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This weekend is Iowa County Farmers Appreciation Day. I ran into Iowa
County's Fairest of the Fairs - Tayler Bowser - at Mineral Point's July 4th
celebration Saturday. She has a walking boot on her leg. I'm showing it off
in the above photo (because I told her I wanted to embarrass her). She says
she will have the boot on for Farmers Appreciation Day and may need surgery
after that - hopefully she will not be on crutches for the Iowa County
Fair over Labor Day weekend though - she plans not to be!
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At Mineral Point I saw a bunch of people that I haven't seen in awhile.
That happens every year and afterwards (every year also) I wonder what
some of their names are! Is that a sign of old age or just the fact that I have
had so much going into my brain all of the time that I have to lose something
out of it each time something new comes in?!!!
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Since I spoke of Farmers Appreciation Day above I figure I had better tell
of some of the events. It starts with a Fun Run and Walk on Saturday evening
at Harris Park, hosted as a fundraiser for the Dodgeville-Mineral Point Cross
Country and Track & Field teams. There is a 1K run for the youngsters and
a 3 and 5 K run/walk for everyone else. There will be a grill out along with
the run and a band playing afterwards. Then the huge fireworks display begins
at dusk. Sunday will be the parade at 11 a.m., followed by an Iowa
County Cattlemans steak sandwich and hot dog feed inside Ley Pavilion at
Harris Park. There will be a lot going on all afternoon long with such things
as conservation awards given out - a petting zoo - auction - farmer's market
- and more. Oh, and brother Patrick and I are the Parade Marshals!
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Around all the doings Saturday and Sunday at Harris Park will be an 11
year old State Cal Ripken Baseball Tournament going on. Also, at Centennial
Park will be a 15 year old state Babe Ruth Baseball Tournament happening.
All these events should help the motels, eating places, convenience stores
and shops in the area!
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I wanted to mention that something not Independence Day related happened
in 1939 on the 4th of July. That was the day one of my favorite baseball
players ever gave a GREAT speech. It started out something like this -
"Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth....." And
ended with "And I might have been given a bad break, but I have an awful
lot to live for." It was given by Lou Gehrig as he announced his retirement
from baseball due to having a disease named Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
or ALS that became known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease" - a progressive neurodegenerative
disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.
That disease took an extremely nice young woman from Dodgeville not too
long ago in Jan Roh - someone very close to our family members. If you
every get a chance to watch Lou Gehrig's speech on YouTube, by all means
do so -you'll tear right up as did some of the ball players in the background
that day.
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We have a mini Reilly Reunion going on Saturday, July 11th at Centennial
Park. Cousin Jeanette is back from Atlanta and she always heads up the event
so as many of the family can get together as possible. I often wonder why
she wants to associate with me though?!!!
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When Jeanettte was growing up in Hialeah, Florida she loved to spend as
much of her summer vacation in Wisconsin though. She often missed airplane
flights back to her home just to stay a little longer. Then when she graduated
from high school she attended UW-Platteville, met a guy from
Darlington, got married and lives in Atlanta - but still loves to come here in
the summer. She just doesn't miss any flights anymore!