AMAZING UNCLE GLEN

This is a picture of my Uncle Glen Bortell.
This was taken last month on his 95th birthday.
He lives in Florida.

This is a picture of my friend Crazy Mule lady
and myself this past weekend. We were enjoying
riding our mules along the Des Moines River on
a perfectly lovely day.

Needless to say we can only hope to be riding
our mules on our 95th birthday.

Love Grandma Jeanie

Mt Mckinley/Mary Ann

This is Mary Ann's picture of Mt McKinley or
Mr Denali as most folks call it in Alaska.

We were so lucky to see it as only 20% of
visitors get to see it. We saw it every day
we were there which was three days.

This is daughter Cathy and sister Mary Ann and yours truly.

I still have not found my cat. This is disturbing to me and I do not know what to do to fix it.
I adopted a stray young cat, but it just doesn't help how I feel.

Work is good. Glad to have a chance to take care of people and have enough do re me to
pay the bills.

Granddaughter Sundance and her special friend, Jed, were here last week. They are on their
way to France where Sundance is teaching English to school kids. I warned her that Mia and
I were going to come and see her next year.



Crazy Mule Lady is coming this after noon and we are going to run the trails.

Happy trails to you all. Grandma Jeanie

Wonderful Weekend

Grandma Jeanie, County Fair, and Nana spent a great weekend riding in the beautiful forest
Shimek and camping at River Valley. I had some great pictures of County rolling in the dust, but
I can't find the memory card. Guess I will buy a new one.

As you know, I lost my Marco Polo. At the campground there was a stray cat and I brought
him home. He is half grown, skinny, etc. Needs lots of TLC. He is affectionate.

HAPPY TRAILS.

Alaska

I started my vacation to Alaska visiting my daughter, Cathy, in Olympia, Wa. We spent
most of my visit on the ocean. Mike and Kelly and a friend had so much fun playing on
the logs that float in on the river. The water in the pictures is a river of fresh water on the
ocean. Very interesting. Also, some of the trees are very old and very big. On Sunday Cathy took me to the Sea Tac Airport to pick up My sister
Mary Ann, and her husband Chris. We had a lovely day together and then said goodbye to
Cathy.

Marco Polo

I came home yesterday from my awesome trip to Alaska. Nana never looked better and she
was so glad to see me. Carrie and Crayola picked me up at the airport and brought me home.
I was so grateful as I was feeling exhausted. We did not pick up the cat because their car was
full as they were going camping.


about 10:00 pm the boarding place for the cat returned my call. The dog chewed a hole in
the screen and all the cats escaped and Marco has been missing for several days.

I am totally saddened. Nana and Marco were my only companions. I will advertise for
him in the papers next week. He does have a chip, but it is an outside guess that he will take
up with anyone new. Love Grandma Jeanie

Skyler Iowa State Fair 2009

Skyler and Grandma Jeanie camped at the Fair
Friday and Saturday 2009 Fair. Skyler is with
the band The Nadas. I watched the concert
and it was really fun. It was East Side Friday and the party was wild.

Carrie was out Friday afternoon with Sylvia and
Jasper. They had pork chops on a stick. Skyler
got his face painted. Sylvia went on the big
slide twice.

Saturday morning Skyler, Carrie, and I went to the Farmers market. I wanted to purchase a gift
for my sister Mary Ann.

I felt like I might be in an accident all the time I was in Des Moines. Driving my truck in the
Fair campgrounds was scary enough. When I was on the Freeway on Saturday it rained so hard
I could not read the road signs. When Skyler and I returned to the Fair on 30th street I slowed to get
behind a big red dodge truck and the red truck hit a truck almost immediately. The white truck pulling a trailer pulled right out in front and lost his fenders, bumper and probably his
radiator. I was pretty close to that accident.

More tales from the Fair coming.

I am leaving tomorrow for my vacation in Washington state and Alaska. I took Nana to Tom's
place yesterday. He is going to keep her until I get home. The Cat goes to the sitter tomorrow.
Wish me luck. Happy Trails Grandma Jeanie

New Meaning - Old Phrases

There were about 6 teams camping at River Valley in Farmington, Iowa this weekend. The
group were enroute to their next parade or drill show. They travel the midwest all summer
showing off their teams. They all have extra big motor homes and trailers all alike to haul a
team and a wagon. They were not too friendly to me because Nana barked at their little dog
when he peed on the rock in front of our site. Nana claimed the rock as hers etc. That was the
first day and I got the cold shoulder from then on. They were all from Delmar, Iowa.

Some of the old phrases I have changed to suit myself. BORN AGAIN FIRST DAY OF THE
REST OF MY LIFE, etc. you get my drift. This was the first time in my life I ever did any
thing recreational all by myself. Well I had Nana and County with me. They live and breath.
We had a good time. I rode the trails all day Friday and Saturday. I came home late Sunday
morning. We made lots of friends. There were a few people there that I knew. I was the
only one riding a big black mule or any mule for that matter. We stood out for better or worse.
County can out walk any horse and goes through the mud like the 4 wheel drive that she is.

One group of neighbors could not stop talking about my riding by myself and going to all the
places and landmarks that they could not find. I found this amusing, as I really enjoyed riding
by myself. I usually have to go slow if there is a few horses in the mix. Happy Trails