Smithville, Ontario in April

On a windy Monday we picked up a 35 ft. Sightseer motor home in Forest City and thankfully, only had to drive it as far as the Prairie. It was a “two hands” on the steering wheel day!

Early Tuesday morning, with a tail wind and 23 degrees we headed east into a beautiful sunrise over the Iowa Mountains!! (There was a long north south cloud bank on the horizon that resembled a range of mountains in the distance. The only mountains we would have in Iowa!)

Nice to see green grass with no snow banks! Temp climbed to 37 degrees under a sunny blue sky by the time we reached Cedar Rapids. Over the Mississippi River, which was back in its banks, into Illinois? A few of the thousands of acres of farmland had been tilled and ready to plant. Through Chicago, into Indiana, on I-94 into Michigan.

Back to late winter, very early spring landscape with no green grass and trees with bare branches

As we drive along the edge of Lake Michigan through low tree covered hills dotted with small towns, businesses and commercial buildings the sky is full of large white clouds. Turning east toward Detroit the Interstate is lined with acres of irrigated farm land, grapevines, fruit trees, Christmas tree farms and occasional wineries.

Thanking the Lord for a safe, clean place to stay TA Truck stop.

Started early AM through Detroit to the Ambassador Bridge. Found it even in the rain. Did manage to get in the wrong lane—not a cash lane. Thankfully it was very early morning and not a lot of traffic. Found some help, paid our toll and we were on our way. Every time we have driven over it there has been lane closures and construction. This time there were huge potholes and not much space to maneuver a “dodge!” Later we read some articles in the local papers telling that there is a controversy over the building of another bridge. The private owners are planning to build a “twin” toll bridge beside this one, but there is a group trying to get government money from Canada and US to build one in a different area.

Through customs and truck inspection which consisted of looking at our log book, checking lights, and asking questions. On the road headed east in the rain driving parallel to the Lake Erie coastline all the way to Smithville.

Acres of flat brown wet farmland. Past Leamington which is known as the “tomato capital of the world!” Just brown stalks left in the fields today.

All signs are in English and then in French. Definitely a language learning experience as we drive along. Km instead of miles. Gas sold in liters instead of gallons. We paid about $4.63 a gal. Most towns have a sport center that includes an ice arena for hockey.

Near London we spotted the first remnants of snow in the ditch with fog ahead. The fog turned out to be snow! Very wet snow that was accumulating on the ground. Small pine trees are wrapped in brown cloth and tied with twine both along the highway and around private homes. We think this is protecting them from being eaten by the deer.

Smooth delivery with rain stopping while we unhooked and unloaded the unit. Back on the road in heavy rain/snow. Over the Ambassador Bridge and a motel in Detroit for the evening.

We found out that the Comfort Inn motel in Dearborn/Taylor had a special that allowed a voucher for admittance and free parking at the Ford Museum. Since the outside exhibits were not open for the season we will wait for another time to visit.

The next morning we headed west on a cloudy, cool day, but thankfully no rain. Into Indiana & through Chicago. Turned off the interstate onto Hwy 6 to Seneca, IL. Acres of farm ground having fertilizer applied. As we get closer to the river the bluffs form a tall line on one side of the road.

Seneca, Illinois

We have wanted to stop and see the old grain elevator in this town. Why? Because managing a grain elevator is on Jim’s resume! We could not get inside today, but it was an awesome sight. The crib like attached building indicated that they also stored large amounts of ear corn. It sits beside the remains of a canal that led to the Illinois River.

The M.J. Hogan Grain Elevator is the oldest remaining grain elevator built along the Illinois & Michigan Canal. The elevator, constructed in 1861-1862 allowed local farmers to ship their grain in bulk to Chicago markets via the canal, as opposed to transporting each load by horse and wagon.

Each day farmers delivered hundreds of thousands of bushels of grain. As many as 400 wagon loads which were weighed, sorted and transported by canal boat pulled by mules.

Throughout history water has been the best way to transport people and goods. From 1673 on, explorers, politicians, investors, travelers and farmers alike saw the advantages of building a canal near Chicago that would link the waters of Lake Michigan with those of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers, thus providing a water passage all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. In 1825, when the Erie Canal opened as a link between the Great Lakes and Eastern seaboard, the proposed Illinois canal gained impetus because its construction would provide a continuous water highway stretching from New York to New Orleans.

After years of planning, the Canal Commissioners began building the I&M Canal in 1836, but faced numerous hurdles including a shortage of workers, and a national financial panic in 1837. Irish, as well as German, Swedish and other immigrants, attracted by the promise of abundant jobs, flocked to Illinois to begin the arduous work of digging the 96 mile canal by hand. Jeremiah Crotty, an Irish immigrant, contracted to build 11 miles of the Illinois & Michigan Canal, which bisects the Village. Today there is a recreational trail running along the edge of the abandoned canal.

The town is an interesting mix of old buildings and homes and new. The bluffs create an interesting challenge for building and streets!

Seneca was also well known for the Shipyard, which built Navy warships called LST's or Landing Ship Tanks. The Shipyard was in operation from 1942 to 1945 with a final production of 157 LST's built. The shipyards played an important role in World War II because they helped people by providing money and many jobs to our community. There is a memorial in the park dedicated to the 27.000 employees who worked at this factory and to the service men who served on the LST.

