We celebrated Easter with family today. I found out my sister had a trailer for her bike and I used it to give my nieces a ride down their gravel road. They loved it as much as I did. They would go, "aaahhhhhhh" and hear their voices shake as they bounced across the washboard. Too funny!
Our youngest and I made our way back up to the river friday afternoon. At 4:40 I had this big bodied 3X4 in my sites. We were out again Saturday morning and evening to try to fill his doe tag, but will have to try again later during black powder or the late rifle seasons. He wasn't dissapointed a bit about the idea of spending more time at the river.
Our 12 yr old and I went down to the Loup River and stayed in my parents camper. Saturday morning found us sitting in the trailer blind. We saw some smaller bucks and fawns before this bruser came out of the trees just after 8:20 am.
He saw the buck and wispered "Dad! There's a buck, should I get it?" I leaned up to look out and saw him and said "YES!"
We spent the better part of the day checking it in and taking it to the taxidermist. Sunday morning we took time out to eat and visit with the guys from ec&m outdoors at the Dannebrog Fire Dept Hunters Breakfast before going out to hunt again.
He went home for school Monday and I stayed, trying a tree stand but still came away empty handed. We'll try again this weekend.
Today was the annual Ducks Unlimited Banquet in Cairo Ne. Our youngest and I made the trip for the prime rib dinner and brought back some nice raffle prizes.
Ducks Unlimited is a conservation organization that works to improve waterfowl habitat. DU banquets are held around the world to raise funds to restore wetlands benefiting not only migratory birds, but also all wildlife that shares that habitat.
This years Cairo Ne. Cornstalk Festival was another big success, thanks to the participants, volunteers and those who work all year on the Cornstalk Committee to pull off such a fun weekend.
I was again honored to be asked back to announce the parade.
The parade featured all the small town staples including floats, firetrucks, horses, American Legion, scouts, a moving National Anthem by a nine year old, the grand marshal, the mayor, and Cornstalk Queen, 4-H'ers, ATVs', old tractors and antique cars. Even local pilots flying over dropping prize winning marshmallows (yea, that's right!).
That was followed by fun and food in the park as well as the car show and famous cardboard boat races and pedal tractor pull. What a fun weekend. I always love going back to... "Cairo - Where Everyone Knows Your Name"!
Cairo CornStalk Festival
July 17th & 18th 2009
Theme: Cairo, Where Everyone Knows Your Name
Friday, July 17th Activities:
10-6:30pm Scrapbook Registration @ Portraits & Pages
5:00pm 10 Point Pitch Tournament at @ Senior Center
7:00pm Enjoy food from Aces & Eights on Main Street
Fireman Water Fights on Main Street
8:00pm Corn Queen Contest @ City Hall
Poker Tournament @ Comm. Center
8-11:00pm Teen Dance @ Tennis Court (ages 15 & up)
11-12:00am Midnight Madness Swim (ages 15 & up)
Saturday, July 18th Activities:
6:00am Quilt Show Registration @ Comm. Center
7:00am Jr High Trap Team Car Wash @ Fire Hall
American Legion Pancake Feed @ Comm. Center
7:30am Fun Run/Walk
8:00am Jr High Trap Team Breakfast Burritos along Parade Route
9-5:00pm Quilt Show @ Comm. Center
9:00am Register for Parade @ Comm. Center - Register for Cardboard Boat Race @ pool
10:00am Community Parade on Main Street *I'll be announcing the parade!*
11:00am Food Vendors
Boy Scout Dunk Tank
Free Kids Games
Kids Home Run Derby
Kid’s Tractor Pull Registration
11:30am Fun Kid’s Tractor Pull (ages 2-3)
Sanctioned Kid’s Tractor Pull (ages 4-12) winners qualify for state fair competition
12-5:00pm Scrapbook Contest @ Portraits & Pages
1:00pm Cardboard Boat Races
Beer Garden @ Tennis Court
Car/Bike/Vehicle Show
2:00pm Scavenger Hunt (ages 10 & up)
3:00pm Bingo @ Senior Center
Lip-Sync Contest (ages 10 & up)
Road Rally Registration @ Fire Hall
6:00pm Beer Garden Happy Hour @ Tennis Court
8:00pm Celebrity Auction @ Tennis Court
9:00pm Dance Featuring “One Horse Town” - Admission $5.00 Pathway Bank & Pathway Financial—Corporate Sponsors
All events held at the Pool Park unless otherwise noted.
