Let the sun shine......

It's always sunny in Iowa. At least this week it will be! The hot weather is expected to last thru Thursday. Right now it's 93 degrees, but it feels like 118 degrees! Tomorrow it will feel like 117 degrees. I have air conditioning, thank goodness! I don't let the dogs out for too long of a time.
The North Iowa Fair starts on Wednesday in Mason City. I feel really sorry for people and animals. I might go to the 4-H/FFA Rabbit Show on Sunday.
Next week is the Hancock County District Fair in Britt. On Tuesday, 26-JUL, Terri and I are judging 4-H projects. I hope it's cooler by then!
Yesterday was my husband's birthday. Ole 'Stevie Wonderful' is 54 years young. Happy Birthday to you and at least 54 more!
On Saturday, I joined Terri & John for supper at The Lantern in Mason City to celebrate Terri's birthday. I really like this Chinese restaurant. Later we went to The Candy Bar for drinks. Joining us were Jean, and April & Brad. Old pals of ours! We had a good time. The Candy Bar used to be called The Poodle, back in the days, and it was Terri's home-away-from-home in her youthful years. Happy (44th) Birthday, Terri! Love ya, man!
Lynne and I went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. I cried. I love HP and his stories. There were some surprises and explanations for events in the movie. It was a good movie, but the 1st and 4th ones are my favorite. (HP and the Sorcerer's Stone & HP and the Goblet of Fire) I've read all 7 books and have all the movies, except this one, of course. This HP & DH Pt. 2 will be my 3rd favorite HP movie. Every now and then I have a Harry Potterthon and watch all the movies in order. I can't wait to get the newest one. It will probably be out by Christmas for holiday gift giving.
July is rapidly dwindling down!!! Where did summer go?
Until next time, KEEP COOL.
Theresa

While back in Iowa.....

I've been home from my trips for about a week now. I gotta say I had a nice visit and trip. I started back last Tuesday [July 5]. I drove from Fort Collins, CO, to Fremont, NE, ALL BY MYSELF! Not really all by myself as I had the dog girls Cricket and Nattie with me. I spent the night there in a hotel Steve had reserved for me. The dog girls slept in the car.
Then on Wednesday [July 6] I drove to Le Mars, IA, and visited with my Reiter relatives. I had a nice lunch at the home of Steve's sister [Mary Beth N.] and her family, plus Steve's parents were there, too.
Later I drove over to Milford, IA, to visit my Dad and my sister [Tina S-R] and her family. Her grandson, Stratt, was there visiting for the week. My brother, Tim, and his son Carter from TX were in IA for the July 4th Holiday. That night the famous singer Damon Dotson and his wife, Dallas, joined me and Tina's family for supper and we all went out on the new boat. It was very relaxing, even it it was buggy! I spent the night at my Dad's house.
On Thursday, [July 7] I headed for home. I got home in the early evening. On Friday, I just slept!
On Saturday, Terri tricked me into going with her to Strawberry Point, IA, to return her niece, Andie, who had been staying with her and John for a week. No she didn't really trick me... Terri and I had lunch at the Franklin Hotel and it was nice. I had a chicken salad sandwich, soup, and.... yes, strawberry pie! We decided that we would make a road trip back to S.P. in October and stay in the hotel. It's supposed to be haunted you know, by a ghost named Lilly! And yes, there are lots of strawberry decorations! Did you know that there is a statue of the world's largest strawberry there?!? Get the cameras!
Since early June I have been plagued with 2 sores that will not heal. One is on my left ankle and the other is on the top of my right foot. I have been to the doctor TWICE! They were infected and required oral antibiotics. FINALLY, they are getting better, but they are still tender. I have these huge bandages that cover them. They looks odd.
All too soon the summer is slipping away.
Until next time,
Theresa

Happy 4th of July!

I hope everyone is having a great 4th of July! Tonight Steve & I, and Marie & Jeff will be guests of their friends, Sean & Sarah for supper.