LeClaire, Iowa

This little town next to the Mississippi River has some interesting history. Lewis and Clark camped here, first settlers came in 1834, from 1848 to 1880 it is said that 350 rivermen lived here all at the same time. They included inventors, clericals, builders, captains, pilots, engineers, cooks, firemen, raft hands, deck hands and mates, dredge hands and lock tenders. Others helped with the construction of dams or worked on shore supporting the river work. Buffalo Bill, the great scout, Indian fighter and showman is perhaps the most famous to claim LeClaire their home.

The Buffalo Bill Museum was closed for the day, but we could see the full-sized riverboat through the windows. Many interesting shops are located along Main Street and a guide showing the names of the riverboat captains that owned the houses built along the river is available at the Welcome Center. Our Super 8 was on a bluff overlooking the river. We sat at a booth beside windows overlooking the river at Happy Joes Pizza & Ice Cream restaurant enjoying both pizza and ice cream while it rained! It was too early in the season to see any barges moving up or down the river.

Hoover Museum

“My grandparents and my parents came here in a covered wagon. In this community they toiled and worshiped God…The most formative years of my boyhood were spent here. My roots are in this soil….” Herbert Hoover

Today the buildings of the town of West Branch and site help recall that historic setting. The birthplace cottage, blacksmith shop, Friends Meetinghouse, and schoolhouse are all open to the public. The town itself seemed to be a quiet, peaceful place on the day we were there.

The museum contained information both about the Hoovers and the history that helped form the decisions they made both for themselves and the country. Herbert was the second of three children born to Jessie and his wife, Hulda. His father, Jessie, was a blacksmith. He sold his blacksmith shop and opened a farm implement business in 1879. One of the ads he posted for his business stated, “Having bought my goods early, I can sell you at reasonable prices anything in my line from a sewing machine needle to a steam engine.” Jessie died of a heart attack in December 1880 leaving his wife with the responsibility of raising their 3 children.

By taking in sewing and economizing, Hulda was able to save the money from Jesse’s insurance policy for her children’s education. One of the items in the museum was a metal pattern maker consisting of 4 pieces that could be moved and shaped to fit person and style. I’d seen parts of them before, but never a whole set complete with the instruction book titled, Drafting and Cutting for Dresses, Basques, Sacques, Coats, Etc. I admire their ability to use this simple method compared to my files of paper patterns upstairs in my closet!!

She was a noted speaker in the Quaker Community and often called to nearby Meetings. On one trip in 1884 she caught a cold that developed into pneumonia and then typhoid fever which caused her death leaving the Herbert and his sister and brother orphans.

The children were sent to live with various relatives. Herbert, 9 years old, went to his Aunt and Uncle on a farm near West Branch. As a boy he fished in the creek with a willow pole, butcher string line and patience instilled by the Quaker discipline. Fishing became a life long passion as did the Quaker tenants of emotional self-containment and a commitment to worldly success matched by obligation to others. Later in life he wrote the following poem about fishing:

Fishing

Tis’ the chance to wash my soul with pure air,

With the rush of the brook or with the shine of the sun on the blue water,

It brings meekness and inspiration from the decency of nature,

Charity toward tackle makers,

Patience toward fish,

A mockery of profits and egos,

A quieting of hate,

A rejoicing that you do not have to decide a darned thing until next week!

And it is discipline in the equality of men----

For all men are equal before fish!

When Herbert was 11, he was sent to Oregon to live with his mother’s brother who owned a land company. In a geology lab at college he met Lou Henry, a banker’s daughter born in Waterloo, Iowa. She was the first girl to take geology! They corresponded after graduation and during his job with British Company as a mining engineer in Australia. He found gold, but wrote back this description of Australia—“A country of dust, black flies, and white heat!”

He and Lou were married and went to China to develop coal mines, survived the Boxer Rebellion, had 2 sons, traveled with his family all over the globe working for a company known as the “doctor of sick mines” until he established his own firm of engineering consultants based in London. Herbert & Lou translated a 16^th century treatise on mining, published it and it remains a standard reference work to this day!

The Quaker traditions of being humane and generous to others set him on a course of public service for the rest of his life.

Interesting Highlights from the Museum:

• Hoover administrated the ARA (American Relief Administration) to feed the refugees in countries in Europe during WWI. Flour in cotton sacks was distributed, but carefully monitored as to who received them because the Germans needed cotton to manufacture ammunition. The empty sacks were distributed to schools, sewing workrooms and individual artists for their use. Some were embellished with exquisite embroidery & artwork transforming them for resale. They were also made into functional bags, boxes, pillows or clothing.

• Before the ARA undertook to feed the Russian people they were eating “famine” bread made out of clay, manure, weeds and straw!

• During this time the American people were asked to have “meatless Monday” and “wheatless Wednesday” in order to have more food to ship overseas to the refugees. The slogan was: “Go back to simple food, simple clothes, and simple pleasures. Pray hard, Work hard, Sleep hard, and Play hard. Do it all courageously and cheerfully. We have a victory to win!”

• A valentine from this era stated: “To My Valentine. I can Hooverize on dinners, on lights and on fuel, too. But I’ll never learn to Hooverize when it comes to loving you!”

• As Secretary of Commerce he used his engineering skills to “standardize” many manufactured products. He also built the Hoover Dam as a flood relief project and power source.

Most people only remember him as President Hoover during the depression. We found that there was a lot more to his life and service. Definitely worth a few hours of your time.

At the Visitor Center was a display showing the Underground Railroad activity in Iowa. Many of the homes are still intact and the hiding places have been found by the new owners.

