Yesterday we had a condo board meeting on the condo president's glass-enclosed back porch. As we were talking, a pair of the cranes walked by and peered in at us with their beady red eyes. Boy, up close like that you really see how they are barely updated dinosaurs! And nosy to boot. I'm not sure why they would find a condo board meeting interesting - do they really care how much we plan to spend to repair the dock? I believe this photo Travalon took is that same pair. His new iPhone takes "live photos," so they are like tiny videos, and this one has the crane going under the fence doing a very graceful limbo, but it doesn't work on the blog.
Here is a sunset from a couple of days ago, when Travalon went to read on the dock.
He also saw a magnificently lit-up contrail.
Today we had a simple plan: we would go to White Mound County Park, hike in the wooded part of the path around the lake, and then swim in the lake. Our plan was quickly derailed by none other then ourselves, when we went to Sauk to walk at the VFW Park. We could see some pelicans in the distance.
The road was closed for construction further ahead, so we couldn't drive to the dam, but I said we could take the path through the woods to the dam, so we did. We saw more pelicans.
And a graceful great blue heron.
And even more pelicans, in a conga line the way they always do it.
After that we were hungry and thirsty, so we went to the Mexican restaurant in town for horchata and lunch. The antiques shop is across the street, and last time we went they had a cool rosary with a relic in the crucifix, but I waited to get it until the woman who knew how to open it was there, since she was off that day and the other women who worked there couldn't get it open. When we walked in, they greeted us VERY warmly, which is definitely a sign that we spend entirely too much money there. The woman I needed was there, but the rosary had been sold to the other person who comes in and buys rosaries. (N.B. I have no idea who it is.) So I bought a different rosary.
Then we drove on Highway PF, but we missed the turn to get to White Mound and ended up in North Freedom, where the Mid-Continental Railroad Museum is. I said we could take a train ride, but the last train of the day was pulling out as we arrived, so we went into the gift shop. I got a wooden train whistle like the one my grandpa gave me when I was a kid (he worked on the railroad), and a mood ring that looks like a caboose. It was fascinating to watch because it kept changing colors from teal (normal) to indigo (relaxed) to purple (in love) every few minutes, and once it was green, which is nervous. I don't think I'm that moody! Here is a photo of some of the antique train cars they have at the museum.
We did finally get out to White Mound, but by then we had our steps for the day and didn't feel like taking a big hike. The beach was absolutely packed, so we didn't feel like swimming. We found a very short (half mile) nature trail, and at the end was an overlook above the lake, but Travalon hadn't brought his camera so sorry, no photos. We went to Culver's to get a quick snack, but we waited forever and ever until Travalon finally asked how long it would be... and they had lost our order! I'm not sure pretzel bites were worth that much trouble, but they did give us a coupon for a free value basket, only good at that Culver's. Then we stopped by my garden plot to water my poor plants, since the beach at Governor Nelson State Park was also packed, and my neighbor texted to see if I wanted to walk. Not really, but she desperately needed steps, so I walked with her, and that's how I ended up walking almost seven miles on such an incredibly hot day that I expected to spend it all in the water. On our walk, we found this rock that looks like a perfect heart.
Maybe tomorrow we will finally get in the water, but it's going to be harder, because there's Mass and a neighbor's birthday party and of course Irish class. It seems we're not taking a break for the summer.
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