Saturday 7/1
Tonight we celebrated the 4th of July
here in Nauvoo.
Nauvoo and Montrose alternate doing the
fireworks and it was Montrose's
turn this year.
About 9:15 we drove down to the
Mississippi River and got
"front row center" seats on the river bank.
the show began at 9:30 and not long after that
a l-o-n-g barge came DOWN the river.
(you can see it on the left side)
The fireworks reflecting on the river
were colorful and ....
beautiful !
Just as the show was ending another big barge
came along .... this one going UP the river.
The tug boat is all lit up and had a bright spot light
shining all the way up the 5 barges.
Sunday 7/2
This evening the Pageant Core Cast put on the
production of
"Our Story Goes On"
When we arrived at the outdoor Pageant Stage
the Bagpipers were performing.
The drummers kept an even tempo while
twirling their mallets and ....
the bagpipe players marched in rhythm as they
filed off the stage and down through
the audience.
The play follows a young family having it's first
baby...the baby grows up and has her own
baby... who grows up, goes through some troubled
times but puts his life back together, gets
married and has his own baby....
wow, how many generations is that !
It was a wonderful production and by the way ....
the piano player was amazing !
By the time the show was over it was dark ....
the Temple stood there all lit up just above
the Pageant Stage .... Beautiful !
Monday 7/3
Today was our P-day and we decided to go
north to a couple of little towns.
Both are just a bit south of Iowa City.
First we went to Coralville, Iowa. We followed our
GPS and it took us to this street ....
Mormon Trek Blvd.
We were looking for the Memorial to
where the Handcart Pioneers began their trek.
(which we never did find)
But we did find .....
This statue at the Marriott Hotel !
Next we went to the little Amish community of ....
Kalona, Iowa
We signed up for a 90 minute tour on this little bus.
The tour took us around the
Historic part of town then ....
out in the countryside ....
and there is certainly a lot of .....
WIDE OPEN SPACE in Iowa.
We saw ....
Homes with Amish Buggy's parked outside ....
Rows of rolled up hay .... not in bales because the
Amish don't have baling machines....
They do have lots of Goats....for milk !
And a little school house, complete with bell on top !
Our tour guide, who has lived his whole life in
Kalona as a Mennonite, made three stops.
FIRST STOP ....
J. K. Creative Wood
It is operated by a Mennonite family
We purchased this beautiful Nativity
hand carved by an old man named Bill Ward.
NEXT STOP ....
Community Country Store which is
operated by the Amish.
There is no electricity inside but the large
skylights provided plenty of light on this bright day.
along side each skylight was a gas light.
LAST STOP .....
The Golden Delight Bakery & Gifts
also run by the Amish
We purchased some homemade rolls and a jar of ....
Triple Berry Jam
Tuesday 7/4
INDEPENDENCE DAY
Today we would take part in the
Mission 4th of July Flag Ceremony.
It began at 7:00 a.m. at the Visitor's Center.
(we had to be there 20 minutes early)
The Nauvoo Brass Band played inspiring
prelude music until we were ready to begin.
President Pursel (1st Counselor)
conducted the proceedings.
After an opening prayer was offered
The Honor Guard assembled in the nearby trees
and the flag ceremony began.
We are the second couple in line.
The guard held the flag as it was unfolded.
As the flag began to be raised a trumpet
began playing "To The Colors"
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited
and we all sang the Star Spangled Banner.
We stood at attention for the remainder of the program.
Elder Cook told about his experience as an
Air Force Pilot being prepared for
the possibility of being captured and the treatment
a POW would have to endure.
When the training ended an American Flag
appeared on the horizon.
He said, with tears in his eyes,
nothing ever looked so beautiful or felt so good.
We are grateful for those that have
devoted and given their lives to preserving
the freedoms we enjoy today.
President Hall offered a few closing remarks
before the benediction.
We were honored to be asked to be part of this
years Honor Guard.
E/S Judd, E/S Johnson, E/S Waite, E/S McLeod
After the Ceremony was over we decided to do
something we have wanted to do our
whole mission.
Watch as the horses are called in for their breakfast.
These are very smart horses .... They can
actually read !
They open the gate and each horse knows exactly
where to go .... the stall with their
name on it !
Some head right into the barn
and others head to this line of stalls.
Elder Waite enjoyed
watching some of the horses from the tack room
It was pretty amazing to watch these big guys
as they came in from the South Pasture
and found their way to their very own stalls.
