From 724b4289c050147033d54ef004b5d6f7f6669a65 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Blaise Thompson <blaise@untzag.com>
Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2018 19:30:40 -0500
Subject: 2018-09-23 19:30

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+\documentclass{book}
+
+\begin{document}
+
+2018
+
+REPORT OF LACEY-KEOSAUQUA STATE PARK TRIP July 27 - 29
+
+% for david's 60th birthday
+
+I found that some state park cabins were available at several places including Lacey-Keosauqua State
+Park in Keosauqua. While the cabins usually only rent for a week’s time, one is able to rent them for a
+weekend IF they are unoccupied at 8am on Tuesday of a particular week. We were able to rent cabin #2
+at Lacey-Keosauqua for Friday and Saturday nights. Susie and I had explored how to make the weekend
+into a celebration of David’s 60th birthday. This was after Susie explored getting more of the
+Thompsons together on the 28th. Unfortunately Susie determined that Mike and Lynne could not
+participate due to health problems she was having. Mike also told her that about the only think Orv
+likes to do is drive around in his truck. So it would have to be something for just the three of us.
+This time the packing and preparation was a little more organized than the trip to the Red Oak Cabin.
+David made a salad and I gathered home grown vegetables.
+We left about 4:00 and were able to see RAGBRAI folks coming into town from Sigourney. We drove
+down 218 and then switched over to Highway 1. Susie left from Davenport at about the same time.
+We enjoyed the small towns and fields of corn and beans we passed by. We both arrived at the cabin at
+about the same time. We unpacked and ate David’s salad made with rice noodles and various vegetable
+toppings from our garden. Twinkie and Karaby had to get used to each other, but after about 3 hours
+(when food was no longer being an issue) they spent quite a bit of time together rough housing. After
+eating a marshmallow or two, we went to bed. While the cabins are very nice the beds are not too
+good. They are futons. Putting them into the vertical position was hard and the futons themselves were
+heavy and not very conforming. David slept in the truck.
+Saturday morning we noticed that we shared the cabin with mice. We learned that we would have to
+put food away better. David and Suzie fixed buckwheats and lamagoo. Subsequently we took a drive
+around the park to get the big picture. At one point we stopped and took a short hike along the Des
+Moines River. At the start point I noted that an Amish family was having a picnic breakfast. A car full of
+men arrived later probably post farm chores. Along the hike we came to shelter #2 which has a lovely
+view of the Des Moines River and was a classic CCC construction. We also drove into Keosauqua to
+check that out. I wanted to look at the Manning Hotel which was built and owned by Brad Gilchrist’s
+family for many years. Brad’s paternal grandmother was a Manning. It is located right along the Des
+Moines River. On the outside there were marks on one of the pillars noting the height of the various
+floods. The flood of 1943 was ~ 5 feet tall. We also looked at the inside which had old furniture and
+wall paper. Brad’s father was born in this hotel- in the kitchen on a table. Brad’s father remembers
+swimming in the lobby of the hotel in 1943 when the flood was so high that the lobby was flooded with
+~5 feet of water. He would jump off the stairs to the second floor and swim in the water. The place is
+now for sale. Hope it can be restored well. We thought we could have something to eat or drink so we
+stopped at a place called Café Eat. David only wanted a malt and Susie only wanted a piece of pie but
+basically we had lunch there. I had one of the best toasted cheese sandwiches I have ever had. It had
+provolone cheese and a slice of tomato and red onions for filling. We again noted the presence of
+Amish. Two buggies were seen- probably heading for a Misty Malt. David noted that the buggies were
+equipped with cup holders for the front seat passengers.
+Once back at the cabin, David and Susie went swimming, while I watched the dogs and took a nap.
+Then we all went fishing in the lake within the park. It was Twinkie’s first time in a boat but she behaved
+well. David caught and released several fish. Sometime on Saturday we played mancala. Susie and
+David started and then I entered in. We have misplaced the gem stones which go with this game so we
+used black beans which are a little too small. I hope to find the gem stones some day. For dinner we
+had hamburgers. For dessert Susie fixed a pineapple upside down cake which was cooked in a skillet
+
+2
+over the fire. We all retired and were able to sleep in spite of the poor beds. It was a full moon but we
+were too tired to take a good look at it. That night it rained heavily for a long time.
+Sunday morning Susie fixed an omelet while I dressed and began packing. Subsequently Susie suggested
+that we all take a stab at doing a 5 minute water color painting. Since Susie is taking an art class she had
+the supplies and some basic directions. Naturally David’s painting was the best. It was a depiction of
+the five of us in the boat fishing. Have a photo of it in the album. Unfortunately Susie got a water mark
+on it in the process of taking it home with her. After cleaning the cabin we took a short hike on the way
+out of the park. We also stopped in Keosauqua to see if the “open by chance” antique dealer was there.
+He was not but we shared a little more Kringle and bid each other goodbye. David found the Racine Wi
+Kringle at Aldi’s. It was very good. On our way home we stopped in Fairfield. A church service was
+being held in park in the center of town. The service included preaching and a brass band playing
+popular music from the 80s. Around noon we arrived back home and had time to nap, unpack and
+regroup. An album of photos taken by Susie and myself is in Google photos. Some are labelled with
+Blaise’s name but those are actually Susie’s.
+
+\end{document}
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