2015 Summer Road Trip August 9 thru August15

August9

When we got back to Nappanee we passed Amish Acers and they had their annual festival

 Going on. We called Mike and Diana to see if they would join us. Sure enough they came along.

Di and I thought this was an appropriate sign for the guys. I was happy I found a small table that would 

Fit on the side of the bed.

August 10

Did I mention how awesome the roads are to ride on here. Well if I didn't, they are. We passed this

Old truck, Jim says it's called a Willy. We sent a picture of it to some friends and told them it was the 

New truck Jim was getting to go with the new fifth wheel. We had to wait because it had to be washed.

If you want a gravel road fix they are easy to find here.

In these fields they grow mint. It smells really good here. When Jim was about 10, he and about 

4 or 5 friends would meet at an old DX station and would get picked up to go out to the "muck fields" and plant mint with a mint planting machine. He remembers making about a $1.50 a day.

August 11

It's "Wild Wednesday" as Tim calls it. His day off is Wednesday and again it is time to go water ski

At Lake Wawasee. But first off to the Channel Marker for lunch. Tim loves their drink called 

"Swamp Water". Above you have Susan, Tim, Ashley,Tyler, Jim, Pat and Shari.

Leaving the Channel Marker behind we are off to watch Ashley and Tim water ski.

But wait there is a boat show. The pontoon above is really beautiful. It has 2-250 motors on back.

We rode it. Whew, when the guy took off I was on the back seat and slid to the bottom of it.

That sucker was really fast.

We are on the pontoon that Pat and Shari currently own. Mike wanted to know if someone would be able to ski behind it. There you have it Ashley skiing behind the pontoon.

Tonight we went to Barney Beer's home for dinner with him and his I wife Natali along with Mike and Di. They have a lovely home. The way their house sits you travel down a lane to their home and in front 

Is a pasture with ponies and horses. We had a wonderful time. Jim had not seen him since shortly 

After he came home from Viet Nam in 1971.

August 14

We didn't ride the day before so this morning we will. Outside the trailer on this Box was the 

biggest horse fly I have ever seen.

Today we head south there are lots of fields here with soy bean growing. We first got to Nappanee 

The fields of corn and soy beans were real small.  They have a saying about corn, "knee high by July."

By the time we got back for the 4th of July it had met it's goal of knee high. Now most of it is getting closer to harvest and the soy bean is about ready too!  Above is a field of soy it seems to go forever.

We have ridden by this barn before. It list the family as the generations have taken care of the farm.

 Staring back in 1851. At the other end of the barn is a big colorful square. These are called barn 

Quilts. You will find on barns through out the area.

Off in the distance is a pony cart with two young girls in driving.

There are so many moments during our time here I feel like I am going back in time. Here an Amish gentleman is using his draft horses to rake the hay so it will dry.

And here we have another fellow with his tractor and his hay raking machine.

The guy who was on the tractor gave us directions to Dave Hahn's house. His brother Phil told

us he raised mules. We were hoping to see him and his mules. Unfortunately he wasn't home and we didn't see any mules either.

On our way back to the trailer down highway 6 out of Nappanee we passed this evergreen 

Relaxing on the ground. Makes you wonder how it got headed in that direction.

Tonight we are headed to El Celito a really great Mexican resturant. Right in the heart of Nappanee.

No TexMex here. Barney Beer will be joining us.

We've been to El Celito 3 times. Martha has become our favorite waitress. She brought by the Mexican hat for Jim to try on. He obliged and I had to have a photo of him and Martha.

August 15

This morning after a late start we got out on the road. Passing this field we spotted this caboose.

It was really red in the green field.

Eldin Yoder was the maintenance man for Nappanee high school when Jim went there. He worked 

There before Jim went there and many years later. Besides maintenance he also drove the 

School buses. He is now 85. How many of us can go back home and find the school bus driver for your school?

Mr.Guckenberger was Jim's scout master. He is 87 now and is still active in the scouts. For a while

He and his wife were also working with the Camp Fire Girls. She has passed on so he stays really

Busy.

When we ride out of  Nappanee and back to the trailer we pass this water tower behind Amish Acers.

We finally made the time to take a photo of it. 

Tonight we are at the Nappanee Alumni Class Reunion. The oldest class represented was from 

1942. 1969 was the last class to graduate from the school. Not everyone goes to this reunion.

Jim and 3 of his classmates are here tonight. With Jim are Kim Hunsberger,Candy Hocker and

Linda Lehman. They all smiled when they saw him. Back then they called him "Jamie"

It was a fun evening. Tomorrow we head to Mike and Di's farm for a few days then on to see 

Our niece Jennifer and her family. This has been a wonderful stay. The riding has been marvelous

And spending time with friends and family has been priceless. What a great summer this is.