Ross, Mary and Baxter, Minnesota

Yesterday, I got up at 4:00 AM so I could take Mary to the Moline airport.  Even with the bad weather out East, she never got a ding from Delta about a problem with her flight -- so I just threw her out on the sidewalk and went home (and BACK TO BED).

I did not realize until 6:00 last night that HER PLANE NEVER TOOK OFF....ugh...that Mary!!

Despite her long trip home...2016 will go down as a WONDERFUL TIME...and every minute of every day was jam packed.

Ross and John cooked, set the table (with real napkins, even)...Ross and Mary go WAY BACK....She was at his 16th birthday party -- when we gave him a car (it was also born in 1977). 

During this recent visit, on Saturday night, Ross, Mary, Lilly and I played a rousing game of Bananagrams (for over an hour, Linda P!).

I'll download the pictures in the next day or so -- and THERE WILL BE NEW BLOG POSTS.

But, for today -- here's a  2010 post, about the one time I visited BOTH OF THEM in Minnesota.

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Here are the two pictures I have of me and Ross during my visit to Baxter, Minnesota...here we are, visiting his friends...(there's a brand new baby in that house!)

I only stayed one night -- the next morning, we went out for breakfast...you can clearly see how delighted he was when I asked the waitress to take this picture...

Then, I got in my little rental car and DROVE FOR 3 1/2 hours to Mary Mulari's house. Minnesota is lovely. Lots of trees and lakes. The whole morning looked like this....mile after mile of trees...no houses, no farms, no animals. NO OTHER CARS, NO GAS STATIONS, NO BATHROOMS...(83 miles with NOT A SINGLE BATHROOM...really??)

So -- please try to imagine how shocked I was when this sign popped up for no apparent reason....


WHA??? It made no sense. Driving 60 mph, I thought I dreamed it....so I hit the brakes and DID A U-TURN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I drove back to take this picture. Otherwise, there was no way you would believe me.

WHAT IS THIS SIGN ABOUT?? AND WHY IS IT HERE??

Anybody have a clue??...I just cannot figure it out...

In the middle of a thousand miles of forests and lakes...a yellow road sign with a black cow??

Is it a "cow wanted" poster??

Like -- "Have you seen one of these?"

Maybe -- "Hey Wisconsin -- can you spare a cow?"

You've gotta love a highway department with a sense of humor...