"Happy Birthday Charlie Daniel!

Charlie Daniel, my grand nephew, arrived on October 23rd, at 2:10 AM in the morning. Charlie was a whopping 10 lbs 8 ounces. Both mom and Charlie are doing fine. What really is nice is that Charlie was named after his great-grandfather, my father, who I know would have been very honored by the gesture.

"Le Mars, Iowa, Home of Blue Bunny Ice Cream!"

Here in Tucson, my favorite ice cream is Blue Bunny Ice Cream. Perhaps I'm special to this brand partly because of my family roots to this small town in Northwest Iowa.

While doing genealogy work their this week, I visited the Blue Bunny visitor's center in Le Mars and took a number of photos which are shown in this blog. I've also provided a brief thumbnail sketch of the origins of ice cream which I found interesting. Seems that Marco Polo discovered much on this trips to the Orient!

Americans’ love affair with ice cream is centuries-old. The origins of the frosty treat reach back to the first centuries B.C., when, as the story goes, ancient Persians and Chinese stored ice to serve it with honey, rosewater or nuts. Furthermore, during Roman times, emperors sent their runners for mountain snow, which was then flavored with fruits and juices and enjoyed.

Legends about ice cream’s history abound: In the 13th century, Marco Polo brought the first ice cream recipe to Europe after his trip to the Far East, and the Italian royalties fell in love with the dessert. Italian Princess Catherine de Medici brought the treat to France when she married King Henry II. In England, Charles I paid his cook a handsome sum to keep the recipe a state secret.

Most of these tales cannot be supported. Yet, it is true that over time the ice cream recipe evolved and spread throughout the continent. In the 17th century, the dessert became publicly available in Europe, and it is believed that in the 18th century the recipe crossed the Atlantic with European settlers.

Official records in the New World indicate that presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson developed a sweet tooth for ice cream. By 1813, ice cream became a state dish and was served at the second inaugural ball for President James Madison. As restaurants became more popular in the 19th century, ice cream became a favorite indulgence. Ice cream parlors and soda fountains spread as well.

"They still say "I like Ike" in Abilene, Kansas"

When I saw this sign as I approached Abilene, I was reminded of a more quiet and respectful time in American Politics. Certainly a contrast to the current elections across the country this Fall and yes, what an irresistable campaign slogan, which most of that generation remember in "I like Ike.".

Dwight D. Eisonhower (1890-1969) was born in raised in Abilene,Kansas, and I was fortunate to have a guided tour of his family home where he was brought up with his five brothers. I also visited the Eisonhower Library and Museum where his growing up years, army years, presidential years and post presidential years were all documented.

"Old South Pearl Street is South Denver's Favorite Destination!"

Right around the corner from where my son lives in Denver is Old South Pearl Street. Here you will find unique shops and excellent dining. This whole area is marked my many homes that date back to the early decades of the 1900's. While this area declined during the 50's it was re-vitalized during the 80's and 90's and is now a favorite among the locals.

One regular event that goes from April through October is a Farmers market that is held on old South Pearl Street. The photos that are part of this blog show the variety of vendors ranging from fruit and vegetable stands to home made pies, to re-doing cane chairs to hand made baskets and even how one can adopt a rescue pet.

"Chiles from Hatch, New Mexico"

Yesterday on my drive from Tucson to Denver, I couldn't pass up a stop in Hatch, New Mexico, Pepper capital of the U.S. My goal was to buy some cooking peppers for my son,Chad who is a fantastic gourmet chef in his spare time, just one of his many talents. The name of the shop where I purchased the peppers is called 'Chilie Fantatic. As you can readily tell, the chilies come in multi colors and include a variety of shapes. They are just so colorful!!Now I just can't wait for my son's cooking, but first we need to go out for some good Thai food this evening.

"Grandchildren leave Tucson for their new home in Phoenix"

This week, my daughter and grandchildren moved from Tucson to Phoenix. While I'll miss dropping in at swim meets and soccer matches and other events on a moments notice, I now have the opportunity to take extended trips to their new home in Phoenix which is only 100 miles away. As my daughter told me, "Grandpa is always welcome and we now have five bedrooms, and one is there for you."

Over the weekend, I shadowed the moving truck and had the opportunity to take few photos of the backyard, which included a swimming pool, a water slide, a basketball court and a play area for little Baby Iris. Nearby, I also discovered beautiful parks and water features, with green grass no less!

"Neewollah, a Special Celebration."

Did you know that Neewollah is Halloween spelled backwards and now is taking place in a number of communities across the United States, from Oregon to Kansas to New Jersy,

Today, for example the Neewollah festival in Independence, is the largest annual celebration in Kansas, and actually dates back to the end of World War I and the year 1919. It was then that community members decided that they wanted to have a healthy alternative to the destructive vandalism that was being caused by Halloween pranksters each year. Thus Neowollah was born!

Today, with the help of many volunteers, Neewollah is alive and well in many communities. In the Kansas community of Independence for example, these activities are week long and include not only a rodeo, but also many new activities including fun runs, a bike race, a carnival, a chili cook off, band competition, professional performances, musicals, a kiddie parade and even a Queen crowning contest.

Have you experienced a Neewollah community experience?

"Autumn is in the Air"

This morning was time to begin decorating for the fall season. I was especially happy to find a few scarecrows that I could place around the yard. From what I heard, they were all outstanding in their fields at one time!

"Apple and Pumpkin Picking in Arizona"

When your a Midwest Minnesota transplant like me, you can't cross off the first week in October without craving the first bite of a snappy fresh apple, all crunch and tang. And any apple is better when you've picked it yourself right off the tree.

What many people don't realize is that one can pick apples in Arizona, just like one can in the Midwest. The Apple growing region of Arizona is in the Southeastern area of the state near the town of Wilcox. With an elevation of nearly 5000 feet, this area has been producing quality apples, pears, and peaches for some time.

As a youngster, I still remember all the many apple items we had like apple butter, apple sauce, apple cider, apple crisp and apple butter. With a cellar in our basement, hardly a weekend went by when my entire family didn't gather around a favorite TV show and enjoy buttered popcorn and crunchy apples as a special treat.

October was also a time of pumpkin picking and decorating as well as some wonderful trail rides under a Harvest Moon! When you reminisce, what special memories do you have?