We are home safe and relatively sound, at least of body, if not of mind. There is something about the end of a trip that makes one so very, very weary when you have been upbeat and energetic up until the point when everything is unpacked and the slow process of sorting through dirty laundry, stacks of mail, and a ream of phone messages comes to invade your vacation mind set. But it is good to be home. Kudos to Lauren, our cat and house sitter: the house was clean, picked up, and the cats were not nearly as mad at [View Full Entry]

---

---

9:20am. We're finally, maybe going to get on the road. We're still packing, but, hope to be on the road soon and heading for Elko, Nevada. We will be meeting Jennifer and her parents in Elko for a short visit and then back on the road heading for Cheyenne, Wyoming. [View Full Entry]

---

---

Our last week in Auckland held a special adventure - John and Evelyn took us sailing on their boat, the Tropic Bird, from Thursday until Sunday. Our sea legs weren't in fine form so it was fortunate that there was hardly enough wind to raise the sails on our journey. The waves were small and rolling, the sun was shining, and we sailed out to visit the islands of Tiri Tiri, Rangitoto, and Motutapu. Kirby got to row the dingy ashore for hikes we took on the islands. Tiri Tiri island is a bird sanctuary where we were able to watch [View Full Entry]

---

---

Sweet home Auburn California. Really getting into this little town thing. Decided to spend all of yesterday in bed actually at the Auburn Super 8 . Fairly nice place. I watched Back to the Future for the 481st time. Still a great flick, and I can not think of a better name than Marty McFly. I mean there is McLovin from this summers hilarious movie [url=http://media.www.signal-online.net/media/storage/paper771/news/2007/09/05/Entertainment/Sex-Beer.And.mclovin.In.superbad-2949273.shtml/] Superbad But I mean McFly ca [View Full Entry]

---

---

As promised, I am closing this blog with the picture of family of Sarah and Thomas Hall Maxfield with 10 of their 14 children-Grant Maxfield is not in the picture and three were yet to be born. Compare it to the digital images from my trip. Only one chimney was still there, but it looked as if two other chimneys had been covered with metal plates. Thank you for coming along with me as I travelled to find my ancestors, it has been quite an adventure! [View Full Entry]

---

---

I am fairly certain that my suitcase will close, that I have followed all of the carry-on guidelines, and that I have allowed enough time to get to the airport. Wish me luck! [View Full Entry]

---

---

Since blogging and laptops are new to me, we (my much more technically savvy husband and I) got a little bit ahead of the departure time line to allow wiggle room for LOTS of mistakes. I did not dissapoint him. We were kind of "beta Testing" this whole blogging scenario. Actually, I will not leave until the week-end. This time line discrepancy was brought to my attention when I was performing the time honored act of all women about to depart on perilous journies into unknown places-having a manicure and a pedicure-at my local spa. (Here is an unsolicited advertisement for [View Full Entry]

---

---

Here is the town of Toulon, Illinois as it appeared in 1925. According to my second cousin Cay “there are only 1,400 people honey: it hasn’t changed all that much.” When I tell people that I am leaving the foothills of California to spend a week in Illinois in July, the reaction is pretty universal: “Are you crazy? Do you know how hot/humid/big the bugs are there?” Cay assures me that there are paved streets, automobiles, air conditioning, and “ we even have indoor plumbing!” [View Full Entry]

---

---

On this particular occasion it was Stacys' 21st Birthday (Monday) and Hollys' birthday the very next Wednesday. It all started a couple weeks before, when the phone rang. It was Hugh, Hollys brother. Hugh thought it would be a good idea if we could get together as one big happy family and celebrate Stacys 21st and Hollys birthdays at Luigi's - a good local Italian restaurant which we both had visited before. We decided to keep it all under wraps and put together a surpise party/family get-together. Hugh and Nicolette would invite Aunt Florence, Jared & Carly while keeping both Stacy [View Full Entry]

---

---

The forecast for today was 80 degrees plus and clear skies - a perfect day to take our new Wilderness Systems Kayak for a cruise. We bought a Tarpon model 130T, it's a tandem for double the fun. Originally, my brother-in-law Hugh and his lovely wife Nicolette were to join us as they too have recently bought kayaks. The call came early this morning, it was Nicolette, Hugh was not feeling well and they would have to cancel. The kayak was loaded onto the car the night before so we headed out for Lake Clementine ourselves. Lake Clementine is only 15 [View Full Entry]

---

---