Driving home from Wisconsin

 

The morning we left for home began terribly foggy.

You could not even see the tops of the windmills.

The fog slowly lifted.

We met up with Jan at Portage.  Her granddaughter had driven her there so we could meet up for the drive home together.

At Prairie du Sak, we stopped at the river overlook.

Pelicans

Wouldn't it be fun to have a room in a turret like this?

We passed several fields of this.

Barley?  Rye?

We took Hi 60 past Taliesen, the house that Frank Lloyd Wright built.  We'd love to tour it, but the hours are limited and not usually whenever we have passed through.

We did stop to show Jan House on the Rock which is closeby.  We didn't take the tour.  It takes too long and we wanted to get back to Kansas that day.

This place is a little creepy.

I love all these small towns.

Crossing the Mississippi into Dubuque.

We decided to check out the college that Jan's graddaugther was going to go to in the fall.  Our GPS took us on a road called Kaufmann Ave.  My great-grandmother was Amelia Kaufman (although only 1 "n").  Kaufman is a very Mennonite German name. 

I checked it out, and there were several streets in Dubuque named to honour well known families in the area.  "A man named Joseph Kaufmann served as Fifth Ward alderman from 1894 to 1896 and served as chairman of the streets committee.  He also served on the County Board of Supervisors.  His career spanned 29 years with Cushing and Son Vinegar Co. and as chief deputy for two sheriffs." - Telegraph Herald, Street Stories.

What is an alderman?  I had to look it up.  "Much like congressmen, aldermen represent the people who elect them and aim to do what's in the residents' best interest."

Evidently, Dubuque attracted many German and Irish immigrants back in the day.  Dubuque is Iowa's oldest settlement west of the Mississippi.   The first permanent settler was a French-Canadian fur trader Julien Dubuque, who arrived in 1785.  At that time, the Mesquakie or Fox Indians occupied the area.  He developed close relationships with this group and they mined lead in the area together.

Emmaus Bible College

After a short time here, we found a place to eat.

Extra weight on the right side?

We made several stops.

This guy was swerving back and forth.  Rather scary and Al passed him fast!

Close to home!

Wierd fruit, concerts and eating out in Wisconsin

Early Saturday morning, while the older girls were still sleeping, Claire pulled out our geneology book I'd compiled and we talked about our ancestors. They were persecuted for their faith in Switzerland many years ago.  Some left that country to find freedom to worship.  Some moved to Montbeliard, France, for a time, then on to Prussia, before arriving in American in 1874.  My mother's family came directly from Switzerland to the States in 1833.

Psalm 78:3-4 NIV 

"Things we have heard and known,
    things our ancestors have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their descendants;
    we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
    His power, and the wonders He has done."

We had planned to take Claire to soccer practice, but she wasn't feeling the best.  A slight fever.  Glad they send us photos and videos of Claire playing soccer.  Would have been nice to have seen her in action.  But, when one doesn't feel good... (A few days later, a few of us also got a fever for a few hours.  Luckily, it was short-lived.)

Here is a photo they had sent us of Claire playing soccer.

While Allen watched Claire, the older girls and I went to the grocery store.

We purchased a fruit we had never had before.

It wasn't bad - it was like unflavored kiwi.  Just odd.

Gillies for lunch!  Claire said she was up to it.

We played Racko!  I really enjoy this game.

In the evening, the older girls had a pizza/bowling party.  Hannah drove them.  We had a quiet evening with Claire.  

The next morning, Hannah drove us to church.

Sophia helped with nursery.

Hannah does the tech stuff.

This younger generation - it just is easy for them!

Adam and Jill came home from Minnesota in time for Hannah's 1st concert.  Covid protocol so Adam sat with his parents in one section and we sat in another. 

Hannah is 2nd from the left on front row.  

Sophia, a 7th grader, accompanied this highschool girls' choir with the cello.

Hannah had another concert later so she stayed there, but the rest of us went out to eat at a place called Backyard.  We enjoyed eating and watching Phil Mickelson win the PGA!

The next program was the honor choir made up of juniors and seniors, 

and one sophomore - Hannah!

What a joy to watch!

Monday morning, we packed up and got ready to leave.  Papa had to be back to work in Kansas.  Claire wore her Dorothy, Wizard of Oz pajamas!

Sophia was coughing and not feeling well, so she was sleeping in.  

We had kissed her the night before.

Good-bye family!!

"Mata ne!" (Japanese)

Until we see you again...