RAGBRAI

Our RV was used in a new way on Thursday, July 25, 2013. It was a hospitality center and the large awning provided shade for my grandson Nathans cold drink stand for the 41^st RAGBRAI ( register's annual great bicycle ride across Iowa.) 

 

 

People came from everywhere to ride the 7 day trip from the Missouri River to dip their bikes in the Mississippi River. The Des Moines Register, who started the event, estimated that 15,000 bikers participated. The ages varied from the girl of 10 who rode behind her father to people in their 60's and maybe older. The helmeted riders often added funny hats or decorations to their outfits.

Nathan made a poster with the 407 mile route on it and the words RAGBRAI -2013 and asked bikers to sign it with their name and where they are from. Most were from Iowa but he also got names from Florida to California and Massachusetts to Washington. Other countries such as Israel, Africa, and England signed the poster. In fact his first customer was from Hungary.

                      Nathan's second cousin, Jon, even stopped and chatted with us for an hour or so.

 

Nathan helped make posters, and helped with the set up and take down of his stand. He earned $142.00 on it and since he said that part of the money was going for college, he received $52.00 extra for his college fund. It was a time for making memories neither of us will ever forget.

Fun in the Sun in the Dominican Republic

I'm having a hard time choosing the photos from the 500 or so photos that I have taken to show you what our wonderful trip to the Dominican Republic was like. My brother-in-law, Bill Miller, was at the airport to pick up my daughter, Karol, and I when we arrived in Puerto Plata on March 12. Since he has lived in the area for 14 years, he knew all the beaches to visit, places to shop, and where to get the best food.

We had a nice apartment one floor below Bill's apartment for our nine day stay in Sousa. Karol is sitting on the balcony overlooking the lush tropical garden where flowers and fruit are growing.

The weather was perfect in the lower 80's with rain occasionally in the evening so lying on the beaches was our favorite thing to do. Karol found my glasses after a big wave hit me behind my knees and I fell down in the salty water. We watched as others surfed with kites. Several people wanted to sell us food or trinkets, a woman braided Karol's hair, and a singer came to sing to us. Of course we went shopping in town too.

The restaurants were very good. We even went to a clear river with friends, Ingeburg and Monica,where a Dominican man prepared barbequed ribs and rice for us. That is a mahogany tree behind Ingeburg and Monica.

In Puerto Plata, we walked the malecon which is a wide red brick sidewalk several miles along the ocean. The fort is the San Felipe Fort which was built on the harbor in the early 1500's after Columbus sailed to the area about 20 miles away in the 1490's.

Bill drove us into the mountains where we saw sugar cane fields, king palms and banana plantations. Flowers and fruit were everywhere. We saw poor homes and fancy homes. Then it was time for me to back to our RV while Karol returned to Iowa and a big snowstorm.

  

A Week in the Life of the Millers

                                         

                                   

                               On Sunday, we went to the River of Life Church at the Cove where Terry

                               set up the sound system, gave the opening prayer, served communion, and

                               put stuff away for the 80 people of the church.

                               On Monday we worked on the computer, I cleaned the RV, we went to the

                               hot tub and Terry cleaned the clubhouse.

                               Tuesday I went to a Minnesota card tournament and played cards. In the

                               evening I was the leader for the Christian Women's Fellowship.

                               Wednesday was the Purple Ladies of the River luncheon at Tommy's Paradise

                                 cafe. Guess who was elected Queen? Terry worked on creating the church

                                bulletin and cleaned again that night.( A couple of weeks ago he made an

                                error. He titled the song, "Holly, Holly, Holly" instead of "Holy, Holy, Holy."

                                Terry said that spell check said it was okay.

                                Thursday we went to Quartzsite where Terry bought some solar stuff from

                                vendors and we looked at new RV's. I saw a huge 45 foot RV, a wonderful

                                handicapped accessable RV and even one with a patio.

                                Friday I went shopping with Wendy, who is an Escapee Boomer friend.  Terry

                                and I went to the hot tub and plan to go eat fish at the clubhouse tonight.                               

                                Saturday is craft sale day at the clubhouse so Terry will set up tables.

                                 I will sell some of  my RV Chuckles and Chuckhole books.