After my last update blog we learned our new house build would be delayed a bit longer, due some county related issues. They are anticipating a finish date in June or July, but we believe the closing will be closer to August or September.
Based on this knowledge in November, we made a decision to purchase a new Airstream Classic — which we picked up in December — so we could have a bit more elbow room for the time we are living in it full-time. We’ve made some videos about that, and we put them on our YouTube Channel.
We didn’t expect much movement after that, until further into the new year. However, things started picking up in January. On January 7th, the builder held our pre-construction meeting. Soon after that we started seeing forms, footers, plumbing, foundation, and then framing taking place. It’s moving along!
January 5, 2025 – Form is in place. Ready for the pre-construction meeting.January 20, 2025 – We have some plumbing.Jan 20, 2025 – King of his garage LOL. That was a cold day, the night before the big snowstorm. Our property didn’t get much, fortunately, but it did delay pouring the foundation by a few days.February 1, 2025. We are leaving for Florida in a few days, so we took another drive out to the property. We were surprised to see so many sticks in the air! Here’s a picture from the last time we went out to the property, about four days ago.
Now we are heading to Florida for a month, and we are anticipating some real progress by the time we get back into town. I will be flying in for treatment a couple of times before then as well, so maybe, just maybe, I’ll have enough time to drive out and check it out while I’m in the area.
This reminds me of a verse in Isaiah (40:31, NKJV). We are encouraged to be patient, allowing God to do things in His own timing. I don’t mind the wait, to be honest. I love our current life and I look forward to making some more great memories.
But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!
We had planned to leave for Florida today. Our plans were to spend a week in Panama City Beach at St. Andrews State Park, and then travel on to Melbourne where we would stay a month at Land Yacht Harbor (an Airstream only park). But the closer today approached, the more our uncertainty as to what to do expanded.
A few events lead to our decision.
Weather. We checked the weather. Daily. Hourly. Sometimes even more often. As you are probably aware by now, the weather forecasted a major snowstorm for the entire southeast. Unless you live under a rock, you have probably read about this or seen it on the news. It’s making national and international news.
I went to FaceBook and asked, “stay and play in the snow, or leave early?” Of course, my Florida friends said, “you have to ask???” Our Airstream friends were mixed, and extremely helpful in terms of making sure our Alde heating system was working. Some of our northern friends had already come south, but at least one of my friends experienced snow in the deep south after they left clearer skies up north.
Houston doesn’t get snow. In fact, KHOU-11 (our Houston news) said in a recent blog post, “Snow is so rare in Houston that we cannot even discuss the top ten recorded snowfall events in Houston’s history, because only eight of them exist.” Well, now there will be nine.
The NPR is talking about it. Winter storm “Enzo” is wreaking havoc all along the I-10 Corridor. Pictures and videos are flooding the internet of Beaumont, downtown New Orleans, Galveston Beach, and the panhandle of Florida. It’s a HUGE blizzard of “epic proportions.” (Now I sound like a weatherman.) I even saw a video of a cowboy in Texas riding his horse through the snow, pulling someone on a makeshift sled behind him. Classic.
Medical concerns. In the meantime, Tim received some disturbing news from his dermatologist. He has a few skin concerns, and the medicine would come in the mail for some of them. More importantly, he needs to schedule surgery on a spot very close to his eye (right on the corner by his nose). She’s about 95-99% certain it is basal cell carcinoma. He is waiting for the MOHS center to call back with an appointment, and whether we can afford the cost.
Work concerns. In addition to his regular work obligations, Tim is now scheduled for a presentation trip to Minnesota the first week of February (2-4). It’s easier to fly out of Houston than all the places we had planned to visit in Florida.
I also have some work to catch up on. I’m still supervising some LMFT Associates in Texas, and I need to complete some CEUs for my AAMFT supervisory status as well as licensure. I can do this better with the solid internet we have here as well.
Sometimes, it’s less hassle to go with what you know.
All that being said, we decided to “hunker down” and stay where we are. We were able to cancel our reservation at the State Park for a small fee, and delay our reservation at Land Yacht Harbor by a week (no fee). Both of these were paid in full, and LYH has no refunds, so we were glad to make these changes. We did try to reschedule St. Andrews, but it’s really hard to get in Florida State Parks this time of year. There are only one or two days available here and there (across the state).
We did end up getting between an inch or two of snow. The pictures are pretty. It stuck to the ground, but not the concrete. I was hoping for a total blanket. You know the kind that turns the trees to a solid white? The kind you see in all the other pictures from up north? However, this was pretty exceptional for our neck of the woods.
