Aaron stopped to give me a Kwik Trip gift card, and in talking we discovered he used to live in my hometown: Ashland, VA!
FYI, Kwik Trip is a regional gas/convenience chain, and has become a personal favorite of mine. Its stores carry a reasonable selection of good, cheap produce (apples, oranges, pears, bananas), quite unusual among American gas stations.
Thanks to Jameson and Nate for all their generosity, of both the monetary and edible varieties!
I had a very educational stay, learning from John about glacial topography, contour farming, and making popcorn on a stove. Priscilla is a master quilter, and gave me a beautiful quilt she made. (In case you're wondering, I don't have much room in the cart, but Mom's coming to visit tomorrow and I can send it home with her.) And at breakfast this morning we discovered that they're good friends with the family of one of my high school buddies!
Last night I was welcomed with open arms from the second I arrived. Connor and I played fetch with Bailey the dog, and Mark whipped up some dinner for me. When Cathy and Molly got home later, we all hung out on the deck talking for a while. I even got to jump in their hot tub! (I'm really roughing it out here.) This morning Connor and Molly got up early to make me an enormous feast for breakfast, and they sent me off with a bunch of goodies, too.
From left to right: Connor, Molly, Mark, Cathy
Molly and Connor set up this photo op just before I left this morning.
Bailey (right) is a relentless fetcher; Penny got in with the horses this morning and tried to round them up.
I think. Anyone know for sure? It's just west of Rt. 55 as it crosses I-494.
I couldn't get a photo that did justice to the quilt, in all its intricate details, but this one is decent.
A section of Hiawatha Ave in Minneapolis is lined with grain elevators. I think I saw only one other mural though.
She finally got in yesterday afternoon after some flight delays. I'm taking today off and will be back on the road tomorrow.
Located at the corner of 8th Street North and 9th Street North. Really!
Or twisted toyland murder scene?
The poem reads:
I love you...
When you're smiling
When you're bad
When you're kidding
When you're sad
When you're playing
When you're blue
The reason I love you is because you're you!
Thanks to Kurt and Rhonda, my hosts last night, for this lovely card and the delicious bagged lunch in which it was packed!
Friends of my friend Anna, they had me on a rigid and strenuous schedule from the moment I arrived: beer, dinner, dessert, hot tub, beer, sleep, breakfast. Good thing I'm tough enough to withstand all that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I really must get back to eating the enormous feast they packed me for the road.
From left to right: Roxanne, Russ, Sandy, Annie
In the background you can see Would-have-been-an-awesome-mailbox-if-I-hadn't-seen-this-even-awesomer-mailbox-first #1.
