Take me out to the Ballgame.

OH my,  I have to find time to get this writing done and edited.  I have these posts started and then life happens and I become busy and they just sit here.  If you could see all the drafts that are started and just not quite finished.  I guess I need to work a little harder.  So,  back to this adventure.  Last Christmas (yes 2011)  my brothers and I gave my dad a trip to Chicago to see the Chicago Cubs (for my Brazilian/ International readers, they are a professional baseball team)  You see,  my dad has been a Chicago Cubs fan all his life - well as long as he can remember.  When he was a young boy his family

would sit around the radio and listen to games at Wrigley field.   We decided a great lifetime gift would be to take him to Chicago to see his first live Cubs game.  We purchased tickets in the spring for an August adventure.  We wanted to go earlier in the season but it was the first date we could get coordinated with everyone's schedule.    It would be dad, brother Dan, brother Steve, and nephew Zack. The summer flew by and soon August 25th was here.  I planned to meet them in Chicago as they are all coming east and I would be traveling west.  My brother Dan volunteered to drive as their vehicle would fit everyone and he is also the furthest west so a good place to start. He picks up Zack (my nephew) who is in his first year of college and then off to Dad and Steve who

are meeting up  along the way.  I am not sure how the trip goes as I did not travel with them but I hear it went well with dad using his new GPS to navigating and Zack trying to catch up on some sleep lost due to his college experience.  I on the otherhand,  have a short trip west and arrive at the hotel just outside Chicago early evening.  From the occasional texts,  I realize I have a little me time as I await there 11 pm arrival.  Honestly I think it was a long drive but they made it safely and I am sure the pillow sure felt good.  The next morning dad is up at 6:00 full of excitement while Zack and I try and get a couple more minutes of sleep.  Finally we all are up, have breakfast, get ready wearing our Chicago Cubs blue and head to the shuttle that will take us to the L train (Chicago's public transportation).  On the train ride we talk about life growing up for my dad and ask if he ever thought he would see a game live.  It was such a different time and getting places was not as easy as it is today. This has been on his "bucket list" and it is obvious that he is enjoying the experience.   I spend the rest of our train ride thinking of how my life would be different if travel was not as easily accessible as it is today.

The short L ride is soon over and we are dumped off to take a short bus ride in the direction of Wrigley Field.  Built in 1914,  the ballpark was constructed to served as home to the Chicago Whales of the Federal League.  The team played there for two years until that league folded.  In 1916 with the financial backing of William Wrigley the gum mogul,  the Chicago Cubs moved their home field from the west end of Chicago to the two year old stadium and have played their home games here ever since.  Over time it has become a symbol of the organization.    In November of 1926, Wrigley acquired controlling interest in the team and changed the name to Wrigley and that is what it is still known as today.

Back to our current adventure ...  After a short trip through some nice brown stone neighborhoods showing us a glimpse of the city, the bus stops on the street in front and we step out onto the sidewalk in front of this iconic stadium.   A row of bronze statues commemorating some of the great Cubs players line the street.  We head in that direction to pose for photos and see who the players honored are.  Of course my dad knew them being such a loyal fan all these years.  As we walked through the crowd around the stadium,  in the distance we hear a band playing music and smell the smells of baseball.  We head towards the music and of course we cannot skip the souvenir shops for a t shirt and soon it is time to head to our seats.  It is a gorgeous blue sky day with the sun beaming down.  It could be a warm afternoon at the ballpark and I am glad dad has brought an extra baseball cap and willing to loan it to me.  We make our way into the stadium and find out seats.  (about 7 rows back just on the first base side).  The row we are sitting in just happens to be the first

row in the shade from the upper deck.   We are please that the sun will not be bearing down on us which will sure make it a much more enjoyable afternoon.   One row closer and we would be hot hot hot.
The seats around us fill up and it is a good crowd although the home team is no longer in the running for the playoffs.  Just shows you how loyal Cubs fans are.  The game soon gets starts and we follow as the Cubs score first and all is good, but soon with a few errors on Chicago's part,  Colorado comes back to take the lead and eventually wins the game.  It sure would have been nice if dad's first live Cubs game would have went into the win column but I know he enjoyed the experience and I am glad we could make it all work out. The adventure ends and time to head back to everyday life.  We will have to see what we do this year as a follow up to the Cubs game!

