Yesterday morning, I left Shawano. The night before I had driven around a little and taken a couple of photos. Downtown Shawano is like Menomonie, in that the downtown area is vibrant and alive. Shawano is about 9000 population, and for the most part, a very friendly town. There are two big really neat iron sculptures across from each other...

One is honoring the dairy farmers...

The other is honoring the once large logging industry...

I don't know if I said this before, but the Wisconsin countryside is very beautiful, as are the farms. I didn't see many rundown barns or farms, and those that were there, looked like they were being lovingly allowed to stand along side the modern structures so prevalent now on farms. All around the Shawano area, the big barns had different quilt patterns painted on them, not one the same as another...

I drove to the Shawano Medical Center, where Ken works, and as I stopped and got out of my car to take a picture, I had something happen that on all of my travels around our wonderful country, has never happened to me before. I heard someone shouting at me, and when I turned around, this car had stopped and this guy was yelling at me, "You didn't really vote for Obama did you?" I looked at him and replied, "Yes I did vote for him." He shouted back at me, "Why, he has ruined this country, he's a jerk!"I replied back, "You know, that is why I live in this great country of ours, because I have the freedom to vote for whoever I wish." To my reply, the guy just took off. I choose not to engage ignorant people, because that is just what they are, ignorant. I got no pictures of the hospital, which is right next to the Wolf River.

As I was driving back to Ken and Joy's house, I passed this business, which I had noted several times when we were going places...and you know me and signs...

NO COMMENT!

Back to Gannon Court, Joy had set up chairs for Ken and I...can you guess what we are doing...?

In case you didn't know, that's me with Joy's cowboy hat on...

Naw, that ain't me, playing ... what the ...?

Angie's Diner is the best - great breakfasts, friendly staff, and Angie herself is there all of the time. Everything is homemade, and when I asked for jelly or jam for my toast, I actually got homemade strawberry rhubarb jam!!!
I had to ask what an Indian Taco was, and was told it was fry bread with taco ingredients on top. Sounds yummy. Pancakes there are bigger than 10 inch plates, and looked good, although I didn't have any.

As I was leaving town, I stopped at a gas station. I was kind of taken aback because the card slot was taped up, and a sign said to prepay inside, which I did. As I was gasing up, I noticed this sign, and I found it very sinister ...

Looked to me like whatever the MAYOR was promoting, was ILLEGAL!!!

Off I went mulling this over, as I headed for Manitowoc and the SS Badger. The kids and I, along with my sister, Judy, had taken this same ferry from the Michigan side to the Wisconsin side thirty or so years ago. It was very easy to find the car ferry, with well marked signs as soon as you got near Manitowoc. While I was in the line a woman with a dog came up and asked if I had any firearms or weapons in the car, and I said no. Then she backed up to my window, and asked if I had any prescription drugs in the car, and I said yes. Blood pressure?? Yes. That's why he stopped, and told the dog he was a good boy. I put Matilda in line, and waited to board...

I boarded the car ferry and sat myself down, watching all the activity around me. After all the cars were driven on, several tractor-trailer trucks drove on, as well as a huge Caterpillar trac crane, and about 20 Harley Davison's. There were all type of folks on board, from families with children, grandparents with children, singles, all colors and all races. Old order Mennonites speaking a foreign language; a nun with a special aid dog which she was delivering; an Indian (from India) couple with a little boy who screamed and screamed, but not because he was upset. Just liked to scream!! I must admit I was happy he wasn't my kid!!!

I sat on a bench, outside of the cabins - they were very hot inside, and I liked the breeze, albeit often getting a whiff of the diesel fuel from the ship. I finished a great book, AHAB'S WIFE, and also started and finished a knitted cotton dish cloth. We were on the boat a minimum of 4 hours, getting a late start because of the crane being so slow to board. However, the last time I looked out, I saw the Michigan shore line. We were getting close...These are the Lake Michigan sand dunes...

And as we got closer, I could see the public beach at Ludington...

And then as we entered the "harbor area" there was the lighthouse and sea walls, loaded with people waving at us as we waved back...

It was after seven PM, and I was very happy that I had decided to stay in Ludington for the night. After breakfast today, I headed out for Grove City, Pennsylvania, and my next stop. It was a beautiful day, and it wasn't a really long drive. I passed River Raisin, yes, that is how it was written. And Temperance, Michigan. I received several phone calls while driving, and because I hadn't yet gotten to I80, I took the first two, but only talked for a minute for each...one was from Phil, singing Happy Birthday to me, the next was my sister, Marty, up in Ashland, Oregon. The next three came while I was speeding down I80, so I did not answer them until I came to a rest area. I must say that the Interstate I80 reststops in Ohio, are the best I have seen. They are big, clean, and have Panero's, Starbuck's Coffee, a steak & potato place, and then of course the requisite Burger King, etc. I got coffee, and a sandwich from Panero's, and called back Frank and had a good talk with him. I also called back Kat, and left a message. Then back on the road, and to my Best Western which wasn't that far away. While driving to it (I had taken the Grove City exit, which was one exit too far, so I had to angle back to it through the country side), I passed Katie's Homemade Ice Cream Store, and noted it in the side of my brain, marked ICE CREAM. Kat called and I talked to her, then I checked in. And then immediately drove back to Katie's, and bought an ice cream cone as my birthday present to myself. I was very happy!

Went back to the BW, got my stuff into my room, and called Phil, who just called me back. All is well there. Then I called June and Bucky, and had a really good talk with June.

While talking with Frank, earlier, he told me that my beautiful granddaughter, Rae, has entered THE TOUGH MUDDER. Now, I am not going to tell you what that is, but you can go to www.toughmudder.com and find out! And with that, I am going to close down...

I love you all,

A hui hou,
Sally

And by the way, and before it leaves my brain again, from the three pork tenderloin sandwiches I have tasted from three different restaurants in Iowa, hands down, the winner is Starbuck's in Nevada, Iowa, not to be confused with Starbuck's Coffee, which came along much much later in the west. And the best pie so far, goes to Tom Thumb's in Fort Dodge, Iowa. The best co-op I have ever seen is in Menomonie, Wisconsin. And the friendliest diner is Angie's on Main Street, in Shawano, Wisconsin. The best hard (scoop-able) ice cream on this trip has been Katie's, in Grove City, Pennsylvania. Best Bets all!