When stuck inside, it’s a good time to bake bread. There’s a little heat coming up from behind the sink, so my einkorn starter rose really well.
If you look closely, you can see the icicles hanging from the front of our Classy Girls, looking like fangs. She kept us nice and toasty warm inside! It warmed up to the 40s later in the day and most of the snow melted.
As it turned out, Panama City Beach Florida ended up getting more snow than we got in Willis Texas. Go figure! Looks like we made a good decision.
À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!
Foot pain. Not to be confused with plantar fasciitis, I was just diagnosed with plantar fibromatosis, or what I call “foot pain.” I’ve had some left foot pain for a while now, in the arch. It’s one of those things I kept putting off, thinking it would heal itself. When it started keeping me up at night, it was time to get some help.
With plantar fasciitis, which is what I thought this was going to be, foot massages can help loosen it up and make it feel better. Unfortunately, the opposite is true with plantar fibromatosis (although that is debatable). All those times I’ve talked Tim into a foot massage have more likely been hurting more than helping. He was happy to hear he could forego any future foot massages 😂🤣.
Since we are in our “home” area in Texas for a while, still living in our Airstream, I scheduled a visit with my regular foot specialist out in the Lake Conroe area. That’s what the sign by TX-105 outside his building says, “Foot Specialist.” His office is as modest as the sign, as is the strip mall where he is located. It’s always clean and his staff are very professional and pleasant. Every time I see Dr. Ehret for a foot problem, I learn something new. And I come away feeling glad that I went in to see him.
This particular foot specialist has been at this profession for quite a while (since the early 90s), and he doesn’t hesitate to diagnose. He immediately saw what I was dealing with, gave me a diagnosis, talked about how it likely got started (it’s usually more than one thing), and offered me some options for treatment. In addition, he talked to me about the neuropathy, explaining how the muscle, tissue, cartilage, and nerves all interact.
Plantar fibromatosis, per Dr. Ehret, is scar tissue related to some injury to the connective tissue in the foot. Maybe I stomped on the shovel too hard when we were putting down sod in our yard, getting it ready for sale. Or, perhaps I stepped on a rock the wrong way or landed on a ladder with poor soles, or hit the curb on my arch. It could be a multitude of injuries. Once it is injured, the connective tissue keeps building up scar tissue with constant re-injury, resulting in a “ball” of scar tissue beneath the service. As previously stated, he did indicate there are typically multiple causes, and not one singular reason this condition develops.
He said I could look it up online, which I did, but “don’t pay attention to the pictures,” he said, because they always show off the worst-case scenarios. I was interested in what Dr. Google would say, and I was mainly there for the text anyway. Wikipedia calls it an inherited disease, also known as Ledderhose’s Disease, named after the surgeon who first described it. The disease can remain dormant for many years, or even generations, but then show up in the form of benign nodules unexpectedly. Once it shows up, it will likely recur throughout life. I wonder if any of my family members have had issues with this? This article from the National Library of Medicine was also helpful.
Fortunately, mine is in a “good spot.” It’s right in the middle of my arch, which we don’t use as much to walk on. The two primary options in my case are inflammatory medicine, or surgery. Most doctors, Dr. Ehret included, like to take the more conservative approach first. So, we agreed with the inflammatory approach.
We aren’t talking about Ibuprofen. He marked my foot, had his assistant hold my foot and big toe with a strong, death-grip, and then gave me a shot of numbing medicine followed by the injection. When I said “OW, OW, OW!” toward the end of the shot he indicated, “Got it!” with a smile. He had to hit the exact spot, apparently, which he knew he had found when it hurt. But it also felt better. In the words of John Mellencamp, “It hurt so good.”
If the problem persists, especially to the point where I have trouble walking, we can do the surgery option. I hope a shot every year or two will suffice. Also, he handed me a hand-written note in his “best doctor script” which reminded me to walk in shoes and slippers with memory foam, not bare feet, stay off my toes, and baby the arches. The cute black boots I wore into the office, which I got at Walmart for $16.00, have memory foam soles; he was very surprised to see that. They don’t typically see shoes with good soles walking into their office. I’m proud to say my boots are officially podiatrist-approved 😊.
I walked out of there (yes, I can still walk) with some new knowledge and a whole lot of relief. God is so good. We prayed for foot relief right before I went in there, and He answered that prayer almost immediately. He has connected me with the exact right physicians at the exact time I needed them. And of course, He is the Greatest Physician of all.
