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View of the day-This was how we spent the better part of the day...rooting around in people's garages for treasures...and Al actually found a few.
We had clouds during the night, so we didn't have frozen water this morning...a pleasant change. It was supposed to be a bit warmer out, but at this time of year, as long as it isn't wet, it is a nice day. We still had wind, but thanks to the tents and buildings, it was cut off and it wasn't so bad...as a matter of fact, Al was in short sleeves all day. Marilyn, on the other hand had two tshirts, one hoodie and a jacket.
We got to Dyersville and the first thing we had to do was meet a "guy" out by the storage lockers on the north end of town. We got there to find two other guys rooting around in the locker and they told us the "guy" would be there shortly. Al felt like he was doing a drug deal, sneaking around like that. The "guy" showed up, right on time and found Al the two toys that he had ordered. We don't know how...this place was jammed full to the front door...and it wasn't his only locker!
Once we got the tractors, we checked out the garage sales around town. Al found a few items that he picked up, but wasn't committing to anything really big...just in case. Just in case...the price came down or he saw one cheaper...that sort of thing.
While we were looking around, we ran into Tom Waterhouse and his wife Audrey, from Davidson, SK. They are at all the shows we are at...and then some...so we stopped to have a chat and look at one of the custom built threshing machines that he had bought here. Wow...the detail was absolutely amazing! Pictures just don't do it justice...but will have to do.
We continued on our way, checking out the various tents on the grounds that were getting set up...some let us in, some told us to come back later and some wouldn't let us even close. Since it didn't officially start until tomorrow, we didn't take offence.
We went downtown for an early supper, where Al spotted this Halloween decoration...complete with head turning horse, then came back to the camper. Roger and Ken had made it to Dubuque and were checking in at the hotel before coming over to Dyersville. Apparently they didn't get away from Bossen's at Lamont, without thinning out their wallets before heading to the hotel.
Al had them stop at the camper on the way to Dyersville to pick him up for the auction sale...Marilyn didn't see anything she couldn't live without, so didn't want to go sit through all that "rhroofelling"(Al's German slang for the sound made by the auctioneer-you really need to roll those r's). She will be resting up for the big walk yet to come.
Another early morning tomorrow, but this time we get to check out all the displays...
View of the day-Today's road trip took us 3 miles from Dyersville to the movie site for "Field of Dreams".
It was another laid back day as we got a late breakfast in Dyersville, then did a bit of toy shopping. The toy show does not officially start until Friday, but there are some places that are set up early, and Al figured there were bargains to be found.
We started out in the TOMY store, filling up the back seat of the truck with cases of toys, then toured town looking for garage sales...we found only two, but there are sure to be more by the weekend. We came out empty-handed from the garage sales, even though there was still some room left in the truck...no bargains yet.
Next we took a tour through the Plaza Antique Mall which was next to the toy museum. This place is two floors of consigned...stuff...dolls, games, antique dishes and furniture...and of course, farm toys. You can see the shelves at the top of the picture with all the toys on them and on the bottom, just past the cars are glass cabinets, all filled with treasures from various consignors. This took a loooong time to go through and the only thing we came out with, were two programs for the weekend. The first trip through most of these places is just a "scouting" tour...the real buying will start on the weekend...if the stuff is still on the shelves.
We took a coffee break at McDonald's...Marilyn managed to get the seniors rate on her beverage...there are some perks to "getting up there". Now it was time to check out the items going up for auction on Thursday night.
The viewing was in a hall that was in the town park...the place where we had inquired about parking the camper and got no reply...so we were surprised to see five or six campers parked here and there on the grass behind the building. Oh, well, we have big power, sewer and water...at least after the sun thaws out the hose...where we are now and they only have 110 power in the park. We're OK with that.
We strolled along the tables of toys that would be up for auction...Al said most of them looked better online, but is never one to miss out on a bargain...should there be one on Thursday. Once that was done, it was time to head back to the camper and get the latest batch of boxes put away.
Tomorrow we will get to check some of the other places that will be opening up for the show, then Roger and Ken will show up from Canada and Al will get to take them on a tour of all the places he has been.
Marilyn will figure out a schedule for all the craft shows going on in the area this weekend. Originally, Roger was coming down with his wife, Linda, so Marilyn would have had a travelling partner, but Linda decided to stay home, since Roger told her there was nothing to do in Dyersville.
