Wonderful Fourth of July Weekend

Sorry for my silence; I really have no excuse for not blogging yesterday, but Travalon and I sat out on our dock for a long time, watching boats coming and going. We saw one particularly majestic sailboat pass by, with a light on the top of the mast. It was so beautiful. As for what I was up to this holiday weekend, Friday I went to the outdoor fish fry at Quivey’s Grove with Travalon, Rich, OK Cap, the Single B-Boy, Cecil Markovitch, and another couple. It was a beautiful evening.

Saturday I met with Jilly Moose and OK Cap for coffee and the Rosary, then Travalon and I joined Rich, Cecil, the Single B-Boy, and Antoshka for a hiking adventure. (Though I’m sure Rich will say it wasn’t “hiking” because we didn’t have 50-pound packs on our backs.) Our first destination was Gibralter Rock, a steep climb to the top of a bluff with an incredible view, although I couldn’t get too close to the edge because of my fear of heights. We took the Merrimac Ferry over the river and went to Parfry’s Glen, a very pretty walk that gets adventurous towards the end. There used to be a boardwalk, but it washed away and they never replaced it, so now you have to jump from rock to rock over a stream and then scramble over large rocks to get to a waterfall. We took the ferry back over the river and had dinner at Fitz’s on the Lake, sitting outside and admiring the view of Lake Wisconsin. Of course half of us were facing away from the lake, so Cecil suggested we rotate, which we all did every twenty minutes except for Antoshka. He had the best view, so he refused to budge. That is par for the course for him. Our last stop was Ferry’s Bluff, and we got to the top just as twilight was falling, so lots of cranes and whippoorwills were calling to each other. A young family had beaten us there, and they said they were going to watch the Sauk City fireworks from there, so we stayed and did so as well. I have never watched fireworks from a bluff before! It was pretty cool. The Dairyman's Daughter was in Sauk City watching the same fireworks, so afterwards she stopped by briefly to say hello.

Sunday Travalon and I explored a place right near our home that our neighbors had told us about, with hiking trails and boardwalks right by the channel out to Lake Mendota. How cool to find something new right in your own backyard! We got together with some other people and played board games, then afterwards he and I went to the East Side Club and sat by the lake, watching fireworks in the distance and the Betty Lou Cruise go by.

Monday I had my regular adoration hour, so Travalon and I had brunch at Short Stack, and then he joined me for my hour in the chapel. We went out to the Nature Conservancy land just outside of Spring Green, where the cacti are in glorious bloom, and we hiked the whole trail. It goes up a steep bluff too – we certainly got a lot of climbing in this weekend! Saturday we climbed the equivalent of 32 flights of stairs! Of course, there was a gorgeous view at the top of the trail. We had been alone the whole time, but on our way back we kept seeing people. In the evening we took a Betty Lou fireworks cruise; we had done the Lake Mendota one last year, but they were sold out this year so we did the Lake Monona one. That was so much fun! The boat was much smaller and more rugged than the one we took with Ma and Pa Hat, but I liked it because you really felt like you were on a boat. We passed those mysterious lights I always see from the Monona Terrace, and it’s just a strip mall. The funniest part is that it is on the left side of the street as you are heading east, and I was always looking on the other side, since that’s closer to the lake. Mystery solved! There is a coffee house there my coworker says is really good, and a little restaurant she cannot vouch for. We passed the East Side Club and saw people on the lawn looking at the lake, just like we had been the night before. We watched the Monona fireworks from the boat and enjoyed the view of the Monona Terrace at night as we were returning to port. I tried to take some photos, but they didn’t really turn out. Someday I will post photos of all this, I promise!

Famous Hat