2016-05-06: Little Brother
It was so nice getting to just hang out with my brother who I really don't get to see as often as I'd like to since miles separate us.
2016-05-06: Dance
When my brother adopted his kids, he felt every child should have grandparents so he gave us that designation. Here is my 11-year old granddaughter warming up for dance rehearsal for her big show next weekend. I wish I was as agile as that!
2016-05-06: Viola
Both of the kids are involved in the arts. 9-year old grandson plays viola while his sister plays the violin.
2016-05-07: Tournament
My grandson is an outstanding soccer player and is on a traveling team. This weekend there was a tournament so of course we had to go to at least one of the four games. Wouldn't you know that it was raining during the game we picked to see!
2016-05-07: Goal
Yahoo - we saw him score a goal!
2016-05-07: Coloring
After an intense, long day of dance rehearsal, we came back to the motorhome to relax instead of going to another soccer game. It was fun to relax and just do some fun things together.
2016-05-07: Reading
Poppy and the little one spending some time reading.
2016-05-07: Papa Roux
Dinner tonight was at this funky place called Papa Roux Po-Boys and Cajun Eats. I guess this is as close to New Orleans as I'm going to get this trip.
2016-05-09: Starved Rock Lock and Dam
Located in Utica, Illinois, the Starved Rock Lock and Dam was constructed between 1926 and 1933 as part of the Illinois Michigan Waterway. The waterway was designed to provide a navigable channel from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi River. Here we watched as a tug pushed two barges filled with benzene into the lock and then disconnected and went beside the barge because it was too long to allow the lock to close.
2016-05-09: Water Up
It is just amazing to watch the locks can fill with water to allow these huge, heavy loads to continue down river. Both barges as well as the tug were registered in New Orleans - yet another connection to the city I missed.
2016-05-09: Pelicans
Beautiful white fresh water pelicans were fishing in the river. They are such beautiful birds to watch and photograph.