Trip Back to Iowa - part 4

Wow,  I can't believe I only have one more day, but like most trips the time flies by quickly and there never seems to be enough of it.  I wake up early to get a good jump start on the day but not quite early enough to catch the beautiful sunrise.  I gather my things and take a minute or two to check out a couple of things in Sioux Falls like the Falls Park, Empire Mall, downtown as well as find time for a bite of breakfast with another friend.  Soon it is time to get on the road and drive the two hours to Buena Vista County Park.  Located a few miles from my parents,  our family spent many weekends here when I was growing up so it is always an appropriate place for us to gather.  I leave what I think is earlier then required so I have time to do some exploring on my way and maybe not drive the usual route I would take.   Recently my exploration interests have resurfaced when traveling the countryside of Brazil and learning about its  cities.  I am anxious to explore this area I called home for twenty four plus years and see if I can find anything new.  (I really don't think there is much left unexplored since that has always been my natured but we will see)

I'm off down the black top roads of South Dakota and after a couple of twists and turns, I cross over the Big Sioux River into Iowa.  Soon I am on the edge of  the tiny town of Inwood travelling towards Rock Valley where I had lived for a couple years after college.  My sister currently calls the small town of approximately 2,700 people home but  I won't spend a lot of time in my blog talking about it's history.  I will provide a link to the town's history page in case you want to read more.  ( LINK ) As I get to the corner to turn towards town I decide to head straight and bypass it. Driving through this part of northwest Iowa is quite familiar to me as my father grew up here  and many of my relatives still live in the area.   We made many trips this direction or the usual family gatherings and my families homestead farm, where my grandparents lived, is close by  also.  Today my aunt and uncle live there as it continues to be in the family. 

On my drive today I decide to limit the number of towns I travel through as I am in the mood for open road and each town means a 35 mile an hour stall.  I turn down a blacktop I have never driven to avoid one of these towns and to head south.   It ends up being pretty normal drive through the countryside with the road as straight as an arrow and brown crops patiently waiting to be harvested on each side.  It is Sunday mid morning and there is only an occasional truck or car to meet. After a quick glance at my watch,  I realize how far I have left to travel and that I should be a little closer to my destination then I am.  Any site seeing plans need to be boycotted so that I can stay fashionably late and not miss the whole celebration.  I decide to bypass the little towns of Primghar (history link) and Pallina (history link) in order to save a little time, but the speed limit of 55 and having to make more corners only allows so much progress. I guess being a fashionably late for a leisure afternoon is not the worst thing in the world.  As I get a little closer, some panic sets in as I cannot exactly remember the route I need to take in order to come from this direction (the back way).  My parents place is to the east of the park and I am coming from the west so it is not the usual route we would take to get there and being a little late I don't want to go out of my way to come the direction we used go. That would put me at least 45 minutes late verse 10-15 now.  I decide that there has to be signs leading to the park and that I need to trust my instincts as I have come this way before,  it has just been a while. I finally arrive to the edge of Peterson, Iowa (history link) and the road I want to travel down is blocked by those orange and white road closed barricades.  Just as I am about to continue the long way around, I see a truck coming down the hill just on the other side of the barricades.  It travels past me and turns so since there is room to pass and it being Sunday, I decide to take a chance on the closed road and see if I can make it through.  I drive a couple of miles and am pleased that there is no limits for my passing this direction today.  I am reassured that this is also the right road as I spot a directional sign for the park on the corner of an old country road.  I have found my way and soon I slow down to  make the corner onto the gravel road.  It is a great fall day with clear blue skies and an occasional white puff of cloud. As I drive the five or so miles down the gravel road with dust billowing from behind, I begin to reflect on growing up and how this