One final thought. As I was contemplating Jesus as the Great Physician, I did a little Bible Study. He never calls himself that. He became known as the Great Physician because of all the miraculous healings he performed. But the reason he healed people was not just so they could see, hear, touch or dance again. It was to draw them (and others) to Him. He came to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). That was his mission. If you are in need of healing, perhaps he is waiting until the opportunity for that healing to draw you closer to him. To save you. To become Lord in your life.
À la prochaine à bientot…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!
Today I was at MD Anderson, getting a brain MRI and seeing my oncologist. He was reminded that I came to him when he first “came back” to MDA. (He left to go into private practice for a few years, then came back after he “did that.” He told me he plans to retire from here. He is now a full professor.) I was one of his first patients. He remembers well the size of the tumor that was growing in my rib cage (7 cm). And the others in my bones, skull, liver, and lungs. And the brain metastases. All gone*.
He uses my story to inspire those who are newly diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. And other cancers. We can survive and thrive, and live a full life. Treatment can extend our life expectancy.
We love traveling as it is a testimony to the Lord. Even the Big Red Number (BRN) on our rig comes from Psalm 96:3…Declare His Glory**. I don’t know why God has kept me here but He must not be finished with me yet.
Not all of us are so fortunate. I never make light of cancer because it’s a horrible disease. Many of my friends and family have passed away from various cancers. Dr. Kovitz is very attentive and never brushes me off. He reminds me we can’t become so complacent with my progress that we forget. It’s a sneaky son of a gun, and we have to stay alert with scans and treatment. I am living with HER2+ metastatic breast cancer…
À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!
*My scans usually find “hot spots,” but my team has determined those are residual effects from the radiation, or scars where the cancer was at one time. We keep watching to make sure they don’t grow, or “progress.”
**Airstreamers acquire a number when we join the International Club. Wally Byam started this tradition when he began doing caravans and rallies, for protection and safety. The numbers can be seen on the front or back of rigs as they drive down the highway. Imagine if you were at a rally, had an emergency, called 911 and said, “we’re in the shiny silver Airstream,” and you are one of several thousand. The numbers help keep track of people, and quickly identify where they are located in a sea of silver.
Our BRN is 19963, and it was chosen for a purpose. Psalms is the 19th book of the Bible, chapter 96, verse 3. This has been our theme verse for many years. We keep ours on a solar powered display and hang it from our rock guard.
I grew up in southern Ohio, and I remember hearing as well as repeating this joke. How do you pronounce the capitol of Kentucky: Lou-EE-ville, or Lou-IS-ville? Answer: Neither, it’s Frankfort (insert rimshot) 🤪.
The entrance to the building is nicely decorated with flowers, paths, and street parking big enough for a King Ranch pulling an Airstream 😁. It was a little confusing as to where we should enter the building, as the signs were misleading. We just missed an opportunity to enter the Capitol a day earlier. Costumed trick or treaters were given candy by the governor inside the building last night. Mischievous ghosts and goblins might account for the entrance signs leading you in a circle 😂. But today we were the first (and sole) visitors, so it was a peaceful tour.
From the top of the stairs, at the entrance to the KY State Capitol.
The guided tour wasn’t for another hour, and we were on our way home, so we just walked on our own with the self-guided brochure. The tour desk lady provided some valuable information about things we should not miss before we began. And she stamped our passport on the way out. (Don’t forget the stamp!)
We met a man under the rotunda who told us that if you rub the boot of Lincoln, it is supposed to bring you good luck. That is why his boot is so shiny under the rotunda. Click the link below to see a short video of our interaction, as well as the changing lights under the rotunda.
Kentucky State Capitol Rotunda
The House of Representatives and Senate were next. While they look alike, you will see the House is more arched and contains beautiful roll-top desks. We walked around and even sat in the chairs (they are very comfy), which isn’t permitted in some of the Capitols we have visited.
Grand marble staircases lead from one floor to the next, with artwork to greet you at the top. I’m sure all the artwork would have a story if we had taken the guided tour. The lady at the tour desk cautioned us on the stairs. Apparently they can be slippery and a few people have fallen.
Infinity mirrors are a fun find in the State Reception Room. I found it ironic that no food or drinks are permitted in the reception room. Isn’t that what you expect to find in a reception 🤪 😂?? Paintings decorated the walls, painted to look like antique tapestries.
