The Final Days of the Rally

Tuesday morning was a catered breakfast, not bad, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes, donuts, fruit, oj, milk and coffee, if you went hungry it was your own fault.  After that back home and we hung out here for 2 or 3 hours then decided we had to head out, even if it's almost 100 again.  After that we headed to Homestead looking for a place to have lunch, the first couple of places we stopped at were closed but, we finally find a place about 2:00.  After that we headed to the Woolen factory, the furniture store (if I had a house I could shop here) then 2 wine shops with at least one purchase being made.  We then did a little tour of East Amana, where we did our daily geocache and then headed.  Back home for a very small dinner, when the texting started between Tee and myself.  After a while I met her and Buddy outside, while Brad packed up for the camp fire.  We headed to the fire circle and hung out there until about 9:30 then headed home, out of the bugs and the heat. 

 

Wednesday we got up, Brad went to the coffee gathering, while I stayed back with Rudy.  After that we headed out to see more of the Amana Colonies.  We drove through Middle Amana, where all the tourist things were closed, then to West Amana where we did find one place open, 'The Broom and Basket Shop'.  We walked around there for a while, bought a little wooden box, had our picture taken on the giant rocking chair, toured around their little history museum then off to South Amana.  Here we toured the 'Mini-Americana Barn Museum', the 'Hill Gifts & Quilts', then on our way out stopped at the 'Schanz Furniture & Refinishing Shop',  here you could walk through the shop area, but everybody had already left for the day, but the furniture was absolutely beautiful.  After that back to Amana to the Meat Shop, where we bought something for dinner and some other snacks.  It was a long day, I was tired so we didn't even go to the camp fire, a lazy night at home.

The Children's Shop

Thursday we got up moving slow.  Brad went to the coffee get together, came back and planted himself on the computer.   We hung out here then headed down for the ice cream social about 1:00, hung out there for about an hour, then headed into Amana.  We rummaged through a couple of antique shops, the cutlery shop, and 2 or three others, then we tried to do our daily geocache, but after looking for over 30 min., no luck, we just couldn't find it.  Back home chicken on the grill for dinner, phone call to Lynne and off to bed by 10:00. 

Attached to a Wind Mill,
moves like he's sawing.

Friday we got up and headed out for breakfast the over to the Basket Shop where the lady was to be weaving her baskets.  Just as we got there and I was talking with her, she decided to tear the one apart she was working on, she didn't like it,  the hard frame had dried out too fast.  It really was interesting to watch her start a new one after that.  We left shortly thereafter, as a bus load of school children pulled in for a tour, kids, kids, kids everywhere.  We then headed back to Amana and hit a couple of the shops we had missed before, then Ice Cream Shop (for lunch), then the coffee shop after that.  We headed home, walked Rudy, then down to the social hall for dinner, door prizes and a band.  Dinner wasn't bad, nothing special, and once again, we didn't win a door prize :-(, but our friends did so we were happy for them.  Back to the house to attend to Rudy, grab a bottle of wine and off to listen to the band.  It was kind of funny, they were scheduled to play from 8:00 to midnight, but with the age of the crowd here, they were packing up to leave at 10:00.  Buddy, Tee, Brad and myself had to laugh when the organizer told them they could leave, as there were only about 10 of us left there to listen to them, so back home we headed, talking until about 11:00 at the street corner.  We walked Rudy, Brad headed to bed and I followed about midnight. 

Saturday was the last day of the Rally, people are packing up and heading out.  Brad headed over to the local mini-market for creamer and a breakfast sandwich while I managed to talk with a couple of our neighbors and say good-bye.  We showered and did a couple of laps with Rudy, seeing a few other people off that we had met, then Tee texted, off to the 'Fireside Winery' for the 4 of us.  It was only about 15 min. ride, with good wine.  We each bought a couple of bottles and then an extra for the 4 of us to enjoy on the patio at the winery.  It was a beautiful day, sunny, cool and a view of the vineyards.  We then headed back, stopping at the veggie stand on our way, quick walk with Rudy and off again.  There were 8 of us from the rally, still at the CG, so into town for a 3:00 meal at the 'Colony Inn Restaurant'.  The food was good, your ordered your meat and then all the rest was server family style, so if you went hungry it was your own fault, needless to say we all brought something home.  Back home to rescue poor Rudy, then about 7:00 we headed down to Frank and Rita's for an evening campfire, what a perfect end to the week.  Back home about 9:30, walk the dog and off to bed for us, Brad first and me by 11:00.

Diane and Brad