Yes, Iowa has played a big part in America’s history over the years. We thank the Lord for those who have spent time investigating facts and setting up displays to teach us of our heritage!

Back on I-80 headed to Des Moines and meeting our new great-granddaughter, attending a grand-daughter’s concert and some time with family. Our personal heritage!

Thank you for traveling with us,

Prairie Schooners

Almost to Draper, UT

It was a cloudy 37° when we picked up a 32’ gas-powered dark carmel colored Suncruiser on a Ford chassis to deliver to Draper, Utah. The unusual interior contained a U-shaped dinette with cushioned seating. The color scheme Nightingale, Black, Forest with cherry wood cabinets was rich looking, but a little dark. The dash has an actual glove compartment for the passenger. This unit was sold with a buyer waiting for its delivery!

Through to windshield:

• Thankfully no rain or snow as predicted and no wind!
• The fields have a “prepared” look. Black & smooth & ready for planting.
• Two hours south we see green grass and green leaves popping on the branches of the trees.
• West on I-80 rolling hills with windmills mounted on the peaks, graceful curving green terraces create a pattern on the landscape as we near the Missouri River.
• Irrigation systems stand in the fields in Nebraska like runners lined up waiting for the “gun” to signal the start of a race.
• Driving beside the Platte River, which is running bank full, we see flocks of pelicans on the ponds, wild turkeys are feeding with the males strutting their beautiful fan of tail feathers, and baby calves romping in the pastures with the cows.
• Signs pointing to many museums for us to explore sometime.
• Nearing the panhandle we see residual snow banks in ditches and edges of fields and on the slopes of the mountains on the horizon left from the blizzard in this area a few days ago.
• The map of north and western Nebraska in the atlas shows large areas of white with only a few lines (highways). Driving through you see acres and acres of open spaces. I believe it is called the high plains because of the low mountains covered with grass pasture.
• Into Wyoming the trees outline the river, herds of cattle graze, green fields of winter wheat make a vivid contrast, farm & ranch buildings and occasional large grain elevators beside the river.
• Some pastures have ribbons of gold/brown hay residue left from big bales of hay being unrolled or chopped for feed during the winter.
• Oil wells dot the hills. Refineries, electrical plants and wires, storage tanks dot the landscape. A herd of antelope graze.
• Rocky bluffs and deep grassy canyons.
• Rows of pine trees planted as windbreaks between the fields.
• Higher mountains in the distance with snow-covered peaks.
• Dry land strip farming gives a pattern of alternating green winter wheat fields and brown stalks from last years harvest.
• Large circles of new green and large circles of old crop brown are formed by the irrigation rigs.
• We found out from conversation with locals that this area did not get much snow this winter. They are very dry. The green winter wheat fields showed bare spots.

Cheyenne, Wyoming is as far as we go west this trip. Our unit’s alternator quit working so we leave it in “intensive care” at the Ford dealership and head back east on I-80.

Good eats this trip: (thank-you, kids, for the restaurant gift card Christmas gifts!)

• Egg tarts at the Hong Kong Buffet.
• Perkins grilled tilapia with a mango shrimp sauce. Was surprised at the “hot” peppers in the sauce.
• Perkins Benedict specials—The portabella, spinach, tomato, & Swiss cheese was super!
• Applebee’s sweet desert treat for our anniversary supper—super rich chocolate brownie cake with ice cream.

After driving under it hundreds of times, we stopped at the Great Platte River Road Archway that spans I-80 at Kearney, Nebraska.

It is an “experience” using film, computer graphics, light and sound, life size dioramas, re-enactors and classic cars to depict history spanning 150 years of transportation and communications in the United States. The Mormon Trail, the Oregon Trail, the California Gold Rush Trail, the Pony Express, the Transcontinental Railroad, the Lincoln Highway, Highway 30, Interstate 80 and coast to coast fiber optics all go through Kearney, Nebraska following the Platte River.

Did you know:

• There is a Conestoga wagon odometer? It is made of wood and measures the distance the wagon has traveled.
• It cost $500 to travel from Ft. Kearney to California via stagecoach.
• The Union Pacific was given land to build the transcontinental railroad. After it was built the company sold the land for $2.75 an acre. Emigrants from the east rushed by the hundreds of thousands to purchase land along the railroad. Small towns sprang up. For these ranchers, miners, farmers and merchants the rail road was a lifeline.
• A letter sent by Pony Express cost from $2.50 to $5.00 depending on weight. From St. Joseph, MO to San Francisco, CA took 10 days. The first stop was at Ft. Kearney, NE.
• Capt. John Sutter had 48,000 acres of ranch in California that he grazed and farmed. When gold was discovered the miners literally took over his land, killing his herds and digging up his ranch.
• With the Model T Ford came the dream of a transcontinental highway. In 1913 America dedicated its newest main street—3,389 mile-long Lincoln Highway. One man was quoted, “any old kind of automobile can get from NY to Chicago… But west of Chicago the real trip commences….then we become pioneers.”

I checked their website and found some interesting information on how this museum was constructed. The challenge was how to erect a 1500 ft structure that would cross 308 ft of interstate without stopping traffic. It was built beside the site and lifted over the interstate! It is designed to look like a covered bridge. The exterior is to resemble a Nebraska sunset.

Our last stop on way back to the Prairie was in Des Moines. Needed to hold our newest blessing, our Great-Granddaughter one more time!