Unique aspects are the shifting light colors in the rotunda seen in the previous video, the infinity mirrors in the State Reception Room, and the irreplaceable mahogany wood from the Honduran rainforest found in the Supreme Court Chambers seen in the short video below. I told Tim I hope they planted some trees after that!
Kentucky State Supreme Court
I always love looking at the displays of First Lady dolls (and even a dog in this one), similar to the ones we have seen in other Capitols. Here are the first and current First Ladies. It’s fun to witness how the dresses have changed over the years.
In the basement, frames lined the walls with important documents that have been a part of our American History, including The Mayflower Compact, the Magna Carta, Declaration of Independence, The Bill of Rights, the Constitution of Kentucky, The Star Spangled Banner, a picture of Lady Justice, and several more. Amongst these prestigious documents governing our land was The Ten Commandments. We were pleasantly surprised to see it there.
Even though this might not be the most ostentatious of the Capitols we have seen, it is certainly noteworthy. Tim described it as the “most comfortable” of the Capitols we have toured thus far. It is certainly roomy, and one could easily get lost in there.
À la prochaine … hasta la próxima vez … Until next time!
We dropped off our Airstream at the Mothership for some warranty repairs, which I’ll cover in another blog. While they were working on it, we rented a car and took an overnight trip to Columbus so we could get our passport book stamped at the Statehouse. Somewhere around Zanesfield, we saw one of the transport trucks carrying new Airstreams to their destinations. It could be yours!
I grew up in Ohio, but I don’t recall ever spending much time in Columbus. It was fun to visit the city and spend the night in a King-sized bedroom with a walk-in shower that we could stand under as long as we wanted. Fortunately we looked ahead and learned that the Statehouse was not doing any tours on October 31st. We originally planned to go on Halloween, but we changed our plans when we discovered they would be closed, stopping on the way to the hotel rather than going the next day.
It’s always a good idea to check for hours of operation before your visit to any State Capitol. You will see flags flying at half-staff in this picture. We would later learn from our tour guide that Ohio’s first female House speaker, Republican Jo Ann Davidson, died at 97 years of age earlier this week. Among her many other accomplishments, she was largely responsible for the Capitol’s restoration project. She made a commitment to keep the old Statehouse features rather than building a new one. Her portrait is the only one displayed in the entire building. Tomorrow is her funeral so there will be no public or private tours.
Ohio Statehouse. We had a good tour guide. Take away the mustache and he reminded us of one of our pastor friends (you know who you are). He started by having us stand on the map of Ohio that was crafted into the floor. The information was reminiscent of my early school years, learning Ohio History.
Ohio is the 7th largest in population. This building is called a Statehouse because of its architecture, rather than a “Capitol,” although it is the capital of Ohio. The interior and exterior have different architectural designs, built in the Greek Revival style, constructed from 1839-61. The interior is Roman, whereas the exterior is Greek, plain and unadorned. This was intentional to save money.
Private citizens exerted their wealth and will to get the Capitol where they wanted it, and that’s exactly how it was paid for. Because of their economic influence, the capital of Ohio moved cities several times in its early history. Ohio limestone is found on the stairs and the walls. The building was restored in the 1980s, back to its original 1861 style.
After much movement, Ohio finally established a law that says the state Capitol has to be within 40 miles of the center of the state. That’s how it ended up in Columbus, and that’s where it has stayed since 1861. Interestingly enough, the state motto is “With God All Things Are Possible,” which is written in the Passport Book.
This 155-year old historic Thirty-Six Star American Flag is on display. It was flown over Capitol Square in 1865 when the body of Abraham Lincoln lay in repose in the Rotunda of the Ohio Statehouse. You can read more about this flag and where it has been by clicking here.
Our guide also talked about the color on the walls, seen in this picture. Salmon was uncovered on the walls during the renovation, so that’s what it remains today. It was not called salmon back then. At the time the Statehouse was built, this color was considered light red, which is masculine. Also, red is a very Roman color.
I learned (re-learned?) something about architecture during this tour. Domes are Roman. Cupolas are Greek. (The Florence Cathedral provides an example of both, if you want to click on the link or Google it.) The Statehouse has a dome pictured here, but since the outside of the building was meant to be Greek, and the style of the dome did not conform to the Greek architecture of the exterior, they had to cover it with a cupola.
While we were there, they were hosting a reception and making preparations for the big funeral about to take place. Normally the tour would go right through that hallway, but we had to take the long way around to avoid any interruptions.
