From Florida to Iowa

I'm back from the AP Reading in Daytona Beach, Florida. This was a hard year to be away as while I was gone most of Iowa was flooded something terrible. I would like to get a picture or two from downtown Waterloo, but as I just got back, I haven't had time to do that. Thanks to all of you who've asked me how we're doing. I'm happy to report that we're good. Ken and I have no water in our basement or home, and all of our family is dry too. I wish I could say the same for the others in Iowa.

I have 1-2 pictures of Florida on my camera to get off yet, but I thought I'd share a couple of fun ones from Ken and my Memorial Day weekend camping trip to Backbone State Park with Mom, Melissa, Jeff and Audra.

These were taken in the few days before the big Parkersburg tornadoes hit. Here you see Ken (ever the child himself) playing with my neice Audra in the sand at the swimming lake. Ken was trying to make a small castle and, for a short time anyway, Audra was helping. Then she discovered it was more fun to let him build it and then she would smash it. The next picure shows her demolishing the castle as Ken tries desperately to save it. It's a good thing he likes rebuilding. And no, the man in the background is not passed out or dead...that's my brother-in-law Jeff, Audra's dad, enjoying some downtime while Ken entertains Audra.

In other news, Ken and I are going to try to have a garage sale tomorrow. In the process of unpacking, we've discovered so much stuff that we really just don't need. And so, we're going to try to make a little money in the process of getting rid of it. Everyone says were' crazy and it's so much work. Well, yes, they're right, but We're going to try it. We may never do this again. More news on the garage sale and Florida trip later.

Here's a final shot of a big strawberry in the small town of Strawberry Point, IA. And who said Iowan's aren't fun?