Thanks for your kind comment, Mark. Indeed, I will be back, bigger and better than ever.

Since you shared one of your hijinks episodes, I'll share this one. A friend and I thought it would be funny to sneak into a little, sound-proof music practice room and stick a small, open, carton of school milk up above the ceiling tiles. We made a pact to not tell anyone what we did because you never know who might squeal on us. We checked on the stink every day. After a couple weeks, it was horrendous. Eventually, somebody found the putrid milk. We laughed at who might have had to climb up there to remove it.

Only Judy Garland and I would get that reference.

Oh, shot.

That’s a real work of art, one of the prettiest county courthouses I remember seeing anywhere.

I don't know how tall Big Ben is, but this must give it some competition.

True

I know. I couldn't believe it when I learned more about the Shot Tower. I also learned there aren't many of them left in the world.

You win some, you lose some. Sounds like you had some good times on the tour, and that scenery does look splendid. No point beating yourself up if it's just not the right time. I don't think it would be great if this site became some kind of Instagram world where every tour goes splendidly and looks perfect! I'm sure you'll be back in the saddle and journalling again and, in the meantime, I for one enjoyed your musings. Thanks for sharing them, and I'll look out for the next travelogue 🙂

It just came to me that the frog might have been Twain's "Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County."

I said I have no regrets about abandoning the tour in the page I posted today. But now I regret not trying harder to find you and Don--especially now that I know you were looking for me in Galena. The route I would have taken wouldn't have been Highway 20, but it would have been no less hilly.

That's a great time. My brother was just happy to be running. He was never at the top of any age group.

Darn, I thought I was sitting by a one-of-a-kind Mark Twin. And, yes, I knew you had the same bloody, stinking Chrysler minivan as I had. I believe I mentioned that when we met in northern Washington.

Yup, he told me not to be such a dork when I write. Twain had me pegged.

Yep, you have to drive through the gates of the fairgrounds to actually get to the camping area. We also were amazed at all of the beautiful historic homes and buildings in downtown Dubuque. Yesterday we did some antique mall shopping in Galena and Elizabeth, IL. I kept wondering if I would see you but perhaps you found much flatter roads to ride on closer to the river. Highway 20 certainly was hilly!! Well, it looks like we won't catch up with you once again as we've changed our trip plans and won't be going to Minnesota at all this year. We'll stay in Iowa for awhile before heading south to Missouri.