THE SECOND PHASE OF THE "SPRINT" IS THE REDNECK RIVIERA, PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA. I HATE TO ADMIT IT, BUT I HAVE A FIVE YEAR OLD GRANDSON, ALAN, WHOM I HAVEN'T SEEN IN TWO YEARS.
ALAN, YOUNG BUDDY, GRAMPS IS ON THE WAY AND I'LL BE SEEING YOU SOON !!!
BLOGGING IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE SLOW, UNLESS YOU WANT PICTURES OF BUGS ON THE WINDSHIELD OR SADDLE SORES.
WE LEFT WISCONSIN BEHIND AT "RAIN & 62", BUT WE ARE HEADED RIGHT BACK INTO "SUNNY & 80"
IT'S WITH TEARS IN BOTH EYES THAT WE LEAVE OUR HOME STATE OF WISCONSIN!!!
WE LEAVE YOU WITH OUR TOP TEN REASONS FOR VISITING WISCONSIN......... (DRUM ROLL, PLEASE)
#10 THOSE FRIDAY NIGHT FISH FRY'S
# 9 THE BEAUTIFUL FALL COLORS
# 8 "MILLER TIME" ON THE PONTOON ON CABLE LAKE
# 7 OLE FRIENDS, AND NEW FRIENDS
# 6 NO ANTI-SMOKING LAWS, YET
# 5 GREEN BAY PACKER BARS
# 4 DEPPLER'S FULL CREAM BABY SWISS CHEESE
# 3 ROAD TRIP'IN WITH A 12 PACK
# 2 GRANDMAS, AND GRANDCHILDREN
AND THE # 1 REASON TO VISIT WISCONSIN..........
OKTOBERFEST U.S.A.
THE HIGHLIGHT OF OKTOBERFEST IS THE MAPLE LEAF PARADE ON SATURDAY. IT REALLY SHOULDN'T BE CALLED A PARADE, BECAUSE IT MORE OF AN "EVENT".
PRETTY TYPICAL PARADE PICTURES, SO I LEFT MY CAMERA IN MY POCKET AND CONCENTRATED ON THE BRATS AND BEERS .......
"SUNNY & 80"
BACK IN THE DAYS OF RIVERBOATS AND SMALL CHILDREN .......
THESES SMALL CHILDREN ARE ACTUALLY LIFE SIZE BRONZE STATUES IN RIVERSIDE PARK.
THEN ONCE A YEAR, THE LAST WEEK-END IN SEPTEMBER, COMES OKTOBERFEST U.S.A. AND ALL HELL BREAKS LOSE.
THE OLD GERMAN FESTIVAL STARTS OUT LOOKING LIKE THIS,
WITH LONG DRESSES, BONNETS, AND LEDERHOSEN.
THEN QUICKLY DIGRESSES TO THIS,
A DOWNTOWN RADIO STATION COVERED IN BRAS.
THE FESTIVAL OPENS WITH THE TAPPING OF THE GOLDEN KEG AT 11 AM ON FRIDAY.
AND CONTINUES FOR EIGHT DAYS WITH THREE STAGES, LIVE MUSIC, AND UNENDING BEER ......
"SUNNY & 80"
WE'RE BOTH IN LA CROSSE GETTING READY FOR OKTOBERFEST!
LET THE FESTING BEGIN .........
HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY ALI !!!
"SUNNY &80"
NEXT STOP ON "THE SPRINT", DANNY’S CABIN. THIS COUNTRY CABIN IN RURAL NORTHEAST IOWA IS SWEET.
AS A HOUSE GUEST AT THE CABIN YOU QUICKLY LEARN TO SHARE YOUR SPACE WITH "TUBBS" A BEAUTIFUL, FULL GROWN, SAINT BERNARD.
NEXT STOP ON THE "SPRINT"? HAVEN’T REALLY MADE A PLAN, BUT IT’S OKTOBERFEST IN LA CROSSE FOR THE WEEK-END.
"SUNNY & 80"
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMY !!!
TODD & DI KNOW HOW WE LOVE THOSE MORAL MUSHROOMS IN THE SPRING, AND FROZE UP A BATCH TO FRY UP FOR US ON OUR VISIT.
THE MEAL ALSO INCLUDED A VENISON TENDERLOIN, SORRY NO PICTURES AS WE INHALED THEM OFF THE WEBER GRILL, AND FRESH FRIED BLUE GILL FILLETS, ALL TOPPED OFF WITH SWEET CORN AND COLD BEERS.
THANKS TODD & DI FOR THE HOSPITALITY, AND WE’LL SEE YOU SOON ON YOUR SPRING TRIP TO LAUGHLIN. (DI, LOVE YOUR FAVRE JERSEY !!!)
"STILL SUNNY & 80"
Wow…..40 years later!!!!! Last night we had my 40th class reunion. It is unbelievable how fast 40 years goes by. In this small area of Southwest Wisconsin, our graduating class has 35 people in it. Only 14 (plus one) were able to attend.