And she fell for it...
View of the day-We managed to find another combine looking for a grain cart on our three state road trip today.
Today's list had finding a place to fill a propane tank at the top of the list. After searching online, we found a place in Cascade, 10 miles south of Farley, where we were camped. The road down was scenic and we got to see a lot due to the fact that it was really curvy and rough, so the going was slow...but we had nothing else on the agenda, so we enjoyed the view.
We got our propane tank filled, then took yet another scenic route, this time to Dubuque to check things out over there. Marilyn had been checking online and had discovered the riverboat cruises ran until the end of October, so we were hoping to fit one in...until we saw the website had a notice up that October 28 was the final one for the season. So much for that plan.
We crossed the bridge and went down to the lookout point to see the river, from the shore, at least. Al found his bench by the lookout and sat there until it got too chilly...the sun was shining but the wind was howling out of the north, so it made short work of any enjoyable water watching.
We decided to cross back to Dubuque on the bridge to the north of us and since we were now in the state of Illinois, the 10 mile trip around to the other bridge would take us through Wisconsin before crossing back into Iowa...hence the reference to the three state tour that we took today. While we were crossing back across the bridge, Al noticed that there was a barge being moved down the river that he wanted to watch, so we looped back around to the lookout where we had been to check out its progress...this time the jacket came out.
We watched as the barge lined up to go through the pass where the train bridge had swiveled out of the way. It took some time, but finally it came through, but then had to rearrange aim to make it under the main bridge, while the train tressle turned back to position. It was really quite interesting for us flatlanders to watch the procedure...it must be like someone from the mountains watching a field being combined...simply, mesmerizing.
Al stood down on the dock and was impressed by how close the barge front got as the tug pivoted at the back to line up We watched as it passed under the second bridge, then crossed back to Dubuque to find the Applebees so we could have supper before going back to the camper.
Back at the camper, we got the propane tank hooked back up, then fired up the furnace and called it a night.
This "professional tourist" thing is something Marilyn could get used to...
View of the day-The Wapsipinicon Mill in Independence, Iowa this morning...we didn't do a tour, however.
We got up to a frozen hose...and the hydrant handle was frozen open, too. It got down to 23ºF during the night and the water never had a chance...good thing we had gotten the tank filled when we stopped in Sac City, so the holding tank was full for showers.
Back to Sunday. We left Wakonda and started for Dyersville, we weren't sure where we would be spending the night...apparently there isn't a real good place to find RV parks. Marilyn spent most of the drive trying to find a campground online, finally after dark, we found one in Independence and it was by asking someone at the local gas station.
This morning after closing up the camper, we drove around town and managed to find a restaurant that served real eggs. After breakfast we hooked up and started for...well...someplace to park the camper for the week. We knew there would be no place in Dyersville...we parked in the Pamida parking lot the last time we had the camper...so we had to find something that wasn't to far from the action.
Before we had to find our new camping spot, we had to make a side trip to Lamont and Bossen Implements, where Al had to pick up about 14 cases of farm toys. We were there for the better part of an hour as Al and Katey went through the list of things that Al had purchased and was there to pick up...Marilyn made sure there was plenty of room to pack them under the camper, then we were on our way again.
Marilyn had found a campground at Earlville, which was 9 miles west of Dyersville, so we pulled in and found a spot to park. The campground was quite scenic...big trees with a pond nearby. The thing about "scenic" is that it usually means uneven ground...there was not one site that had a flat spot...so we tried to find the best one of the bunch.
We got the camper parked, blocked the tires so it wouldn't roll down the hill into the pond, then used the "auto level" feature to get it set just right...we didn't know the front jacks could go that far out. It looked pretty precarious and we were a bit nervous about staying there, so we went on a road trip to see what else we could find. Apparently we weren't the worst off...there was a motor home that had the front wheels about 6 inches off the ground, so it would be level.
Al remembered seeing a campground east of Dyersville on the way to Dubuque, so we drove out to see if he was remembering correctly. He was. It was only 6 miles from Dyersville, in Farley, so we pulled in to see if it was still open and we could park for the week...it was a bit pricey at $30 a night, but at least it was flat, with cement pads and a good road in and out.
We figured we should check Dyersville, so Marilyn went into the city hall and got a couple of phone numbers for possible places to try. One was the town park...no one answered the phone and we couldn't see any posts in the obvious places, so we were pretty sure that one was out.