Corinthian columns are found in the Senate and House chambers, but this was considered too ornate. An architect was fired for going over budget with the details.
Unlike other Capitols we have seen with expensive wood from exotic places, Ohio used pine throughout the building to save money. They painted the pine with a wood grain to look more prestigious.
It was hard to tell the wood on this door and frame was pine at first glance, so it’s always nice to have a tour guide point out those intricate and interesting details. I was raised with this type of frugal mentality, which was common in southern Ohio at that time, possible values passed down from the government.
The Senate and House look very similar, except you can see the Senate has telephones on the desks, and the podiums are different. They didn’t spare the same expense there, as they are made mostly out of marble. This is unique than most of the Capitols we have toured, as the House and Senate are typically very different in their appearance, from the carpet to the chairs, the podium and the chandeliers. Again this speaks to their financial frugality while making a very nice place to hold sessions.
During renovations in the 1980s, they uncovered muse murals and other features that were covered up and “lost” sometime in its history.
I may have shared a bit more in this Statehouse blog, since it’s from my home state. It was an interesting visit, and I do recommend taking the tour. We may go back for a second visit, as there is an entire museum we had to miss in the timeframe we had. I also read online the “World’s Largest Steel Gavel Sculpture” is located in downtown Columbus near the Ohio Supreme Court building. Somehow we missed that.
Back at the hotel, a pumpkin carving contest was in process. Here are the very creative pumpkins the staff came up with, one of them nodding at the famous Jimmy Buffet. It seems “carving” has morphed into “painting” these days. But hey, in the words of C. S. Lewis, “Have fun, even if it’s not the same kind of fun everyone else is having.”
À la prochaine … hasta la próxima vez … Until next time!
On our way from Marceline Missouri to Jackson Center Ohio where we are going to get some warranty work done on the Airstream, we saw Indianapolis right on the drive path. Bonus! Another stamp in our State Capitol passport and a place to stretch our legs.
We found a few empty spaces on the street that fit our truck and trailer. Tim plugged some money into the parking meter and off we went, hoping we wouldn’t get a ticket.
Unfortunately they only had two guided tours today, and we missed them both. But, Tim once again acted as our tour guide, and he does a pretty good job 😂. They do have a nice self-guided tour brochure which describes the important places of interest.
Play video with sound on for the full effect. 🔉
This building is referred to as The Statehouse, and we never figured out why during the tour, so I did some research on good ol’ Google to learn more. This website was very helpful. Capitol buildings are categorized in three ways: statehouses, domed capitols, and executive towers. There is also one “roundhouse” that serves as a Capitol in New Mexico.
The shape of the building, when it was built, and architectural style all play a factor into which category it belongs. Indiana has a statehouse because it is has a flat front, square windows, and a federal front. The dome in the center was under construction while we were there, but you can see the rotunda from inside. This building is not the first statehouse. The original building still stands in another location, but we didn’t get to see that piece of history on this trip.
The chandelier in the Indiana Supreme Court is the heaviest in the Statehouse, weighing 1,500 pounds. This room has been largely unchanged since it was built in 1888.
Senate and House of Representatives.
We sat in those comfy blue leather chairs in the Senate Chambers. They are nicer than most in the Capitols we have seen.
The first Meditation Room in a State Capitol. It’s an interfaith chapel, in memory of those who have laid the foundation for this state.
Tim with his hand in the candy jar. 🤪😂
Walking around various floors held some unique finds. Busts of famous people including Benjamin Harrison, the only U.S. President from Indiana and the one who saw more states come into the union than any other president. I didn’t get his picture, but I did get Abe Lincoln.
Here’s a picture of another Abe, the Bison presented for Indiana’s bicentennial.
I enjoyed walking around the grounds under a beautiful autumn sky. There were several opportunities for great photos of the Capitol.
Our original plan was to boondock in a local parking lot, but after driving around downtown it didn’t feel like the safest place to stay overnight. It was still daylight so we went a little further down the road to get out of the city traffic and boondocked in a Cracker Barrel parking lot. In case you don’t know, boondocking is dry camping, without any hook-ups to electricity, water, or sewer. We used the water from our fresh water tank, and battery–operated lanterns to save our batteries (Batteries are one of the reasons we going to get warranty work done).
À la prochaine fois … hasta la próxima vez … Until next time!
October has been a complicated month of travel for the Wests. When Tim realized he had a work trip in Minnesota while we would be camping due south in a small town in Missouri without close access to an airport, he decided to drive it. He asked if I’d like to ride with him and spend time together rather than fly, and of course I said YES! It would be nice to sleep in a big king-sized bed for a few days.
