Celebrating the Kaune Kampout

The 20th annual Kaune Kampout was held this year and a special award was presented to Tim and Marilyn for having perfect attendance being at all 20. We had fun around the campfire and spending time with family. Always look forward to the omelets on Sunday morning, however, this was the second year in a row that rain forced us to go to the local cafe for their famous "mess" and "half mess" breakfast. Looking forward to next years Kampout.

Our "Mean Mug" Delight

Had the opportunity to baby sit our granddaughter in Indiana while Ashley had some surgery. We enjoyed the week helping around the house and spending quality time with Sabrina. What a great time and got to know her better. Loved the "Mean Mug" looks she would give me and of course I would return them to her. We look forward to seeing them again on our way south.

"What A Country"

We enjoyed a week of nice cool weather in Branson, MO. We stopped to visit friends, Bill and Lola, working at a Corps of Engineers Park near Branson. Had a fun time catching up on the last year with them at the campground and eating at Famous Dave's in Old Town Branson. Our resort has The Ducks come to the resort and pick up people for a trip around Branson and onto Table Rock Lake. Over all these years we have never ridden on The Ducks, so it was time to do it. What fun! Our Captain Mark, was a Vietnam Veteran, so we had a common bond from the start. Jo and I both took the wheel, steering The Duck across the lake waters. We are now certified as Honorary Duck drivers. We drove to Lead Hill, AR for breakfast at a highly recommended cafe. Our luck, they were out of ham (which is what they are widely known for). It was great despite no ham. After visiting with some folks motorcycling through the area, we traveled around Bull Shoals Lake and took a Corps of Engineers ferry across the lake. We were the only car on the ferry for this trip. They make 44 trips per day, taking vehicles across the lake. During our stay in Branson, we went to the Yakov Schmirnoff show. What a history Yakov has from his coming to America with his parents and how he became a U.S. citizen at the swearing in ceremony on Ellis Island. He has many letters of appreciation from folks thanking him for his comedy when laughter was needed. He did the same for us and many others during his show that evening. You may recognize the art piece showing the heart being displayed at Ground Zero at the one year anniversary in New York. This display was painted by Yakov which was anonymously displayed to focus on the loss a year earlier. His favorite statement is "What a country", and we would have to agree!

Activities Keep Us Busy

As the end of summer approaches, we like to see the beautiful flowers still showing their full colors. We again gathered with family for good pizza and fun. The little ones sure grow up quickly. Some late summer seeding was done along the fence line between the airport and the farm. Always looking to reduce erosion and establish good ground cover. While doing the seeding, we had a visit from a military medical helicopter stopping for a brief time where we were working.

Presidential Helicopter Visits West Union Airport

An unexpected overnight stay of the Presidential Helicopter was an eventful and very enjoyable time for Jo and I. We suspicioned there was activity in the area as the President was touring MN, IA, and IL by bus. The Marines Corps needed a place to house the chopper overnight and the West Union Airport had a hanger that met the size needed to accomodate it overnight. We were extremely impressed with the young Marines that arrived with the craft and represented the US with respect and politeness beyond our expectations. Visiting with them was so educational. The two female pilots were most qualified and doing what they had dreamed of since being young girls. They were always on call and ready to leave if necessary. Crews were changed the next morning and mid-morning they were off to the next location, keeping the Blackhawk within 15 minutes of the President. We are proud of our military and their dedication to protecting the office of the President.