Travels

A few days ago, Cliff went to see the radiology doctor, who told him he wouldn't need to see him for a year.  He addressed a few of Cliff's concerns, but he didn't actually do anything.  I guess there was nothing that needed to be done.  We didn't have to pay for the visit, so that's a good thing.  

Since our little girl isn't here this week, we are taking advantage of it.  Monday we went to McPherson, Kansas, to visit my ninety-year-old sister, Maxine.  I let her know we were coming, so she had some of our favorite foods waiting for us.  I had made Cliff promise to take me and Maxine to the Carriage Crossing, a Mennonite restaurant about 45 minutes from her home.  However, after eating the supper she had prepared Monday evening  I realized there were plenty of leftovers for the next day and scratched the whole idea of wasting time and money on food that wouldn't be half as good.  In comparison to the meal my sister prepared, any restaurant would have taken a back seat.  Cliff and Maxine were happy with my decision.  The trip to Carriage Crossing was going to take care of the birthday dinner Cliff owes me, so he is still in my debt!  The truth is, I seem to be less interested in eating out with every year that passes.  

me and maxine, 2018

We had a nice trip on our way to Mcpherson, taking time out at a rest stop at noon to eat the egg salad sandwiches I'd prepared.  The trip home is always frustrating because we usually leave after the noon meal; this assures we'll enter the greater Kansas City area in the middle of rush hour.  I have to say we are enthralled with our new Garmin, though!  It lets us know when there's a delay ahead, and figures the extra travel time into our arrival time.  It has other features Cliff loves, too.  I've always appreciated Garmin GPS devices, but this one is loaded with features we never had before.  We are impressed.

We didn't take Gabe, the Miniature Schauzer, as much as he wanted to go along.  My sister isn't a dog person.  She doesn't dislike them, but she doesn't especially want one in her house.  We do not take dogs into other folks' homes if they don't have dogs unless they are the sort of people who love dogs so much they actually want them there.  I've always felt it was rude to do so.  I've heard folks say, "If I can't take my dogs, I'm won't go there."  Well, I happen to value my 90-year-old sister more than my dog, so he got to go to his usual loving doggie hotel, Bed and Bones.  I really didn't think about him much yesterday evening when we got home too late to pick him up.  But this morning was a different story.  Early mornings are Gabe's bonding time with me, and I felt like a part of me was missing.  I normally begin my day letting him out of his kennel and taking him outside.  As soon as we come back in, he expects me to spend some time petting him.  What a desolate morning it was!  

We picked him up this morning and he was very happy to see us.

This weekend Gabe will have a different experience:  Cliff decided, sort of at the last minute and with me encouraging him, to go to the Orange Spectacular in Minnesota.  Again, we really can't take Gabe along.  I know there are motels that allow dogs, but I have no idea whether my dog would abstain from barking if we left him there alone.  So he's going to stay at the oldest granddaughter's house.  I told her a while back I'd pay her for her services, but she said that since I babysat her Sophie a few years ago, she wouldn't take anything.   She has two dogs, Rory and Sophie.  AND a fenced yard.  

Rory the Shitzu and old Sophie the Mini-Pin

The show we're attending is an Allis-Chalmers-only event; Allis Chalmers happens to be my favorite classic tractor.  I think we'll have a great time, but then any time I get to go on a road trip it's fun.  Our destination is an eight-hour drive from us, so I have some audio books from the library downloaded that will help pass the time.  Oh, and the high temperatures are forecast to be under 80 degrees when we're there, with lows at night around 60.  What a change that will be.

Wish us luck, and keep on the sunny side.