Wednesday, September 13, 2017

September 11 - 17, 2017, WI

Wednesday, September 13.  I met up with Jonnie at The Coffee Cup for breakfast Monday morning and then we went to see her sister, Fran (my oldest living cousin, age 82) at St. Mary's hospital in Madison.  She has been in there almost a week with pneumonia - today was a good day for her, she is coming around and feeling much better.  Our visit was brief, as she is very tired and needs to rest. 


Yesterday, Pat and I walked in the morning and then in the afternoon, I went to Culver's for the monthly classmate meetup.  About 6 gals showed up and we had a good chat, as usual.  It's always a good time.


This morning, Dawn and I walked almost 3 miles - then had coffee and more talking when we got back to her house.


   This Maple tree is next door to Pat's house - almost fully turned color.


The afternoon was lazy - sitting in the yard with Pat, reading, doing a little bit of plant cleanup, and a nice nap.  It has been a very relaxing trip.


Thursday, September 14.  Kayak day! We had to wait until the fog lifted and the temperature rose this morning, but we did get out on the Yahara River.  Put in and take out was by the mill dam in Stoughton and we paddled upstream to Viking Park, about a 2-hour paddle to get there and back again.  It felt good to be on the water with Pat, here in Stoughton, and seeing familiar sites and bringing back memories along the way - sneaking cigarettes after school as we sat under the Forton Street Bridge, walking home from school and crossing the bridge, getting scared at Dead Man's Path behind the high school football field, and cheering Mike and Jim on as they passed by us in the Syttende Mai canoe race (they weren't the  last to finish, but close to it).


It was a very enjoyable paddle - I can't believe that I've done it twice in the last couple of weeks.




Friday, September 15. I walked the route that takes me past the cemetery this morning and when I got near the dam, Pat was over there fishing.  Just as I approached, he got a bite - a very nice sized Bluegill.  We chatted for a bit and then I headed back to the house. Before he finished, he had caught a good sized Northern, about 2.5 feet long - and he caught it on a small bluegill that he used for bait.  I'm sorry I missed it.



On my way home, I passed this gorgeous Maple tree and when I stopped to check it out  I heard the flitting of birds flying to and from the top branches of the Japanese Elm tree that stood next to it, a feeding frenzy of Cedar Waxwings was going on.  They moved way too fast for me to catch a photo.




Jim and Sue are in town, so they picked me up this afternoon and we headed to Poynette to meet Pat and Roger for fish fry at the Owl's Nest.  The Old Fashioneds were delicious and I had 2 of them - no driving for me, so I could indulge.  Dinner was excellent, as usual, and the service was great at this quant little old timey supper club where the meals are served family style.  You place your order and then they serve on platters that are shared with your table mates.  A nice experience, topped off with a handmade Brandy Alexander that came with 5 spoons.



Back in Stoughton, we stopped at the American Legion where my classmate, Brett, was playing guitar and singing.  We had a drink and I saw 4 of my classmates and Sue saw a couple from her class - always a good, familiar feeling when I come back home.


Saturday, September 16.  I walked with Pat this morning and when I just got home, I got a text from Dawn asking if we were walking together, so I finished my breakfast and walked over to her house.  We walked downtown to the farmer's market and I got another 2 miles in, stopping to take a few pictures of buildings on Main Street on the way back home.





   Demetria's garden

   Dawn's garden.


It was "wrap up" day, so I headed out to stock up on Wisconsin beer and wine, fill up the car with gas, buy a few groceries for dinner, and stop to visit with Fran who has been transferred from the hospital to Skaalen Home in Stoughton for recovery.  She was sound asleep and had asked the staff not to even wake her for lunch, so we didn't get to visit.


Sunday, September 11. I left Stoughton at about 9:00 this morning and pulled in to my house about 5.5 hours later.  An uneventful drive.


When I got back home, I was able to get the new password for the updated wifi - Elizabeth finally got a new router and I now have a reliable, strong signal throughout my apartment.  It is a bit unnerving that she couldn't have done this 5 months ago when I complained and was restricted to one spot in the living room where I could get a decent signal.  Oh well, it is what it is.


I really wanted to watch Ken Burn's new documentary on the Vietnam War, but was unable to stream it with my old Roku technology.