Travel Blog Saturday, July 30th 2022
Photo credit: Scott Cain "Real Farmhouse Vittles"
Saturday:
Decora, Iowa
Awake at 6:30 am.
In the second floor bedroom at Arles and Laredo’s farm. I was surprised to find I had slept so well. The fan in the old farm house window blew in the most delightful cool country air. And despite the lack of a second pillow I found the bed very comfortable. I had only got up once during the night. Getting up during the middle of the night was quite the adventure. The old farm house with it’s practical old Norwegian sensibilities had it’s steep stairwell located in the bathroom just off the living room. A door on the third step opens next to the door to the room next to the toilet. The door closed with a friction fit and no latch. I was thankful that I was fit and healthy enough to traverse this unique feature in the dark without much fuss. I wondered to myself just how my two 80+ year old host’s managed this configuration every day. But they both seemed spry for their years. And they were so delightful to chat with and learn from. The is home filled with art and objects gifted by friends and family was such a dream to explore and discover.
Mom and I departed at around 8:30 with Arles and Laredo following in their Honda. We had been served a most delightful country breakfast. Homemade granola, with fresh garden peaches, homemade yogurt, and coffee of course, from an antique coffee pot. The coffee pot incidentally, had been a wedding gift received by our hosts some 60m years previous.
During our ride mom had made time to reminisce about David. In one of her stories she told me about an incident that had happened in one of the small towns we passed through. David had be pulled over by the police for speeding and had butted the “f-word”. Mom had used his language in her tail. It was the very first time I ever heard her say it. I of course loudly interrupted her story to declare my victory.
By 11am we had reached Zumbroda MN. We found the Lands Lutheran Church and cemetery. The cemetery located on top of a rolling hill was bathed in a most delightful summer sunshine. The air was warm at around 80 degrees and cool breeze kept things from feeling too hot. At Davids parents head stone (William, and Valborg Gierke) I used my knife to cut open the turf so we could add some of David’s ashes. In addition to the ashes, we also added his preserved pinky finger. He had lost the finger in a child hood accident on the family farm not far from the cemetery. The finger had been part of Davids story most of his life. The preserved digit still very recognizable as a small boys pinky finger, now placed with love into a shallow hole under the sod at his parents grave stone.
After a short poem relied by Arles, and a few tears. We departed this resting spot, and made our way to Rochester MN for lunch at INDIA GARDEN. Our companions had found us a wonderful spot for lunch. And I was soon blessed with a belly full of yummy Indian style food.
Back on the road, we headed west towards South Dakota. Not really having a full plan in mind as to where we were going next. As mom drove this first leg, I spent my time on my iPhone researching our path and place to land.
At 5pm we stopped in Sioux Falls SD. I had reserved a room for us at the Fairfield in and Suites next to the airport. It was a new building, and very clean. We both found our room comfortable and a good place to rest. The Hotel is located in a large sports complex with many fields for play. I think I counted 9 football fields and baseball fields and a massive golf practice complex (with incidentally, had the largest TV screen in all South Dakota).
We had our dinner at the sports bar next to the hotel. A massive establishment with was nearly empty of patrons but full of friendly staff. At our table as we ate, I told my mom some of my darkest secrets regarding the difficulties of my marriage to Pamela. I guess the one beer I drank had loosened my tung. Back at the Hotel we relaxed and then I turned in at 9pm and fell quickly asleep.
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