Ken and Kim's Big Adventure: July 2011

Decided it was time to update the blog and let people know where we are and what we are doing. After moving back into (sister) Nancy and Tom’s house on April 1^st when we returned from Texas and visiting (daughter) Kirsten, Paul and Lucas in Georgia, we spent a couple of months planting some vegetables, doing a bit of yard work, and planning our next get-away. During the middle of June, we travelled to Colorado to visit (son) Kyle and Rachel for a week, and had a great time with them. Ken worked on a few house projects while we were there, as well as during our visit the following week to the Wisconsin lake house to hang out with (sister) Karen and Bob. Spent some time with (niece) Sara, Scottie and Payton, and enjoyed the 4^th of July parade and fireworks. Then we returned to Muscatine, and before venturing out again, luckily the Chamberlin crew came and fired up our tired A/C units, both front and rear. Thanks to them, we were able to comfortably camp along the Mississippi River at Fairport for the next several days. When our reservation expired, we stayed one night at Nancy and Tom’s again, and enjoyed a delicious grilled chicken dinner. Surprised to discover we could reserve four days at one of our favorite sites up at Coralville Lake, we ventured there on Saturday, July 16^th, then moved to an even nicer site where we’ll stay for the next week. Ken helped the older gentleman who was transferring his camper to a different location, and just about got run over by him. Hopefully, someone will tell us when it’s time to sell our camper, when it becomes too dangerous to drive! This site has lots of “back yard”, so it is perfect for privacy and playing “fetch” with Kallie, but unfortunately, the weather has been extremely hot and not suitable for campfires. We still like to sit outside (with two big fans blowing on us), watching the deer, raccoons, squirrels and even cats wander in and out of the woods nearby, while imbibing refreshing adult beverages. Last Monday, my tooth had been hurting for quite awhile, and the dentist sent me to an endodontist near here. During my appointment, he did an emergency root canal, which was more painful to the checkbook than my mouth. Ken went to his doctor in Muscatine today for a physical, and an appointment was made for him to see a cardiologist (on our wedding anniversary – boo!). Needless to say, growing old(er) brings unexpected medical issues, so we are truly trying to enjoy quality time together as much as possible. Yesterday, we went to a camping supply store and bought a few items, then browsed around the local Goodwill store before going to lunch at “Shorts” (Nate Kaeding’s restaurant) in downtown Iowa City . Being “homeless” in this kind of situation is really wonderful, as each day brings new adventures, with fun things to do and places to explore. Stay tuned for more updates in the near future, and thanks for "following" us!