Thursday - October 9

 Crisp 39 degrees when we got up with some frost on the ground....

Mark wanted to work on the makeshift temporary table between the 2 recliners that he built when we were at KK.  He then anchored down the recliners and temporary table.   We will be taking pictures and measurements for our crafty woodworker (Philip) as he's going to build a permanent table for Flo.

I left for The Essenhaus in Middlebury (27 miles NE of South Bend).   Checked out the shops, got a latte at the bakery and read a bit + people watched.    Bought a few things at the bakery and on back to the fairgrounds.    Mark had texted that it was safe to come home😂

It is a spectacular fall day...we had lunch and then ran some errands (Target and Menards).   Mark worked some more on the table and I went for a walk.   We have a nature center (Charles Phillip Martin) behind Flo here at the fairgrounds and it is so pretty....2 ponds, gazebo, little bridge, benches, and a nice walking path all around.   There's a plaque telling that the fencing and bridge were an Eagle Scout project thru the Osceola United Methodist Church in Osceola, IN and dedicated June 26, 2017.....nicely done, boys!

Nature center

Beauty here at the fairgrounds  

The grass is so green here compared to back in IL.   But trees are still very green, too....guess we won't be seeing much fall color before we head south.

We went to WalMart and then the South Bend Chocolate Co. for some goodies - wow, what a neat place!

Then we met Michael and Davis at Barnaby's Pizza.   Saved some tables as Brady and 6 friends arrived later.    What a very busy place....

Brendan (Washington, DC); Jake, (Carmel, IN); Sebu (Boston); Stephen (Manhattan, NY); 

Jack (South Bend); Kyle (Seattle, WA); Brady (Lake James, NC)

Pizza was excellent and a popular spot for the college kiddos and others   We sat beside a Dad with 2 sons and a younger daughter who were doing a Notre Dame visit.   They were from San Diego.

Connor, Anne, Liam

between the wedding and reception

So sorry to hear Dolly Parton is dealing with kidney stones (infection).     Yikes, sure feel for her.    Anne said she was on Good Morning America today talking about it.