The second place was 4 miles north of town in a county park. It was kind of narrow, winding roads, up and down little valleys...and narrow bridges...not really meant for a big camper. So that one was out and it was settled...Farley would be our home for the week.
Now we had to go back to Earlville to get the camper off the cliff it was parked on. It didn't take long to hook up and make the move, so we were set up in the new campground just as the sun was setting. We went in to Dyersville to have supper at Pizza Hut, then came back to the camper to call it a night.
So if any blog readers are harvesting near the Dyersville area, email us (kunthzharvesting@gmail.com) so we can check out the corn harvest close up...
View of the day-Well...yesterday...something we didn't come home with. A calendar from Lipton, SK, just north of Fort Qu'Appelle...where Al's toy show buddy, Roger, is from.
We have been pretty laid back here in Wakonda, outside of the regular trips to get water...two five gallon jugs at a time. We never did get the tank on the camper filled...that portable water pump that we left at home would have made short work of the jugs. We are getting good shoulder work done using that hand pump to transfer the water from the jugs to the camper.
We went to the auction last night and came away with a few brochures...Al wanted the JD 7020 4WD and the Case 1200 4WD, because they were the tractors that his dad had owned back in his youth. And being a Versatile collector, he had to get the playing cards...too bad they were the 5 of spades short. He likely wouldn't use them for playing anyway.
This morning, we were up early to get ready for the big day of sales. Al was rechecking his "need it/got it" list and making a note of the lot numbers, so we could take off during the long stretches. We were hoping to get eggs in at the local coffee shop, but had to wait for a break in the action since we got to the hall in time to browse through the toys one last time before they started selling.
Once we did get a break, we went across the street and had a fine feed of eggs and an omelet. This was the last day for the restaurant according to the sign, they were moving away and would be closing down. Too bad, the eggs were delicious.
Marilyn got to take a couple of breaks...to go get water, of course. It was cold enough out that it wasn't a pleasant job pumping it into the camper, but it had to be done...Al would get the next shift. After going back to the auction and helping Al carry out his purchases, we grabbed another couple of jugs of water, then went back to the camper.
It was still pretty early, so Al managed a nap in between watching the college football on TV and Marilyn worked on the computer and watched a little TV, too. We decided to take a road trip into Yankton...about 25 miles away...to have supper at the Pizza Ranch. It had started to rain just as we were leaving the camper and it rained all the way there...and back.
Let's hope we don't have the white stuff for the next leg of our trip tomorrow...
View of the day-A chilly wake up in Wakonda, SD...good thing the furnace is fixed.
Wow...one day missed, leads to one week missed, then almost a month...time to catch up.
We finally got everything put away for the winter, just as the weather warmed up for a while. Al was getting his toy show wares ready for the first show of the season in Regina...Marilyn was working, so he enlisted his farm toy buddy, Roger, to help him out. He stayed in Regina on Friday night, so he could take in another Rams football game, but drove home the 100 miles on Saturday so he could make the Terriers hockey game. On the Sunday of the show, he brought another toy enthusiast from Yorkton...Mike, who seems to always be around at packing up time...a REALLY big help. Al was pleased with how the show turned out...and now has the "Toy Show bug".
We had been happy to get the camper furnace fixed a while back, but when we went to use it...it was still doing the same thing...or not doing what it was supposed to, which was start a second time. Back to D&R Auto, to get it looked at again. This time Dennis, the tech, spent over four hours chasing down the list of possibilities that it wouldn't start running a second time...he finally discovered a small piece of styrofoam had lodged behind the sail switch and that was sending the signal that the unit was overloaded. Once that was removed and everything was reassembled...BINGO...we finally had heat. Consistently.
It was a $500 bill this time, but since we had contacted Heartland RV last year before the warranty ran out, they honored the repair and are sending a cheque out to cover the costs. That was a big relief.
With the camper fixed, it was time to plan our road trip to Dyersville, IA for the National Farm Toy Show. This year, we figured we would make an easy tour down and take the camper, so we could stop where ever we felt like. There were a couple of memorabilia/Farm Toy auctions that were being held in Wakonda, SD, but they were going to be the weekend before Dyersville, so we penciled them in on our tour.
