After the weather prevented hay cutting for 25 days on my farm, I prepared for a 4-day long weekend trip to Galena, Illinois and Dubuque, Iowa. It was suggested that since the rain had finally abated 2 days before I left, I should cancel and make hay instead. I replied, “At my age, you do not cancel vacations.” What did I see on my trip?
West of Rockford the fields were rolling and many shades of green from too much water like our fields at home. The driftless area of Illinois provides beautiful scenery; it was a joy to see so many barns still housing cattle. I saw many grassy areas around farms, ramps and intersections as well as the waterways were cut and baled. Even the rough of a golf course in Jo Daviess County was filled with round bales of hay. I hope the. Can cows digest golf balls?
The rivers were muddy with eroded soils. This was evident of the mighty Mississippi from my overlook view high atop at the Mississippi Palisades State Park in Illinois. We visited the living history event at the Apple River Fort state historical site In Elizabeth, IL. It was 194th anniversary of the victorious battle to save the fort from Chief Blackhawk and his warriors.
We lucked out when a surprise thunderstorm arrived just as we finished our zip line tour in Galena. That gave us the opportunity to drive to Dyersville through the rain to see the Field of Dreams. I was disappointed that commercialism had overtaken the historic site that I enjoyed about 30 years ago. We did make it to the town of Dyersville to tour the 212’ tall Basilica of St. Francis Xavier, one of only 3 rural basilicas in the United States. We also arrived at the National Farm Toy Museum in Dyersville at 3:57; it closed at 4!
Even though we had been spelunking for 3 hours at Maquoketa Caves State Park we decided to also tour the Crystal Lake Cave outside Dubuque, Iowa. It was the best way to escape the 90-degree temps and 75% humidity. Downtown Dubuque also gave us the best thrill of the trip for only $8. High atop the bluff overlooking the city is the Fenelon Place Elevator. For a $4 roundtrip fare you can ride the incline railway 296’; it drops an elevation of 189’ from the bluffs that offered scenic views and safely lowered us to the downtown area.
The driving trip to the top of the bluff to park gave me great joy when my wife, Cora, told me to turn at an intersection and I drove past it and turned at the next one. She thought I had erred, and then she had to admit I was right. I reveled in the fact that for only the 8th time in 5+ years together I was right. The celebration was short-lived. Later that day we drove past a large hay field with a long roll of round bales wrapped in plastic. Cora wondered what the Guinness record would be for the most round bales of hay wrapped.
I stated no such thing would exist. Her google search quickly proved me wrong for the 7,649th time in our relationship. Several years ago, farmers in Sweden set the record by baling and wrapping 1587 bales in a 24-hour period with one machine.
Will I ever learn? Perhaps it is time I quit keeping score; this deficit is insurmountable!
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