Boatin' - July 23 --> 25th, 2009

Aunt Sissie C & Bella came up for the weekend. On late Friday afternoon, we took the pontoon out. We LOVE that boat! It's such a nice relaxing ride.

We did have an uninvited guest jump aboard! These flying Asian carp are crazy! We opened the door & Daddy kicked him to the curb (or back in the river!)

Checkin' out downtown Peoria.

Bella found a "window" just her size! She loves checking out the fish, birds, & other boats.

This nice jet skier towed us until the fire department/EMTs took over.

Peoria Fire Rescue gave us a lift the rest of the way to the marina.

Daddy & Bella discussing the parts we need to order to make this toon reliable. Even though the motor wasn't running, we had a nice cruise & lunch on the water.

Uncle Les - Veteran of the Year - July 18, 2009

Mommy's uncle, Lester J Roth, was selected to be honored as the Veteran of the Year at the American Legion in Morton, IL There was a Veteran's Appreciation Breakfast on the 18th. There were about 120 people there.

Sara & Les Roth. Les was a sergeant in the Marine Corp. He served in Tinian, Saipan & Iwo Jima. He received the Bronze Star Medal for his bravery, courage & devotion for a hazardous task on Saipan. Les drove the amphibians - he took supplies to the men on shore & brought wounded men back to the ships.

John Bearce presented Les with a plaque.

John Bearce, Les, John Huston (sheriff) & former mayor of Washington, IL

Daddy bringing the pontoon home.

Capn J

Pulled up on the sandbar beside the albatross. Daddy anchored it there all night. (Mommy was able to get on without getting wet - me, too!)

On Sunday, Daddy, Mommy & I took the toon upriver to Chillicothe. On our way back, it just quit. Daddy poured more gas in but the battery wouldn't even turn over! Mommy did her famous distress signal & this pontoon towed us back home! It was a very smooth, quiet ride and the gas mileage was great! Another day, another adventure! We sure meet lots of nice boaters!

The Cabell Boys - July 15, 2009

Owen Cabell - he can RUN with the popcorn popper! Check out the goose egg on his forehead! (No - Shari & I didn't do that!)

Shari Wilkerson & I picked up the Cabell boys to give Mary (Mommy) a break. Jason (Daddy) is in Iraq protecting our freedom. Jason is our school resource officer. We took the boys to Shari's to play. Since the toys were all new to them, they had a lot of fun figuring them out. Evan is a natural at putting puzzles together.

Owen is the spittin' image of his daddy! (minus the goose egg!)

Owen playing with a pop-up toy & Evan quickly figured out how to put puzzles together.

Owen liked being in the toy bucket!

Shari, Evan & Owen - we took a walk to look for ducks in the creek. These little guys are just so sweet & loving.

Lookin' for ducks in the creek. (Jason & Mary - notice the grip on those shorts!)

Chicken nuggets, fries, & apple slices for lunch - yum!

Hmmm - which prize should I pick? OK - I'll take all of them! (Unfortunately, they were all the same!)

Jason & Mary - you would be so proud of your sons. Evan used his manners (withOUT provocation!) & both were just a joy to be with. They were both yawning when we took them home. Thank you for sharing them with us.

Just a Lucky Doggie! - July 13, 2009

Mommy & Daddy just took me to the dog park. I was the only one on the little dog side but there were 2 big puppies on the other side. We played through the fence & I got to chase my ball. It was really fun to run free.

Another New Adventure - July 12, 2009

We took the toon out today. At the last minute invited Bob & Ginette Everts & it was so nice. We went down to the lock & dam before Pekin & then ran out of gas just before we got to PIA!! Thank God boaters are congenial, caring folks! Mommy flagged a boat down (she learned the distress signal at their boating class!!!) He had just enough gas to get us back to the entrance to our marina. We flagged another fishing boat down & he took Daddy in to fill our new, empty gas cans that were sitting in the truck! Guess we learn a little something every time we go out.

A. One of the tanks was full but wouldn't switch over - need to fix that

B. Always carry extra gas!

We did get to see part of the air show with the Thunderbirds - 6 jets flying their formations. What a wonderful view we had in the middle of the river. They made us so proud to be Americans!

All in all, it was a really pleasant 3 hours. Mommy said I'm like an old pro - in my life jacket & lying next to mommy taking a nap!

I Was Lost but Now I'm Found! - July 4&5, 2009

Bella looking to see if Grandma brought her anything from Peru!

Trying on Grandpa's new hat!

The Mork actually fits IN the hat!

We had planned a cookout for the 4th of July & then take the pontoon to watch the fireworks over Peoria. It rained all day so we changed our plans to eat in Morton. About 9 pm, Bella & I started barking at the back door. 2 minutes later, Bella came in but I was gone!! I must have gotten spooked by the fireworks & squeezed through the railing slats on the deck & I disappeared!

