Good Morning, Friends!

It’s a little chilly here, but it feels good. They’re talking low 70’s for a high today, along with light showers throughout the day until rush hour when the rains will become heavier with thunder.
Guess when we planned to go to the State Fair? Yep. You got it. Right around rush hour today.
We came home from camping a day early so as to avoid packing away a wet camper in the rain. Goodness knows we have done it before. In fact, when we first started camping when the kids were little and then again when we started backpack camping when they were teens, it rained every time we went camping.
Every. Single. Time.
One of my favorite pics of Science Woman was taken on one of our first backpacking forays at Afton Alps.
She is sitting on a picnic table, shoulders slumped, head down, water bottle dangling from her hands, rain suit on, hood up. I would title it, ” We’re Having Some Fun Now, Hunh?”

Thankfully we did continue past those first rainy times. We have had some glorious weather and horrible storms in our camping lives. And, we still camp so that is a good thing.

The hubster and I are cheat camping now that we and our respective knees are older. We camp in a pop up camper. But we still choose to camp in national and state forests where the trees still surround you and the toilets are still one holer pit toilets albeit with cement floors.

Last weekend we were in our state’s hardwood forest in SE Minnesota. I thought that with the last weeks before Labor Day, we would have a problem finding a site we liked. Nope. We had our choice of either of the two we like. And, the campground didn’t fill up throughout the day, either.

Maybe people were going to the State Fair instead of camping.

In any event, we were close to Wabasha, the quilt store there and in Alma, and the stockcar races in Fountain City. We were both happy campers, excuse the pun.

The quilt store in Wabasha is the back half of a coffee/ice cream shop. Genius! The hubster followed me around the fabric aisles, before he left to sit down with some coconut almond mocha ice cream. Win-win!

The visit to the quilt store in Alma was achieved when the hubster missed the turn for the marina. He had to turn around anyway, and it put us practically in front of the quilt store. ( I had been there before, and knew as soon as he missed the turn, that we would have the opportunity to shop there again! I considered it to be divine intervention.)

We were in a bit of a hurry, so I shopped efficiently. I may have chatted with the owner longer than I actually shopped.( I know, I know. Imagine that.) After the building sells and she closes the store, she will be writing a book about her experiences running the quilt shop in Alma. She went to school to be a writer and figures that she has one good book in her. I’m looking forward to it!

The reason we were hurrying was (and yes, this is an actual transition!) we were going to the stockcar races in Fountain City at Mississippi Thunder Speedway.

Quilt stores for me, stockcar races for the hubster.

On the way in after parking the car, we saw many people carrying folding camp chairs with them. What gives? Didn’t the racetrack have bleachers? The hubster said we could bring the new beach chairs, but I was afraid we’d be laughed out  of there. ( they are the Tommy Bahama brand plus they’re little ) Our camp chairs were back at the tent. Hmmm…

Once we were inside, we could see bleachers available, so that was good. We could sit there. Below the bleachers and walkway were  cement tiers wide enough for folding chairs. AHA!

And after sitting on the bleachers for four hours, we vowed we’d bring the taller camp chairs next time.

When we got to the last few races, though, I moved out of the bleachers and down hill to the folding chairs by the tables and the line of port o potties. The noise, dirt and dangerous curves were too much for me. But I heartily encouraged the hubster to watch.

And watch he did, standing by the fence  on the straightaway, amidst the noise, dirt, and smell of racing fuel. He was a happy camper. And so was I, people watching while sitting in a chair with a back on it!

One other thing about the raceway: the recorded version of the Star Spangled Banner was the best I’ve heard. I teared up and so did the hubster. It was from a combination of how the music was arranged and sung along with the respect and honor the crowd as one gave the moment. Memorable.

Oh, and the next morning, in the dim light, the hubster saw a shadow on his pillow. Yep. Wasn’t a shadow. It was residual dirt in his hair from the racetrack!

On our way home from camping we drove up on the Wisconsin side. (Char, sorry we didn’t stop in Stockholm  at Hugga Bugga. I did wave!) Around lunch time, I knew we’d be driving right past the Hager Heights Drive In, so I suggested it.

For those of you who didn’t grow up in Red Wing, this is a well known stop for delicious broasted chicken. We used to drive over whenever my mom was busy with a project and needed a meal option.

So we ate at one of the picnic tables there, keeping an eye on the car with the windows rolled down for the cats’ comfort. An elderly couple sat on the other end of the table, and the wife began with ,”So where are you folks from?”

It sounded so much like my father’s opening gambit.

We chatted pleasantly back and forth, each building on what another said, nobody with an agenda.

I’ve always thought that simple conversation should be taught, along with real listening.

Anyway, the funniest story was when the husband told us that back in the good old days, there used to be a roller rink on the island.

And, again for those of you not from Red Wing, the island is on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi right across from Red Wing.

He said that a fella used to be able to go there looking for a girl. Then, after skating, they’d got over to Sorin’s to park. ( It’s a bluff in RW that is called Memorial Park)

If you weren’t lucky enough to be able to get a girl to go parking with you, he said, they all had spotlights on their cars, so the unlucky ones would go shine the parked cars, breaking up the passionate embraces.

I said, “So it was a win-win?”

He laughed and said yes.

We chatted some more and then wishing each other a pleasant Sunday, we went our separate ways.

I love those golden moments that happen when you least expect it. The national anthem at the raceway was another.

Oh, and speaking of golden, we saw Speedo Guy at the beach in Wabasha. His bathing suit matched his baseball cap, both being a golden yellow. And his tan? Wow. It would have made George Hamilton jealous. After a quick dip in the river, he sat facing the sun, back to the river, stretched out for a  full suntan. When we left he wished us a nice day, and I wished him one back.  His comment, “Well, if it weren’t for these clouds!”

He was one serious tanning dude.

Did I mention he was in his upper eighties, maybe lower nineties?

I wondered how he developed into a tanning dude when he was clearly older than a teen in the sixties when we used baby oil as a tanning agent. How did he navigate his world growing up with the tanning dude inside him? Or, was this a later in life decision? Or, maybe he was from California? Whatever it was, he was clearly content with being himself, and for that I commend him.

I wish you some golden moments today.

Me? I’ll be suiting up for the rain at the State Fair.

Big Hugs to you all.

Love,

Janet