Natalie on the IAT: Catch up! Prairie Du Sac VFW and Ice Age Trail Alliance

I left off just as Bud was picking me up for the VFW visit. He was ready and waiting early for me to finish, which was nice because I got to the pick up point a full half hour early. He then took me to the VFW building and we got some photos. A very cool Post with a great view and amenities.

After that, he took me to his home where I got to meet his family and just relax for a bit. I didn't nab a photo, but mental image of a giant silver bucket full of ice and all sorts of different beers. It was a very warm welcome :) Oh - and lets not forget the fresh baked banana chocolate chip muffins.

That evening Jenni came by for dinner and we ate some Sloppy Joe's, slop, Sloppy Joes... (admit it, you just sang that). After supper, Bud gave Jenni, myself and his grandson Eric, who is 6 going on 35 - pretty sure that little man is more mature than I am - a ride around Lake Wisconsin. We saw the Merrimac ferry we had crossed a few days earlier except this time from the water. When we returned to shore, a fire was waiting and we sat and chit chatted until I just about fell asleep in my chair. It was a super relaxing evening.

Relaxing on the lake with a fire

The next morning, Kristine came to pick me up after a bacon filled breakfast (I love a bacon filled breakfast) she dropped me at Hwy 12 and I was back at it. That day I walked into Cross Plains to the Ice Age Trail Alliance's office building, where a grill was cooking up a storm. With my bacon filled breakfast and some more of those banana muffins, I skipped lunch to make sure I could do some damage at the grill out. I did some damage.

What delicious banana chocolate chip muffins???

Grill masters!

Thanks for being such a good sport Dave :) I mean, Mammoth

At the Ice Age Trail Alliance office

Had a great time talking all about the Ice Age Trail and everyone's stories from it while eating some yummy yummy food. Since I hadn't camped in a week, I wanted to go to a DCA, which stands for dispersed camping area. This isn't a normal camp ground, its just a cleared patch of hopefully flat land that is designated as a legal camping area. Sometimes there is an ammenity such as a bench... Oooooh. But very rarely bathrooms or water.

Well, it was beautiful when I left the cookout, and I made it to the DCA, but since Jared had offered a place to stay that night, I thought I would check the weather before setting up my tent. It said it was going to

Did Not, repeat, did not, outrun this

rain... Fine... But it also said hail... Not so fine. I decided to go in for the night and have yet another night not camping. I should have set up camp because about a mile into me walking out, the sky snap crackle popped and I was in a thunder, lightening, downpour... With a distinct lack of hail. I was soaked by the time I got to Jared's. But at least a shower, laundry AND a shoe dryer greeted me. Jared had it figured out as he has waaaay more hiking experience under his belt than I do. I'm just thankful I didn't become a lightening rod that night.

Shoe dryer... Worth is weight in gold.

Jenni brought me a present!!! My own little duct tape zip lock bag wallet! Good bye paper clip!

The next day was an okay hiking day. It was mostly through a residential area. And many of the residences cost more moola than I will see in my lifetime ever. I felt like a weird tourist, gawking at these houses,

Don't worry... Just passing through.

trying not to look obvious. Meanwhile my house is literally on my back. Everything I need to live is carried, so simple. It was quite the contrast. Extreme materialism to hardly any. The awesome thing about that particular area is it must have been, as a whole district, in a prairie conservation program because lawns were fairly small and most space between houses was beautiful wildflower prairie. I thought it was wonderful, and by all the birds I saw, I think they did too.

I went through the university golf course where Jenni was waiting, I got a beer and a sandwich. The one guy we talked to had to drop Barry Alvarez's name... "I'm not taking that one to Barry! Hahaaahaa" Name droppers, uhg. But somehow we did end up with this photo! That one I can't explain. But know that my first time in the back of a police car was fun... And also, there is very little leg room back there, holy crap. Sorry talk and our bigger people, your feet go on the seat.

I'm not homeless I swear!!

Jenni got picked up and went back to Jared's and I continued on to another DCA. The best DCA ever! It was in town, so they had it set up next to a park with flush toilets, electric outlets, and running water. Plus it wasn't hidden back in the woods but instead in the sunny grassy area so mosquitoes were in my world almost non-existent. I could live there...

One of my favorite nights

I was so tired from being with people all last week, which was awesome, but I was exhausted. I fell asleep by 9pm. Only waking every so often to blow up my air mattress that doesn't seem to hold air for over 2 hours anymore. And I cannot find the leak! Been told I need to put it under water to see the air bubbles... I'll let you know how that works.