Saturday 7/8
This evening we rode down to Hamilton, Illinois
with the Browns and went to the
Dairy Queen for a treat.
Because we were still in our site clothes we
couldn't go into the restaurant so
we went through the drive-thru and then
drove back up the river to a little
roadside picnic area to eat our treats.
This is really hard to see what it is, but all those
little black dots above the bushes are
MAYFLIES !
They were thick along the river banks, at least
until the sun went down.
The sunset was very beautiful as it glowed on the horizon
and reflected on the Mississippi River
Sunday 7/9
During Pageant month our Sacrament Meeting
is loaded with both missionaries and
Visitors.....this is why it pretty much looks
like Stake Conference every week ....
Yes .... we had three busloads of visitors
this morning. We utilized four Ushers and
two Sacrament tables in order to
accommodate all those people.
This evening we had a Mission Sociable
in the Visitor's Center Theater.
It was put on by the Pageant Core Cast.
Back on June 29th Linda served in the
Seventies Hall. While she was there the
Core Cast came in to rehearse the Vignette
"Go Ye Into All the World"
Tonight they performed it for all the Missionaries.
This time in full costume.
From Left to Right:
Wilford Woodruff, John Taylor, Heber C. Kimball
Parley P. Pratt & Brigham Young
A tender scene with Heber C. Kimball saying
goodbye to his wife Vilate.
Both Heber & Vilate were very ill so it
was hard for them to part.
The Cast also performed the
King Follett Discourse Vignette
Given by Joseph Smith in the
Groves after Follett's death.
He preached for two hours on the
origin and destiny of man and the character of God.
The Vignette is just a portion of that
discourse related to the
Plan of Salvation.
Monday 7/10
Today was our Preparation Day.
Steve has developed a cough that we
thought was probably related to his Asthma
so we went down to Carthage to have it
checked out ....
After a chest x-ray, breathing treatment
and a couple of new prescriptions,
all is well !
While we were there we stopped by the Jail.
Not too long ago we realized that
we have had our picture taken in Carthage
with others but never just
the two of us,
so we did it today while we were there.
A selfie by the Sign and ...
one by Dee Jay Bawden's
"The Martyrs" Statue.
Tonight our Sunset by the Mississippi
show was cancelled due to
weather.
There was continuous Thunder & Lightning,
torrents of rain and the sound of
Tornado warning sirens in the air ....
someone captured this picture of
a tornado in the making .... fortunately,
it never materialized enough to
touch down.
We enjoyed sitting on our front porch
listening to the crack of the lightning
and the pounding thunder as we
watched the amazing "light" show.
It was an exciting evening !
Thursday 7/13
During the summer here in Nauvoo the
Cicadas are abundant and ....
They are BIG and ....
They are noisy !
this little guy was over by the Tin Shop,
where Steve was serving today.
Tonight our cast performed in the
Sunset by the Mississippi show.
We played to a full, standing-room-only crowd
and they were a great audience .... nearly 1,000 strong !
This is why it was so packed ....
These six buses were parked in the
Visitor's Center parking lot plus
two more parked in a different place.
Yes summer is in full swing here in Nauvoo.
the kids that fill these buses up
left the outdoor stage and all walked down
Partridge Street together
It was quite a site !
Their destination ..... The Nauvoo Pageant !
Friday 7/14
Today Linda served at Pioneer Pastimes.
After their morning concert in the street the
Nauvoo Brass Band comes to this site,
has a little children's parade, then
the band members spend some time playing the
games and visiting with all the guests.
Today Linda saw these three YPM's all gathered
in a circle
what could they be doing?
HaHaHa .... searching for 4-leaf clovers !
This little guy was having fun pulling on
the slide of this trombone.
And in the background another band member
is helping show one of the kids how to make
the Nauvoo Bear climb the rope.
This trumpet player is making a new friend
at the bowling table
And these YPM's are trying to improve
their Fox & Geese game skills.
Everyone is having a wonderful time when they
hear one of the trumpets sound
indicating "it's time to go"
They all say goodbye to their new found friends ....
get back on the band wagon ....
and off they go .....
Heading down the street to perform another
afternoon, street corner, concert for
our Nauvoo visitors.
Saturday 7/15
This evening our Cast got together down in ....
Hannibal Missouri for ....