He rented a car on his way home from the airport last week so we would take that rather than put extra miles on the truck. Plus, if we leave the truck parked with the Airstream it gives the appearance we are home. We left yesterday (Thursday) from Marceline, visited the Hoover Presidential Library and National Historic Site in West Bend Iowa (different passports), spent the night in Iowa City, then drove to the State Capitol this morning on our way up to Minnesota.
The Iowa Capitol is a pretty building. It has the “wow” factor. When I asked Tim what he liked about the building, he said he liked the domes amongst other things. I concurred. It has five domes on top. The center dome is covered in 23-karat gold leaf. The most recent re-gilding began in 1998 and was completed in 1999 at a cost of approximately $400,000. All I can say is WOW 🤯😳. The other four domes are copper with gold leaf stripes.
Construction of the Capitol began in 1871 and was completed in 1886. The building feels “original,” another thing Tim likes. Even though they have done some restoration, you get the sense an old, antique building. When you walk through the halls, it’s like you are transported to a time and place 150 years ago. It’s a timepiece from that era.
Ground Floor. We didn’t get to take the guided tour since we were pressed for time to get to Tim’s site visit, so Tim acted as our tour guide. He’s not quite as old as our last one, and a lot less eccentric 🤪 😂. He was actually really good! Their self-guided tour brochure is very well laid out, and highlights some important facts about the art and architecture we would see along the way. Some of the facts in this blog are borrowed from the brochure.
Visitors enter on the ground floor on the side of the building, where security checks your bags and asks you to walk through a metal detector. You are greeted by a series of tables and chairs and a cafeteria, which serve as a lunch room when legislature is in session. A school group gathered in these tables while we were there as well. The Iowa State Capitol Tour Guide desk and Gift Shop are located toward the center of the building near the rotunda. We stamped our passport, picked up our brochure, and listened to some tips on what to look for. There are a few facts on a plaque about the fire of 1904 near the stairs, but the main tour starts on the first floor.
First Floor. The first thing you notice is the rotunda, with stairwells and wings leading to various suites. According to the brochure, the building’s interior is furnished with 29 types of marble and a variety of woods.
The Rotunda. Suspended across the dome is the emblem of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.). The emblem, painted on canvas and suspended on wire, was placed there as a reminder of Iowa’s efforts to preserve the Union during the Civil War. A painted sky with clouds was added to the interior of the dome during recent Capitol renovations.
The reception room to the Governor’s Suite has high ceilings and a beautiful chandelier (which I would hate to have the task of cleaning). Visitors can’t go beyond the ropes, but it was fun to peek inside.
In the hallway outside the governor’s suite, there is an encased collection of “first lady” dolls dressed in their inaugural gowns. Currently they have a female governor (Kim Reynolds), the first female governor in Iowa, so there is one lonely male doll front and center representing her spouse. That was a unique display we haven’t seen in another Capitol to date.
There was a very large model of the USS Iowa battleship on loan from the U.S. Navy Department, in one of the first floor wings. It’s a World War II era battleship and frankly, pretty incredible. The model is 18 feet seven inches long and weighs approximately 1,350 pounds.
Lots to read in the first floor wings. I love the ceilings and columns shown here.
Underneath the rotunda is a block glass floor with the grand staircase in the background.
The Old Supreme Court Chamber is on this floor as well.
In the Secretary of State’s Office, a staffer unveiled Iowa’s original constitution where it is covered with a thick cloth, then she proceeded to tell a brief story about it. The original Iowa Constitution, signed in 1857, was restored in 1988 and is protected in a specifically designed case. Iowa has the second shortest constitution in the United States at 40 pages (Vermont has 20 pages). In perspective, Alabama has the longest state constitution at 300 pages! I loved reading the words written in the old script. It seems we have lost that art over the years. That was a unique and surprising find in the Capitol.
Second Floor. The marble and granite Grand Staircase leads to the second floor. There are some other interesting facts about this in the brochure which I won’t repeat here, but you can perhaps see by the pictures it is a beautiful staircase. I liked the six mosaics on the wall of the third floor, also seen from the first floor just above the mural. More on that later.
Above the staircase is a mural painting Westward, by Edwin H. Blashfield of New York. The mural symbolizes pioneers’ arrival in Iowa.
Iowa House of Representatives. Thisand the Iowa Senate chamber occupy most of the second floor.
