we spend winters with in Naples.  These are what my generation refers to as friends with benefits!

Diane and I had the opportunity to take a day to tour some of her childhood stomping grounds without the trailer following so close behind.  We visited the areas around Clawson and Drayton Plains, searching out homes she had lived in before moving to San Diego.  It was fun to see her face light up in recognition of them as we drove up.  Another day was spent visiting the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) with our friends.  The talent of people working in various mediums absolutely astounds me.  I need help drawing parts for a game of Hangman!!

We spent a total of two weeks in Michigan before we headed into The Buckeye State of Ohio.  Michigan has too much to offer for only a two week stay… hope there’s a next time!

Wonderful Wisconsin

We’ve spent the past two weeks in Wisconsin.  From dry, warm breezes through beautiful vistas of wind driven waves crashing on  limestone bluffs to more than nine inches of rain in two days… we’ve had a good taste of The Badger State.  We began in Chippewa Falls, only an hour from the Twin Cities.  It was a nice third visit and talk at the Public Library there.  A walk down to the river, seeing the high water surging through the dam was a nice way to relax after the drive.  The next morning we headed a bit south and east to Augusta, in the heart of Amish country.  We stayed at Coon Fork County Park, a beautiful campground on a lake.  No luck fishing, but a nice area to walk around (mind the mosquitoes).

A couple days and we were heading further east to a campground in Fremont… Jellystone Park, complete with Yogi and Ranger Smith.  Even Fred and Wilma Flintstone were there, though we missed seeing them.  Took a moment to check out their car, though.  I spoke four times in the three days we were in Fremont; first was New London, twice in Waupaca and finally in Appleton.  I’ve learned much more about the Home Front in Wisconsin during WW2 than I could possible share… people who remember picking milkweed pods, a lady whose father worked at the Four Wheel Drive company (they now make fire engines) spoke of hearing the trucks running on the test track all night right behind her house.  Another lady told of losing her underwear in a store because rationing had eliminated elastic waistbands… her tie came undone!

I’m glad we had the foresight to schedule a break to visit Door County with no talks.  We’ve heard so much about it and experiencing it was even better.  The magnificent views of Green Bay (not the Packers, mind you) coupled with quaint shops, wineries, produce stops, coffee shops, fish boil dinners, the awesome Harvest moon, sunrises and sunsets and a wonderful bike ride through Peninsula State Park were amazing.  The four days went by way too fast and the time came to head south again into the central part of the state.

Our current lodging is at the Sky High Campground outside Portage.  Glad to be on high ground with all the torrential rains the past few days.  We visited Baraboo and the Circus World Museum along with a sister and brother in law who met us, the day the rain began.  Now we hear the river there will crest nearly six feet above flood stage in a few days!  We’ll be heading further south, around the Windy City of Chicago and on to the eastern shore of Lake Michigan shortly.  One more talk this Saturday in Wyocena and then the drive to Stevensville, Michigan.  We’ll be staying in the sand dunes along the southeast corner of the lake before heading up near Grand Rapids for a few days…. but that will be in the next edition.

After nearly a year and a half… we’ve decided we like this “tiny home” living thing and hope you do, too (at least the part we share).  Until we see you “down the road”, keep in touch.  We’ll try to post a bit more often on Facebook and will write these longer notes when there’s time.

Muddy Waters

It’s time to dust off the “blog files” and begin a new series of them… particularly since Diane and I are, again, on the road (not to be confused with On the Road Again; sorry Willie).  Our definition of “on the road” does not include time spent within easy driving distance of our little imp… Phoebe.  Having spent a majority of time since returning to the Midwest from Florida in May near her, we’re now at Coon Lake County Park, outside the thriving megalopolis of Augusta, Wisconsin.  I’d tell you about the wonderful, large Veteran’s Park in Augusta (right next to, strangely enough, the local bakery)… but that would be getting ahead of the story.

First to relate is our leaving the Land of 10,001 Lakes.  It has rained so much this summer, I’m sure there is at least one more… so I’ll not try too hard to count, but just chalk up the one additional.  It was raining when we left (surprise) and the best description of our departure from good friends’ house (thanks Barb and Dave) is a piece of advice.  Never try to pull or push a camper when you can’t stand up in the mud.  Had it not been for Dave’s tractor (he’s really such a Deere), we’d still be at their place, downhill from the horse barn instead of comfortably up the hill, alongside the road.

