Wyoming Trip #2

August 6, 2022

    After our overnight stay in Rawlins, we only had about a 4.5-hour drive to Jackson. The landscape is desolate and almost desert-like. We stopped for lunch at a lovely little cafe in Pinedale. Their outdoor seating area was cute, but rain showers kept us indoors. The puddles at the curb made it challenging to cross the street to our car. We arrived at the Edwards' home at about 2:30, greeted by Daisy. Ross and Gloria were picking Judy up at the airport. After settling in, the five of us headed for a walk to the Snake River and Rendezvous Park.

Pedestrian Bridge over the Snake River

We continued our walk through Rendezvous Park.

Stepping Carefully

During our walk, we encountered a troll that was hard to photograph but made a big impression up close. The troll is made of reclaimed wood, driftwood, steel, and rocks made by Thomas Dambo, a Danish artist and recycling activist, calling the work of art Mama Mimi, 2021. He has more than 80 such sculptures around the world.

Enjoy these photos of the troll.

According to one website I visited the troll be on site for 3-5 years. 

Wyoming Trip #1

    Early in 2022, Ross and Gloria invited Judy, Ray, and me to visit them in Jackson. We were looking forward to the August visit and finally decided to take three days for the drive remembering that five years ago we had made the trip in two days. This time we'd be more relaxed.

    We left at 8:30 on August 4 and drove through some heavy rain showers the first hour or more. The central route west was on I-80.

    Driving through Iowa, we saw a large item, almost like a feather standing straight up and wondered what it could be. 

Wind turbine at the rest area

Plaque

Since it's hard to read, I've typed the primary information from the plaque below.

The Siemen's B45 IntegralBlade was manufactured under a patented process as one complete, seamless blade with no glued joints. The design and manufacturing process helps ensure a robust structure capable of reliably producing clean electricity for 20+ years. The primary materials used in manufacturing Siemen's wind turbine blades are epoxy, fiberglass, balsa wood and paint.

Length: 148 ft     Width: 11.2 ft     Weight: 23,098 lbs. 

Our first overnight was in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Friday, August 5

    We were on I-80 all day rolling through Nebraska, and came to Gothenberg, a small Swedish community. The highway sign "Pony Express Station" piqued our interest, and we left the highway to find the station. We learned that it was moved from its original site to its present location in a city park in 1912. 

An original Pony Express Station

A mannequin depicting an express rider

We were grateful for an air-conditioned car as the outside temperatures reached 102. Entering Wyoming, we drove through a rain storm, and the temperature dropped to 60. 

Our overnight stay was in Rawlins, Wyoming.

Celebrating our 60th Anniversary

I have a long way to go to catch up, and in this post, I'm writing about our anniversary party on July 8. I had been thinking of having a party to celebrate for about a year, but when we returned from France, we began making plans earnestly. We chose the local American Legion Post as it was familiar to many and locally centered. Invitations were designed, for friends from church, bridge players we know from the Greenwood Senior Center, and pickleball players. 

Invitation

Each guest had this at their seat.

On the backside was information from 1962.

We celebrated a few days early since Bart, Christy, and Persephone were in Indiana. They helped us decorate and get the venue ready for our guests.

                                  

Bridge Friends

Church Friends

Pickleball Friends

Church & Pickleball Friends

Bart & Persephone

Church Friends

Church Friends

Church Friends

Dustin, Carrie, Kylie, Bart, Christy, Persephone & Joe

As I write this, I enjoy seeing all the smiling faces who shared the day with us. I regret that I don't have a picture of Ray and me together that day. I do have photos of us from other occasions but not this one.

Traveling in France #7

Saturday, May 28, 2022

The alarm went off as planned at 4:30. Ross had hired a taxi to pick us up at 5 a.m. to drive us to the train station in Epinal. The driver arrived on time, and we had some time at the train terminal before departure. The train arrived in Paris at the Gare de l'Est terminal, one of several in the city. We had to find our way to terminal Gare Nord. Somehow we managed to find it without being lost very long.

The next leg of our journey was to take a train to Charles de Gaulle airport to get a bus back to Amsterdam. The Gare Nord terminal was a nightmare. We seemed to be going in circles, passing through the same gates and going from one level to another. Finally, an attendant must have seen our plight and asked where we were going. He directed us to the right train to Charles de Gaulle. Of course, the airport was huge, and we walked a long way to get to Terminal 3 and then across a big parking lot to where buses were parked. I showed the driver our tickets and was relieved that we were in the right place.

