Burlington

 We made our now annual trek to Burlington for a granddaughter's birthday party/family picnic on the last Saturday of August.  This year we were in the historic downtown area.  We had our picnic in High Hill Park with its stately old trees and a view of the Great River Bridge and the Mississippi River.  After the picnic we took some grandkid pictures, as all 14 of them were present.

We lined up all the kids here except the two babies.

  We then strolled through the streets of stately old houses to Snake Alley, the crookedest street in America.  After walking down it and then back up, we went back to our cars and drove down it.  I have been down Lombard Street in San Francisco twice,  and this one is tighter and all brick.  I can't believe that this is the first time I've been here after all the times I've been in B-town over the years.

We then visited the Des Moines County Heritage Museum (the old library), and enjoyed the exhibits.  The children especially enjoyed the play room with its log cabins, riverboat, animal pen, corn field, river, and toys to play with in all of the above.

The stained glass window in the old library.

We headed to Mepo for the birthday party and supper.  The rest of the family headed back home in the evening, but we stayed overnight with Jake and Rachel and went to church in B-town on Sunday.  Dave and Charlene had us for breakfast Sunday morning, and we enjoyed our day of worship with them, our children, and grandchildren in church.  It was a very nice weekend.

My tractor and planter spent a couple weeks in the Bottomline Solutions shop.  We worked together and installed Delta Force.  It saved me money to work with them, and I had access to their experience and expertise.  There shop is close, and much roomier than mine, and I decided to get it installed now rather than wait until winter.  I'm looking forward to planting with it next spring.

  I also traded my old platform for a used draper head.  We are in the process of preparing the equipment for harvest.

And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.                                                                 Luke 23:54