It was dark, drizzly & no one had any idea which direction I went. Mommy, Daddy, Aunt Sissie C, Uncle Ron & Bella all went different directions looking & calling for me. Mommy went over to the Everts thinking I may have ended up there. Bob & Angela took off on their bikes, Ginette & Elbie went walking - all looking for me. About 11:30, we decided to stop looking. Daddy slept in the chair by the back door hoping I'd come home in the night.

Sun. am, everyone got up about 6:45 & started searching again. Aunt Sissie K came over, too. Late morning they decided to put up posters. They had stopped every walker, runner, & passerby they saw. Aunt Sissie C, Uncle Ron & Bella had to go to Edwardsville, but about 11 am, Mommy said she wanted to go out on Queenwood Rd. to those houses. At about the 6th house, Mr. Unsicker said he'd seen a Morkie about 9 am laying on the rocks in his drive but it ran south into the corn when he tried to get it. He knew I was a Morkie because his mom has one. Mommy went running into the 3' high corn, calling for me; Aunt Sissie K went to call Daddy to come there, too. When Daddy got there, Mr. Unsicker told him if they didn't find me by night, the coyotes would get me.

At about 3 pm, Daddy called Aunt Sissie K to tell them to come quick, I had just run across the road to the Kahler's house. Screaming tires & screaming prayers, Mommy & Aunt Sissie came roaring up & jumped out of the car. Mommy thought I was in the field & started calling but Aunt Sissie saw me sitting against their outbuilding. I was traumatized, tired, dirty, & covered with sandburs. At first I leaned away from them, but the last two steps I walked to Mommy. Daddy had a bag of treats & I ate those all the way home. When I got in the house, I ran around looking for Bella & then ran straight for my ball. Of course, Mommy, Daddy & Aunt Sissie all played with me & gave me lots of loving. Then I got a really good bath while Daddy put chicken wire around the deck slats so I can't ever get out again. I can't tell him, but I don't want to get out! They want to know what all happened to me, but I just want to forget the whole thing. I'm so glad God was watching over me & got me home safely.

All cleaned up & ready to play again.

Glad Daddy didn't give up looking for me.

One of the signs, that was posted for me.

Peru is Awesome - 6-23 --> 7-1-09.

Megan (Miraflor) Stephanie, Katie, Carmen, Isabel, Francisco, & I are ready to board a plane for Peru.

We're on our way!

Parque del amor (Love Park) in Lima.

Katie, Carmen, Isabel, me, Francisco, Stephanie, & Megan in front of lookalike Gaudi benches.

Overlooking the Pacific Ocean

Blowing kisses from Love Park

I almost broke my neck for this pose!

This woman was walking in traffic trying to sell coca leaves.

This chair is in a monastery in Lima. Family (& friends) sit in this chair to pray for leniency before their relative goes before the judge to be sentenced.

A wall in the monastery in Lima is tiles made in Sevilla, Spain in 1606. A wealthy family ordered the tiles.

This street of booths is part of the post office in Lima. They sell stamps & posters.

Lima, Peru

Katie makes friends everywhere she goes.

Katie posing with palace guards.

This church looks alot like the one that Emily & Luis were married in in Guatemala.

These beautiful flowers are called "angels trumpets."

One of our meals - white fish with a spinach sauce on top of mashed potatoes. Good eating!

Purple corn & a drink they make with the boiled corn & lime juice. Not real tasty (but free!)

This photo is for Chelse - Do It!

Coca products are supposed to help with altitude sickness - they put coca in everything! And they even chew the dried leaves by themselves.

This quartet greeted us at the airport in Lima.

These ladies were in the airport parking lot selling their chullas (hats)

The view from our hotel in Cuzco.

Room service in Cuzco. We had bowls of delicious chicken noodle soup delivered.

I bought Jerry a new hat in Cuzco! It will be perfect for boating or mowing - no sun on his face, ears or the back of his neck!

This is a common site around the landmarks - women, children wanting you to hold their lambs for a picture & then pay them 1 sol (about 33 cents)

Looking out a window at our hotel in Cuzco.

A cathedral in Cuzco.

As the Peruvians call it "Sexy Woman." It's an Incan ruin.

Katie, Carmen, & Isabel at Sacsaywaman.

We shopped at this store for alpaca products. The proceeds, split evenly, help several different communities.

Unfortunately, we didn't purchase these attractive hats.

Our entertainment during dinner in Cuzco.

Edwin (below) worked at our hotel during the day & his cousin ran a print shop. He offered to bring tshirts to our room. We spread the word & many from our group came to shop.

