Melissa and I have a full day planned, so we decided to go to the earlier Mass at 8 am. After church we went to Second Street Cafe, for breakfast. Pulling into the parking lot between Baileys Office Supply and Hotel Ottumwa, we took the last space available, a diagonal space between two sedans. Melissa has always been a bit meticulous and methodical in her protocol for getting out of a car...I mean to say shes slow to exit. I recalled advice I got from her friend, Nicole Johnson, years ago: Dont even open your door, until Melissa has one foot out of the car! Ive learned to adjust. Waiting for her outside, I crouched down behind my car. When Melissa finally came around the end of the car, I jumped up, lunging toward her waving my hands in the air like a monster, Raaarrrhhh!!! I screamed. Youre such a dork. She said, Maybe, I replied, But you jumped. We had a good laugh over that, then went inside to eat. We talked about our day, yesterday. Our anniversary. Melissa and I spent the day in Van Buren County. We had lunch at the Bonaparte Retreat, in the old grist mill on the edge of the Des Moines River. After lunch, we stopped by Rhea Huddlestons house. She is moving her antique shop and Addie May Fudge business to a new building soon. It was fun to catch up with her, and see the progress they are making, restoring their classic Victorian country home. On the way back we visited a few shops in Bentonsport, and the flea market vendors where Melissa found a cast iron owl lantern. She really liked it, but I said no, we didnt need anymore stuff to move to Minnesota, especially a cast iron trinket. After I put Oliver the Owl, along with a few pumpkins and gourds in the car, we went on to Keosauqua. The town is still very cool, but it feels weird not having the metal curly slide in the park, and the old iron trestle bridge. Although the fall colors have not come in yet, it was fun to drive around the Villages of Van Buren County again. Still, Melissa and I agreed, it was in the north woods where the fall colors are at peak, we longed to be for our anniversary. Our conversation turned to where we were six years ago this morning. We were having breakfast at the Northern Rail Traincar Inn. This is a really neat inn. All the rooms are built in old railroad boxcars, sitting on sections of real train tracks. Imagine a train depot with the roof that covers the tracks and railcars to protect train passengers from the elements of weather. This is what this inn looks like. When you walk down the corridor, you feel like youre on the platform of a train station, with cars on both sides. We had called the manager, telling her we wanted to rent all 17 rooms for our family, on our wedding weekend. They accommodated us nicely with all of their rooms. The remainder of our family rented rooms in nearby Two Harbors. Rather than a rehearsal dinner just for the wedding party, we opted for a family reunion / party at the inn. They provided us with a bonfire. Tents were set up to serve food and beverages. We had the whole place to ourselves and our families. It was an amazing night. When the rains came, we moved the party indoors to the lobby. After our wedding reception the following evening, at Glensheen Mansion in Duluth, the wedding party continued again at the Northern Rail. The morning after our wedding, family gathered sporadically in the breakfast area. Many of the family opted to venture out, visiting places like Split Rock Lighthouse, Gooseberry Falls, The Cross River Falls, or just drive the country roads taking in the amazing fall colors offered in the north woods. As we continued to reminisce that very special time in the north woods, we agreed that was where we really wanted to be for our anniversary. We discussed our plan to be up there yet this week, before the fall colors are gone. The more we talked, as I looked across the table at my bride, the more I realized, I was in just the perfect place for our anniversary. I was with the most beautiful, amazing woman - my wife, my partner and my best friend. Any place, where we are, is just fine...as long as we are there together.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 17:56:35 +0000
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