 small section of Iowa shaped me.  Formed by the Little Sioux River,  there is plenty of hills followed by valleys and beautiful scenery for one to enjoy. This year has been pretty dry so everything is brown but smells so much like fall.  The rolling hills greet me as I travel and soon I

come to the entrance of the park and the shelter my family has reserved for our gathering.  I am the last one to arrive and once again I am greeted by my nieces and nephews in full force.  Wow, how I love that.   My mom, sister, and brother's wives are hard at work getting the lunch ready as the kids are outside running around and enjoying the wonderful weather.  Soon we eat and it is time for us to head out and do some exploring.  The best part of this park is that it is a conservation area and has a lot of trails and areas to investigate.  If we are lucky we may even see some wildlife.  As a kid growing up,  my family would come here and have picnics, go tubing in the winter, and do some hiking.  As I got older our school would load us into yellow buses  and bring us here for field trips to learn about conservation,  our church youth group would come to spend a Sunday afternoon, and my college friends and I would stop here after we canoed down the Little Sioux River not very far away for the perfect end to a lazy afternoon. After lunch, my sister, the youngsters, and I head to our first destination, one of the many playgrounds on the park premises.  My nieces and nephews enjoy the monkey bars, the slide, and of course the  swings as I become the master of the underdog.  After a while my brothers and dad show up and we decide to go on a hike just like when we were kids.  We set off for the look out point where we as a family would often have our picnics.  It is a campground site complete with grill, open air shelter, and fire pit overlooking the valley beyond and just at the trail head of our favorite path.   Before we get to the campsite today, we take a small detour to enjoy the piles of oak leaves that have fallen from the trees and accumulated.  The kids have so much fun burying each other and hiding from one other in the dusty dried leaves.  I have such a wonderful time just watching them and actually getting involved from time to time. 

  

They get bored with it after about a half an hour, or maybe it is the adults that get bored and so it becomes time to head to the trail and take our hike.  The clouds in the sky have disappeared so their is blue skies that seem so endless as we begin our journey.  Our childhood favorite picnic spot is still well maintained and ready for guests.  Today there is no one there so my siblings and I pause for a moment to remember as the nieces and nephews hurry ahead and begin the steep descent down the hillside.  Like any well travelled trail down a sharp incline,  this one has become a place for hikers as well as rain water to to find its way to the small creek below.  The soil on the trail has eroded and the local conservation team has installed some logs to stop further erosion, which act as steps for us today but it is a little treacherous.  About half way down the hill, there is a scream from ahead and my smallest niece begins to cry.  She has fallen head first down into the tree root just a step or two below her.  Skinning her cheek and chin a bit, we pause a minute to console her.  Fortunately. although tramatic for her,  it is a small set back and soon we are able to continue on down the trail encouraging the kids to stay behind with the adults to keep this from happening again. 

A forest of oak trees surround us as we walk at the bottom of the hill keeping an eye out for signs of wildlife.  My brother spots some deer rubs on the local bushes along the walkway.  His boys get the kids all excited about this find as they have spent some time out with their dad hunting.  During the trek, I get a little more time to catch up individually with each of my siblings and enjoy the wonderful fall beauty.   After some distance we come to a portion of the path that is quite steep again and we will need to maneuver in order to get  up to the shelter.  One bad thing about starting a hike on a hill going down,  you will always have to go back up at some point and time.  Our time to journey back up is now, so we slowly navigate the slightly twisting path until we reach the summit.  To our surprise we have walked further then we thought and have found ourselves at the other shelter house and playground area.  No way,  this means we are on the other side of the valley and upon peering out one can see where we need to be.  The obstacle in the way is the old sledding hill where we as children enjoyed a cold winter day riding inter tubes down the snow covered slope.  Today the hill is covered with brown grass, laying in wait for the first snow of the winter.  We decide there is no sense in waiting as we must descend down the hill and then climb back up the other side in order to get to mom who is waiting at the shelter with my sister n laws for our return and the birthday cake.

