Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

Got the Call

Wednesday September 28, 2011Winnebago
Forest City Iowa


Yesterday, Tuesday, David went out running
around the local park
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where they have a campground with
sites right along the river
$15 a night for electric
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and the most dump sites (10) we’ve ever seen
anywhere we’ve stayed.

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Here’s the Winnebago River
where they have a brand new 27 mile
Water trail.  We’re thinking of
giving some of that a try tomorrow.

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Hmmmm wonder what you do about this part
of the trail?   Portage I guess. 

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For such a small town this park is amazing.
Cool bridge connecting the two sides of the park
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Golf Course

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for the dangerous sport of golf
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Frisbee Golf Course
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And a playground with a vintage
rocking rocket and swing sets
which looks like they have had
some serious use
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A nice bike path

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They also have what looks like their
own carnival rides for whenever they
want to celebrate.
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This is a GREAT little park for such a small town.
David was actually gone for an hour and a half.
And he really  doesn’t like running.
He only goes because it’s pretty difficult
to play racquet ball on the road.

While he was running,  I did my elastic band ankle exercises.
Last day at Winnebago 004  
And tried not to gain more weight.
HA!  See later references to Scoopy Doo!
 
He came back, had breakfast and then
changed the fuel filter and topped off
the differential oil which was down a quart.
Hmmmmmm
And now his clothes smell so much like oil
they have been banished to the basement.
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I finished reading a book that was given to me by
another full timer in Glacier when I first broke my ankle
She actually gave me two.
We had totally different reactions to them.
I really liked John Fowle’s The Ebony Tower
which she didn’t finish.
And she really liked The Master of Desires by Judith Merkle Riley
which I just finished but wouldn’t recommend..

I’ve always been a big reader and
usually read about 100 books a year.
Until this year. 
I’m at 25 so far.
But I’m picking up speed now that
I’m not having nearly so much fun outside.

But I also had a chocolate peanut butter malt
at Scoopy Doo.
(and thought of you Bill )
So glad to be back in malt territory.
Not sure how any ice cream shop can
possibly serve milk shakes but not malts.

This was visit #2 to this wonderful ice cream parlor
with its terrific proprietress
Julie Stahr Keeley who
refers to herself as a “scoopologist”
Don’t you love it??
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I mailed my soon to be 91 year old father a birthday card
and picked up some groceries.
 
We checked with Winnebago who

CLAIMS

they checked with HWH and the part is

SUPPOSED

to come in tomorrow so we

SHOULD

be right on schedule to have the work done on Thursday.

IF

that happens then I’ll start

HOPING

they can finish it in that one day and

TRY

not to think about those $100 hours ticking off.

This morning at 7:10 the phone rang and
it was Michael at Winnebago asking if we could
bring Winnona in at 9:00.  The part had come in.
WOW!!!   EARLY!!

OK then…….we’ll be there.

We were there at 8:55, they came and got her at 9:20
and say they’ll have two guys working on her to
get her done today.  OH NO - $100/hr X 2??

Looks like can be on our way a day earlier than we had
thought.   That’s GREAT! 
But when I walked into the Service Center Waiting Room
the weather gal was saying STRONG winds all day
tomorrow.  So maybe not!
Guess we’ll see what it looks like tomorrow.


We’d planned to go next to a COE campground about 200
miles from here and it would definitely be better
to get there on a Thursday than a Friday mid afternoon.

I sat around and talked with a fun group
of folks
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and Lucky the cat who was
pretty sure he did not want
this lady to pet him,
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while David went out hunting for
the best price on fluids to do the oil and filter changes.
He also dropped his oily clothing into a washing machine
at the Laundromat.

Big day here in Forest City
BUT
(drum roll please)
at 2:50 out came Mitch
with the declaration that she was
ready to go.  After discussing the parts,
the labor and every thing else,
we paid the bill  -  CHOKE
and brought her back to her spot for her
7th night here at Camp Winnebago.

To Celebrate, after dinner,  we went back to
Scoopy Doos
where I had a double scoop hot fudge Sundae
with chocolate peanut butter ice cream,
Reece’s peanut butter cups on it
AND whipped cream and a cherry!!
They do sundaes right!!
mmmmm was it GOOD
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David, the not SO ice cream lover, had
one scoop of Rum Black Cherry
which he also declared to be great!

Tomorrow we are on our way
to Coralville Lake COE Park
near Iowa City, Iowa.

IF

the predicted 30-45mph winds for tomorrow
don’t actually show up.
Otherwise, well……….
we may just go back to
Sally’s for more pie
&
Scoopy Doos
for more ice cream.
(If you leave now Bill you might be able to make it!!)

Last day at Winnebago 011A
J
Last day at Winnebago 010A

10 comments:

  1. Fun shirt! Ice cream is good for whatever hurts, ankle or wallet.

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  2. Haha, love the tee shirt. Ice Cream makes the big bill go down easier ;-)

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  3. Yee Ha! You're ready to roll finally! :c)

    You may have choked on the bill, but there sure was no choking on that ice cream, it looked like it went down smoothly!

    The worst is behind you now, have fun on your new adventures.

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  4. Glad you got your repairs done. If it's too windy to travel tomorrow, eating more ice cream is a great idea!

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  5. Mmmmmm -- that sounds like a yummy sundae!! Hope it eased the pain of the repair bill a little.

    Hope the weather cooperates for you so you can be on your way tomorrow. Safe travels!

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  6. I've got an idea! You need to get a hand crank ice cream maker so you can get some exercise and still eat your ice cream ;o)))

    Glad to hear that Winnona has had her surgery. Don't push her in that wind, she needs to take it easy and recover...just like one of her owners!!!

    Safe Travels and Happy Trails....

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  7. Love that Scoopy Doo shirt. Glad Winona is all fixed up.

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  8. As I sit in E. Wenatchee...New oil cooler line ordered 4 weeks...supposed to be here in 5 days..My Winnebago is in the bay apart...Wrong part...Someone is out cruising the city to find a place to make me a new one..
    And what do I find??? Your Winnebago story...Hope I'm not here 7 days..I didn't bring the toad......
    Take Care!!
    Upriverdavid

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  9. Glad everything is finally done. Hopefully, she'll stay healthy now.

    Love the t-shirt. One of life's great pleasures is finding good ice cream :)

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  10. Great t-shirt! Neat trail and small town - not a terrible place to spend 7 nights and now you're on your way again! :)

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