On the Ball in August 

Starting out right: On the 2nd, Donna took the Cleveland

gang to the Indians (Guardians) ball game. We won!

Josh Dockter and his wife entertained

at Music in the Park on the 5th

Bob and I tried our hand at golf on the 7th.

Note Diane's hole in one on the fourth hole!!!

If we had quit at nine holes, I would have won.

We didn't quit at nine, and Bob won by one!

The 16th hole killed me. Now I know how

the pros feel.

Oh, by the way, it was mini-golf. :-)

Six quarts of cukes waiting to be processed on Sunday, the 9th.

Four hours later: 8 pints of bread and butter pickles!

Still have six more quarts of cukes in the fridge.

August 17th: First day of school in Killdeer.

Matthew, senior; Grace, sophomore; Luke, 6th grade;

Mary Kate, kindergarten; George, preschool.

The whole gang showed up to cheer for Matthew

in his first football game. They won 45-20!

We shuffled off to Buffalo on the 23rd after church

and played pickleball with Ana and the girls that night.

While we were driving to Iowa on the 24th, 

Julia and Sara went back to school!

The presidents greeted the students at St. Agnes!

Halfwaiy to Trina's

Jett and Caiden have their own business in Iowa.

On Tuesday, Trina took us to see the

largest truck stop in the world

on I 80

The truck museum is across the road.

How would you like to use this for a moving van?

Guess what..electric trucks have existed

since the early 1900s

Don't think this farm truck would make it today!

Cleveland Police Paddy Wagon 1913

Depression era snowmobile!

Speed demon here!!! Top speed 10 mph

Then, on to Davenport where we met Ari

and Ophelia and they took us to the 

John Deere Harvester Museum 

and a John Deere showcase museum in

Moline, Illinois, across the Mississippi

from Davenport. Eric met us for lunch 

at Johnny's next to the gift shop.

On Wednesday we went to the Czech Museum

where we watched the video showing

how the 3 million pound museum got 

moved from the flooded Cedar River

to its present site. The clock tower

showcases the workers in the Czech

and Slovak countries dressed. 

These figures are carved in wood and 

rotate around when the tower doors open.

From the museum we ventured in to New Bohemia

to buy some kolaches. Not as good as Aunt Ida's recipe.

Then we headed to the NewBo City Market because

there was a Lebanese food place, but it was not

there anymore. We settled for oven-fired pizza

with gluten-free crust to take back to Trina's.

Thursday evening was the water ski 

show. Tom was emcee as "Doctor

Feel Good".

Annika was on the ski team. Jett and Caiden

were on the show team all summer, 

but after school  began, they quit.

Not showing off her muscles, 

the team did a dance on shore.

Annika's in the middle of this ski line. 

Trina said she's next to a tall blonde. Hard to tell.

Annika is on the third tier of this pyramid!

On the way back to Ana's on Friday,

we stopped at the John Deere Tractor

and Engine museum in Waterloo.

I think this one said 1911...

Didn't know they made tractors then.

This is really the best John Deere museum.

Working engine at the Waterloo John Deere museum

We got back to Buffalo in time for

Cecelia and Lydia's volleyball game.

Cecelia's on the left; Lydia on the right.

Dave's Restaurant in Charles City, Iowa has great pies.

On the way to Trina's we bought a peanut butter pie;

Coming back north, we picked up this coconut cream

pie with a huge meringue topping! Claire did share

it with the rest of us. :-)

On Saturday, we went to a huge flea market 

before heading home and then to the Community

Center to watch the NDSU Bison win their first

game in Division 1. 

On the way back to ND on Sunday,

we saw this helicopter putting wires on

the power poles. Sunday night we had a huge

rain and windstorm that dropped .75" of rain.

Still windy today. August is going out like a lion.

Last day of the month, but first day of 9th grade.

Claire is a senior!