Camping Trip

 

Once again I made time for myself to escape to be with nature.  This camping trip was to Pershing State Park in NE Missouri.  There were very few campers there and no one was in the tent area where I set up camp.  Heaven on earth, I was enjoying the great outdoors without the noise of people. 

 

I was not alone however.  Each night Ricky Raccoon and his family would come to visit.  It was like they were invited guest that were summoned at dusk each night.  While I was sitting no more than 15 feet away they explored every aspect of my campsite, making themselves right at home on top of the picnic table.  While in my tent for the night, they partied the night away. I could hear them running around and making their weird noise, like a cat purring that is mad. 

 

The trails at the park were nice.  The boardwalk trail, about a mile in length was enjoyable.  I was disappointed on my hike on the Ripian trail. It was supposed to go about 6 miles and come out in a National Conservation area.  It was like no one had been on the trail all year long.  Weeds, trees, mud and all types of obstacles made the trail hard to follow.  At one point a large tree had fallen over the trail.   After trudging my way around the fallen tree through the heavy brush I was not able to pick up the trail again.  So…. I headed back, disappointed after just a mile hike along Locust Creek. 

 

As Thursday morning approached, a soft gentle rain began to cascade down through the canopy of trees and fall with a slow rhythm upon my tent.  Oh how pleasing a sound that was.   I found myself drifting back and forth from sleep to being awake, with such wonderful dreams along the way.

 

I was proud of myself on this camping trip.  No trips to Wal-Mart were needed.  Lol   Can’t wait for my next outing with nature.

 

Enjoy,

Ed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Royals At The K

 

A recent outing to a Kansas City Royals game was an enjoyable evening. The sun was shining giving way to twilight followed by nightfall.  The Royals are playing in a revamped Kaufman Stadium.  The fountains are still there but an expanded outfield experience gives more options for fans to have fun at the game.  It was “College Night”, with happy hour before the game. I have never seen Truman Sports Complex more trashed, not even after a Chiefs game. Lol  Everyone behaved themselves however and it turned out to be a great game.  We lost, but good ballgame anyway.  One more note, beer now costs $7.50!!!  I’m not sure that my first-born child cost that much.

 

Enjoy,

Ed

Graduation

 

This past weekend was a special time. Our youngest graduated from college.  It was especially satisfying to know that he graduated Magna cum laude in the Honors College missing Summa cum laude by only one-one hundredth of a point.  He will continue his education now as he has decided to work on his MBA degree. The nice thing about that to me is that the “college” will be paying for it. 

Hello, I hope to start posting from time to time again.  I guess it is mostly just a release that I need right now in my life.  My writings may seem random but they will just be me as I transverse from day to day on my journey of life.

 

Bitty soccer!!!  Yes, soccer for 5 and under.  My grandkids recently suited up and played,  if you could call it soccer.  The 5 year old would really be into it and then be off playing with some baby on the sidelines, leaving the goal unattended.  My 3 year old would not participate. He loved getting dressed up, cleats, and shin guards, player shirt.  He was so proud. But come game time the dirt pile was too intriguing for him.  Finally, at the last game he decided to play.  Play?   Soccer to him meant running and tackling whomever he could find, mostly his brother.  How can one 3-year old disrupt an entire game? 

 

My opinion?  They are too young.  Result?  It was fun watching them and they got medals at the end.  Success.

 

Ed

 

 

Ever have rodents enter you home?   I am talking about the ones with the big long tail better known as squirrels.   We have trees around our house and they have grown over so that the squirrels can jump from the tree branches onto our house. Well, somewhere they have been able to get into the overhang   or the chimney perhaps, I am not sure where.  I can hear them when the house is quiet, running around. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr   I had a dream the other night they were hanging on my ceiling fan above my bed with teeth showing ready to pounce on me. Lol

 

The tree guy came today and cut back and trimmed out 4 trees.   Over $1,000 later I hope the squirrels can no longer get up on the roof. We will see. Now I have to hire someone to go up on the roof and find the hole they where getting into and then fix it.  I have been trying to trap them for the past week. Each and every night my bait is gone, but no squirrels.  Maybe a gun would work better. Lol  

 

Hope your weekend is going well and squirrel free.  

 

Enjoy,Ed

     The past two weeks have been very hard for me.   On Tuesday, March 12, I went up to Iowa to visit my Dad in the hospital and to help mom with some household business.  I came back to KC on Wednesday.   Then, Thursday morning, March 13, the hospital called and said that Dad had turned non-responsive and I should come up soon.  So, I went back up to Iowa Thursday morning and saw Dad that afternoon.  He was not good.  At 1:00 am Friday I was awakened with a phone call from the hospital that Dad had died.  I woke up my mom and told her.   After making arrangements, visitation, and the funeral, I came back home to KC on Thursday, March 20.  The following is the eulogy that I wrote and somehow found the strength to read at the funeral.  It took me just 20 minutes to write it, but a lifetime to live it. 

 

Dad

 

            My heart is filled with sorrow and grief.  I miss you Dad.  Today, however, my sadness is slowly being replaced with joy; the joy of seeing all of you here today, family and friends.  Dad loved life and life loved you Dad.   Not only is this room filled with each of you, I see others that have joined us.  Look Dad, there are your parents.  I feel joy that the three of you are together again in heaven.  There are also many of your friends from your farming days.  I see Dale and Francis, Nellie, Roe, Elsie and Raymond.  Dad, there are so many people that you have not seen in such a long time. Oh!  Look!  There is Ray, he has checked out all the fishing holes in heaven for you Dad.  The sorrow and grief I feel, is starting to be replaced with joy.  I know you are in a place with friend’s and family. 