Thanks for traveling with us,

Prairie Schooners

Delivery to North East, PA

After a long winter of “weather,” finally a week of good driving weather predicted. Snow was melted off the driveway making it possible to pick up the unit, bring it home, hook it up, pack it up, do our Genesis Bible Study, and one last night’s sleep in our bed.

A 36 ft Winnebago Sightseer did make it up our muddy driveway between snow banks in a dark early morning take-off. A stiff south-east wind, but clear roadway once we turned off the gravel road.

Partly cloudy sky is highlighted with shades of pink and mauve as the sun rises. Not much traffic. The effects of warm weather are visible. Bare ground in the fields and some open water in the rivers.

Praising our Heavenly Father as we sing along with our Ball Brothers gospel music CD. Crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois heading to Chicago. Chunks of ice are floating down the river. No barges in sight.

It is definitely not the “peak” travel season. The Rest Stops have very few cars, even Flying J was not busy, mostly trucks. The tree trunks have collars of brown where the snow has melted. Snow banks along the highway are a dirty grey.

Into Indiana loosing an hour as we cross out of central standard time. Large snowbanks and more snow cover everywhere as we travel east of Chicago on the toll road.

Into Ohio. Deer are grazing in the open fields. Flat farmland with neat farmsteads as far as you can see on the horizon. Two-story houses, large barns, sheds, silos and grain bins. No activity gives us the feeling that everyone is hibernating! One area has large hip-roof barns with 3 ends. A short barn is built from the side of a longer barn. Would be interesting to know who built them in this area.

Listening to the Prodigal Project series in which the author writes about his concept of life after the rapture. A vivid picture of how Satan twists people’s minds with words and phrases using their desires and lusts for evil while appearing to be for good. It seemed very real when compared to what is going in our world today.

Ohio Travel Plaza on toll way near Woodville for the night. Very nice place to stay. Separate area for RV parking, warm, clean, well-lighted with several choices of food, travel information and phones available. Our LP heater did not give us any heat! Cozy in our sleeping bags, but up early and took books into plaza to read where it was warm & eat breakfast before packing up for the last leg of our delivery.

A quick fuel stop after calculating how many gallons needed to get to destination. Back on the toll way heading east with an orange/red/pink/ mauve sunrise ahead! Past the exit to Hayes Presidential Home & Museum. We enjoyed our stop there last year. Grey black snow along the edge of the highway contrasts with the pure white on the landscape.

I-480 and I-271 make it easy to get past Cleveland. Only one area of traffic congestion where 4 high ways had exit ramps! The highways are dusty white from previous salt and sand applications.

Into Pennsylvania. We are driving through rolling hills covered with trees hiding our view of the countryside. Steep valleys with streams of slushy snow and ice mixture. Black wild turkeys walking thru the woods are very visible against the white snow.

As we get near the town of North East in Pennsylvania fields of grapevines are everywhere along with signs pointing to local wineries. The town has old buildings with lots of “character!” Grapevines growing where ever there is not a house!

Dealership was easy to find. Quick check-in.

We chose state Hwy 5 along the shore of Lake Erie as the sun broke thru the clouds highlighting the ice covered lake with acres of grapevines on either side of the road. The marinas have boats shrink-wrapped with white and blue plastic sitting on the parking lot.

We found our way to the port driving past large old brick buildings in Erie. The flagship, Niagara, calls this her home port, but she is getting some major “fixing up” this winter. The Maritime Museum is only open on the week-ends during the winter. Bummer! We did walk down to the edge of the lake. A small light house was sitting on the island across the ice covered water. Fishing houses dotted the lakeshore. A large ore boat and tug were sitting next to the dock for repairs. Behind us the sun was shining on the golden dome and cross of an Orthodox church built on a cliff overlooking the port.

Headed west and home with only one detour! Name was selected by Bennett Drive-Away office for a random drug test and directed to a clinic in downtown Cleveland, Ohio during after work commuter time! Thanks to our Garmin we found it and thankfully we were in the Saturn and not the motor home!

A Texas Roadhouse restaurant was near our motel, but full with people waiting. That left only an Italian restaurant or The Boneyard! Decided to give it a try. Excellent ribs, wonderful cole slaw and of course sweet potato fries are always delicious. Potato cheese soup was tasty. Bone décor is not so much appreciated. You can enjoy any sport you like on the dozens of overhead large screen TV’s!

Surprise! The snow banks beside our driveway had disappeared while we were gone. Can’t be very long until warm spring weather arrives, can it??

Thanks for traveling with us,

Prairie Schooners

Lake Dallas, Texas in March 2010

Picked up unit, a Via, after Jim's safety meeting. Packed. Another special night with our Revelation Bible study group. A good night's rest and on the road by 6:30 AM. Blue skies and a glorious sun rise!

Through Missouri, into the Flint Hills of Kansas. From 32 degrees on the Prairie this morning to 78 degrees! The miles seem to fly by. Our overnight stop is at the Flying J in Edmond, Oklahoma.

5:15 AM on the road with Gertrude (our Garmin) guiding us through Oklahoma City. Not so much road construction this time. A helicopter with a spotlight had been flying in circles overhead in the dark. Why??

Into Texas. Taking our exit to dealer. Washed unit. Easy, fast check-in.

On the road on the Saturn heading to Osage Beach, Missouri for a week-end of Gospel Music.

View from the windshield:
Green pastures.
Green fields of winter wheat.
White blossoms on the ornamental pear trees.
Sign: Jesus fought the battle for us at crucifixion.
Fragrance of new mown grass.
Daffodils blooming
Fruit & Veggie stands open.
Few sprinkles of rain to sunshine.