I guess we have all changed a lot and if I could find a group picture from 40 years ago, I would have put it up on here also.
The lady on the left is Rhonda and she is the hard working person that put most of the reunion together. The other lady is my good friend Linda.
This is a picture of Linda and me. Linda and I have been friends since we have been 6 years old. So that must be 52 years…WOW..these numbers are getting scary!! And even more amazing we have maintained that friendship all of these years.
MARY RETURNED YESTERDAY TO PICK ME UP FROM SPOONER, AFTER MY WEEKS STAY. TODAY WE'RE HEADED BACK TO PRAIRE DU CHEIN FOR MARY'S 40TH CLASS REUNION.
THE WEATHER HERE IN WISCONSIN HAS BEEN SO GOOD ........... THAT UNCLE HANS LEFT THE PONTOON BOAT IN THE LAKE AND WE ENJOYED MANY CRUISES ON CABLE LAKE.
THE WEATHER HERE IN WISCONSIN HAS BEEN SO GOOD ........... THAT WE GRILLED OUTSIDE TWICE AND HAD PEACHES & CREAM SWEET CORN TWICE.
THE WEATHER HERE IN WISCONSIN HAS BEEN SO GOOD ........ WE'VE BEEN SLEEPING AT NIGHT WITH THE WINDOWS OPEN.
THE WEATHER HERE IN WISCONSIN HAS BEEN SO GOOD ............. THAT MARY BOUGHT ME AN OKTOBERFEST HAT, WHICH ALSO SERVES AS A TICKET TO ALL THE OKTOBERFEST FESTIVITIES, SO I DON'T SEE AN EXIT PLAN FOR WISCONSIN ANYTIME THIS NEXT WEEK.
THE WEATHER HERE IN WISCONSIN HAS BEEN SO GOOD ............. THAT NONE OF THE LEAVES HAVE FALLEN OFF THE TREES AND THE MAPLE TREES ARE BEGINNING TO TURN BRIGHT ORANGE AND RED.
THE WEATHER HERE IN WISCONSIN HAS BEEN SO GOOD ............ THAT MARY HAD HER SWIM SUIT ON YESTERDAY TO WORK ON HER FLORIDA BEACH TAN.
"SUNNY & 80"
IT'S BEEN SO MANY YEARS SINCE I'VE BEEN IN THE MIDWEST DURING SWEET CORN SEASON THAT I FORGOT HOW GOOD IT TASTES !!! HERE IN SPOONER THE SEASON COMES MUCH LATER THAN IOWA AND THE CORN WAS SWEET AND TENDER. 
ANOTHER SPOONER TRADITION I'M GETTING INTO, IS "MILLER TIME" ON THE PONTOON BOAT. AFTER A WEEK'S TRAINING I EVEN GET TO PILOT THE BOAT.
DON'T LET MY CLOTHES FOOL YA, IT WAS "SUNNY & 80" OUT ON THE LAKE. IT'S JUST THAT THE DESERT HAS THINNED OUT MY BLOOD AND I'M LAST TO GRAB MY SHORTS AND SHED MY SHIRT, OR MAYBE I WAS JUST TOO LAZY TO GET DRESSED TODAY?
ANOTHER PERFECT DAY ON CABLE LAKE.........
I'VE RUN INTO SOME VERY NICE NAMES FOR INDIAN CASINOS OVER MY TRAVELS, BUT I'M NOT SURE I'D NAME ANY BUSINESS "HOLE - IN - THE - WALL" MUCH LESS A CASINO. TO ME IT SOUNDS TOO MUCH LIKE "FLUSH - YOUR - MONEY - DOWN - THE - TOILET".
IT'S GETTING HARDER AND HARDER TO RESIST HIS TEMPTATION.
"SUNNY & 80" (REALLY !!)
REMEMBER AWHILE BACK WHEN I HAD MY TOOLS OUT, AND ASKED UNCLE HANS TO E-MAIL ME A FREE TETANUS SHOT? WELL HERE’S ANOTHER CASE OF BEING CAREFUL OF WHAT YOU WISH FOR……
NOW I’M NO FOOL, AND HAVE MY SHARE OF MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE. AFTER ALL I’VE BEEN WATCHING M.A.S.H. RERUNS ON TV FOR A GOOD 25 YEARS, SO I KNOW BETTER THAN TO GET A SHOT DIRECTLY FROM A DOCTOR WHEN I HAVE A PERFECTLY TRAINED RN NURSE SITTING IN THE SAME ROOM.
ACTUALLY WE’D LIKE TO THANK UNCLE HANS FOR THE FREE TETANUS SHOTS, AS NEITHER OF US COULD REMEMBER HOW MANY YEARS IT’S BEEN SINCE WE HAD ONE. ODDLY ENOUGH THE OTHER TWO SHOTS WENT TO THE DOCTOR AND HIS WIFE WHO COULDN’T REMEMBER HOW LONG IT HAD BEEN SINCE THEY HAD A BOOSTER.
NOW WHERE’S MY TOOL BOX, I’M READY FOR SOME ACTION !!!