Down and up the hill we travel and of course the kids all make the journey much quicker then the adults.  I am sure it is because dad was with us and we wanted to make sure he made the climb OK.  We get to the shelter house and settle down to relax a while after singing the usual birthday song and mom and dad distinguish the candles.  Of course the cake has a windmill on it and how appropriate for this journey to Iowa.  After enjoying some cake and ice cream,  it is time to clean up and head back to Minneapolis for my flight.  There is one final stop to make before heading that direction.  The annual visit to  my parents farm to wander the pumpkin patch in search of the perfect jack o lantern.  Each year my father plants pumpkins and in the fall,  all the nieces and nephews find time before Halloween to come by and pick out a pumpkin or two for their carving.  It is a great tradition for them and for my parents to be a part of their lives.  I am extremely happy this year I was able to assist them in their quest for the perfect pumpkin.

 

Well - this concludes my trip back to Iowa blog. I sure hope you have enjoyed the journey with me (part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4)  and I look forward to sharing future trips with you.  Please feel free to leave a comment with your memories and fondest hometown stories for me to share with my readers. 

If you are ever in Iowa and want to visit the Buena Vista County Conservation Park - here is a link to information and directions to the park - ( LINK )

Trip Back to Iowa - part 3

I know this story is about a trip back to Iowa so what is this about me being in Sioux Falls, South Dakota?  Well,  I love this city and try and get back to see friends as often as possible.  It is only miles from the Iowa boarder so please bear with me as the journey deviates from Iowa and I hope you can find some pleasure in the story.  My short stay in Sioux Falls is filled with visiting friends and a lot of laughing and hanging out. I love when the opportunity presents itself for a quick return. Since I often take a minute when writing about my experiences in Brazil,  to share a little history about the cities or regions I am visiting.  I guess I can do this now for my readers from other countries so they can learn more about the United States.   Well, Sioux Falls is a small metropolitan area in the southeast corner of South Dakota with a population around 155,000 (metro area 230,000).  With a booming economy and lust for life,  the city has seen a quick increase in population from 81,000 in 1980,s to the current day numbers.  It ranks as the 47th fastest going city in the United States and the largest city in the state of South Dakota.

The history of the city surround that of the cascading waters of the Big Sioux River created 14,000 years ago by the glaciers retreat in the region.  Many Native American tribes lived in small agricultural communities surrounding the river.  The first European settlers explored the falls and the Big Sioux River in the early 18th century.  Believing the falls would provide great water power,  they chose this location to settle and begin building a community.  It did not hurt that there was such a natural beauty on the river for their Sunday afternoon leisure. The population remained quite small until the railroad arrived in the 1880s.  As the iron horses rolled into the train station,  so did the number of people moving into the now incorporated town.  The population quickly increased and the city grew as an agricultural and railroad center in the region.  This boom ,however, slowed at the end of the century until John Morrels built a meat packing plant in 1909 which fueled another spur in growth. This packing plant is currently the third largest employer in the city.  The most recent influx of residents has been driven by two areas: credit card company jobs and medical jobs.  Many credit card companies (like Citibank and HSBC) have located here to benefit from the availability of trained employees and favorable state laws.  It is a regional medical center with two large hospitals calling the city home.  These centers are the number one and number two employers of the city. The quality of life in Sioux Falls is good  and it has been honored by being ranked: #1 city in the U. S. to live  several times by different magazines over the past twenty years.  