Stopped at a rest area on US-69 near Aotoka, Oklahoma for a "power nap" and discovered a roadside jewel:

Confederate Memorial Museum and Cemetery

The museum offers a unique look into the varied history of southeastern Oklahoma. From pre-historic bones, the Choctaw Trail of Tears and a stop on the Butterfield Stage Line, to homegrown talents Reba McEntire and the late Lane Frost. It is free. At certain times of the year they have reenactments. Check their website.

The quiet cemetery's ground was covered with wild flowers. Old gravestones were set under some trees on a rise between the Muddy Boggy River (formerly called the Middle Boggy River) and the Butterfield Trail. You could almost feel yourself walking along this trail in the early 1800's. The Choctaw followed this trail as they moved to Indian territory in the 1830's. By 1849 thousands of gold-seekers rushed over the trail to California.

The U.S. Government contracted with John Butterfield, in 1857, to carry the St. Louis/Memphis mail through Fort Smith to Los Angeles and San Francisco. The first Butterfield coach came through from Fort Smith, Arkansas in September 1858. Butterfield kept 100 horse-drawn Concord wagons and coaches on the trail at all times. Each carried five or six passengers, a driver, a conductor, and 500-600 lbs. of mail and baggage.

The sign advertising for the coach read as follows:

Take Butterfield's New Coach to California
2 trips per week!
St. Louis to San Francisco via Ft. Smith, boggy Creek I.T., and El Paso!
2,795 miles continuous day and night!
Fare: $200 in gold plus meals, at 75 cents ea.
Each passenger may carry 40 lb baggage---

It is recommended that each person bring:

One Sharp's rifle and a hundred cartridges; a Colts navy revolver and two pounds of balls;
a knife and sheath; a pair of thick boots and woolen pants; a half dozen pairs
of thick woolen socks; six undershirts; three woolen overshirts; a wide-awake hat;
a cheap sack coat; a soldier's overcoat; one pair of blankets in summer and two in winter;
a piece of India rubber cloth for blankets; a pair of gauntlets; a small bag of needles, pins;
a sponge, hair brush, comb, soap, etc., in an oil silk bag; two pairs of thick drawers,
and tree or four towels.

This trail was vital to settling the west, but it's impact was short lived. Service was halted by the Civil War (1861-1865). Afterward, railroads transported mail more quickly and this trail was obsolete.

The grounds currently occupied by the museum were used as a Confederate outpost during the Civil War. Soldiers camped here to guard the Butterfield Stage Road and it is possible the Battle of the Middle Boggy on February 13, 1864 was fought here.

Interesting items in the Museum:

A 5# cloth flour sack with a design ready to embroidery stamped on the back. Gay Girl phosphated, bleached flour from the Arkansas City Flour Mills Co in Arkansas City, Kansas.

A pair of clamp-on roller skates.

A sign in the 1930's kitchen:
The l930's A time of use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!

Inventor of Shopping Carts:
Sylvan Goldman, owner-operator of Standard Food Markets, one of the first chains of self-service supermarkets in Oklahoma City, noticed that shoppers would go to check-out counter as soon as their hand carried basket was full. This was not good for sales. He had assistants patrol the aisles and take the full baskets to a holding area while replacing it with an empty basket. One evening in 1937, while working late in his office, he noticed a pair of wooden folding chairs and an idea for the original shopping cart was born! By raising the seat of the folding chair and placing another seat underneath, each could hold a hand basket. Wheels could be adapted as a handle! When he tested his product the women likened the new invention to a baby carriage and had quite enough of pushing that! Men felt the carts made them look effeminate and refused to touch them. But the elderly welcomed the new invention! He hired models to push the carts and the customers realized how convenient they were. A success.

Definitely a "power nap" on steroids at this stop!

The Super 8 at McCallister, Oklahoma for the night. We found the Angel Diner beside the Happy Days Motel. (That looked like a fun place to stay, too!) The Diner had pink , black and red & white cadillacs parked in front. The parking lanes in the lot were painted pink. The food was all freshly prepared as ordered. The pizza's looked delicious. They were baked on a wooden paddle and served on a paper placemat at your table with a choice of red sauce (tomato based) or cream sauce (based on ranch dressing). Pink walls, black & white tile floor. Juke box playing 50's & 60's music. Pictures of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe along with other movie stars and antiques decorated the walls. The items on the menu were reasonably priced and specially named--Andy's Meat Loaf (very good), Barney's Beans & Cornbread, etc.

A drive in heavy rain to the Super 8 in Osage Beach, Missouri.

The Great Lake of the Ozarks Gospel Sing

Dr. Todd Forman, pastor, hosts this event each spring at The Mainstreet Music Hall at The Landing on Main Street in Osage Beach, Missouri. Check their website for details.

The motel is walking distance from the Music Hall. Choice of some good restaurants in the area including a great seafood buffet at Shoneys. An outlet mall for shopping and walking. A state park for some hiking. Fun visiting with the people sitting around you. Most of all--Great Music!!

We listened to Gold City, Perry's, Ball Brothers, Dove Brothers, Higher Power Quartet, Martins, Booth Brothers, The Lesters. Each concert is like being in a Worship Service. Each has it's own style.