 

Dad had many talents. One was his ability to take the lead in order to get the job done.  Each school year I would greet my students with a first day speech.  One of the things I would talk about were heroes and how having heroes help you to develop who and what you are as a person. As an example of this I would talk about my heroes.  My first hero has always been you, Dad.  Although I never heard you speak these words Dad, you lived them every day of your life.  “If it is worth doing, then it is worth doing well”.  Your leadership and hard work not only touched me, but also touched every student I have ever taught. 

 

I have come to learn that Dad had an ornery side. During the course of the past 3 months, Dad and I have been able to have some nice long talks. One such session led us to be talking about San Diego. I was telling Dad of a recent visit my wife and I had made to the San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park. Dad then proceeded to tell me of his time in military tents in Balboa Park.   He was there waiting to be deployed during WWII.  Dad said it was the coldest he has ever been.  (Hard to believe that growing up and living in IA, that San Diego would have been where he was the coldest.).  At any rate, one time, as the story went, Dad and his buddy devised a plan to get warm.  They found their way into the nurse’s tent. ……… Ok, it’s not what you think!……… The two of them “borrowed” two mattresses from the nurses and took off running back to their own tent. With one mattress to sleep on, and one mattress as a cover, they were never cold again.

 

Dad also had a practical side.  He had a knack of seeing a simple way to solve a problem. I remember one time that we had a sow with baby pigs back in the pasture that needed to be brought up to the barn. No easy task. So Dad said:  “Eddy, grab a couple little pigs and take off running towards the barn”.  So, there we were, me, and 8 yr old boy, with two squealing pigs in hand, followed by a very mad sow, followed by all the little baby pigs, followed by a protective and smiling Dad, knowing the problem had been solved.

 

Anyone who knew Dad knows that he had a very loving and caring side.   My children will forever remember that love. It came in the form of fishing trips.  Each summer we would come to Iowa, fishing poles in hand, set to once again break our record of bluegills on the hook.   What was that final record?  130? 145?  170? -- In just two days!  And of course Dad would help clean each and every one of them.  Then, on that final night, we would have a huge fish fry followed by homemade ice cream.  Those fishing trips are memories my two children will have of you Dad for a lifetime. 

 

Everyone here has a story or a memory of Dad.  I hope that at sometime, if not here today, you can share that memory. For it is in this sharing that we will keep the presence of my Dad among us.

 

Goodbye Dad; we will be together again someday. 

 

 

Trip To Louisiana

 

On Friday, we left from KC in a snowstorm. It is times like that when you wonder, “What have I gotten myself into?”  After only 10 minutes driving south, the snowstorm was over and we had clear roads the rest of the way.  Heading down 71 highway, knowing we were headed to Lafayette, LA, had me thinking warm weather and shrimp. Lol 

 

As you leave Missouri one of the first towns you come to in Arkansas is Bentonville.  Ok now. you wonder; “where have I heard of that town before?”.   Got it yet????   ………………………………………………………………………………..

Ok, time is up.  Bentonville is the hometown of Wal-Mart.   Yes, Sam Walton started it all there in this small little Ozark town called Bentonville.  I have visited their headquarters there.  As world headquarters go, it is not very impressive. But then I guess that goes with Sam Walton’s’ life.  He tried to keep it simple and humble.  Not sure that tradition is still true but you must admit. Wal-Mart has done very well.

 

Heading south from Bentonville you drive through the Boston Mountains.  The wooded pictures showing are of that area.  The first night found us in Texarkana, Arkansas.  We stayed in a La Quinta there and feasted on Denny’s senior menu. lol 

 

An early start Saturday enabled us to make it to Lafayette, drop the vans, and then head back. An interesting town you travel through is Natchitoches, La.  (I would tell you how to pronounce it but would have to kill you. Lol ).  Back in an earlier blog I have pics and a story of a past visit to this wonderful little town.  Yes, it is the sight of the filming of Steel Magnolias, a house I have viewed in the past.   The second photo album above is of that visit. All we did this time was stop at the local McDonalds there.   One of the drivers I was with LOVES McDonalds.  So…. We hit about every one of them between KC and Lafayette.  Lol 

 

On our return trip we ended up once again in Texarkana for the night.  I vetoed Denny’s this time, so we went exploring to see where the locals eat.  We ended up at a place called “Cattleman’s Steakhouse”.   While my two buddies opted for steaks, which they said were wonderful, I went back to my childhood and had frog legs.  Yum, Yum.  Ever had them?  

 

Our final day, Sunday, we took a slight detour and drove through Devils Den State Park, just south of Fayetteville, Arkansas.  What a wonderful place to camp and hike.  I was inspired and hope to make it back there this summer and spend time exploring the Boston Mountains area.   

 Today, Monday, I am trying to catch up on things here around the house and will be heading to see my parents in Iowa on Tuesday.  My plan is to be back sometime Wednesday.  I have also tried to fix the link to the “Booty Song” I have playing. Let me know it works.

 

 

 

 

I am off to Louisiana to deliver a van.  I should be back sometime late Monday.  Have a great weekend all.  I will fix the link in my last post upon my return. 

 

Enjoy,

Ed

Today has been another day of semi-crises coming from my parents in Iowa.  Each time the phone rings I feel this knot in my stomach come over me.  Sometimes when all around me seems insane I just have to sit back and feel silly. This song does that.  

 

Booty Song

 

Enjoy,Ed