Summer fun in the Heartland

 Aerial spraying our beans at home.

   I  recently explored several urban bike trails on my super-swell folding bicycle while Tom attended a power conference.  Next thing I knew there was a winery.  I opted for the 3 samples for $3, but the lady gave me 3 additional samples "on the house."  It was a rather wobbly ride back to the hotel. 

 Farm machinery parts stores don't always get Tom's name quite right.  The best is when the parts people hide your order in the bushes outside the store because you can't get there until after hours. It's like farmer-style  PokemonGo!



Moving day in Hancock!  See all those empty shelves where the mini beer mug collection used to be?  The collection is in my office at work now (see the next picture).  Charlie came to watch the big move and to see Mom and Dad end a chapter and start a new one. 

 Mom insisted on a walk through so she could inspect the empty house. Here she is with Charlie in the cellar.

 And there goes the truck!  The movers had quite a corner to maneuver on a very steep hill, but they did it. The whole thing made me teary-eyed but not my parents! They were excited to make the move! 

 This is the kitchen in their new home.  Very spacious and full of all new appliances! We still had some unpacking to do.

 Carolyn and Kylie made a nice wreath for their door. And Rex the Dog came out of a long retirement to guard their doorway (bottom right). 

Mom's cap from Bellevue Nursing School in NYC, a Yankee baseball, and a Rutgers beer mug on a placemat made by Aunt Harriet...and Rex keep watch below.

Mom is checking for mail. They seem pretty happy with their move. No more mowing, shoveling, or driving up and down steep Sutterlein Street.  Acacia Village hosts a happy hour every Friday which is a big hit.  The food is good, there's lots of places to get exercise both indoors and out, and most of all, they like the people they've met! 

Wrapping up my radical sabbatical

I got to be with Elwoods three times in the span of 3 weeks! First, I went back to NYS to help my parents begin the seemingly daunting task of preparing to move to a retirement community. A week later my brothers, their families and I surprised my parents when my dad was honored as Republican of the Year for his many years of service to Delaware County. The third event was for my niece's commencement from college.

My sista-in-law Carol did a fabulous job making all the travel arrangements for my parents and her mom to attend Teri's commencement from the U of AZ!

Sista-in-law Carolyn and daughter Kylie

Tom and I attended Karen's masters degree commencement in environmental science from U of CO!  Joel and Karen

While Dan was off in Mexico with one roommate, his other roommate allowed us to hold Karen's graduation party for 16 people at their house. As you can see Cole didn't mind at all - he got free beer, food, 2 kinds of homemade pie (LC), and a cleaner kitchen by the time we left.

Correias and Schlatters

After dropping farmer Tom at the Denver airport I set off for Tucson, AZ for niece Teri's graduation.  I bagged 5 national parks en route: Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, and the Grand Canyon. The drive was an incredible experience with stretches of 50-60 miles between tiny little towns. One road was so beautiful and scary that I didn't even dare stop and take a picture!

Bryce Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon National Park

Here is Teri with her grandma Judy and boyfriend Ryan at the Material Sciences Engineering commencement dinner. Teri graduated with honors and has already started work at a company with government defense contracts.

Karen and Joel attended the festivities, too!

Elwood girls and their grandparents

Au revoir, France!

The farmer couldn't resist jumping out of the car to snoop around on some Frenchman's farm ground. There were a lot of rocks but maybe that's what you get when you farm in the foothills of the Alps!

 Stopping for some rose along the French Riviera.

 We relied on Abby and Matt's book of detailed maps and google maps which I could access from my iPhone to navigate around the country.  We determined our route largely based on weather forecasts to try and capitalize on the best weather possible.  Our itinerary evolved everyday.

Paris
Dijon, in the Burgundy region
Beaune, Burgundy region
Aix en Provence, Provence
Nice, along the French Riviera
Gap, in the French Alps
Tournus, in Burgundy region
Epernay, in the Champagne region
Paris, Charles de Galle airport

 Tom always seeks out a haircut when in a foreign country. Imagine his delight when this tall French beauty stepped up to cut his hair.

 The Alps

 An Abby dating from the 1100s in Tournus.

 We had dinner at a Michelin 1 star restaurant where they served 6 courses with 6 wine pairings.  They didn't count the fried fish from the river as a course, it was more like an "included appetizer."  Tom didn't want to eat the head and eyes, but I did.

 Here is Tom on course #4, beef and red wine.

The last course was dessert - a very decorative fruit which I didn't like. When I didn't eat it the server asked if something was wrong. Then she went and told on me to the chef who came out to ask if anything was wrong!  I politely explained that I didn't care for the sweetness, but he wasn't buying it. He said the fruit dessert is a very special plate that he prepares, and seemed annoyed that I wasn't eating it.  Of course, I was on wine pairing #6 and found it easy to let his comments slide.

We had this beef Burgundy in the Burgundy region one day and it was crazy tasty!

 I DO like sweets, but I'm particular about which ones.  When we were kids my mom would take us to the Walton bakery where I'd always get chocolate eclairs.  Eclairs are special, especially when you eat them in France!

 This picture was taken at the Copenhagen airport on our return to the US. The tall blonde Scandinavian server convinced Tom (without much fuss, really) to get pork cheek with cabbage.  Pork cheek may not sound appetizing but we ate every single bite.

If you haven't been to France, it is a beautiful country with great food and delicious wine. As with all travels, however, it is always wonderful to come home to the good ole USA!

France

 St. Romaine, France - in the area of Dijon and the Burgundy wine region,  Tom and I took a train to Dijon (think mustard) and then rented a car to drive around the country side.

 A small French town.

 Spring is springing!

 The French lady at the car rental agency told Tom, "Deez car ez bigger dan the one you order."

 We went to the marche (market) and bought a baguette, salami, cheese, wine, and some Dijon mustard for a proper snack.

 Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

 I visited the Place Republic the night before Tom arrived in Paris.  This is where people pay their respects to those killed in the Charlie Hebdo and November 2015 attacks.

 The very next morning I was watching the French morning news when the Brussels, Belgium bombings took place at the airport and in the metro station.  This was the day Tom was to depart for Paris. He said his flight to Europe was only 25% full - sounds like people changed their plans and decided not to make the trip.

 This is on the Lover's Bridge in Paris. It used to be full of padlocks from lovers who were declaring their love for one another. But the locks were so heavy that the structure of the bridge was threatened - so they were cut off and replaced with glass panels. Booo!

 Moulin Rouge, Paris

 Crepes are everywhere in France.  Ham and cheese crepe with some coffee.

 This small vineyard was established in 1933 to deter real estate development near the Sacred Heart Basilica but it didn't really work. Still, the vineyard prevailed and today it produces 800 bottles of wine annually!








Below is Sacred Heart Basilica, the highest point in the city of Paris.