I can remember my first visit to the majestic falls that give the city its name.  After driving through a pretty run down neighborhood, the park was in need of some intervention.  Drug deals and who know what other activities were taking place there.  Today the city has focussed on renovating this area with the expansion of main street to Falls Park. They have nightly lazer shows during the summer and put up thousands of lights during the holiday season to attract visitors to the park.  It is now a great place to go  listen to the bustling waters and just relax.  (thanks wikipedia) 

Well, enough talk about Sioux Falls,  my time here today is done and it is time for me to head back across the boarder.  My nephew is playing football this afternoon and since I don't get the opportunity to see any of my nieces and nephews play or perform in extra activities, I cannot pass up any opportunities when they fit into my plans.  The drive to Sibley, Iowa, my brother's home town, is short and it doesn't take long to locate the school where the game is to be played.   I turn down the street and immediately am assured I am in the right place by the number of vehicles parked in the lot.  I pull in, park, and head
towards the bleachers.  As I get to the fenced area,  I am greeted by my other brother who is watching my nieces and nephews as they relieve some of their extra energy.  They all stop what they are doing and come at me with a wonderful greeting which I am always blessed to receive.   After catching up a little with them, I head to the bleachers where my sister n laws and parents are sitting.  It is a lovely afternoon with the great blue skies overhead and nice cool breeze of the fall.  I sit back and watch as my nephews team proceeds to win their game and I truly enjoy the afternoon.  I cannot believe my nephew is already old enough to be playing football, but I guess that is life and living so far away from family.   Time passes by so quickly. 

After the game my family heads to the quaint downtown area filled with all the traditional little stores of small town Iowa:  Post Office, bank, restaurant, hardware store and a couple specialty stores. It is the last game of the season for the football team and so my brother, being the coach, is treating them to pizza at the Pizza Ranch.   My family gathers at a table in the corner of the little restaurant and soon we are enjoying our pizza and conversation.  There is more catching up and talk about the next day as plans are in motion to get together as a family again to celebrate my parents birthdays.  My parents are five years apart (I won't share how old...kkk) so all the major birthdays can be celebrated together, which is nice.  The afternoon ends and soon I am driving back to Sioux Falls where I will be staying with my friend again. The drive through the countryside of Iowa and South Dakota is so peaceful and relaxing.  I take my time driving with the windows all the way down and fresh air rushing through my hair.  It is a great time of reflecting on life and all the wonderful ways I have been blessed.  As I am driving along the horizon looks to be on fire with the only thing missing is a huge cloud of smoke.  I soon realize it is the sunsetting over the western skies and what a wonderful site it is!  When I get back to Sioux Falls I am able to hang out with some more friends and enjoy some good down time... to be continued ...

Trip Back to Iowa - part 2

Well, as you recall I was leaving Rembrandt and heading the 4 miles to my parents farm.  As I drive along, I remember the countless trips I have made on this blacktop road.  Bike riding, walking, jogging, and of course by car, all with some purpose in mind, even if it was just to enjoy the great country air.  I used to love riding my bike into Rembrandt and beyond, exploring the wide open space.  As I come to the four way stop I notice the old "Ness" place on the corner.  (Ness is the name of the family that lived there).  Mrs. Ness has since passed away and Harold has moved into town.  The place has set empty for quite a few years as one can see if you take more than a glance at the two story house.  It is beginning to cave in as the old wooden frame begins to rot.  The grove is now over grown with trees and grass and the only building on the place which seems to be standing up to time is the brick barn that anchors it. Even this grand building with a little closer look is showing signs of aging with the roof and doors in need of some tender loving care.  There are lots of abandoned farms in the Midwest as farms continue to get larger and there are less and less family farms.  I turn the corner to the right and am able to see my parents home at the top of the small incline.  The pealing white barn with only a little paint left is front and center as it looks out over the slight valley filled with brown drying corn stalks.  As I drive closer the other buildings begin to emerge from behind the trees and the barn.  An old corn crib that has not seen use in many years  followed by a hog barn where dad helped us kids raise calves.  The yard is finished off by a machine shed filled with old wagons and stuff,  a chicken coop that dad has converted to a shop with a small green house and a garage that is in no means attached to the house as it sits a good 30 feet from the front door. ( which can be brutal in the winter months)   I pull onto the driveway and can finally see the house peeking through the row of evergreens that haven't really changed much in the past thirty-five years.

