Bike Trail

We went for our bike trip to the Elroy Sparta bike trail. This year, we made it further than we had before with all of the kids along- but still not quite far enough to make it to the next town for ice cream... maybe next year. As you can see, it was pretty chilly out anyhow- especially after it had been nearly 100* the day before at the tractor show!

Peter rode the whole way on his trail-a-bike and Emi took a break from the trailer on her scoot bike as well. Lainey as usual, was a trooper.

Farm-a-palooza

We saw a flier at the grocery store for a farm show that wasn't far from our house. After Joan (our neighbor) gave us free butons to get in, we called grandpa Dan, made a date and headed up to see some tractors!

Peter surprised us all and got to/wanted to participate in a kiddie pedal-pull. He did a great job and had a lot of fun pulling!

 They also had a little bakery there with homemade cinnamon rolls, cookies and milk. That, along with watching the polka band and the polka dancers- might have been Emi's favorite part!!!

 Petey, of course, loved walking up and down the rows and rows of tractors- looking at the old and new, orange and GREEN ones.

 The kids got to go for a tractor ride that lasted well over 5 minutes! They went all over the grounds and loved every minute of it!

 This also might have been Emelia's favorite- there was a little petting zoo with pygmy goats, a donkey and a little horse. Before she would leave, she had to go back and give each animal one last pet.

Peter's New Hobby

I got a new camera and Peter has decided that while he doesn't like being IN pictures, he does like to take pictures. With a little help here and there- but mostly on his own- here is what he captured in his first photoshoot:

 I explained how to do this one....

 And then he took off!

Just needed a little help propping up one of his buddies!

Peter's Garden

We have been working hard in the garden this year. Peter helped me plant most of it in the spring and picked out the things he would like in it. He picked tomatoes, green beans, peas, pickles and sunflowers. And then I made a few additions to his choices- and we had to remember that we make pickles- not grow them...

He has been a big help in the garden this year- running out to pick tomatoes whenever I ask. He always grabs a basket and then takes off. I just have to remember to go out once in a while and pick the back sides of the plants.

We also are in a friendly yearly competition with grandpa dan. I'm pretty sure that for the first time in a LONG time-- that we have won! Must have been my good help.

 

Who says you can't have fun in Iowa?

We also took a quick day trip down to Platteville, WI and Dubuque.

 While we were in Platteville, we went to the Mining Museum where there were $1 train rides around their lot with an old mining train pulling us.

 Then we also got to gear up and head down into the old mine to see what it looked like 120 years ago. This was everyone's favorite part- Emi liked wallking up and down the stairs of course and Peter was quiet when he was down there, but really liked seeing it all down below. There also was a small section of track up in the top of a building that they used to dump the waste rock out of the tall mine building which I think was his favorite part. He made a comment about how loud the dumps would be!

 Next, we headed to Dubuque where I lived for 10 days about 8 years ago when I worked for the Audubon Society on the Lilly Belle at the Mississippi River Museum.

 We first took a quick ride on the Fenelon Place Elevator which a banker built a long time ago becuase it was taking him too long to get home for lunch.

 And then we went to the Mississippi River Museum where we found a really nice kid's splash area, spent time outside climbing on a huge dredging barge, feeding a pond of carp, and then went back inside to see the fish, turtles, birds and other creatures.

Herbster, WI

We took  a quick three day trip to Herbster where we camped ON the shore of Lake Superior, played on our little private beach, Garrick and I went canoeing on the Brule River, kayaked on the lake and went to the train museum in Duluth.

 There was a park around the corner from our campsite where the kids had a lot of fun. Herbster was a tiny town that had a gas station and a restaurant that served breakfast, pizza for dinner and then was also a bar... the land for the campground was right on the lake- so close that you could throw a rock from your tent to the lake- and so it was perfect for the kids to go down and play in the sand and waves.

 Sitting each night and "watching the sun go to the other side of the earth"

We went to Duluth and checked out the train depot- Emi and Peter both liked going in all of the trains and seeing them.  The coming weekend was "A Day Out with Thomas" where Thomas the Train was going to be there giving rides. We were outside watching trains come and go and who drove by? THOMAS! Peter couldn't believe his eyes at how lucky he was to see him there working that day! He kept saying, I didn't know Thomas was going to be here!

More Summer Cousin Fun

I lost my camera card- somewhere- I'm not sure if it is one of my little helpers or one of my moments that I seem to be experiencing more and more lately. So I'm piecing the end of the summer together from my mom's camera. Hopefully it will turn up.

We have been seeing a the Madison boys quite a bit this summer! Lots of swimming at the beach, playing trucks and working on granpa Dan's new trainset that he is building with/for the kids. Each time they come to visit he has another job for them to do- paint the mountains, put down track, build a bridge...

 We also met up with them at Devil's Lake on what looked more like the beginning of spring- but of course Peter had to go for a quick dip!