MYSTIK LAKE and PRIOR LAKE outside of MINNEAPOLIS MN

This morning we went to see Ben at Perkins for the last time this visit! We will be leaving for parts on West this Friday July 28th. Ben is well and working nights this week so our visits have been early morning when he gets off work, before he goes to bed. The guys took two mornings to unload Ben's moving boxes that we brought from Victor's in Ohio. The car was full to the brim!! We think that one more trip will finish up his moving. He was anxious to get his easel. He's been wanting it for some time now.
Our only other entertainment has been Mystic Lake Casino here by the RV Park. We haven't bothered driving around, adding on more miles. We'll get that as we travel on west.

Gary is just returning from his late morning run to the Casino.
He found a walkway that comes by their parking garage
down and around to our RV.
They also have shuttle service from the RV and back.

So this morning was breakfast for us and dinner for Ben.  I sure couldn't live that switching around all of the time.  But for his employment which switches depending on the job locations and needs, and for his need to take care of his own business, he needs his days sometimes.
Gary is finalizing some of our stays as we are traveling on west, with one week stop in Aberdeen SD to meet with more relatives, before going on to Glacier National Park.
We finished our stay in Ohio with friends, Cathy and Jim fixing us breakfast and then dinner out with the family. We  also saw to Gary's sister, Janet's transition from the ten day hospital stay into the nursing home again. She really is not stable or strong enough to be on her own as she would like. So sad, but she does not seem to accept it well. Victor does what he can to take care of her business. God bless him for that!!
As we arrived in the  area to pick up the motorhome, the addition of new springs was even a visible change for the good.  He sure did not have the sway that he had when I followed him anytime before!! We are amazed how solid it feels even when walking inside even!! Glad that we made the upgrade.

I followed Gary after picking up
the motorhome.

Our first stop before picking up the
motorhome was at a Thrift Shop to
buy this vase for on the floor of the Condo.
I saw it before we left here in June, but
debated buying it. It was sure an impulse
 to stop and buy now, but I was driving!!

Last evening here  was storms and tornado warnings. We went to the storm shelter that they have here in the park for about a half hour. But I think that it was a bit more north of us. Maybe a few miles, but no touchdown. It had looked nasty for much of the afternoon.

Shokapee MN area

Mystic Lake RV Park by the Casino. Very nice, neat park.

We sure are close on our hook-up side!!

 

Our lot as seen from the door.
I have sure enjoyed sitting out for two days!
Reading, of course.

The walk from the casino had an awesome wall of flowers. Can't imagine hos much water it must take to keep them looking so nice.

Hope that the storms are not affecting all of you out there!!  Take care and stay tuned.

JULY 4TH in MN and TRIP to OHIO FOR A SHORT VISIT

MOTORHOME IN REPAIR SHOP AGAIN, this time it is the springs and that is not going to be a cheap repair. So when we found out on Thursday that it was going to be a ten day or more repair time for getting the parts and doing the work, we decided to head for Ohio so that we did not have to spend money on motels for the duration or go in to Ben's apartment when he must sleep during the days.
We left Minnesota Friday, July 7th at 6 am. After eight hours on the road, we stopped in Merritsville IN for the night. We texted the kids where we were and in the responses we found out that Gary's sister had gone home from the nursing home! Of course, we do not think that is a good thing, especially because of her hip, but time will tell.
We arrived in Boardman at 12:30 on Saturday, stopped at the grocery store for a few things and let everyone know that we had arrived. Victor came over to the condo for a visit and updates on Janet.
Sunday am we got up to the call from Janet that she needed to go to the emergency room as she was unable to breathe well. So instead of church, we spend much of the day at the hospital until they took her from the ER to a room. How long will this last or where will they decide she needs to go, who knows!!
All we know for sure is that we will leave for Minnesota when the garage calls that the motorhome repair is finished. We know that they will want paid then and it is not going to be cheap!!
Shortly after that we plan to head on west to Glacier National Park. This is the second year that this has been planned. So we hope for success this time!!
July 4th, we had Ben come to the motorhome for a picnic.

I had to make some of his favorite foods one time.  It was better than eating out all of the time. We sent more than half of it home with him so that he had meals for the rest of the week. I had been trying to get his curtains done at the apartment. We got them hung and then I went back and ironed. Now I just have to go back to make a small curtain to put in the living room skylight to cut down on the bright sun and heat. I'll go taking my sewing machine with me.
Gary had spent one morning working on the bottom of the bedroom slide.  It seems that we should not be needing these repairs, but then it is eleven years old and we have had it on the road much of nine years. Anyway, that morning I was standing close by to be his gopher when I began to feel light headed. I made it to the picnic table to sit down. Almost landed on the ground, but I came back around and Gary got me something to eat. We are not sure if it was low blood sugar, but probably low blood pressure. We did not think to take the blood sugar test right then. Oh well, hope that it won't happen again!!

