Along The Ad Routes

by Mike Reilly

Well the heat sure did roll in over the weekend. Temperatures were in the 90s. It was a good thing that there was a breeze or it would’ve been even more brutal! But it didn’t have to have wind gusts up to 40 mph!

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Thank heaven for the swimming pools and splash pads as they were really busy treating the youngsters to some cool down. The closest thing I get to a pool or splash pad is when I take a shower!

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It’s hard to imagine that my son, Michael, turned 45 last Sunday! I get to see him when he stops for lunch at Bob’s BBQ every now and then. He’s a salesman now after working for HyVee for 20 some years. He lives in Muscatine, Iowa.

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Saturday morning breakfast took us a ways to the north and west of Dodgeville as we headed out at 7:15 a.m. to our destination in Boscobel - Old 61 Diner. Without Dewey around I can’t tell you when the last time we were there, but we usually try to get there at least twice a year! It was Bob, Terry, me, Tom and Dave leaving the Chronicle at 7:15.  Potsie headed out for an Indy Car weekend. Dewey, of course, has moved to Indiana. And Royce had things to do at home. Lacie, the owner, is a hustler in the kitchen. We walked in and were seated by Hallie, our server, and Lacie came right out of the kitchen to greet us. Bob, Tom and I ordered Denver 

Omelettes. I added hash browns with cheese of course. Terry and Dave had Cinnamon Roll French Toast. They really loved the French Toast and the omelettes were great as well! I even got a cinnamon roll that filled the entire large carry-out box. I ate that later though! Hallie just graduated high school from Riverdale. She is going to Southwest Tech for her credits before finishing her college at UW-La Crosse, majoring in psychology. I told her she would get great psychology practice today with the five of us! She took all the comments from five “old men” very well!

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I talked about the hot temperatures over the weekend. Saturday, around 2:45 p.m., there was a report of US 151 having a buckle in the road just south of Mineral Point in the northbound lane! There were several others that day and the next.

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This is the final newspaper(s) issue of June. That means that July is next and they always say that July 4th marks the middle of summer. To me, it just started!

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Ridgeway is planning its Independence Day celebration this coming Saturday - June 28. There’s going to be a full day of activities, including an extended Farmer’s Market!

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Mineral Point is the place to be for the area’s 4th of July activities. It begins with the “Historic Run” early in the morning and concludes with a community band concert, homemade pie and fireworks with a lot going on in between!

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July 12/13 will be Iowa County Farmer’s Appreciation Day events in Dodgeville. Upland Hills Health holds “Sip & Savor” at Harris Park Saturday evening with fireworks ending the day. The Farmers Appreciation Day Parade will be at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday through downtown Dodgeville with events following at the Iowa County Courthouse Parking Lot - right behind the Dodgeville Chronicle office. New this year will be an “Iowa County Farmers Market’ in the BMO parking lot next to the courthouse, featuring vendors from all over the county! Don’t forget the Lions Club’s cheese curds!

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When the Farmers Appreciation events end, the Town Square events begin in Dodgeville on the blocks between Union and East Merrimac Streets (near the Red Room Bar & Restaurant and Bob’s Bitchin BBQ) It opens at 2:00 p.m. with live music and Beer Garden. It ends Saturday, July 26 with Maxwell Street Day all over the city and wine tasting at the Town Square. There are a lot of great activities going on every day in between. Check out the chamber FACEBOOK page for a complete schedule!

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Today is “National Handshake Day”. It's a day dedicated to the simple yet powerful gesture of shaking hands, a universal symbol of greeting, agreement, and respect. The day encourages people to connect with others through this age-old custom, reminding us of the importance of human connection and the bonds we form through touch. I do a lot of handshaking and I also do a lot of hugging!