Labor Day – Asbery's Echoes

Stitching

We’ve been so busy lately and it’s been hard to fit in some stitching but I’ve managed! I’ve been stitching orders and stitching things to sell and once in a blue moon I stumble across a pattern I just have to stitch for myself!

When we were at the quilting/needlework store in Amana we found this cute cross stitch/beadwork kit. Two of us purchased the kit and are going to make Christmas ornaments to commemorate our camping trip. I haven’t done beadwork in a long time and it’s been fun to do a little bit of it again. I’m looking forward to finishing mine and seeing how Susie finishes hers. I’m sure they will look totally different from each other and yet both will be beautiful!

You can’t really see how the beads sparkle but they do. And they’ll really sparkle on the Christmas tree! It’s fun to have someone else stitching too as I don’t have anybody local who stitches and I’ve always thought it would be fun to stitch with friends!

Labor Day Campers

All set up for the weekend. It doesn’t always work out but these campsites were perfect so that we could set up all four campers with our doors facing each other. We had this whole area just to ourselves!

A few years ago we started camping with a group of friends over the Labor Day weekend. There are four couples in this group and we take turns picking out a campground. This year was our year to choose so we chose the Amana area. The other three couples live in the Clear Lake area and we live in southeast part of the state. Some years we have to travel a bit more, other years a campground that is more centrally located is chosen. This year was a lot closer for us but the others wanted to explore this area so it worked out great.

We all headed to the Amana Campground on Friday and set up camp, had some supper and sat around the campfire. Then on Saturday we headed to Mt. Pleasant to the Old Threshers Reunion. This is an annual event that takes place every year in Mt. Pleasant after the State Fair is over. Many people in our state will camp at the State Fair for two weeks then pull their camper straight to the Old Threshers. I have lived here my whole life and never visited so I was looking forward to this too.

It was wonderful to see all the old steam engines, tractors, vehicles, different motors, etc. and the best part was seeing all of the young people taking part. This is such a big part of our history and it would be so sad if people didn’t keep up the tradition of holding this reunion for all to see. There were so many young people joining right in with the old learning how to run all of these things and doing all the work involved. I would love to go back again and spend more time here taking it all in.

On Sunday we toured Main Amana. We walked through the shops and took it all in. The Amanas are a group of German villages established long ago. They lived in communal houses and each member of the village was assigned a job. One person may be a cook, another a farmer, a gardener and so on. They all worked together to keep the community going. Many of the old original buildings are still standing and being used as restaurants, shops and as houses. The General Store and the quilting shop were favorites among the women and the men simply tolerated the day! The restaurants are fun to eat at as they serve traditional German food family style but unfortunately Sundays are busy and we couldn’t get in without a reservation. So we checked out the Meat Shop, purchased some Amana meat and headed back to the campground with some yummy things to try. We went for a walk around the campground in the afternoon and checked out the dog show. There was an AKC Dog Obedience show going on all weekend and according to the lady when we registered, there were 3,000 dogs in the campground. It was fun to see all the different dogs and watch a small portion of one of the shows. It reminded me of the horse shows when I was young only with dogs!

We played some cards and lots and lots of bags at the campground. Spent each night sitting around the fire talking and enjoying each others company. Kelsey made us sugar cone s’more one night. Yum!

The weather was perfect, overcast and cool when we were at the Old Threshers and warm and sunny on Sunday. The evenings cooled down and the fire felt so good. It was another fun Labor Day weekend spent with good friends!

Rainy Weekend Fun

Our Labor Day camping weekend sure flew by. We camped in Cascade, Iowa this year – a first for all of us. We had a rainy, hot, humid, buggy, sometimes cool, fun weekend!

We were the first ones there Friday. We got set up, Drew played with his legos then he and I went to bed. Joe stayed up and helped the others when they pulled in.

On Saturdy we explored the campground and just relaxed. Drew found a toad to play with which kept him entertained most of the afternoon and it was great to have Matt and Whitney visit in the evening. There was no tubing down the river. We woke up to rain and it rained most of the morning – too much rain means lots of muddy water!

