2nd week in October

 Phyllis lighting the wicks on the lighted rock we got at a festival in Montana.

The two wicks, pulling up liquid paraffin,  burning amongst the various rocks Phyllis picked up along our summer trip.

Picture of Lynn, Phyllis& Imogene Williams, taken just as we were getting ready to leave their place near Marion, IN on September 10, 2013.  She mailed me this photo.

Yesterday we drove to Griswold, IA and visited over lunch with Lowell & Silvia Shaaf.  Lowell is now retired from square dance calling, but had called for many years--he gave us lessons both in square dancing and round dancing back in the 1970's and again in early 1990's.  He has retired from farming, but does minister to two Methodist churches near Red Oak, IA.

We had taken our trikes with us and rode some 5 miles around Griswold.  Very strong wind blowing, but nice temperature in the mid 70's.

Front of Lowell & Silvia's house in Griswold, IA.

This is directly across street from west side of our lawn, looking south.  Was taking picture of clouds, but it does show the west side of the hospital and also the building that houses the helicopter crew that mans the 24/7 helicopter service from Clarinda Medical Center.

   Last week we had lot of clouds near us, though no storm here, these may have been in the system of the ones causing tornadoes in Iowa and Nebraska.

Finally adding up figures on our summer trip.
We drove the Ford Excursion total of 16,980 miles; 7,902 of those miles we had the trailer hitched on.  That left 9,078 miles driving without trailer and site seeing away from our campsites.  We were out 161 nights and leveled, chocked, etc., setting up the trailer 60 places.

We were 2 nites in Zapata, TX; 2 nites Del Rio, TX; 3 nites at Hallies near Big Bend National Park in Texas; 2 nites at Prude Ranch near Fort Davis, TX; 1 nite Odessa, TX; 2 nites Lubbock, TX; 1 nite in Palo Dura Canyon, TX; 1 nite Elk City, OK; 4 nites Wichita, KS; 2 nites Liberal, KS; 1 nite Delhart, TX; 1 nite Capulin, NM; 2 nites Santa Fe, NM; 7 nites Albuquerque, NM; 2 nites Grants, NM; 3 nites Aztec, NM; 5 nites Kayenta, AZ; 1 nite Page, AZ; 3 nites Paragonah, UT; 3 nites Page, AZ; 2 nites Sedona, AZ; 5 nites Phoenix, AZ; 1 nite Quartzite, AZ; 4 nites Santee, CA; 3 nites El Cajon, CA; 6 nites Anaheim, CA; 1 nite Kingsburg, CA; 1 nite San Bernardino, CA; 2 nites Sacramento, CA; 3 nites San Francisco, CA; 5 nites Red Bluff, CA; 2 nites Crescent City, CA; 2 nites Fort Klamath, OR; 10 nites Silverton, OR; 2 nites Elma, WA; 4 nites Squim, WA; 3 nites Gig Harbor, WA; 1 nite Sultan, WA; 3 nites Cheney, WA; 5 nites West Glacier, MT; 1 nite Missoula, MT; 2 nites Helena, MT; 2 nites Three Rivers, MT; 2 nites Gardiner, MT; 4 nites Billings, MT; 1 nite Madera, ND; 4 nites Bismark, ND;2 nites Watertown, SD; 1 nite Sauk Centre, MN; 2 nites Browerville, MN; 2 nites Lino Lakes, MI; 1 nite Eagle River, WI; 3 nites St. Ignacious, MI; 2 nites West Branch, MI; 1 nite White Lake, MI; 6 nites Raymond, OH; 1 nite Marion, IN; 2 nites Marengo, IA; 2 nites near Boone, IA.  If those don't add up it is because I can't read the chicken-scratches made in our note book that we made notes in the Ford.