Some of our favorite songs:
Martins: "Nothing Can Seperate Us From the Love of the Father" and "Nothing Takes God by Surprise"
Perry's: "Potter Knows the Clay" and "I Rest My case at the Cross"
Gold City: "Midnight Call"
Ball Brothers: "I Wouldn't Miss Heaven for the World" and "Sometimes He Calms the Storm, Other Times He Calms His Child"

We did have to deal with some rainy days this year! And a fire alarm that went off at 2 AM! A water leak into an exit sign caused a short.

Back north in sunshine humming some new tunes.

Thank-you for "traveling via the web" with us!

Prairie Schooners

Thurmont, Maryland in March 2010

We picked up our unit at Forest City on Monday. Jim finished his paper work for his spring truck driving job making this our last delivery until July. Packed the unit and spent the evening at church as Jim taught another lesson to our Revelation Bible Study Group.

On the road early watching a beautiful sunrise, hanging tight to the steering wheel as the wind blows against the motor home. A few Illinois farmers are in the field applying fertilizer and doing field tillage preparing them for planting.

Listening to audio book, "Deception" by Randy Alcorn as we roll across Indiana. Great suspense plus opportunity to see how a Christian deals with circumstances.

Our stop for the night is at the service plaza on the toll road in Ohio. They do have excellent facilities!

Another beautiful sunrise behind the Appalachian Mountains in the distance as we cross the border into Pennsylvania. Forests cover the mountains. A streams running full over the rocky landscape. The buds on the trees give a reddish tint to contrast with the green pines. Small patches of snow still visible at the base of the trees.

Lots of road construction as we cross into Maryland. Large areas of blooming daffodils in the ditches and the yellow blossoms of the forsythia bush are welcome signs of spring for these two northerners! Driving beside the Potomac River counting off the miles to our last exit for the dealership. Past the C & O National Historic Park that we visited several years ago. The turn-off to Antietam Battlefield bring back memories of being there when our daughter spent a summer in D.C. A sign indicating the Appalachian Trail crossing.

A quick check-in and found a motel. The cherry blossoms were beautiful! Discovered the Family Restaurant with a buffet. Dozens of loaves of of fresh bread to choose from, at least a dozen different varieties of pie plus great main dishes and a choice of beverages all for $9.95.

A beautiful sunny day for a scenic drive thru The Catoctin Mountain Park past a fast flowing rocky bottom creek to a turn-off for the 1 mile Charcoal Trail up the mountain. This area produced charcoal to heat iron ore for smelting until coal was discovered. The charcoal was produced by heating, not burning, logs in an enclosed area. Walking the trails on the rocky slope surrounded by large hardwood trees, oak, chestnut, maples we could imagine the sound of saws and axes, the mules pulling the sleds full of logs depositing them in large stacks near the dome-shaped furnaces. Scenic view of Thurmont area from the top of the mountain trail!

Got lost going through Hagertown, but it was a 'scenic' route! One-way narrow streets, three story narrow houses close to the street, only side-walk width from street, at stops are able to look in the first floor window! Found Hwy 40 west and enjoyed some scenic vistas!

Super 8 west of Wheeling and supper at Bob Evans. Checked our travel information on the web and found that most museums were not open until May or by appointment. A good night's rest. Another beautiful, sunny, clear, 70 degree day for driving! Love the "green" grass and spring flowers!

We found Hilltop Orchids near Cloverdale, Indiana, a stop we missed on previous trips because of time.

What a treat for the eyes! Owners, Dick and Sandy Wells, welcome you to their greenhouses, offer for sale their plants, and give a tour with a "short course" on the culture of orchids. A banana plant is growing along one wall with small green bananas. Dick has been growing orchids since 1954. Many are grown from seed making unique crosses not found elsewhere. Yes, Jim purchased one for me. A stem with dozens of miniature blooms resembling the orchid corsage he had given me for my High School Senior Banquet 51 years ago! It made the trip home and bloomed for many months. Now growing on our window shelf and hopefully will bloom again!

Back to Iowa for spring on The Prairie! Garden to be planted. Truck to be driven. Grand daughter's wedding gown to be made. A "Golden" Week-end to be enjoyed!

See you along the way!

Prairie Schooners

Syracuse, New York delivery in July 2010

Picked up a 35 ft gas Winnebago Vista with "my" colors used in the interior! (winter moss green with cherry wood)
Packed the Winnebago, finished varnishing trim, dug our garden crop of onions, moved the last appliances & furniture from the kitchen & utility room to the living room so it would be ready for M & G Floor Coverings to put down the underlay and vinyl while we were gone.
Thank-you Lord for keeping the overnight storms to the west of us!

On the road early morning, sun is shining, everything is green, we spot a colorful hot air balloon, and wild flowers bloom profusely along the edge of the highway. Pink & yellow cone flowers, white queen Anne lace, lavender bee balm, black-eye Susan, tall stocks of blue chicory and spikes of purple vervain!

We wonder how many Flying J's are still Flying J's! They have merged with Pilot but one in our area was sold to Love's. The company assures us that our card is good at both locations.

Over the Mississippi, into Illinois heading for Chicago. Money ready for paying tolls. Smooth trip through the city. Our first experience with an automatic "without a person" pay with ticket experience. Thankfully the machine talks!! Into Indiana. The fields of corn & beans are showing heat and drought distress. The grass is brown. Toll way service area for the night. Very hot so took our books in to the service center building enjoying the AC, ate supper and read until the sun was down and it was cool. Nice breeze across our bed.

