Road Trip

I went with other family members on a road trip to celebrate a 100th wedding anniversary (50th for the parents and 25th for two of their kids = 100).  Due to confusion about the time, we got there 2 hours early so that gave us time to visit the farm and take our time and enjoy this gorgeous yet windy day outside.  We walked around "the block" taking time to peek in the windows of the school house.  On the dirt road we saw a mourning cloak butterfly fly (or be blown) by. A pair of sand hill cranes sing and fly over the barn roof and land in the pasture. While leaving the farm someone noticed an animal in the pasture down the hill from the front yard.  This animal was booking it south.  It was running faster than I could run. The backbone of the otter curved up when the back feet caught up to the front feet and curved back down when the front feet went ahead. The body was too long to be a muskrat so that meant it was an otter.  We drove farther down the driveway.  About 2/3 of the way down the driveway the otter sprinted up the hill, under the electric fence, across the driveway and through the woods toward the road.  Where is the fire?  Why is the otter in such a hurry?  He (or she) otter slow down!  Halfway across the road the otter did an about face and ran back towards us.  Suddenly it turned again and raced across the gravel road, down into the ditch, under a horse fence, and through the pasture toward the wetland.  I had no idea an otter could run this fast.  Wow.

One in our group wanted to feed her crinkle cut fries to the fish off the dock.  No can do.  There was ice on the lake and no docks were out yet.  With this wind today and the condition of the ice, the lake looks like it could be ice free any minute.  In consolation we stopped the car so she could catch a leopard frog.She said the frog urinated on her.  I imagine her warm hands on the ice cold frog might have had something to do with it.

The anniversary party in the church hall was well attended and very fun.  The once exception was the minister who got our attention to say a prayer before we ate.  He said something so shocking misogynistic and offensive I can't even remember what his words were.  I was shocked. The food was great.  The wedding dresses of the 3 brides and their attendants were on display. The mother and one of the daughters wore the same dress.  We had fun chatting with cousins that we have not seen in a long time.  I felt honored to be invited.  How nice to talk with each other and not while at a funeral.  We stopped for a photo opportunity in Alexandria with Big Ole and headed southeast toward home.  I got to drive!  I like driving.  I especially like driving a vehicle nicer than mine.  This car was so nice the people in the back watched a movie (Frozen) while I sang along from behind the steering wheel.  Such a fun road trip!.