Questions contact Teresa @ 308-485-4460 or Jaci @ 308-384-1416.
The Cairo Cornstalk Festival Committee or anyone associated with a festival event or the Village of Cairo will not be responsible in case of an accident.
(Picture is not grandma, or G.I., the banks of the Platte aren't that steep around there)
One of my grandmas submitted these 'old school' stories about cycling in Grand Island. I still remember my aunts pink huffy too. Not that I'd have been caught dead on a pink bike, but it did ride good. (umm... or so I heard)
Here's grandma's story:
My mother surprised me with a new girls Schwinn bike on my 10th birthday. It was a shinny blue with silver chrome, and a chrome passenger carrier on the back. It was beautiful. The first thing I did was put a card on a clothes pin attached to the spokes to make a noise when I rode it. Because of the WWII, gas and car tires were rationed, so my bike provided the needed transportation to get groceries in my large basket mounted on the front and I had "saddle bags" on the back for any books or misc.
One of my "jobs" was to go to the "ice house" to get ice for the ice box. One quarter would get a 20lb. block of ice. I would ride my bike to the ice house in the 1000 blk of north front street, give the attendant the quarter and the block of ice would come down a belt. The attendant would use his "ice tongs" to put it in my basket and I'd have to ride home really fast. One block of ice lasted about 3 days... if we didn't open the ice box too often.
One day the leg of my jeans got caught in the chain and I had to stop and rip my jeans out, hold the back wheel and push the bike 2 blocks to get home. From then on, I put a rubber band around my jeans or wore what we called "pedal pushers".
Sometimes the ice would slide a little in the metal basket making my front wheel "wobble". Another memory I have is falling over and the ice landing on the gravel road. The gravel stuck to the ice which later was wiped up in the ice box.
The neighbor girl, Ele, who rode almost everywhere with me, had a brother who could fix anything on our bikes. Especially chains.. which was a constant problem. Ele's bicycle was a beautiful yellow Schwinn with a chrome fenders. One summer day, I found some pink paint in our garage and painted my blue bicycle. It looked terrible. One day, Ele's brother repainted it for me with metal paint. I think he was embarrassed to have his sister ride around town with me the way it was. Many years later, Ele married Harlan, my husband's cousin.We laughed at family gatherings about riding our bikes all over Grand Island.The Pier Swimming pool, Sutters dairy for ice cream cones, to Skag Way which was on 3rd. street, to the Library in the 300 blk on west 2nd.
Many years later my daughter had a small pink Huffy which was very comfortable for me to ride. Living in the country I had 2 choices... the hiway or the gravel. My "gravel" experiences were not great, so I usually rode on the highway. One day I must have been about 50 yrs. (old), met up with some other girls and rode 3 miles into Cairo. We had planned to meet some other ladies in the bar at 5. As I turned towards the curb in front of the bar... my front bike wheel hit the curb and I went over the handle bars onto the sidewalk right in front of the bar. I wasn't hurt except was the laugh of the day for everyone else. My husband stopped later and took me and my bike home in the pickup.
I loved that little pink Huffy... the seat was the banana style with lots of padding. One day it was gone... someone took it to the junk pile... My family said "you just don't realize how silly you look on that tiny bike". They bought me one of those fancy girl bikes with several speeds and hand brakes...I had grown up with only one speed on a bike and knowing that if I wanted the brakes on, all I had to do was pedal backwards. I was too old to learn the new controls. The PINK HUFFY was special.
I grew up around Cairo Ne. spent 4 yrs in Wood River then 7 yrs in Palmer, as we grew spiritually we decided to move to Lincoln in August of 2007. I'm in my 30s with a wonderful wife and 3 kids, a 17 yr old boy, 12 yr old girl and 11 yr old boy.
With a limited budget, and time spent working, at church, and the kids' school stuff most of the fun we have is pretty local.
I hope my blog encourages you to get out and play, and to include those close to you. You don't need the latest equipment or tons of time, just get out there with what you've got every chance you get. Encourage others to take part, be safe, responsible, and project a good image of the sports you love.
Finally, give back, by building awareness, contributing volunteer time or money, and introducing others to the sport, so future generations can enjoy the leisure activities you love.
I encourage you to comment on my posts, tell others about http://nebraskaoutdooraddict.blogspot.com/ and check back often.