Al had found a tractor that he wanted to check out in Alexandria, Minnesota, so we added another side trip to have a look at it. It was a 1997 CaseIH 8920 with front wheel assist. This is also a Magnum tractor, like the 7220 that Al had originally had his heart set on, but it was the next series newer...a plus for us.
So our trip started on Monday, October 22. Right after Marilyn got off work at 4:30pm we hooked the camper up and headed for Carlyle for the night, so we could hit the border first thing in the morning. We woke up to a skiff of snow on the ground...we were happy to get away from that. We stopped in Kenmare to visit with Pete at Gooseneck Implements, then stopped to pick up our mail from Mike at Jamestown...and to hit the Chinese Buffet with him for supper.
We kept rolling after supper and made it to Alexandria, where we found a campground with all the amenities and parked for the night. This is where we discovered that we had left the remote controls for the TV's at home...and we had 65 over-the-air channels. Marilyn really didn't feel like standing by the TV being the remote, but we were tired anyway, so TV watching was passed on.
In the morning, we drove north of town to Millerville, to take a look at some tractors we had found in a magazine...nothing we liked, so we went back to the camper, got it hooked up, then headed south to Glenwood.
After Al went through the tractor with a fine tooth comb, we finally decided that we had finally found the tractor that we wanted. Now to figure out how to get it home. Jason, from Red Horizon Equipment, was very helpful, saying he could get it as far as Minot, ND for us...but we didn't know of anyplace to unload it, so we opted for Pingree. Our second option was with Glen, from White's Ag in Yorkton, who had sprayers brought up past Alexandria and could pick it up as part of one of the loads. That would be the best, since it would come all the way to Yorkton and we wouldn't have to pull the General out of retirement. No final decision yet.
After leaving Alexandria, we drove back into South Dakota to get to Wakonda and get parked for a few days. Now, here, there is no formal campground, so we are "boondocking". We have power, but no water or sewer, other that what we have onboard, so we have to conserve...there isn't even a hydrant in the town park we are in.
So we made Wakonda on Wednesday and the first auction is Friday at 4pm, so we have some time to relax. Not a chance...we made a road trip today to Chamberlain so Al could pick up a few tractors that he had seen when we were there this past summer. Just a 300 mile round trip to add to the jaunt.
We stopped in Mitchell on the way back for a snack and to check out the new designs on the Corn Palace. This year they were putting the finishing touches on what looked like a school activity theme...band, cheer leading, wrestling, hockey...all in grains and grasses. There had been concerns earlier in the year, that there wouldn't be enough harvested to create a new theme. Thank goodness that didn't happen.
While near a Walmart, Marilyn decided to pick up a couple of 5 gallon water cubes to fill with water for the camper. She figured that we could top off the tank with a couple of jugs rather than hook up the trailer and find a water spigot somewhere. We looked for a tap in every town we went through on the way back, but had no luck...then we remembered seeing a hose on the back of the gas station in Wakonda. It was closed when we got to town, so we decided to help ourselves at the time and beg for forgiveness tomorrow, which was fine...until we got caught. The lady working in the bar part of the gas station wasn't too pleased with us...hopefully we can fix that up tomorrow.
Back at the camper, we filled the tank with the jugs, then hunkered in for the night. Marilyn picked up a $5 universal remote and got it working with the TV, so she wouldn't have to hang around the channel buttons all night. While Al couldn't get the football game, he was able to watch a little baseball, so he got his fix.
Tomorrow, we only travel down to the auction hall...
View of the day- Everything is parked in the "shop" for the winter. It would be nice to have something with at roof.
Al spent most of the day taking the radio and cameras off the grain cart and tractor, then he cleaned out the cab of the tractor. It's now ready for a new home...should someone decide to buy it. He spent the rest of the day getting the shop trailer organized and putting more stuff away in the garage.
Marilyn worked on the usual things...emptying tubs...and managed to get 10 emptied. The biggest task was mounting the TV from the living room in the bedroom and finding something to build a shelf for the receiver, DVD and streaming player to sit on. The TV still had the braces on it from when we used it in the old Golden Falcon camper, so it was just a matter of getting the bracket mounted on the wall and finding a way to hide the cords.
Al finished his work in time to watch the CFL and NFL games...he is pretty impressed with the new TV, so it might be tough to get him to share. After about 5 hours of football, Marilyn commandeered the remote so she could catch up on some of her shows on the DVR and relax after getting most of her work done.
Tomorrow the real work starts...she is back at Staples...