Into Ohio. Crops are smaller. Fields of vegetables & melons. Winter wheat fields are harvested. A quick view of Lake Erie in Cleveland with sail boats on the horizon but not much of a view of the city because busy watching traffic and signs! Into the tree lined rolling landscape along North east Ohio.

Into Pennsylvania. Acres and acres of grape vines.

Into New York and more glimpses of Lake Erie. Another overnight stay at a toll way service area. It is cloudy so motor home is cool.

Partly cloudy morning drive through light traffic with Gertrude (our Garmin) giving directions to the dealer. A view of a ridge of tree-covered mountains in the distance. The farms have large barns & silos. This is the area that was settled by the Seneca Indians. Many canals and a site of an old Erie Canal lock.

Smooth, fast delivery and in the Saturn for some sightseeing.

A rain shower kept us from walking along a canal at the Erie Canal Park. Took state Hwy 5 through the countryside. Many huge, brick, two-story houses with a cupola on top. Must have been the "style" at one time in this area!

Found a "Budget Inn" in Waterloo, NY (not a lot of motels in this area). For $75 we got a room without a phone, an internet connection, a clock, or free breakfast! It did have an arrangement challenged bath, difficult to turn on shower, AC that worked, a TV that worked and a bed in a quiet neighborhood!! Learning to be "thankful" in all situations!

Seneca Falls

We walked along the historic Cayuga-Seneca Canal just off main street. Private yachts were tied up at the docks. They use the canal to move between lakes. Shops and restaurants line one side of the canal. Even a place to do laundry and take a shower for the boaters.

The original falls of the river were a series of raids that dropped over forty feet in the course of a mile. Early European settlers dammed the rapids to create three falls ,increasing the speed and concentrating the power of the water. Then they dug a canal next to the river to allow boats to go around, instead of over, the falls. The improvements were made so the town would grow and prosper. A century later they were destroyed for the same reason!

In 1825 dozens of water-powered factories sprang up along the river and the canal and on the islands between the two waterways.

Prior to 1914, New York State decided to enlarge the Erie Canal system to accommodate bigger boats. This project completely changed the landscape of early Seneca Falls. After damming the Seneca River, crews removed canal walls, dams and buildings on the islands. They deepened the riverbed and built new canal retaining walls. The rest of the riverbed was land-filled to provide a roadway behind Fall Street buildings. When water rushed in to fill the new canal in 1915 the old falls disappeared under the water.

Today only one original factory building still stands along the canal, Seneca Falls Mills.

The Historical Society has filled a 23 room 1889 Queen Anne Style Mansion with furnishings, items, photo's, and documents of the history of the area which includes woman's rights (this is the home of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the first women's rights convention of 1848), the Civil War, and local genealogy. It offers a glimpse into the lifestyles of Seneca Falls' industrialists. No inside photography permitted but they do have a website.

On this trip I picked up Lynn Austin's book, "Though Water's Roar" from our local library to read. She writes about how four generations of women in a family fought for their beliefs. Here I am in the town where one generation of women fought for the right to be treated as equals under the laws of the nation!

Highlights of the tour:

• Carved sunflower design in woodwork in every room and in the metal door hinges.
• Wood floors laid in the herring bone design.
• The Dining room table has 7 leaves for extension.
• The kitchen had a pineapple peeler, a copper hot water heater and a coffee roaster.
• The doors were eight feet tall.
• Checker boards were built into the floor on the landings for the children.
• The toy room had a built-in stage on one end.
• A room with Goulds Pumps, one of the 300 industries along the falls, which included a toy company, one that made cast iron stoves and corn shellers.
  
• An antique knitter for socks that had been used at the mill.
• Stained glass windows. One with the children's pictures.

Finger Lakes

Hwy 89 gives a scenic drive on a tw0-lane winding country road between the Seneca and Cayuga lakes. There are 5 long lakes in this area. They do look like fingers on a hand when you look at the map!

Interesting small towns, farms, rice fields, vineyards and wineries, lake homes, tree-lined areas, many historical markers, rocky soil and a 'full service' gas station with a side road for 2 lanes of cars to wait for their turn at the pumps! Very good price for this time of year--$2.65

The guide at the museum recommended we stop at the Cayuga Lake Creamery in Interlaken, NY for ice cream. Home made ice cream sounded good, but we were there several hours before it was open--so will try it the next time we are in the area!

Taughannock Falls State Park

"The falls are formed by a rock bed creek entering the lake and surrounded by a glen with walls climbing to 400 feet (120 meters). The cataract has a drop of 215 feet (66 meters), one of the highest east of the Rocky Mountains slightly higher even (25 ft., 8 m) than Niagara (American side), but they cannot be compared because it has much smaller volume. Taughannock is interesting year round - the falls and gorge create a natural amphitheater with dense spray rising from the bottom often shrouding the lower part of the cataract in mist. The name "Taughannock" originates either from that of the Delaware Indian chief Taughannock or as the Delaware word taghkanic ("great fall in the woods")."

Because it was so dry there was not a lot of water dropping the day we stopped. The rocky bed of the river looked as if someone had cut large squares. We viewed the falls from the top.

Corning Museum of Glass

The Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York is a must stop if you are in the area. Kids and teens are free. We spent over 3 hours and did not see everything! One area has exhibits of thousands of pieces of glass. One area has interactive exhibits that explain the different ways that glass is used in everyday life and how it is made from shatterproof windshields to lenses to fiber optics! Live, narrated glass demonstrations all day and the opportunity to "make your own glass!" Check their website for more information.