Yesterday Marie, Jeff, Steve & I visited Rocky Mountain National Park. We started off from Beaver Meadow Visitor Center [elevation of 7840 ft.] and traveled up and northwest, almost to Alpine Visitor Center [an elevation of 11796 ft.] We did get to Rock Cut which is about 5 miles south of Alpine Visitor Center. DYK? - The Beaver Meadow Visitor Center was designed by the famous Frank Lloyd Wright

The roads were steep with sheer drop-offs on the sides. The park was extremely busy. We stopped at Rock Cut for lunch and pictures. It was very windy and we all put on our jackets. It even rained a little bit. We packed sandwiches, chips & salsa, veggies & dip, cookies, and bottles of water. There were restrooms there, but you had to go one-at-a-time. The toilets were like porta-potty seats but the wind could blow up them! We decided to save the Alpine visitor center for another day and turned around and headed back. And yes, there's still snow! Steve and I got some great photos!

Like I wrote, the park was full of people. We even saw a charter bus heading up toward Alpine Visitor Center. There were land rovers that seated up to 12 people too. Either way, I was glad Steve drove his truck.

Jeff told us to stay hydrated and that would help in the high elevation. Us being from low elevations have trouble, you know. Marie told me that people who drink alcoholic beverages get drunk faster if they are new to the higher elevations. You get tired faster, too. I know that when we were at Rock Cut I did get a little dizzy from the elevation.

On our way back to the M & J's house we stopped at a rock shop in Estes Park. Steve and I both got rocks and other souvenirs.

Last night we went on a haunted Fort Collins ghost tour. There were 17 in our group with 3 guides. The tour was about 1 1/2 hours long and we stopped in various places in Old Town FC. I got 8 pictures with orbs in them! There were some very enthusiastic ghosts hunters in our group! I just wanted good pics! We learned about the history of FC too. It was very interesting. I don't know that I'd go again, but I look at the buildings in a different way now and wonder. The tour company also sponsors a gourmet food tour, a wake-up coffee shop tour, and a brewery pub crawl.

Tomorrow Steve and I both leave Colorado to head home.

Until next time....

FREEDOM!

Theresa

Let Freedom Ring!

Happy American Independence Day, Everyone! I hope everyone has a great 4th of July holiday!

The Irish tourists returned on Thursday, June 3oth. I think they were glad to get home. They brought me back some souvenirs, too! I got a magnet from Newgrange, some candy, and a 'Boyle' key chain. Steve's grandma, Marion was a Boyle. The Boyles came from County Tyrone.

I think everyone [and that includes dogs] was glad to see Marie and Jeff back in Fort Collins.

Yesterday Steve drove up from KS. He had never been to M & J's new house. After a house tour, we enjoyed viewing the pictures taken on the recent trip to Ireland. What a beautiful country! Their photos really captured the green island's unique character.

Later we toured Old Town [downtown FC] and ate a mountain pie [FC style pizza] at BeauJo's Pizza. It was really good. The center of the pie is piled high with toppings. The pizza has a thick rope-shaped crust around the edge. If you don't eat all the crust you can use it as your dessert! There's honey on the table for use with the crust. They are ordered by the size of the pizza based on how many servings you want. We ordered a 1/2 hamburger and 1/2 sausage combo and a 'Skier Mike'. The 'Skier Mike' had Canadian bacon and chicken breast on it. Both pizzas were delicious!

There was quite a lot going on in Old Town. There were people EVERYWHERE! Of course, this being a holiday, why wouldn't there be! We listened to a street performer singing and watched one do tricks.

There was a woman sitting with a sign that read "I'll bet you a dollar that you 'll read this." Yes, I read the sign and yes, I gave her a dollar. I asked her if she was doing some social experiment or something. She said no, that she was jobless, with 2 kids and rent to pay. She only does this when she has time. She said she makes about $30-$40 dollars a night in donations. How sad that one has to go to such lengths to have money to live.

I saw a flyer for a ghost tour. "A guided journey into and under Old Town Fort Collins to explore local legends, hauntings, ghostly sightings, and strange happenings." There's a tour going on tonight! It lasts from 7:30-9:00pm and covers about a mile of ground. With our discount cards the cost is $10 each. Marie said she'd go with me. You can read about it at http://www.hauntedfortcollins.com/.

Well, enough of now!

Let freedom ring!
Theresa