Riley Reunion 2008

It's that time of year again. The Riley Family reunion. This year I didn't take many pictures of the family they really haven't changed that much since last year so find that if you want to see what the group looks like.
We went for a walk down to the canel that runs next to the park. It took us to the river and it looks like the park district here came up with a great idea. They have built a foot bridge over the rock river between the two cities. It uses the old hydro dam as part of it. It nice and take you into a footpath area in Sterling by the historic Dillon home. Wonder how long before its gang land.


Savannah and the slide, her favorite
The power of the river
the locks for the old canel.
the merry band. Mary,Savannah,Chevla,Constance,Dianne,Zion and off to the side Lena
Lena not wanting to get involved with those people
Constance making sure that we don't go where we aren't supposed to. A new bridge over Dixon Ave
Looking west off the foot bridge to Rock Falls on the left and Sterling on the right.


the little rest area on the Sterling side.

or...if you can read this its to late...






A nice picture of Jennifer ,What's his name, and Danny

Fine Art At the Figge.

Miss Leanne is looking for a garden gnome for her mother so we went to the Beaux Arts fest they have every fall and spring. Most of the time it rains and rains...This year the Figge Art Museum let them hold it in their court yard. The Figge also had free day. Well they let you into the main gallery but not the traveling galleys. That was ok. I begin to take pictures didn't use a flash and did it right in front of one of the guards...15 minutes later he comes up and tells me that I can't do that..Did you not see me taking pictures back there...I got you in one of the frames...It was ok...It doesn't make me want to go back and see what they have with the travel exhibits.

Brogue paintings.

A Grant Wood Stain Glass

Mr Wood himself

The Figge it self.

A Day Out Shopping

Miss Leanne and I did a shopping run to Coral Ridge Mall and the Tanger outlet in Williamsburg.
This was the day after the Iowa vs Iowa State football game. Iowa won. We went to eat at the Hu Hot a make your own grill place...You'd have to see it to understand..Lot of very quiet Iowa State fans there and some loud Iowa fans...and a lot of hungover people...
Any way Miss Leanne got herself some jeans and I just got stuff. The only dumb clerk we ran into was at Barnes and Noble. No not picking on her...That's a bargain book don't charge me the full price...already did...and you can't fix it. got to call someone else...ok
So it was a cloudy day with the tale end of hurrican Ike leaving us with rain.
The walk around Tanger was brisk. Got some more stuff out there and the exciting pictures.



We figure its been 8-10 years since I was last there and the gate is something new.

The other big places to hit while in Iowa. Really

Day With the Girls Pt 2

Lisa's Little House On The Prairie...Or no half pint lives here.

Gravel roads...I didn't think they had them anymore. So going to Lisa's ranch you go out to the boondocks and take a left.

Lisa's studs..oh just horses...the stud is in the house..the three horses are Traveler (the Palomino,) Brio (the Dun - tan w/black mane & tail,) and Cochise the paint. Cochise is 27..in horses years that is as old as Kathy Gimm...I think Elmers is a better name.

Lisa's little house on the prairie. It comes with its own houseboy...His name is Rory. The key is under the mat but watch out for her 6 dogs,4 cats,3 birds,the cougar,raccoon, gerbils,rabbits,and the emu.

A barn just before you get to Casa De La Tanko. It shows what the state of the american family farm is like. the house and other buildings not so great either.

Page Turner....Not

You know its not a well written murder mystery, when half way thru, you hope that the heroine is the killers next successful victim.

And Over To Illinois

So we left Dubuque and drove over the Juilian Dubuque bridge to Galena. We wandered the streets looking in all the little shops. Di wasn't to happy with my parking style but it got us a space and no one was hurt...Shown here is an example of the way Galena is set up on the side of the hills. And also how they don't tear anything down but just reuse.
The Trolleys lined up to give tours around town
Look North up Main st. In Galena there is always a mix of people.
Kathy on the out look for riverboats...or General Grants return.




This is a neat antique/junk shop. We would have gone in....except for the note on the door.

ahhhh..isn't that cute....



This was out side Jamie's Wine Studio.
Di's Strawberry Daiquiris my Mojito and Kathy's two cents
The King was watching over us
We ended up at a place called Almost Paradise. nice bar/restaurant. Good food...We passed a couple places that wanted $23 for a salad....

o

Up To Dubuque

Everytime I have time off I ask anybody I know what would be a nice place to go to...Leanne always tells me I need to go to the river museum in Dubuque. So without Leanne ....



Di,Kathy and I went to the National Mississippi
River Museum & Aquarium. It has a lot about the steamboats that used to go up and down the river. But it also has about the wildlife that lives in on along it...and how we are messing that up.

Some of the other names the Mississippi is called...I like the bottom one of Mr. Sippi's wife
'
A place with a sense of humour.

Pig-eyed Parrat the first citizen of St Paul MN. Yeah his eyes did look odd...1834 I think the date.
Kathy and one of her school mates. She's pointing out what she thinks is an error.
Mr. Twain flirting with Di.
Kathy and the fish tank


Di and one of the boats on display. This was a family run boat. the conditions basic on it. the deck hands got $27 a week during the depression.
A shark.

What the inside design of one of the River boats looked like.

Kathy reliving her youth.this was a nice little cafe that we stopped at after the museum. Its in the Cable Car Square a nice area of old homes turned into shops.It time for dinner and I said this place closes soon so why don't we go to Galena....So off we went....but the pie at this place...mmmmmmmmm