Excellent long weekend!

Strapped the kayaks on the Subaru and headed NE. Stop 1 was at Fox River Mills in Osage - visited with Karla Smith, who I worked with back the the day (1984-1986) in the computer dept. there. Jeez I think they still have the same carpet and paneling at the plant! Good to see her.

Then on to the FMC Landfill about 15 miles away for some work. I like visiting sites so I can picture them when I talk to directors etc. Spent about an hour there with a short tour - you'd think Ken, the director doesn't get many visitors. He didn't want us to leave! He gave me a pint of pickles he canned himself - kinda sweet (the gesture though I'm sure the pickles are sweet too).

On to Decorah - Hotel Winneshiek. Lovely place, nice folks. Downtown Decorah is worth a visit - some nice restaurants and shops. We ended up at a hoppin' sports bar. The next a.m. I stopped at the Decorah Recycling facility and met with the manager and the landfill director there. Took about an hour then we were off to kayak - yippy!

Took off about 11 a.m. - beautiful day. River was busy but not packed like I'm sure it was all weekend. We stopped a bit after noon to eat our sandwiches on a sandbar. The river was high for August but not scary high. A couple bald eagles flew overhead. The terrain was lovely as usual - limestone peaks, exciting riffles to scoot over in my kayak. All too soon - around 2:30 PM we were done, pulling in at Hruska's Campground for our ride back to our car. Our poor Necky kayaks were dust covered from gravel when we arrived.

We got to jail around 4 PM. That's the Jailhouse Bed & Breakfast in Preston, MN for the Goldsmith reunion. Ken, Mary and Carol were there. Off to the Branding Iron at 6 PM for supper - met Foxes, Kelli and Denny, Vorwalds and Larry and Regina there. Somebody was having a 75th bday - noise level was jet engine level and not from the Goldsmiths!

Next day it was golf for some, Regina biked and I shopped with Mary. Last night's meal was catered at the Jail, followed by cards and hanging out. A couple grandkids arrived with their own children for that event - Annette with Megan/Caleb and Karen (Andy golfed) and Erik and Mark.

We took off around 10 AM and were home by 2:30 PM this afternoon - in time to go through the usual routine of laundry packing etc. Breakfast tomorrow with the homegirls - except Teacher (Deb) won't be there as she's on vaca. Another 3 day week for me as we're off to the Ozarks Thursday with friends. I like this schedule!

Goldschmidts

Upper Iowa, Hotel Winn Rotunda, and the front of the Jailhouse Inn

It's the eve of traveling to the Goldsmith fam reunion aka Goldsmith Golf tourney - though some of us wiser family members have chosen not to waste, ah spend our hard earned $$ on flogging.

In past years we've taken turns traveling around to sites at or near siblings home. This year we've decided to try something new - we're going exotic. We're going to jail - the Jailhouse Bed and Breakfast at Preston, MN. It's a place my buddy Deb and I have gone for kayaking in past years. Then Paul and I stayed there along with Jud a few years back on our way home from a Goldsmith reunion in Port Washington, WI. Jud was shocked to find out there was no TV! We had to play board games all night - more fun anyway.

The Jail is a delightful place all beautifully restored - large enough to fit most of the 7 remaining siblings. Each room (named for a past jailer) has its own bath. We're having the staff cater the Saturday meal after the golfers are done. Some of the fam - the ones with kids/grandkids coming are staying in Rochester at a place with a pool.

I can do all of this using No vacation time. How you ask? I am taking this opportunity to visit 2 landfills I've been meaning to get to. Hah! Won't they be surprised when I come driving in with my spousal unit and kayaks on top of my Subaru. It's win-win-win. I get to drive most of the way to the reunion on the state's nickel and on their time. The state gets some presence and oversight of a couple little visited places. And the environment is spared one trips by my combining two into one!

After a stop tomorrow at the FMC Landfill just outside of our former home in Osage we plan to stay at the beautiful Hotel Winneshiek. I'm pretending it's our anniversary that night - unless I get too tired. (one can do that when one has been married some 28 years...). I'm looking forward to looking around Decorah too. The next day - it's off to the Winneshiek recycling facility. Woohoo! It's what I live for...

Then on to kayaking - either the Root or the Upper Iowa, if it's not too flooded. Gorgeous sheer cliffs and bald eagles - you would never know you're in Iowa there. One year, Deb and I did the upper end of that bad boy - if you're lucky, one day I'll tell you that tale...it involves tippy canoes (or kayaks), lost bridges (the mouth kind - due to Milk Duds), and cattle crossings. Exciting - no?

I'm looking forward to seeing the fam. We all talk at once! Except for the quiet ones (there are a few). More next week. With photos!