Awake: 6:15am Temp 72 sleep 6+55 Rain overnight @
Watertown, WI.
Last night before leaving the house, Sallie insisted that she make
breakfast for us before we leave…….a nice gesture, but I know she’s worked
hard these past few days & she sleeps later than we do, so with all do
respect, I insist on declining her good intentions.
We wait until 8:00am to go into their house…..Larry greets us & tells us
that Sallie is still sleeping & would we like him to start breakfast?
Again I decline but thank him for the offer. We are planning on an
8:30……9:00am departure & Larry will assist Kathy in being an extra set of
eyes for when I drive out this morning. Using an umbrella to shield the
rain, I wipe the shore power cable as it reels into its holding cabinet.
Back inside the house, Sallie is awake so we say our goodbyes & thank her
for such wonderful hospitality, friendship, food etc.
Kathy & Larry follow me on foot as I drive down their curved driveway &
make the 90 degree tight turn with some close encounters with tree limbs.
At one point, Kathy gives the stop signal, calls Larry over to access the
maneuver: “cut the wheel sharper” he recommends & “then straighten out.”
With good assistance we survive with no scratches & no need to back up. We
say our goodbyes & thanks to Larry…..then Kathy follows me in the Suzuki
out & down the rural hwy a ¼ of a mile where I turn off & hitch up the
Suzuki in the rain. So we leave the Larry & Sallie home campground @
8:48am. It was truly an extraordinary & wonderful visit with S & L. We’ll
be looking forward to our future rendezvous.
100 miles into our travel, the rain subsides & blue sky appears. We make
(2) stops: Flying “J” for fuel (ouch) & the welcome center in Minnesota.
As we are rolling along on I-94, a cell phone call comes through: It’s our
son Nick calling from Moscow, Russia …..with Father’s Day wishes. He
arrived into Moscow about 9 hrs ago & is staying awake so as to get a good
night’s sleep to hopefully adjust to his new time zone. I extend a “Happy
Father’s Day” wish to Nick as well. That was an exciting call for us.
Isn’t it amazing though! How those signals can find their way across
thousands of miles & still be so clear & static free? Modern technology is
getting to be so phenomenal.
Katrina calls from Anchorage, Alaska with Father’s Day wishes. I don’t
know how we missed hearing our phone ring, but we did. Darn! We found her
message 20 min later & returned her call but she apparently already linked
up with the hiking gang & they are climbing that mountain.
Arrive @ the Maple Grove, MN. KOA campground @ 3:37pm.
Today’s travel: 5+59 time 319 miles 37 gal used 8.62 mpg
53.7 avg speed
Shortly after our arrival into this campground, Zack calls from Seattle,
Washington with Father’s Day wishes. He’s on his way to work @
Isilon…….putting in extra hrs on a special project. He sounds good.
Melissa calls from Indiana, Pennsylvania with Father’s Day wishes mid
evening. We have a good chat & then I wish Kevin a “Happy Father’s Day.”
Kevin is making great progress on his Space Pak air conditioning system. I
was delighted to hear this report.
Getting phone calls from all of our children on Father’s Day sure makes me
feel extra special. We are very fortunate to have such nice kids that
treat us so well & stay in touch so often. I thank all of you guys for
being such wonderful young adults & you truly do make me feel special.
Kathy calls Jamie, a college friend of Melissa’s, who now lives in the
Minneapolis area and they have a nice long chat. Jamie would like to get
together with us but since she works full time at the Univ. and since we
have planned our time here to get together with Bob and Mary Lou, long
time friends of ours, it probably won’t happen on this visit.
I call my brother Don in Ebensburg, PA & wish him a "Happy Father's Day."
Late evening dinner: Leftover stuffed pepper, mixed salad & toast.
Today’s high=86 Lights out: 11:30pm
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