July 13 Enjoying Good Friends in New Auburn, WI

On Monday, we arrived here at the home of our good friends Jim and Jinny Young. Gary had worked for and with Jim about 20 years ago in Saudi Arabia. Over the subsequent years, we had only seen them just a couple of times but yet kept touch through the usual Christmas letters and an occasional e-mail.

Upon bringing Gary and Jim back together, it was like they had worked together yesterday. The past three days have been full of good stories of their times together in Saudi, updates on the people they worked with there, as well as their mutual experiences during the interim.

Jim and Ginny have a comfortable home here which Jim designed and built himself. He is an engineer and very meticulous. He even had the miniature model of the house to share with us. The house as built overlooks a large beautiful lake and is surrounded by a large variety of trees, beautiful flower garden and of course three connecting koi ponds. Our ponds at home don't hold a candle to what Jim has constructed here and his koi are humongous (my word for "very large"). I am struck by the number of similarities between Gary and Jim in their choices of landscaping and home design. Must have been lots of time sharing plans and dreams during those exciting working days in Saudi Arabia.

Jim and Ginny have been great hosts, letting us park our motor home in their driveway. Yesterday, Jim took us on a drive around New Auburn, stops at the medical clinic and pharmacy were not on his regular tour but included nonetheless. Gary has developed a sore on his leg and we take these things very seriously due to his diabetes so we got to experience small town clinic service...which was excellent.

This morning we got up early in an attempt to beat the heat. We took a "road trip" up north to see a new veterans' cemetery which was beautiful. Further north we visited some tourist sites to take the required picture with the largest fish I have ever seen...really bad tourist gimmick like the biggest ball of twine! We had several vistas where we enjoyed the beauty of the local waterway and the canoeing tourists partaking in their own adventures. Our morning was made complete by a stop at the "Moose Lips Cafe" for a late breakfast (near Cable, WI) before heading back home.

Tonight we barbecued hamburgers and worked on planning out our route for continuation of our tour of Wisconsin. We will tear ourselves away from the hospitality of this good place and proceed East with our next fixed destination being the Experimental Aircraft Association Air Show in Oshkosh, WI about 10 days from now. Jim and his grown sons will be there also so we will get to meet and greet again.

Life is good, but the weather could be a bit cooler. It has been over 90 for about 10 days now. Got a little 10 minute "teaser" rain shower today but that is all. We are just not used to this plus the humidity and we know now why we like the Pacific Northwest so well.

Take care...more later,
Linda