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Rainbow at Mt Top RV
Tarentum, PA
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Just for fun I'm posting our trip looking back over the road miles so far while starting out with the rainbow here this evening in Pennsylvania after the short heavy cloudburst. It absolutely would not be my home here if we did not have a shower or two duriong our stay, good PA rain just as I remember it from childhood when I always tried to sneak off the porch or out the door to run through the thunder storms, attracted to the downpours and distressing my grandmother or mom, both of whom sought to keep me dry while explaining to me the dangers of thunder and lightning. My fascination continues today with living in the Midwest, although I do know not to get involved with lightning, I did outgrow that attraction, still I do enjoy watching a good downpour which I fancy as earth cleansing.
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Jerry at Longhorn's door
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We celebrated Jerry's birthday this evening at a favorite chain Longhorn Steakhouse, and Jerry being a steak guy was quite pleased to return there. Sure wish we had such a quality restaurant and steakhouse back home in MN. We were early this evening but business was booming which indicates the economy is just not that bad in this neck of the woods. Longhorn is at the Pittsburgh Mills Mall which hosts the gamut of restaurants Smokey Bones, Olive Garden, Red Robin, and ever so many more and every single one was busy--imagine that in Tarentum, PA on a Monday night, every one is eating out. To the right is the birthday boy himself ready to enter although it sure looks as if he is questioning whether this is the place, whether this is what he wants to do, or maybe whether Longhorn is ready to provide the meal and service he expects. We did and they did and all was great, goodtime had by all.
We are here 886 miles more logged onto the motor home this trip, 16.5 hours drive time, 132.9 gallons of diesel including a full tank now, $527 poorer with diesel fill ups, and the end of our 5th day of this venture but only $225 for lodging and that is paid up through next Sunday. We have been blessed with good travels so far and today checked on Uncle's house (it will always be Uncle's house to me although he is gone and I have the estate to administer). All is in order and other than a couple burned out light bulbs where evidently the realtors who have been inside neglected to turn lights off after leaving. all is OK. The lawn needs a good mowing, so that meant a follow up nag to my nephew who runs a lawn and landscape service and assures me he is taking care of it all. If that is really so, and I have to trust that it is, why when we showup isn't the lawn freshly mowed? We used all the roundup that we had left behind last year on the bumper crops of weeds and giant thistles in the flower beds which no longer sport the flowers that Aunt Marge used to cultivate. Because I worry about getting this home sold so that we can close out and settle the estate, I am grateful that all seems as in order as can be expected. We will be meeting with the realtor this week as well as the estate attorney and accountant. Sigh......
Our first night of travel we stopped for an over night at Caboose Lake Campground RV in Remington, Indiana. This is a lovely RV site used by many local families in the area as a destination for weekends. Downside is that it is right along interstate 65 and the constant traffic from that highway makes sleeping difficult. Jerry can sleep anytime anywhere, but I didn't get much rest despite using ear plugs. There are many amenities here including a trout stocked lake and easy access off Highway 24 which we drive across Indiana, wide pull through level sites, but I wonder why they don"t plant trees as a sound barrier to the interstate.
Our first destination on the way though was Decatur, IN to visit friends Barb and Paul, who live on the outskirts of Monroe, IN and to see their new home; they sold the farm house and barn to one of the sons and built a beautiful spacious home on the property. I did not take a picture of their spacious 2000 sq ft. open floor plan with the same square footage downstairs in the finished basement complete with another kitchen. Barb joked that not only could they wheel around if they ever end up in wheel chairs but if they need live in care takers, they can live on one floor and the caregivers on the other. Barb has retired from her catering and cake decorating business but with 7 grand daughters from ages 3 to 23 and 2 sons and families all living near along with cousins and long time friends she is always cooking and baking. She has a small chest freezer filled with cookies alone that she bakes continuously for everyone to enjoy. She had a pie ready for us, something called Indiana Cream which is delicious and which Jerry, the pie eater in chief has been eating nightly. Barb has been using the kitchen downstairs and said since moving in Thanksgiving she still has not cooked a meal in the upstairs kitchen.
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| Berne, IN Clcoktower |
Saturday May 5 was Kentucky Derby Day but we were both so full from dinner the night before with Barb and Paul and constant food from breakfast to midday, we watched without snacking. However before the race, I journeyed into Berne to see the local attraction--the Swiss clock tower park. This area is replete with Amish but many of the others are descendants of Swiss settlers. For several years the tiny town of Berne hosts Swiss Days right around the July 4th holidays; and for a few years there has been work to build a clock tower park in the midst of the town. There are local jokes about the cost of this, but it is a beautiful center and certainly a place depicting their heritage. The massive clock tower still needs work and friends said the hands of the clock fell off shortly after they were attached calling for more craftsmanship.
I think they can be rightly proud of their park, completed now at a time when so many municipalities are barely able to make a go of it, the hardworking diligent citizens of Berne with strong work ethic have built a monument to their heritage and the wisdom of remaining true to their values is center visible to anyone who drives by.
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Swiss banners in the Clocktower Park
Berne, Indiana |
