Adventures at Eagle's Aerie: Galumphing to Galena

Because of the timing of our Sunday plans, it turned out that i didn't get to go to a church service. Instead i spent the time puttering and nursing this computer, which now doesn't stay open the way it should. Oh, well, Ol' Bessie is doing the best she can.

So, Sunday. Celestine had invited all of us to her home for lunch, to be followed by a trip to Galena. The day had dawned wet, and weather reports showed the wet would follow us up.

That didn't matter a bit. We were determined to have a great time, and so we did.

Getting everyone together that morning, to head out as a group, proved a fun comedy. It took lots of finagling just to figure out who would ride with whom, and who had to go home from where and when. Finally, only 45 minutes late, SG and Mickey in their van with Westie, and Ninja, Eagle, Sleepymom and i in Sleepymom's, we headed out to pick up Script and Grace.

While the ride was wet and gray, the talk was lively and views were still lovely. Equally lovely was the home of the wonderful Celestine, who had a spread for us that could satisfy anyone. Eagle had added her seitan cacciatore for a vegan protein, and it was my first taste of such a thing. It was very, very good.

Script was thrilled the most with the cupcakes.

Then on to Galena, a city with 85% of its buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Even the house of the original founder of the town still stands, and is open for tours.

The downtown district is shopping and restaurants, and we spent a couple of blissful hours wandering. The architecture was a feast to my eyes. We wandered off and met up at different intervals, each enjoying ourselves in our own way.

My only regret is that everything closes so early on Sunday. So the time came, all too soon, to say good-bye. Celestine returned to her home, SG and Mickey headed back west, and all the rest of us piled into Sleepymom's van. Ninja drove both ways so Sleepymom wouldn't be too worn out to drive home later that evening.

We dropped Script and Grace back at the hotel for another sad good-bye, and sent Sleepymom off with regret when Ninja got us safely back to the Aerie.

Then Ninja, Eagle, Westie and i stayed up way too late for a morning person, but i didn't regret it at all.


Today is:

Ask A Stupid Question Day -- teachers wanted to get students asking more questions, so they did, even if the questions were stupid; now, it's a holiday!

Confucius' Birthday -- China

Czech Statehood Day -- Czech Republic

Drink Beer Day

Feast of Hapi and Creation of the Nile -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar

Frances Willard Day -- Minnesota

Michaelmas Eve -- Celtic celebration, bake your bannock bread tonight for eating on St. Michael and All Angel's Day tomorrow

National Day of Awareness and Unity against Child Pornography -- Philippines

National Good Neighbor Day -- US (go greet the neighbors, and be a good neighbor yourself!)

National Strawberry Cream Pie Day

National Women's Health and Fitness Day -- US

Navaratri -- Hindu (through Oct. 5)

North American Sand Sculpting Championship -- Virginia Beach, Virginia, US

Rosh Hashanah -- Jewish (begins at sunset)

Runic Half Month Gyfu begins (gift)

Strawberry Cream Pie Day

St. Wenceslaus' Day (Patron of Czech Republic)

Tales of Kelp-Koli's Second Visit -- Fairy Calendar (through the 30th)

Teacher's Day -- Taiwan (on Confucius' birthday, of course)

World Rabies Day



Birthdays Today:

Hilary Duff, 1987
Naomi Watts, 1968
Mira Sorvino, 1967
Janeane Garofalo, 1964
Koko Taylor, 1935
Brigitte Bardot, 1934
Arnold Stang, 1925
Marcello Mastroianni, 1924
Al Capp, 1909
Ed Sullivan, 1901
Confucius, BC551


Today in History:

Pompey the Great, member of the Triumvirate, is assassinated by order of King Ptolemy of Egypt upon landing in that country, BC48
King/Saint Wenceslas murdered by his brother, 935
William the Conqueror invades England, 1066
Sinking of the Spanish fleet during a hurricane off the coast of Florida, 1528
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo becomes the first European to reach San Diego Bay, 1542
Publication of "Pilgrim's Progress", 1678
Divorce is legalized in Maryland, 1701
American and French forces begin the siege of Yorktown, 1781
Napoleon Bonaparte, age 16, graduates from the Military Academy of Paris -- 42nd in a class of 51, 1785
Donati's comet becomes the first to be photographed, 1858
Toronto becomes the capital of Ontario, 1867
Sir Alexander Fleming notices a bacteria-killing mould growing in his laboratory, discovering what later became known as penicillin, 1928
Indonesia joins the United Nations, 1950
Mali and Senegal join the United Nations, 1960
SpaceX launches the first ever private spacecraft, the Falcon 1 into orbit, 2008