Travel
I left Altoona, IA in a terrible rain, before daylight on Friday. There was very little traffic and in fact I drove for long periods of time without seeing another vehicle in either direction. I am so glad I went through the midwest without delay because I see that the weather there has turned from bad to worse. The light traffic lasted until I got into Illinois and then it was tense driving the rest of the way.
I stopped at the Illinois Welcome Center and almost wished I hadn't! It was a full mile back to the rest area, around winding roads through the woods. I finally got there and found a very modern wooden building that perfectly fit in with the surroundings, but it was unmanned and I didn't meet a soul there. Since it had been raining heavily when we left the hotel and it was very early morning, I just put Lady right into the car. When we stopped at this lovely rest area I finally let her wander around and sniff the grass for a while, and then it was back on the road for a tense couple of hours drive.
I took a couple of photos of the Mississippi River from the rest area, but since it was raining I didn't walk down to any closer views.
I am enjoying the visit with family, and the drive to Chicago yesterday where we visited my Aunt in the rehab center, and then on to my cousin's house in Bensenville. My aunt is 85 and has just had a leg removed because of a blood clot. They are trying to get her strong enough to be able to use a prosthetic leg, but I heard from my cousin that the doctors think the other leg doesn't look good, so I think she is in for a difficult time.
It's great to relax in the evenings and just catch up on what has been happening in our lives. When my brother and s-i-l return from church this morning we will meet my niece and her family for a breakfast at a local restaurant, and then I will need to get prepared to leave tomorrow for NY. I think I will run into more rain tomorrow, but I'll just deal with what comes.
Yesterday while we were still in Illinois we found a place that sells the iPass, and I bought one since it can also be used on toll roads in Ohio, Indiana and NY. That will avoid all the toll booth stops, and I can top it up online or by phone if I need to. Any remaining amount doesn't expire and can be used on my next trip.
- Alive!
A few times today I wasn't sure I'd make it. First of all, until I reached Youngstown, Ohio (eastern side of the state) there was fog and light precipitation all day. The foggy haze wasn't bad enough so that you couldn't...
- Grand Forks, Sd
I left Duluth this morning at about 8:15 and only drove 260+ miles today. I took my time, made several rest stops, and stayed within the speed limit even though it was difficult because of the reduced speeds for towns and road work. Being Sunday there...
- Sad News
I heard from a cousin today who told me she was in the hospital and that things aren't looking good for her. She began chemo treatments about a year ago for leukemia, but her doctors now tell her the chemo is no longer working and that there is nothing...
- Jack Is On, And Jill Is Gone!
This morning my brother helped me to reset the voice on my Garmin GPS. As you know, I was being driven crazy by the female voice, and Bill found out that there are two American voices - Jack and Jill. We switched to Jack and so far he is doing pretty...
- A Visit With Judy And Emma
I had a wonderful visit and lunch with Judy today, and Lady and I finally got to meet Emma. Emma is exuberant and Lady was worn out just watching her. This picture doesn't quite capture the exuberance however: Here is a photo of both: Judy and I...
Travel
Milwaukee, WI
I left Altoona, IA in a terrible rain, before daylight on Friday. There was very little traffic and in fact I drove for long periods of time without seeing another vehicle in either direction. I am so glad I went through the midwest without delay because I see that the weather there has turned from bad to worse. The light traffic lasted until I got into Illinois and then it was tense driving the rest of the way.
I stopped at the Illinois Welcome Center and almost wished I hadn't! It was a full mile back to the rest area, around winding roads through the woods. I finally got there and found a very modern wooden building that perfectly fit in with the surroundings, but it was unmanned and I didn't meet a soul there. Since it had been raining heavily when we left the hotel and it was very early morning, I just put Lady right into the car. When we stopped at this lovely rest area I finally let her wander around and sniff the grass for a while, and then it was back on the road for a tense couple of hours drive.
I took a couple of photos of the Mississippi River from the rest area, but since it was raining I didn't walk down to any closer views.
I am enjoying the visit with family, and the drive to Chicago yesterday where we visited my Aunt in the rehab center, and then on to my cousin's house in Bensenville. My aunt is 85 and has just had a leg removed because of a blood clot. They are trying to get her strong enough to be able to use a prosthetic leg, but I heard from my cousin that the doctors think the other leg doesn't look good, so I think she is in for a difficult time.
It's great to relax in the evenings and just catch up on what has been happening in our lives. When my brother and s-i-l return from church this morning we will meet my niece and her family for a breakfast at a local restaurant, and then I will need to get prepared to leave tomorrow for NY. I think I will run into more rain tomorrow, but I'll just deal with what comes.
Yesterday while we were still in Illinois we found a place that sells the iPass, and I bought one since it can also be used on toll roads in Ohio, Indiana and NY. That will avoid all the toll booth stops, and I can top it up online or by phone if I need to. Any remaining amount doesn't expire and can be used on my next trip.
- Alive!
A few times today I wasn't sure I'd make it. First of all, until I reached Youngstown, Ohio (eastern side of the state) there was fog and light precipitation all day. The foggy haze wasn't bad enough so that you couldn't...
- Grand Forks, Sd
I left Duluth this morning at about 8:15 and only drove 260+ miles today. I took my time, made several rest stops, and stayed within the speed limit even though it was difficult because of the reduced speeds for towns and road work. Being Sunday there...
- Sad News
I heard from a cousin today who told me she was in the hospital and that things aren't looking good for her. She began chemo treatments about a year ago for leukemia, but her doctors now tell her the chemo is no longer working and that there is nothing...
- Jack Is On, And Jill Is Gone!
This morning my brother helped me to reset the voice on my Garmin GPS. As you know, I was being driven crazy by the female voice, and Bill found out that there are two American voices - Jack and Jill. We switched to Jack and so far he is doing pretty...
- A Visit With Judy And Emma
I had a wonderful visit and lunch with Judy today, and Lady and I finally got to meet Emma. Emma is exuberant and Lady was worn out just watching her. This picture doesn't quite capture the exuberance however: Here is a photo of both: Judy and I...