Full days

 We went out to eat when I arrived in Wisconsin.  They had been busy all day packing.  And they said we were going to celebrate an early birthday for me.

Afterwards, Jill, Hannah and I went to a park to take some pictures.

Can't believe she will be a senior this fall!!

The next morning, Adam and Jill were taking Hannah to camp to be a camp counselor.

Good-bye, Kobi!

After dropping Hannah off at camp, they were going to Door County to celebrate their 20th anniversary!

Good-bye, Claire!

The girls helped me wash my car that first day.  It was so dusty from my trip up.  I had called Adam to find out where the hose was to the front of the house and where was the faucet?  "In the garage."  "IN the garage?!?"   I had never heard of such a thing, but I guess up north it has to be a thing because of the cold!

We went to the store and bought a puzzle to work on while we were there.

We took Kobi for walks most days.

Or exercized him with playing frisbee.

Claire exercized too. 

We went to two different pools.

We did art.

Sophia re-painted one of my entry rocks.

And I painted a rock too.

This represented Jill and Adam kayaking.

We went to the playground

and played out front too.

We went out to eat...

Claire made her own Ice Cafe where we ordered from a menu she made.   She made us some smoothies.

I took Sophie to her two different jobs.

What fun it was watching these kids while Adam and Jill were gone!

They are just delightful!

We missed Hannah but she was having fun at camp with kids!  

We did a couple of "field" trips and I will post that next.

Kolona, Iowa to Wisconsin

I slept well.  In the morning, the Dutch Country Inn had the best hot shower with great pressure!  

After dressing, I went to the lobby for some yogurt and Amish cinnamon rolls!  Oh yum!

There were 3 Amish couples in the lobby and although they said "Good morning" to me in English, the rest of the time, they spoke Dietsch.  I went back to my room to have my devotions and to get packed up.  I noticed a van drive up and the couples loaded up with their "English" driver.

Being Sunday morning, I decided to attend the Kolona Mennonite Church.

This lady, Ida, was so kind and asked me to sit with her.

I found some Grabers (below)!  In fact, I was told more than once that there is another Debby Graber in Kolona.  She attends a different church, I believe Old Mennonite. I also talked with a Miller who was originally from Crystal Springs, Kansas!  

Most of these people had roots from Alcase, France, so am sure we are distantly related.  I also talked with a couple who would be related on my mother's side, who had the same last name as my mother's mother.  

I left Kalona around 11:30 and headed straight east on Highway 22.  (Follow yellow line at bottom of this map.)

Riverside, population 1,021 in 2020

Nichols, population 376 in 2020

Took 22 to 61 and then headed north at Davenport.

Gorilla

Bison

(you can purchase bison meat here)

Deer

These were all new roads to me.

We've been through Dubuque umpteen times, but have never come from the south or passed the airport before!

At Dubuque, I stopped for a dip cone.  I asked for a junior cone, but look what the guy gave me!

Here's the barn we have watched fall down over the years.

And then I arrived at the kids' house!!!  Yay!!!  Looking forward to watching these 2 kids for the week!