Our 2010 Auto Trip; Part III, Day 7

On the Road Again; Tuesday 29 June 2010 --

We departed our lush quarters in the Sheep Shedde at a reasonably civilized hour on Tuesday, 29 June this week, for the 300 mile trip down through the heart of Iowa. Our first visit was with Mother's first cousin, Edythe, who lives on the farmstead she and her husband, Clem, operated for 30-40 years. The place is a typical Iowa farmstead, with huge (~100 year-old) American Elm trees hiding the farmhouse and shading a goodly portion of the yard.

Edythe greeted us as we drove in (she has an electronic device that rings a bell when someone crosses the beam along the 100 yard driveway in from the road), and invited us in for a visit and lunch. We had called several days before to arrange to meet her and she had suggested lunch at that time. Again, typical old-time farmhouse hospitality!

The lunch was a delicious taco salad containing lettuce, tomatoes, celery, onion, green pepper, taco-flavored ground beef, and topped with sliced avacado. 

After lunch, we drove on down to Des Moines, encountering a few detours where the high water from recent rains had either washed out bridges or had overflowed them.

In the Des Moines suburb of Altoona, we stopped at Harry Kunkle, another cousin of Mother's; Harry is Edythe's brother.

We visited with Harry for an hour and a half, then drove on down south of Des Moines to Indianola, where we had reservations at the Apple Tree Inn for our visit with Hazel, Grumpy's younger sister.

Grumpy had called his sister a few days before to let her know our planned schedule and the day we planned to be at her home. The day we arrived at the Sheep Shedde, Grumpy had called again to firm up the day: Tuesday, 29 June. But this time, Paul answered instead of Hazel; I gave Paul the message that we would be there Tuesday evening. Now, as we neared Des Moines, Grumpy again called to let Hazel know more precisely the hour that we would be there. Hazel answered the phone and said, "Oh, I thought you were going to be here yesterday! The lemon meringue pie that I baked is all gone now."

Much disturbed I stammered something about feeling sure I had told Paul "Tuesday" -- not "Monday". Then Hazel said, "Paul gave me the message that you would be here on Monday."

It was at about that point that I realized the my Nephew Paul had said it would be "Monday", so he would not have to compete with his Uncle Grumpy for some of that pie! However, when we arrived that evening, a newly-baked lemon meringue pie was introduced into the after-dinner competition that ensued when Paul and his Uncle argued over who got the biggest piece. It was worth the worry!!

This visit story will have to continue tomorrow; bedtime calls.