From the second floor we got a better view of the paintings on the rotunda. Eight half-mooned shaped paintings and 12 statues. The paintings—called lunettes, tell the story of the “Progress of Civilization.”
We found the State Library of Iowa – the Law Library to be very appealing. It was probably my favorite part of the whole building. The library encompasses the entire west wing of the second floor. I loved the white iron spiral staircases and matching railing that framed the bookcases, filled with over 100,000 legal volumes. The staircase was a bit scary for me, but I climbed it anyway as it gave a different perspective on the library worth seeing.
This dumb water is older than us, but we can relate to the sign 😂.
Third Floor. This is where you can stand in front of the six mosaics and see the details of the tiny tiles. The craftsmanship takes my breath away.
I read a plaque that said it cost $10,000 to commission the artist. That was a long time ago, but I still thought that was an amazing deal. The mosaics symbolize Defense, Charities, the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branches of Iowa, and Education. Pictured here is “education.”
The galleries for the House of Representatives and Senate are also accessible from this floor, on either end of the rotunda. They don’t include the third floor in the self-guided tour brochure for some reason, maybe because it’s just the galleries. It was a challenge to find the elevator to get up there, and the stairs were closed off, but we really enjoyed the close-up view of the chandelier overlooking the House once we found it. Those galleries are tight, with very narrow walkways between rows, again challenging for someone with acrophobia!
Chandelier in Iowa State SenateIowa State Senate, from the Gallery.
Tim and Cindy West at the Iowa State Capitol.
I hope you enjoyed our tour of the State of Iowa Capitol in Des Moines. Next time you are in Iowa, take an hour and go see it for yourself. If you know of anything additional about this Capitol, or have your own personal story to share, please comment below!
À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!
Oy vey. Getting packages on the road is challenging and interesting. It takes some research to figure out whether a campground receives packages, who will get it, and how they will get it to me. If we are in one location long enough, Amazon does a great job of delivering before we leave for our next destination. But this time I didn’t use Amazon.
We were in Sedalia for the International Airstream Rally and they received packages at the Rally site. I didn’t think it would be a problem. The manufacturer promised a delivery date before the rally ended, but they didn’t try to deliver it until Saturday after the rally had ended. The Fairground administrative offices are closed on the weekend. Monday was a holiday so they were closed, and we left on Tuesday to go to our next destination. Of course, Tuesday is when they delivered it.
I called the Fairground and they had returned to sender, as they did with all rally packages. The company said we would have to pay for shipping even if we cancel the order. I’m going to fight that one because we were given a specific date and they didn’t fulfill that promise.
It’s only a month before we get back to Conroe, so we’ll likely not order anything else to be delivered between now any then. Just one more of the fun things we encounter while living life on the road!
If you are a full-timer in an RV, how do you get your packages? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!
Sedalia, Missouri. We were snug as aluminum sardines in our tin cans at the Missouri State Fairgrounds. We came in with the Greater Houston Airstream Club, about 35 of us, and there are around 1,400 units total. It’s truly impressive to see! The Rally lasted from October 5 -10.
Sick. I probably caught it on the plane back from Houston. I started feeling sick the day before we left Kansas City, and it hit me pretty hard by Friday the day we were traveling to the Rally site, the night before the Opening Ceremony. To get ahead of it, I called a teledoc and he prescribed me some penicillin. He said to wait a few days and see if it gets better before I started taking it. Cough, congestion, and 102 degree fever put me in bed for the first few days so I started the antibiotic and noticed improvement from there.
FOMO. I hated missing out. I tried avoiding people, sat alone and away from people when I did go out; but once I started feeling better I ventured out a little more each day. First in the evening, then the afternoon and evening, and then all day.
By Wednesday I was able to attend a few more events, and by the last day I participated all day and evening. We put a lot of time, energy, and money into preparing for this rally. I made ornaments and handed them out as “flamingos” while everyone was watching a movie. I feel like I was able to grab the highlights, and I caught a second wind often enough to justify being out of bed.
The Moral. There’s no ideal time for sickness to strike.
Rally Highlights. It was fantastic to see our friends from the Greater Houston Area Club (GHAC) and others we’ve met on our journey. We had the pleasure of dining at one couple’s Airstream, which gave us a chance to connect more personally.
These are some of the memorable moments from the Rally.
