Well we finally got our trip to Roaring River. We went down on Monday September 7^th left the house at 12:30 went to 10 Acres and hooked up the trailer. Then we headed down to Roaring River. We took 126 (4^th street) east over to 43 highway and took it south to H highway east to Jasper since 126 and 71 is closed to build overpass. I was sure surprised that Jasper had popcorn processing plants. They must contract with farmers to plant popcorn or maybe just pay when they bring in the popcorn. We raised red popcorn one year the kernels are not as big as the yellow popcorn but just as good to eat. Turned south on highway 71 at Jasper. After you cross interstate 44 it turns into 59 took it all the way to highway 60 then turned east to Monett and highway 37 south to Cassville were we turned east on highway 112 which turns south 7 miles to Roaring River. Got their and set up the camper. Dow had her 3 suitcases and I had my gym bag for our stay. Then went back to Cassville to get gas and go to the Wal-Mart store. We ate at KFC to get some bones for killer. I took 13 gallons of gas to pull the camper down to Roaring River but only 5 gallon to pull it back, cannot understand that. 

1. Dow’s new 6’-6” blank from Park Falls pink with red wraps and gold trim bands with teak trims on cork handle and Thai 20 baht coin for a butt cap. Spiral wrap.
2. Dow’s 6’-0” Spiral wrap red and gold with gold diamond but wrap.
3. Ed’s new 6’-0” Spin / fly rod gray blank with blue wraps. Turn handle to change from spinning to fly rod. Special handle.
4. Ed’s 6’-0” Spinning rod brown with brown and gold bands light rod.
5. Ed’s 6’-0” Fly rod 3 wt. same blank as spinner same brown and gold trim.

We got back yesterday (Aug-18-2009) in the storm. We left Aug. 12 at 6:00 AM and it was nice and hot. We took highway #69 up through Kansas City and then picked up highway I35. We drove on highway I35 up through St Paul to Forest Lake spent the night petty country. We then drove on state highway #8 over to state highway #13 took it north to Park falls. Highway #8 reminded me of the old highway 66 were we drove through every little town and had to slow down for speed limits stop sign and lights. Nice drive but took a lot of time (1½ hour shorter using the other route). The St Croix falls on highway #8 was really nice and was near Forest Lake. Park Falls is a town of about 4,000. It has about 6 or 8 motels in it. The St. Croix rod factory is one of the few remaining rod manufacturing plants in the United States about all the others has moved to overseas.

Then on the evening (Aug-13-2009) they had our dinner at the park with the Rod Guild. The next day (Aug-14-2009) at 8:00 AM I got to go through the St Croix factory which took about 4 hours. They make about 1,000 completed rods a day. It was very interesting. They had a graph that showed that Bass Pro sells about 48% of the outdoor equipment in US and Cabela's only about 8% sure did not know that Bass Pro outsold Cabela's by that much, maybe the big difference is the boats. Then they had pizzas for lunch. Had classes in the afternoon and got to talk to the St Croix engineer that works at the St Croix plant and to answer all kinds of questions. That evening we went back to the park and had our evening meal with the Guild.

Then on Saturday (Aug-15-2009) we went to the Park Falls High School and had classes all day on rod building some was very interesting.(Spiral rods, wood turning, marbleizing, using braids, cross wraps, and making rod building tools)  Had a sack lunch. Got to see a lot of things that I had read about but got to see how that it was done first hand. Had a lot of wonderfully made rods to look at and wonder about. Had people from as far away as Florida and Texas. Had about 70 people not counting the wife’s. Some of the wife’s stayed and went through the factory and the classes. Dow went with the other sightseeing and shopping the two days. A lot left after Saturday since they needed to be at work Monday morning.  We spent the night at Park Falls and got you guessed it Dow had to have Chinese carry out for supper.

Then Sunday we packed all our stuff and left (Aug-16-2009) about 8:00 AM for home. We went a different route this time not taking highway #8 and saved about 1 1/2 hours getting to St. Paul. We then went around the east side of St. Paul and Kansas City this time which made for a lot pleasanter driving not have to get in all the traffic jams and saved some time also. We took highway # 13 down to highway #29 over to highway #94 to St. Paul. Then we took highway #495 which was closed when we got their so had to go to highway #61 back to highway #495 to highway #52 down to interstate I35.  We drove through Northfield Minn. were the James and Younger's tried to rob the bank but Dow was sleeping so decided not to stop. We then spent the night in Bethany Mo.

Then the next morning (Aug-17-2009) leaving we ran into a rain from the storm moving through. We took highway #291 and #470 around Kansas City to highway #71 and drove down to Lamar were we stopped for lunch. We ran out of the rain south of Kansas City. Then we highway #160 south, and ran back into rain again, across to road #260 to the 10 acres and have a lot of tomatoes and peppers to pick and the yard to mow. Then took highway # 126 on home to take care of our dog Killer who was sure happy to see us. I got a pink rod blank at the St Croix factory to make a rod for Dow.

Two Phoebe’s build a nest in south carport and we were able to watch them raise three babies from it. Last year we got to watch a mocking bird build a nest in the oak tree, behind the garage, and raise her family. We got to see a fawn that a doe deer gave birth to and passed through the 10 acres all of the time