A dinner cruise on this old steamboat
We arrived a little bit early so we walked
along the dock and found ....
this Statue of Mark Twain and ....
this gateway.
At 6:00 p.m. we were ....
Ready To Board !
You can see by all the White Shirts and
missionary badges that we had
a pretty good group .... 30 of us.
But the crew was ready for us and
had all our tables reserved and clearly marked ....
" Nauvoo Missionaries ! "
We all smiled as they went around taking pictures
of each of the Missionary Couples.
We had a nice dinner, buffet style, then
enjoyed some time out on the deck.
There were lots of interesting things to see
along the way .....
Southern Style Home nestled in the trees .....
Granary .....
Stationary bridges and ..... draw bridges ....
Water Level Markers ....
This Barge passed right along side of us .....
pushed along by this powerful tug boat .....
Lover's Leap and ....
Setting Sun Reflections.
the cruise was so relaxing that we were a little
sad, after 2 hours, to see .....
Our little red Dock !
Our capable Captain & Crew steered us
safely into place where we were greeted by
the one and only ....
Mark Twain himself !
(well, maybe just a look-alike)
 |
| S/Haynes, McCoy, Trythall, Huffaker,Spencer, Williams, Lowe 1, Cornwell, Lowe 2, Waite, Duvall, S/Miller, Smith (Cooks & Hills left before we took the picture) |
This wild and crazy bunch of missionaries
had a fun evening on the old
Mississippi Riverboat and we had a good time
traveling with the William's and Spencer's.
Elder Spencer writes and recites
Cowboy Poetry so he entertained us with
several of his favorites
We arrived home at 10 p.m., just before
the Pageant ended which allowed us to
get from the Visitor's Center to our house
before all the Pageant traffic hit, YaY !
Sunday 7/16
In all the time we have been here we have
never taken a picture of the corn fields.
This afternoon we were "on call" and decided
to go on a little drive around the
Nauvoo area. We wondered ....
how tall is the corn, really ....
honestly, it didn't look ALL THAT high ....
Was the song right ?
As high as an elephant's eye ?
What do you think ?
We were surprised when Steve went and
stood by it .... WOW !
Now that's tall .... and .... there is lots of it !
Monday 7/17
Today was our P-day and we didn't want to just
sit around so we looked for someplace new
we could visit. The only place we found ....
that was open .... was ....
the Dickson Mounds Museum
in Lewistown, Illinois (1 1/2 hours SE of Nauvoo)
We think our GPS took us "the Back Way"
Although we did take one interesting street ....
HaHaHa .... we had to send this picture to our
little granddaughter, Charlotte !
After many miles of back country roads
we were stopped in our tracks by a
Road Closed Barrier with no Detour directions !
We ended up going down this pathway through
some corn/soybean fields for about
a mile until we finally were able to cut back
to the right road .... of course we were glad for all
the MOUNTAINS looming above the horizon
to help us find our way .... NOT !
The museum is one of the major on-site
archaeological museums in the country and tells
a story of the American Indians for the
past 12,000 years in this valley.
They have lots of artifacts that have been
unearthed during archaeological digs at the nearby
burial mounds that surround the
Illinois River on display and an observation deck
that overlooks the whole river valley.
and by the way ....
We took a different way home which turned
out to be MUCH better !
Wednesday 7/19
Tonight we participated in the British Pageant.
(Participation for the Missionaries is
optional, but try to do it once or twice on
the nights we don't have shows.)
We are able to watch the entire
show until the very end when we then
become part of the cast.
All the Nauvoo & Temple Missionaries,
wearing white shirts and
black pants/skirts, get up out of their seats
and assemble together on each side of the
stage while singing "Called to Serve".
It looks very cool .... and the
audience responds by clapping and cheering.
We continue to sing with the cast
"Oh Say What is Truth" and
"Redeemer of Israel"
After the standing ovation (and there always is one)
we leave the stage.
This is what it looks like when we are singing.
During the day we look at all the chairs that are
set up and it just doesn't look like all that
much seating, but ..... when they are filled with
people ..... wow, it really is a lot ....
somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,500 chairs.
Friday 7/21
Today Linda was walking home from the
Family Living Center and she
cut through the Lyon Drug Store Grounds.
This year they built a big arbor and planted
different kinds of Gourds that have now
grown up over the arbor and are producing
very large Gourds .... the kids love to walk through it !
