Ending September ~

After days & days of 90-degree weather earlier in September, we ended the month as the fourth wettest in Iowa history.  Omaha was inundated, had multiple areas of flooding & ended the month as the second wettest ever.  Here over a two-day period, we had just under 2.5 inches.  This was after days of gray cloudy skies along with off & on drizzle.

September 20th~

The sedums were in full bloom & I saw more Monarch butterflies than I have in years!  They looked so beautiful with their bright orange wings against the green of the trees.  

Hosta's~

Even with almost a week without sunshine mid-month, the Hosta's put on a stunning show of bright purple blooms to go with the pink of the sedums.  We've had at least one Hummingbird that visited daily.  

9-28 Boxes~

Mid-month, we received word the sale of the house was going through.  The closing date is set for the end of October.  We've hired a moving & estate sale company to go through & set up the house for a sale.  Downsizing is a lot of work!  The morning five ladies arrived, Finnigan was not happy!  He sat by my feet & growled at everyone, even when they tried to make friends with him.  It took two days & now I can't find anything.  They did a super job; I just had to remind them I'm living here for a few more weeks. 

We're making a final trip to spend a few days in Greenfield & Creston while the sale is happening.  It's going to be a relief to scale down & not have this large house & yard to care for.  Especially since I've been doing it mostly on my own for almost five years now.  

9-30 Maverick home overnight~

Butch drove some outrageous miles to make it home for a night.  He hardly had time for a shower & some sleep before he was leaving again.  He'll be home for good in a few days!  Not that he'll have any time to rest, since the POD will arrive & need to be loaded.  We've decided to have the Bronco hauled to WA.  I can drive, but I really doubt my leg would hold up to a weeks' worth.  It'll be much more pleasant to be a passenger princess & enjoy the views.  

We'll make an overnight stop in Sheridan to visit & enjoy dinner with my cousin Jackie before continuing on.  Granddaughter Skyla has a part in the first school play of the season & granddaughter Josie is part of the set designer team!  Our goal is to arrive in plenty of time to see the show!

Busy Home Time~

 

8-31-2026 Butch is Home!

Butch stopped at Nationwide for Maverick's oil change & tune-up before continuing home.  The cloud cover made it look cooler than it was.  It's been so hot & humid it's like being in a sauna full time.  Maverick made the trailer look small!  We went to dinner & discussed what our plans were for trailer interior.

9-1 First slide~

9 -1 Both far slides out~

Butch was busy doing a thorough inspection of the rig.  He was over it, under & all through it.  By afternoon, we drove back to Council Bluffs to visit the Camping World Service Department.  Butch had quite a discussion with the Service Manager about inspecting the trailers before they're delivered.

9-3-2026 A busy place~

By 9 a.m. on the third, Technician's from Camping World & the driver who'd made the delivery were here.  The brakes on the rear axle hadn't been connected.  The new F-250 the delivery driver used to tow, should have shown an error message regarding the brakes.

9-6 Looking up from the trail~

We had all the faux leather furniture, seating area table, chairs & bedroom mattress taken out at the dealer.  I ordered a good love seat & will be using mom's antique table & chairs.  Many thanks to Mike & Dwaine for their help moving super awkward, heavy items into the trailer!

My favorite wall tapestry found a spot over our bed.  Family heirlooms & our art will be shipped out & go into storage in WA for now.  I've been looking at all the things we've collected over almost 44 years of marriage.  Then, there's all the items I'd saved from dad's estate in 2012 & moms in 2016.  It's somewhat overwhelming. 

We'll be traveling lighter & I'll have a lot less work to do!  We're purchasing a membership at Port Susan.  Jentry has done all of the leg work for us, driving around to find a spot we liked.  I'm so looking forward to having my husband home again!  I won't miss the constant worry when he's on the road.  We've put in so much time here - both inside & out.  We're ready to be done with it all.  My injury was the catalyst, that started the ball rolling.  Now, we're waiting for the sale to be complete.