The day the music died... (Vacation Part Deux)

Yep... that's it. The last place that Ritchie Valens, The "Big Bopper" and Buddy Holly performed their last concert. In, like, 1959. Waaaaaay before MY time. But I really like the song "American Pie" which is about their untimely deaths... You know.... "The Day, the muuuusic... Died." I do wonder (when I'm in a wondering mood) what would have happened to the music scene if they hadn't died. They, really, were just getting started in their respective careers. And, I also have to confess, I have wondered "Why in the world were they at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa? In February?" Seems like a strange place to be if you are a rising, not unknown, musician.

So, we had a good time in the "Northern Iowa" part of our vacation. We went on a hike (well, some of us did. Me, not so much. I had to drive the Suburban from Point A to Point B. Seriously, Man. Kaia and Skylar were with me.) We got LOTS of mosquito bites, regardless of liberal use of repellent. I hate mosquite bites. I don't think I'm alone there.

This is the tower on top of the knob, for which Pilots Knob was named. I won't go into what a "knob" is, even though I am really smart and do know. It has to do with Glaciers. That's all I'm saying.

We ate a lot of food. Hunter, I think, ate more than most. This will only get better as he gets older, right?

Colton doing dishes. Beautiful, just beautiful. Nothing more to say.

Once again, I saved the best for last. Hunter's big catch! Isn't the look on his face priceless? We let the boys (Colton, Hunter, and nephew John) go down to the dock to fish by themselves after dinner a few times. This was caught the first time we let them go. John came running back to our campsite saying "Jeff, Jeff!! Colton's got a big one! He can't get it off the hook! You have to come now!!!"

So, Jeff walks down to the dock (probably 1/3 mile away) and comes walking back 15 minutes later saying "It was nothing! They were freaking out about a little 5 inch..." At this point John came running again (why he was the one always sent running back to camp, I'm not sure) yelling "Jeff, Jeff!! Seriously! Hunter has a HUGE one! He gave the pole to Colton. It's big!!" Jeff was like "Dude. I'm driving this time. You guys have GOT to learn how to take these fish off the hooks." (Full disclosure: this is the last time they asked for help)

When he came back he was actually impressed. Hunter did catch a pretty big one. Or Colton. Hunter hooked it, then Colton held it, John ran for Jeff, Jeff reeled it in, took it off the hook, and cleaned it. Maybe "Group Effort" is a more accurate phrase.