• Glass was first made in 2000 B.C. in Iraq, Nigeria and Mesopatamia. It was several hundred years before it was made in other regions and parts of Asia & Egypt. Much later in China and other areas.
• Archeologists have found clay tablets inscribed with the formula for making glass in Iraq & Turkey.
• Glass ingots were found in shipwrecks.
• The raw materials were melted. A furnace under ground had a dome with holes to insert heat proof bone with glass to be shaped.
• Glass articles were used for early trading.
• Romans used molds to make inexpensive glass dishes.
• First Century AD new markets and a new type of furnace allowed the production of raw glass in very large amounts.
• In 1963 a team of university students and the Corning Museum discovered a huge slab of glass at Beth She'arim, Israel. It weighed 18,000 lbs.
• Glass was used as weights for scales for commerce. It was easy to see if the weight had been tampered with!
• Green (my favorite color!) glass was made in central & northern Europe in the middle ages and 18th century. Some glass was mixed with potash made from ashes of trees or ferns.
• The Germans mad "trick" glasses. They were elaborately shaped and designed to be difficult to drink from!
• An exhibit of pieces made for the World's Fairs included a four foot high cut glass kerosene parlor lamp and a 10 foot long candelabra of cut glass!!
• A glass maker in Germany in the late 1800's used gas torches, pincers and other hand tools to make invertebrate sea animals from jelly fish to octopus to sea anemone and plant models from orchids to holly and even glass eyes! So realistic!
  
• Musical instruments including a glass flute and a glass harmonica.
• Early window glass was blown into a large six foot cylinder. Both ends were cut out and then split open and heated to flatten.
• Napoleon I of France awarded a prize of 12,000 francs to Nicolas Appert in 1809 for inventing a way to vacuum pack food. In 1858, John Mason perfected a way to seal jars cheaply with a zinc screw cap.
• In 1882, a German glass chemist discovered that adding boron to glass produced a durable, heat resistant that a Corning chemist perfected in 195 to make pyrex glass cookware, nuts & bolts, x-ray tubes, lab ware, skylights & pumps.
• Fiberglass started as an experiment making fabric for a dress. It was very uncomfortable. The fibers would break with movement and scratched! Back to the drawing board.

A Microtel Motel in Olean was our stop for the night. Appreciated the office available to guests for preparing our paper work for mailing.

Cutco Visitor Center

On our way through town we spotted the Cutco Knife Factory and Visitor Center. They do not give factory tours, but do have pictures taken inside the factory with explanation of how they make their knives and of course, a store!

It takes 15 separate pieces to fit together to make a folding pocket knife!

Ka-Bar knives are made for the military use. The name came when a hunter had used one to defend himself from an attacking bear and wrote a letter to the company running the words 'killed a bear' together looking like ka bar!

Formerly the knives were all hand made, but the factory is computerized.

We were just checking up to see if what our grandson, who sold them at one time, was telling the truth about how they were made. He did! They are quality knives with a quality price and do a quality job in the kitchen!

A short drive south to Rock City, an area of gigantic rock formations with one of the largest exposures of quartz conglomerate or pudding stone!

What is pudding stone? It is a conglomerate rock made up of a mixture of different, irregular sized grains and pebbles held together from a finer grain sand, usually quartz. It is a rock formed by sediments in the water.

The rocks in this area are supposedly to have been heaved up with a collision hundreds of millions of years ago. (We know that it probably happened during the upheavel at the time of Noah's flood, which was only a few thousands of years ago!)

We were greeted by a Burma Shave sign reading:
I sure am glad we came today,
Stupendous! Colossal! We hear folks say
A more awesome site you seldom see
Gazing at a boulder and not the green
Down below fantastic surprises for you.
From atop the rocks a magnificent view
Carved through water by God's own Hand.
You will enter a wonderland.

What a sight! The immense boulders balancing on top of each other, crevices wide enough to walk through, arches, the surfaces covered with fern, moss, lichen and what looks like shells from the ocean.

This area did not have the coal that miners had hoped, but oil was discovered. It is part of the Pennsylvania oil fields. At one time this area furnished 75% of the world's oil. Part of a "Parkersburg" drilling rig that was used up until 1962 is visible.

It is an awesome feeling to walk among the huge boulders. A great break from riding in the car.

The museum has a large assortment of rock samples and a video that shows the complete park tour if you are unable to walk the trails.

A Bon Air Hotel, pavilion and train station was operating in 1890 to bring tourist to this area.

Drove scenic routes into Pennsylvania through the mountains in and out of little rain showers then sun then clouds again. Around Cleveland back to I-80 for a motel at Streetsboro. Very hot and muggy. Tornadoes went through the area south of us. Supper at one of our favorite restaurants, Bob Evans!

Watched the movie, "Twelve Angry Men," on TCM. Interesting to see them change their minds when reason showed that what was presented as facts could have been wrong. What is presented as factual truth is not always so. God gave us a mind to use to make judgements on what we hear!!

The "home magnet" has kicked in. We take interstate across Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and back to Iowa! Audio books and our music tapes help to pass the time as the scenery flies by our windshield. Making notes of places advertised along the highway that we might want to stop and investigate the next time we are past this area!

The Prairie looks good and our new floor is fabulous! A good night's rest and we can start to move appliances and furniture back as our carpenter finishes putting on the trim and resets our cupboards putting on a new counter-top! We are "thankful" for safe travels and for what has been done here while we were gone!!

See you along the way,

Prairie Schooners