We’re in Wisconsin because, unlike last year’s pleasure drive of 15 states in eight weeks (far too long and fast, but we certainly learned how to set up and take down the trailer), this year is a more measured five states in the same time period.  I’ll be speaking 20 times in Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio before heading back through Indiana and Illinois; enjoying some scenery, visiting Florida friends and seeing fun things (like the oldest concrete street in the US).  It is a grand experiment to see if I can actually travel, talk and sell books at the same time.  I know you know the talking is not the hard part… ‘nough said.  We‘ll be blogging from Door County, the Lake Michigan Sand Dunes, and Cuyahoga National Park (look that one up) along with many other interesting points.

Right now Diane is looking through countless information magazines we picked up at the Wisconsin rest area yesterday.  At this point I’m going to guess those slimmer jeans I bought are going to stay in the closet for a while.  What with cheese factories and Farmers Markets on almost every street corner here… oh well, when in Rome…

Another 'season' in Florida...

We are on our way, slowly, back north as May warms up and the rains approach SW Florida.  Our months in Naples were both fun and productive; meeting new friends, a bit of fishing, entertaining, days at the beach, working hard on a new novel… did I mention a bit of fishing?  In Minnesota there are somewhat over a dozen or so game fish that people pursue for eating… in the Gulf there are eleven varieties of Snapper alone.  More than 140 different fish tempt a Midwestern fisherman nearly to the breaking point.  Diane mentioned eating ten new varieties of fish this season… and they’re healthy, too. 

Enough about fishing (not that I’m completely consumed by the topic)… The past few weeks have been a combination of saying goodbye to other snowbirds, packing for our own migration and enjoying the warm Gulf waters… think biggest bath tub EVER.  Enjoying sunsets that are never duplicates and watching Black Skimmers flying an inch above the waves looking for dinner make for a delightful evening.  As is said, “All good things must come to an end”… why is that?  I prefer to go from one good thing to another, and the greatest is endless.

Our plans are to stay in Iowa and Minnesota most of the summer; I have editing and more writing to do on Five For Freedom, which I hope will release in November.   We look forward to spending time with family and more friends, reacquainting ourselves with Minnesota’s beauty and taking a trip in the fall.  Putting together a book signing and speaking jaunt through Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio will mean more adventures along the lines of last fall (I wonder if there are bears in Ohio).

I’ll be blogging more regularly as we hit the road again.  Looking forward to seeing all of you that we can…   

Home

Having spent a bit over eight weeks on the roads of the western United States in our “Whealhouse”, Diane and I returned to southern Minnesota a few days ago.  We drove just over 7,500 miles in that time, met many wonderful people, no outright curmudgeons, sampled local foods (both good and bad) and viewed countless vistas of our wonderful country.  The question must be asked, naturally in my native tongue (which is well known for dangling participles everywhere)… “So what did you learn then?”

First.  We live in a land of amazing landscapes, full of diversity (including the people) that all of us should visit.  Past leaders have set aside vast areas for our enjoyment; not the way we enjoy a movie by leaving behind our empty “mega jumbo” popcorn buckets and not quite finished artificially sweetened drinks (which create a substance akin to “The Blob” that I call cinemuck).  We ought to enjoy the outdoor parks we pay for quietly and with the admiration they deserve.  Deserts, mountains, rivers, enormous valleys down to the miniscule flowerlike formations of Carlsbad Caverns; they all deserve our protection along with the “ooohs and aaahs” of our observation.

Second.  We met varied and wonderful inhabitants; aardvarks, birds, coyotes, pronghorns, moose (or meese if you see more than one), and yes, even the bear that wanted the leftovers of our dinner as a midnight snack.  Oh, we met a few people, too; most of whom (?) were simply marvelous to chat with.  I’m not writing to vent along any particular political lines, except to mention that most discussions involving the subject showed an overall “tired of all of it” theme.  Maybe this is the legacy of democracy.

Third.  Change is all around us.  Weather patterns are changing (think of western drought and desert flash floods), landscapes are changing (Mount St Helens comes to mind), values are changing (pot became legal in Oregon while we were there – ‘nough said), people are changing… I don’t think we can expect “the good old days” to mean much any longer.

Fourth (and Final).  Don’t ever, ever, never take shortcuts using a stinky slinky.  If you doubt the sincerity of this, just watch “RV” with Robin Williams from a few years ago.

This blog isn’t finished with our first road trip… we’ll be having numerous adventures from today on.  From niece’s baby showers and granddaughter’s first birthdays to winter in a warm wonderland…. Stay in touch.