Our transportation to Amsterdam

From the bus window

We probably were the last two passengers to get on the bus calling it a miracle to have made it this far. We still had a long bus ride to the Amsterdam airport, including two stops en route. When we departed the Bla Bla bus, we had to find a shuttle to the Ramada Inn, where we had a reservation. We searched and asked where the shuttles were but couldn't locate the right area. 

Planning to ask for better directions, we walked into a hotel and noticed that they offered the Covid tests we needed before boarding the return flight home in the morning. We were happy to have the tests, another miracle since we didn't know where we would get one. After the covid tests, we resumed our search for the Ramada shuttle. The weather had turned windy and cold, and I was shivering, but eventually, a shuttle appeared, and we were on our way again. When we checked in, we arranged for a return shuttle in the morning and headed to our room at 9 p.m. We were tired and hungry and enjoyed a sandwich from the snack bar. It was a very long day!

Sunday, May 29, 2022

The alarm sounded at 8 a.m. We boarded the shuttle at 9 a.m. and arrived at Amsterdam airport. We soon were in line to pass through security. Due to personnel shortages and crowds, the line moved slowly and seemed to take forever. We were able to show our negative Covid tests and eventually boarded the plane headed to Chicago's O'Hare. 

The Netherlands from the air

I had time to watch four movies! Once we landed, we found the shuttle to the Holiday Express, where we had left our car. We stopped for a light supper on the way home but should have chosen a different restaurant. The wait was long and frustrating. We arrived in Greenwood at 10 p.m. (4 a.m. Amsterdam time), having been awake for 20 hours. It felt good to be back in our bed. 

Traveling in France #6

Friday, May 27, 2022 

We left early from Corre and cruised through 10 locks. From this point on, the canal system provided a clicker to use when we approached a lock. Jim no longer had to pull the rope to get the green light for us to proceed. At least once during our journey, we had to wait while another boat came through the lock.

We encountered an unusual situation as we approached a street that crossed the canal. We waited until the attendant moved the road into position, allowing us to pass through.

Here the roadway is moving
to allow us to pass by.

After we passed, the street returned
to its original position.

Jim climbed many ladders, 
probably one at every lock.

The further north we cruised we saw less
farming, and noticed evidence of lumbering.

We couldn't see what might be hiding
behind the flowering growth. Was it a chateau?

Lots of trees on both sides of the canal.

A welcoming wave!

We arrived at Fontenoy-le-Château, our final destination, at about noon, having cruised 230 km (143 miles) and passing through 31 locks in six days. We found a nearby restaurant and enjoyed an authentic salad bar, a main course dish, and dessert. Our afternoon was free to wander through the town. We visited a church that had regular services with a cemetery on a nearby hillside. 

These benches don't look comfortable.

Beautiful stained glass windows.

Cemetery on the side of a hill.

Exterior of the church and 
a monument to those lost in wars

Nearing the end of a trip to remember

Our final meal together was again on the top deck. We cleaned out the galley for a potluck dinner accompanied by some good French wine. We said farewell to our traveling companions, and then Ray and I packed our bags and set the alarm for 4:30. 

Traveling in France #5

 Thursday, May 26, 2022

We continued cruising on the Saône, going through several locks. The small villages house the farming community, unlike in the U.S., where the farmer lives on his land. 

We waved to the campers and
fishermen as we passed by.

Jim's job was to grab the
rope to activate the lock.
When the light turned green, we could enter.

Activating this mechanism started
the water flowing into the lock.

Jim found special treats when
visiting the local bakery.

Walking to the church, we
enjoyed the swans and flowers.

We had time to walk through the village and came to the church. The rooster is a favorite symbol of France and is seen in many places.

The French kings adopted the rooster
as a symbol of courage and bravery.

A cemetery surrounded the church, but we learned that it is only open three times a year.

We looked over the church wall (to the right but not seen in this photo) and started conversing with a man watering his garden. He was from London and had invested $300,000 in a 26-room house with 16 fireplaces. Five rooms are livable. We would have loved a tour but weren't invited.

Where the villagers washed their clothes.

Waiting for our order of pizza. 

Today was Ascension Day, and all the banks were closed in France. Our overnight was in Corre.