Russ&Suzie

Trip Log
2008-01-26 22:40:27 (UTC)

A little trip & Susie's trip to Florida

From the 9th to 19th of January Susie joined her sister
and our brother-in-law in their condo located in Naples,
FL. They had a good time relaxing together including an
evening with the Neuberts, Joy and Bob, whom we'd met in
China and who live in Naples. Dick and Lisa were grateful
that his mother's tumor recurrence is under sufficient
control that they could relax their connection with her in
Chicago and they could get away for their winter time away.

Not they didn't encounter the winter's coldest
temperatures upon return. Until today, we had temps
hovering around zero for the last number of days.

I stayed in Wisconsin as I like winter, had many things to
do and am not that fond of Florida. But did get away for a
two day trip first to Black River Falls where a cousin
lives (a first cousin once removed). Quaitie Siverly
changed her name in this past year, away from Carrie
Gardner, her former name. She is the second child/daughter
of my first cousin, Merlin, my best friend from childhood,
as we were of an age so our parents brought us together
frequently, both of us relatively isolated on our family
farms. He did about 20 years ago in an airplane accident,
having the hobby of fying antique airplanes one of which
developed a broken cable.

She and Susie and I had dinner in Madison a few weeks ago
and I wished to followup to show support as she's on the
outs with her family of origin, unfairly from my
perspective. We had a nice dinner at Molly's where she
knew people. She's supportive in her turn to a Native
American half her age named Eddy for whom she wrote a poem
for EPI. I shortened it to make it more suitable for
visual wall display.

Then the following day I trundled over 12-95-10 to Granton
where I visited Lee Krause, a high school classmate, both
of us graduating in 1955. He was married to Annette until
she died on Feb 4, two years ago.

He showed me his entire estate of a house jam-packed with
stuff. He collects rods and reels, fishing lures, guns
especially Winchesters, computers (hundreds), knickknacks
(he and his wife), family memorabilia, snow mobiles (26
all but one a particular variety -- is there a Ski-Doo?),
cars (I count seven in my memory, but two or three are for
parts only). He toured with a 55 Ford for years achieving
some trophies, but it needs painting and repair now. He
does computer repair. His house and numerous garages and
outbuilding are each absolutely jampacked with
acquisitions from auctions, Ebay, antique stores, flea
markets and word of mouth of "something reasonable". He
has every item tagged in his mind. The last part of the
tour (he's very proud of what all he has to show) is a
path on his 2 acre plot to a pond he worked out years ago.
Of course peripheral trees he planted courtesy of Francis
Steiner include Norway pines alternating with maples.

He showed me his dog graveyard (four buried there) and
his "mother tree" -- hia father gave him permission to
take one of a collection of spruce sprigs his mother
had, and although she scolded later, he affectionately
thinks of the now towering tree as hers. From a
birdhouse at the edge, he showed me where we could
sight down to Windfall Cemetary on Romadka Road, one
tree of which identifies exactly where his Annette
lies buried (she died 2 years ago Feb 4) and weeps
freely as he talks of her or of his mom. Part of the
house is a memorial wall with silk flowers that won't
fade.

Afterwards he took me to lunch at the Opelt Mapleworks
restaurant. Susie and I had eaten there once. It had
been Beavers when we were kids. Then I drove past the
cemetary, over to Meridian Road and past the old farm,
turning around atop the hill and going back past Red
and Ruths then where "the boys" had lived. So strange
to realize that Quaitie had no idea about Red and
Ruth's farm; hardly knew who they were.

Then I looked at Mom's house now (well we're glad it's
not her house now) to see if the new owner is treating
it well. I'm at the Daily Grind coffee shop on Center
Ave. Then I got on home before the storm hit that night.




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