  It is great to be home and I am anxious to get into the house to see mom and dad.  As I walk towards the white two story structure with olive green trim, I see the large garden just beyond the clothes line, which my father continues to enjoy on a good summer day.   Traditionally he has had bountiful harvests of green beans, beats, potatoes, sweet corn, tomatoes, pumpkins, squash, carrots, lettuce, peas, onions, cauliflower, dill, strawberries, zucchini, acorn squash, radishes, cucumbers, watermelon, asparagus, and on occasion as kids we would even plant things such as peanuts and sunflowers.  During the summer months we often had great dinners with fresh vegetables from the garden and mom would spend countless hours freezing and canning this produce in order for us to enjoy it into the colder fall and winter months.   Today I can appreciate just what that was and how unique it was for my family growing up.  My dad continues to enjoy gardenning and has a small self service stand along the road for anyone passing by who would like to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

I open the door and am greeted by my parents.  We spend the next few minutes catching up and talking about things going on in the community.  I always love being at home and spending good quality time with my parents.  We hang out and do the usual - eat dinner - watch TV -and talk.  Soon it is time for bed and upon arising the next day,  I am off again as my plans are to head to Sioux City, Iowa to visit my cousins who have recently lost their mom to cancer.  Living such a distance away

from Iowa,  I was not able to find an affordable ticket to come back then so the next best thing is to find time to visit on my own now.  After I eat breakfast,  have the usual chit chat with my parents, I am off again down the blacktop roads of Iowa.  Weaving in and out of the slow moving tractors and other vehicles tending to the fields.  It is a beautiful drive as the puffy white clouds in sunny blue skies are prominent again today.

 

The road I travel is pretty familiar to me as trips to Sioux City for visiting my mom's family who lived there when we were growing up  and my dad's sister's family which I am visiting today.  Not to mention the occasional excursion for a little shopping as the largest metropolitan area within a two hour drive.   As I drive through the small towns along the way,

 I realize I know little about them.  Like in Brazil,  each little community has their signs welcoming you with recognition of a speciality they have to offer.  Whether it is their annual celebration or a claim to fame,  each of these small towns are rich with their own history and story.  I have not paid much attention to them in the past but my recent travels in Brazil have made a positive change in my observation to details and desire to know more.  I will have to spend some time looking at the history of  these little towns in Iowa.

The single lane highway soon splits and doubles the number of lanes going in each direction as I near the city.   The landscape becomes hilly in this part of Iowa so you can no longer see for miles.  When the timing is right and you are close enough to the city,  a large water tower poised on a hilltop can be seen to your right.  It was this water tower that my family would search for on our journeys as it is located in the Morningside neighborhood,  just blocks from my aunt and uncles home.   It always meant that this long 1 1/2 hour journey was about to end.  Today, I think about how things have changed as that 1 1/2 hours does not seem so long anymore.  I  begin to think of some great memories of my aunt Grace's life and the Bits-n-Pieces   (link to blog with poem Bit-n-Pieces)  she has left with me.  Her life was like her name and I am soon pulling into the short driveway in front of the ranch style home.  I am greeting by my uncle and

cousins and we sit down around the table like old times to catch up a little before heading to lunch.  The afternoon is spent remembering and talking about life and soon it is time for them to head back to their work or families and for me to head on to my next destination.   I am heading the short hour drive to Sioux Falls, SD - where I lived for ten years or so.  I am looking forward to visting more friends, reflecting and just spending time with me... to be continued...

To go and read day 3 click here!

 

Inside my parent's barn! I love this photo!

The old Corn Crib

Another photo Inside my parent's barn.



Even old windmills with no blades remind me of Iowa!