Sunday was sight seeing day. We started out in Dyersville visiting the Field of Dreams. We didn’t stay long – it turned hot and humid and then it started to rain. So off to Dubuque we went.

First we went to Crystl Lake Cave. It worked out great – it stormed while we were touring the cave! They had had so much rain that we didn’t get to exit the cave by the usual route due to it being too wet – we actually had to backtrack and exit the same way we came in.

Next was Fenelon Place Elevator. Lots of giggles and laughs on this ride! We got off at the bottom – took an ice cream break and rode back up to the top. Joe and I had done this before, a couple of times, so we knew what to expect but it was fun to enjoy it through everyone else’s eyes. It’s a little scary the first time you’re on it – and even the third if you think about what would happen if a cable would break! We had also been to the Field of Dreams and the cave before but it was fun to see everything through other’s eyes!

Not sure why this poor guy was hanging off of this tire but he sure gave us a good laugh!

Supper was pizza at the Shot Tower – deliciously yummy pizza! Then back to the campground, a little time around the fire and before we knew it the weekend was over. We got up to rain, packed up in the rain, came home to sunny skies but 4 1/2 inches in the rain gauge, and a soggy chicken coop. Another fun Labor Day camping trip here and gone!

Labor Day Campers

Another Labor Day camping weekend has come and gone. And it went way too quickly! Things weren’t quite the same as one couple had to cancel at the last minute and another couple decided to come but that’s okay. We missed our friends and made new friends and hopefully we will all be together next year. That’s what we’re planning anyway!

We got to the campground early evening Friday and were the first ones there. We got set up and decided to eat supper at the restaurant. They had all you can eat seafood buffet. Who can pass that up! First we loaded up the truck with firewood as there was no bringing in your own here. Drew loved climbing the woodpile while we loaded up the truck! As we were getting ready to eat another couple showed up and they were wanting to eat at the restaurant too. Not what we usually do when camping but when it’s late and you’re tired and it’s there – why not!

Saturday saw us eating a brunch of bacon and eggs and hash browns then exploring the campground. None of us had ever been to Skip-a-Way before. It was definitely full for this weekend and we could see why. There was miniature golf, a game room, a splash pad, peddle boats, canoes, and kayaks for the lake and tubing down the Turkey River. They guys played around in the game room then we played a round of miniature golf. We walked around the campground and enjoyed seeing all the campers that were set up permanently. They all had sites decorated and landscaped and you could tell everyone knew everyone else. How fun that would be.

The days were nice and the nights were chilly and it was perfect for campfires in the evening. We spent a lot of time sitting and chatting around the fire, getting to know one another and to just relax. the best part of camping as far as I’m concerned!

Sunday we had planned on Tubing the Turkey but it was just chilly enough that we decided to make a change in plans and we’re all glad we did. We took a road trip to Spook Cave and it was so much fun. We’ve toured many a cave but not like this. This tour was all by boat. There were times you couldn’t sit up at all as the roof was so low. Not good for those who are claustrophobic. We had a great tour guide who was able to deal with the guys and their antics. She never batted an eye! I decided I want to go back as there is a campground right on the grounds with the cave. You camp right beside a creek and a waterfall. It would be a fun getaway for the family. Maybe next year!

After the cave we drove onto Pike’s Peak for a fun hike and beautiful views. We got to see the spot where Matthew proposed to Whitney the year before which was fun for all of us and especially Whitney’s mom and dad! Again, I would like to spend more time here and do some more hiking and visit the Effigy Mounds. It was a beautiful place.

By the time we got back the campgrounds we were all tired so a quick supper and more campfire time! Rod got out some lanterns and set them off. Something so simple and yet it’s fun to watch them soar away into the night.

Sunday we were up and headed to the restaurant for breakfast and we were all headed for home by noon. Before we left we were planning our trip for next year. Sounds like we’ll be going south instead of north this time. We like to change it up. As this was our year to plan it I’m glad to hand off the task to somebody else for a couple three years. We’ll let Steve and Wendy make the choice and we’ll have fun no matter where we end up! Skip-a-Way wasn’t necessarily our favorite campground we’ve ever been at but it had lots of fun things to do and places close to visit and it really doesn’t matter where we are. We just all enjoy spending the time camping together!