Katie & Edwin. One night when she was sick, he brought an extra heater & blankets to our room. He also brought her a large doll in appreciation for getting so many together to buy from him.

Some of the scenery on the way to Macchu Pichu.

Shopping fever! We were wheelin' & dealin'!

A good bargain!

A normal road in a small village in the country. Notice the water channel running at the base of the rock wall.

This bathroom was built in the side of a mountain.

Lookin' pretty peppy before the climb to the top!

Taking a break in a "closet."

Looking down over the village from the top of the ruin.

At most of the mountain ruins, there are medicos available to get free oxygen because of the high altitude. Although Katie wasn't suffering, she thought this was a perfect opportunity to teach her students about it.

This is her feeling "muy mal" (very bad!)

Ahhh - finally feeling the rush of oxygen!

Many homes in the villages have these symbols attached to their roofs. The crosses keep evil from the homes, while the bulls promote fertility.

The red flag on homes indicates that corn beer is brewed there & can be purchased. It's brewed from the purple corn that is grown there.

Notice the llama in the background. We ate lunch on these grounds.

A cuyeria is the factory where they slaughter & prepare the guinea pigs for market.

The morning mist rising off a lake in the countryside.

Our guide, Ralph Moser. (His father is German & mother is Peruvian.) Ralph is checking out the choclo con queso. (Basically, field corn w/ a slice of cheese beside it - actually very tasty)

Cynthia - joined us 2 days late in Cuzco. On the morning we left, she couldn't find her passport.

We actually made it to the top of Macchu Pichu. There were a million stone steps & high altitude. MP is the only ruin that is at least 70% intact. There were approximately 700 people living there when it was an active city.

Oh, yeah - good to be on top!

Isabel, Francisco, Cynthia, Carmen, Miraflor & Stephanie.

Katie & I enjoyed alpaca, french fries, and grilled veggies. Alpaca tasted just like lean steak - yummy! We did learn that you can't eat llama - it will cause seizures!

Katie took a couple passion fruit & a bunch of bananas from a buffet.

My first taste of passion fruit. Like sucking slimy eggwhites with seeds.

Katie really did try it!

The river at Aguas Calientes near Macchu Pichu.

These sweet little girls were selling finger puppets. The youngest is 3 years old.

The best worst massages we've ever had. We paid $10 for an hour & worried the whole time that they'd steal our clothes! There were crosses cut in the blankets to put our faces in - I watched my hip pack the whole time - I had it snapped around the table leg.

Our massage therapists. Their "shop" was in a little aisle deep inside the flea market.

Moochies with the cuy!

When you order a cuy, they bring it to your table intact. After you take pictures & look him over, they take it back & carve it up to eat.

This is cuy (guinea pig) - a national "treat" in Peru. (I really think they just deep fry a rat & serve it to Americans for $20 each!) Notice the pepper in its mouth. Cuy is very highly regarded as a food, it has been a delicacy in the Andres for over a thousand years and Cuzco painters included cuy at the Last Supper in the large canvas hanging in the cathedral there!

Notice the teeth on this baby!

I really did try the cuy!

Katie & I took 6 students to Peru for 9 days in July 2009. We met up with a group of 23 from Nevada & 3 from Baltimore. Aside from having incredibly bad luck with our flights (every single one was delayed or cancelled & we spent hours in airports) we had a fantastic trip.

Lima is like any other city of 9 million people with 1 million vehicles - crazy! We enjoyed sightseeing there along with some great food.

We moved on to Cuzco. It's a much smaller town than Lima & much more to my liking. The views were stunning & the people everywhere were very courteous. One evening our tour guide, Carlos, hooked me up with a shaman. A shaman is someone that has been struck by lightening & is said to have special powers. Umberto asked for my name, birthdate, street name & the nearest mountain. Peruvians believe that mountains have spirits that can help you. Of course if you live in IL, I was kinda hard-pressed to come up with a mountain. (I finally said East Peoria!) He read the coca leaves & gave me lots of information - some of it was very far-fetched & some of it was amazingly insightful. When I told him that I take sleeping pills, he said that was very, very bad for me. His recipe??? Get fresh milk from a cow, add some aloe & honey and I will sleep like a dead donkey! As soon as I hook up with a cow, I'll let you know how it goes!

Katie did get sick one day - we missed the white water rafting. (OK, I admit it - I didn't really miss it very much!) After some antibiotics, she was raring to go again.

On the day we left Lima, the bus drivers were having a strike. The government had raised fares 400% & they had a planned protest for one day. Traffic was horrific that day but they ended their strike at 5 pm. Very strange.

We had a very memorable trip to Peru. If any one is thinking about going, DO IT!