Gary rested for the afternoon and some people with two large dogs and kids moved in behind us for the holiday weekend. It was a very busy weekend there but wonderful weather. Everyone had gone home by noon the 4th. So most of the celebrating was done over the weekend.
While waiting around for the the results on the motorhome, we did a lot of thrift store window shopping and stopped in a cemetery to read a while in the shade. This was in Faribault, MN and guess who's name we found on one of the headstones

Richard, did you know that you had relatives here?

When we arrived home on Saturday, we found the pool at the condo pretty crowded. View from our condo balcony looks like party time.

Looks like it is being used well this year!! We have never tried it yet. Don't know if I will take the time this trip. We will do some visiting around.
Gary went to breakfast with his friend, Rick already and I will be going to dinner this evening with my friend, Louise. And we made a visit to Richard's on Sunday afternoon. So that takes care of some visiting.
Gary is now making reservations in MN for the duration between the repair and the beginning of our trip on west. So we will have a few more visits with Ben.
You are having an awesome summer here in Ohio also. Forecast for much of this week is rain, but sunny so far today.
Take care and try to stay dry!!

RED WING, MN. ONE LAST TIME for THIS TRIP

Through all of the storms in Minnesota and Wisconsin, the closest that we have been has been about 25 miles. Just rain and wind here!!
I had an evening out at the campground at our neighbor's. Judy is the one who lost her husband five years ago and still summers here and winters in eastern Arizona, sometimes making the trip alone. It was nice visiting with her while here. I only sat out until the mosquitoes began biting. We are not in favor of the smoke saturated clothes and hair, but I wanted to visit with neighbors.
On Friday, June 30th, we moved across the park because our site had been rented out before we made our reservations. Since that move we have been surrounded by children and dogs! It has been so nice for sitting out and Gary got some repair done to the under side of the closet slide in the bedroom. It has had too much moisture damage from outside, maybe from rain splashing up from a table of ours that we often sat under it not realizing the damage it was doing. Gary is not sure that his make-shift repair will be enough. We'll see. It can be repaired again when we get back to Ohio for a longer time. We found a new to us RV Service there, that is good.  We have since found another such place near here and we will be going there for another problem on the 6th. If not one thing, it is another.
I gave Gary a scare while he was working on the slide. I had been standing nearby to fetch and hand him any supplies or tools that he needed. He always begins work early in the day for the cool, so I did not take the time to eat anything before going outside. Not sure if that was the cause, but I began to feel light headed. So I went to the picnic table and sat down. When Gary realized where I had gone he found me almost on the ground. I don't remember that at all!! And of course, we did not think to take a blood test for sugar. But Gary did go inside and get me something to eat once I was up and clear minded. So we spent a couple days using caution, but all has been okay since.
July 3rd, we went to Red Wing, MN for one last time.  There was a house that I had seen from one of the main highways through town that we took the time to drive by for pictures. In addition we checked out the main streets of town, another Antique Mall and the Salvation Army Thrift store.

 

Driving through downtown- -

The buildings in this town are so well maintained,
even when not in use. We were in awe of the town!

The flour mills are very much a part of the town.
And we could see the Memorial Park on  right of this
picture. We had visited this earlier in our visits here.

 

We stopped in at the St. James Hotel as we had heard that it was beautiful inside.

Pictures never good when taken through windshield.

Walking to the St. James, we passed a Cafe' that we returned to for an ice cream cone. Yum, yum!!

A little park across from the hotel.

RED WING!!
The size of this well known Red Wing boot
is said to be a fit for a twelve story tall man!!

Sewing machine used in the making of their boots.

There was a museum on the second floor of the store.
Now off to the Pottery Place for the mall of Antiques shops.  There are three floors of this, but will save the upper floors for another visit.

Water faucet. The jug made at
Red Wing Pottery. 

Furnace from the Pottery Factory

Another furnace//kiln.
Wish we had a narrator for these sites!

Now off to Walmart for water, before returning to our Park. Walmart, Menards and a Mayo Clinic are on the hills above the town.
Cannon Falls RV Park has been a nice place to stay. So much like our Ohio Timashamie.

Our newer Home location!

Former area that we were in.

We were parked behind that tree to the left of the laundry
building. It was great shade for us.

Looking down the road to our new location.
Across from us were many children as well as in back of us.

Ben will be out today for our 4th picnic. Neighbors are all packing up and leaving today. Tomorrow will be laundry and pack-up day for us too. And then Thursday we will move on to the ABC garage for some work on the motorhome. Not sure how long it will take them, or what needs done. We could be at Ben's for overnight, or even on a trip to Ohio if they will need it for a couple weeks.  Time will tell.
Have a wonderful summer!!