Foreign Affair Sailing

The Circus Parade

We stopped in Baraboo, Wisconsin for the Circus Parade.  The Ringling Brothers quartered their circus during the winter in Baraboo from 1884 until 1919 when they merged their circus with the Barnum & Baily Circus and began wintering in Sarasota, Florida.  Other circuses continued to winter in Baraboo which is the home of Circus World and the International Clown Hall of Fame and Research Center.  Dozens of old circus wagons and bands marched through the downtown district as thousands of spectators gathered for the spectacle.  It was perfect weather and everyone appeared to be having fun.  We took the long way home after the parade to take in more of the beauty of Wisconsin.  Of course, we bought some cheese and sausage to take home to Kansas.

West Virginia to Wisconsin

From West Virginia we drove to Wisconsin for Dwayne's family reunion.  Over 50 years ago, Dwayne's grandmother suggested her siblings and their off-spring gather together on the family homestead farm for a reunion.  Hundreds of relatives showed up traveling from as far west as Washington State and Western Canada for the first reunion.  The farms today are much different from what they were in the 1960s let alone when the homestead was established.  Today, the family farms are incorporated and operate 24 hours a day.  Dwayne no longer bucks hay or picks rocks as he did in his younger years while visiting the farm.  Instead, he is content with walking along with his grandchildren as they learn about modern dairy farming during a guided tour conducted by a cousin.

Got Milk?

On To West Virginia

We headed to Beckley, West Virginia for Carla's family reunion.  Her siblings get together every three years along with their children and grandchildren.  They decide on locations which they have not been to before and this time the destination was West Virginia.  They rented a large log cabin which was able to accommodate everyone.  We made a day trip to learn about coal mining and life in the mountains.  Our tour began with an introduction to coal mining by a retired coal miner who worked in the mine for over 40 years.  A section of a mine in Beckley has been turned into a living history museum in which an old mine train moves you from one exhibit to the next with the miner/guide providing an explanation and answering questions on the exhibit.  Co-located with the mine was a the mine superintendent's house, single family house, bachelor's shanty and school house. Buildings of historical interest such as a farm house, barn, blacksmith's shop, and whisky still were also moved to the site from nearby locations.  We all had an interesting learning experience and fun outing.  One evening the family had a large bonfire.  Other nights were spent playing games.

Rendezvous in North Carolina and the Lazy 5 Ranch

Carla was busy the first week of July helping her daughter pack and move from Tennessee to North Carolina.  Dwayne drove out to help with the unpacking.  Dozens of boxes were emptied and pictures hung while painters, window washers, cable and security system installers completed their work. A day of rest took us to the Lazy 5 Ranch.  Carla's son and his family joined us there for the day.  A hayride through the park to view and feed the many exotic animals was the high point.  Dozens of animal species were allowed to roam the many acres of the ranch and be fed by the visitors.  It was a fun and exciting day which ended with a picnic feast with ice cream for desert.

Independence Day - July 4

We spent Independence Day with our respective families.  Carla enjoyed a wonderful holiday in North Carolina with her children and grandchildren.  Everyone survived the fireworks and Carla still has 10 fingers.  Dwayne was in Kansas with his family.  A BBQ feast was followed by a backyard movie, The Sandlot, and the evening ended with fireworks.  It was a great day all around.