Saturday 7/22
Today Linda worked at the Post Office
however when she arrived there was this one
little problem ....
She couldn't get to it !
The rain had totally flooded the walkway in
front of this site. Elder Hughes came to their rescue ....
and after working for over 45 minutes he had
cleared all the water away .... AMAZING !
Tonight we attended a small little
Birthday celebration for one of the new
Missionaries serving here in Nauvoo ....
Elder Williams !
He and his wife are fun to be around and will
be great missionaries here.
We played a Get-to-know-you game, had
cake and ice cream while visiting
and then the party was over.
Saturday 7/22
We have seen the vignette
"Go Ye Into All the World" a few times now.
The first time Linda was at the Seventies hall when
the cast came in for rehearsal .... dressed in
their everyday summer clothes.
The second time we both saw it when they performed
for the missionaries in the Visitor's Center ....
dressed in their full costumes.
Finally, Today Steve was working at the Seventies Hall
during one of the performances and got to see it
In full costume AND in the Seventies Hall.
It is a powerful Vignette about the Apostles
Missionary work in England.
Today there were so many visitor's waiting to
see it that they ended up doing two performances.
Sunday 7/23
Tonight was District Meetings.
We are the District Leaders for the
Martin Harris District. After dinner we
took a picture for our memory book.
L/R
E/S Lowe 2, E/S Gibson, E/S Hatch, E/S Butt, E/S Waite
We will miss this group of missionaries when
we go home in a few weeks.
Wednesday 7/26
We have been watching the Lock at the
Keokuk Dam every time we pass
it (at least once a week) for our entire mission
but have never passed by when a barge
was in the Lock.
Today it finally happened !
As we crossed the Mississippi we could see
a barge just getting ready to enter the Lock.
We drove down to the river where there is an
observation deck just above the Lock and watched
from start to finish as this huge barge went
through the Mississippi River Lock # 19.
The barge as it entered the Lock
it is making progress.
It will completely fill the lock with 15 smaller
barges all lashed together
(these 15 barges are equivalent to
880 loaded semi trucks)
As it gets closer to the gate fish began
leaping out of the water .... this is a small one
we were lucky to capture in mid air.
the 15 barges are pushed up the river by
one very large and powerful tugboat.
The barge is now completely in the lock and we
will watch as ....
the water in the Lock begins to rise .....
and rise ....
and rise until it is the same level as the River.
The rails are on top of the gate and as you can see
it is just about covered up.
Nearly an hour later the barge is ready to exit the Lock
and head back out onto the Mississippi
As it passes us on its way out we can see all the
ropes and cables that hold these smaller
barges together so ....
the tugboat can push them along as one big barge !
This was a BIG tugboat and left a lot of
turbulence in its wake.
There it goes .... nearly 1,200 feet long !
While we were waiting for the water to rise in the lock
we saw .....
Vultures overhead ....
Seagulls on the water ....
this doe and fawn, and ....
an ominous storm brewing.
(we only got sprinkled on a little before returning
to our car)
It was fun to see the barge and tugboat close up and
watch as it made its way through the Lock ....
just a little over an hour from the time the barge
entered the Lock until it exited.
Thursday 7/27
Last Friday Linda took a picture of the vine covered
arbor behind the Lyon Drug Store .....
One week later it has grown so much that the
visitors have to duck down to walk through it ....
time for a trim .... don't ya think !
Friday 7/28
Tonight was our last Rendezvous Show for
the month of July
It was Linda's turn to play for the show
This is the 134th show she has played for and
with another month to go before the
end of our mission, that number is
sure to grow a bit more.
Monday 7/31
The last day of July and we had the evening off !
Tomorrow is our anniversary so we
thought about going out to eat, however,
we would have to change into our Sunday Clothes
to do that. So.... we decided to just
go to the Dairy Queen "drive-thru" in Hamilton.
(as long as we don't get out of the car
we don't have to change out of our site clothes)
Once we have our food we drive back up the
River Road toward Nauvoo and stop
at our favorite rest area to eat.
"Hoot Owl Rest Area"
tonight's Sunset ....
Frogs in the moss covered river water and ....
sitting on some logs
It's always beautiful at this little spot by the river
so we enjoy stopping here ... especially in the
evening when the sun is setting.
(we WILL go out to a REAL restaurant next time
we are dressed appropriately .... probably on
our P-day)
Good bye July ....
Hello August .... our last full month in Nauvoo !
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