VAC sponsored Halloween Dance. VAC is the Vintage Airstream Club, and their party was in the Swine Hall, where the pigs are kept during the big agricultural fairs. Our GHAC group dressed up like characters from M*A*S*H* and gathered together in a pig stall. We wore some custom-printed dog tags and army colored clothes. I was tickled by all the creative costumes dancing around. No food or drinks were served or expected, although they had a cash bar at $8/bottle. We passed on that.
Vendors. We had a great time visiting the various vendors. The solar company came and did a free test on our batteries and solar. They found some issues which we will address in Jackson Center. We also appreciated getting our tanks cleaned by the team from Kleen Tank. Tim went golfing and I stayed behind to watch the process. I learned quite a bit! I will post a video of the process to our YouTube Channel if you want to see how it’s done. It’s quite interesting what they do! I highly recommend it if you have an RV of any kind. In essence, they pressure wash the inside of your tanks and show you how to prevent buildup and mold. (We had both.) In addition, they will give your tanks a “grade,” to let you know how well you are doing. This goes beyond simply dumping your tanks. It’s a maintenance issue.
Bridgerton Tea Party. The Bridgerton tea party on Wednesday was a highfalutin affair. I thought there would be more of a formal “program,” but the atmosphere was lively, and it was a blast seeing all the ladies dressed up while I enjoyed wearing my own Bridgerton-inspired outfit! Our table exchanged stories about the teacup we brought, and it was delightful to hear about the wonderful adventures tied to its purchase. All my teacups are packed away, so I bought one from an antique shop in Sedalia. This made sense because I have been known to collect them whenever we travel.
This cup will always have a memory of the Rally attached to it!GHAC ladies at the Bridgerton Tea Party.
Hot Air Balloons. Two tethered balloons gracefully floated in front of the sunset, and I was delighted to see them. We had been chosen for the Albuquerque Balloon Festival but turned it down since it was the same week as this rally.
Photography Contest. I was thrilled to discover that two of my photos earned ribbons—first place for flowers and second place for graffiti! I didn’t get to see all the photos on display, but a staff member kindly shared a picture she took of all the boards. With over 400 entries, I felt really proud to have two winners!
Presentations. There were a number of presentations to choose from, and while I had several selected and carefully planned in my schedule, I didn’t attend any until the last day. I did learn about possible volunteering opportunities across America, which provide free camping and other adventures, as well as some organization and design ideas for the inside of our Airstream. I am constantly doing this: organizing, purging, simplifying, collecting, then starting the cycle again.
Aurora Borealis. The last night of the Rally brought us a clear sky and stunning view of the northern lights. I was ecstatic, as it was my first time experiencing them! I saw the pink hues, but unfortunately, the light pollution obscured much of the green hues present in the other photos I saw. It was a Kodak moment to see our Airstream under the northern lights, and I think I captured a shooting star in the photo as well—what a bonus!
A brief review of pros and cons. This is only our second Airstream Club International Rally, so we don’t have a lot to compare it to. A few things were better in Sedalia MO than they were last year in Rock Springs Wyoming, while some things were better last year. This is just our opinion, of course. Rock Springs is in the mountains of Wyoming and it was our first rally, so that may contribute to our fondness associated with it. Their campground had deep gravel everywhere, but the RV slots were separated by small fences giving you a sense of a “small yard.” In Sedalia we were parked on the grass. I liked the grass better (especially since it didn’t rain), but it would have been nice to have a bit more wiggle room between the rigs. Last year we had a few more community meals, or at least it seems like we did. During the farewell party we had a chili cook-off, and that provided an opportunity to sit and eat a meal with our friends. I recall a few other meals as well, including one lunch and some ice cream sandwiches. This year seemed to be lacking in the food area. Not as many food trucks. There were a few good restaurants in town, but I heard some stories about the food trucks that made me want to avoid them. Lastly, they decided to change the time of year to fall this year, which meant fewer opportunities for future streamers to attend. At least one of our group members had a teenager, and he was unable to find the other three teens who were listed as present at the rally. Last year was in the summer, so there were many more young people around the grounds, including teenagers and school aged children. I didn’t bother to bring out my books as I only saw one child and one teenager the whole time we were there.
All in all it was a memorable rally and I’m glad we went. Next year’s Airstream Club International Rally is in York, Pennsylvania. It is in August during the week of our 40th Wedding Anniversary, so we likely won’t go to that one. We are still deciding how to celebrate our special day, so if you have any ideas please leave a comment below! We are thinking about an Alaskan cruise.
À la prochaine…hasta la próxima vez…until next time!
