Summer days in Rockford

Nick Woodland 7/14/23

Where to begin on our stay in Rockford? Maybe with the generosity and kindness shown by Wendy’s family here in town. Not only did the Anderson’s agree to let us pound stakes in their yard for a couple weeks, they also set up a plywood platform with outdoor carpeting and inflated, filled, and treated a hot tub to put on top. They strung lights above, hand made a custom Wandering Woodlands sign and gave us a double rocker chair and a fire pit. They bought extra extension cords and went through multiple hoses to get one that would reach us. What else? They drove our girls on countless ski runs and tube runs on the river, took them on a Razor ride in the yard, gave them full blown Mary Kay makeovers from a Mary Kay pro, had a karaoke night, taught them some sign language, let us use their bathroom anytime we needed it. I could go on, but you get the considerably gracious picture…

Friends in town – and others visiting – took the girls on horse rides, jet ski rides, danced with them at outdoor concerts, helped them decide on food truck choices, taught them how to ‘bridge hang’, gave them the rare opportunity to carry on the tradition of ‘painting the dragon’, laughed with them, played with them and talked with them.

Our days were exceedingly busy, yet nicely chill at the same time. We didn’t have to wake up early for anything so mornings were lackadaisical. Boat rides were plentiful and bike rides were had. There was lots of hanging out with the Anderson clan; outdoor fires and grills and get togethers; eating out dockside listening to bands or sitting in the boat with coolers watching fireworks; driving out into the serenely pretty Illinois countryside to a beautiful farm full of cats and birds and horses. We repaired trailer lights and installed moisture barrier. We stocked up on some needed things and had a few things delivered to the house for the next leg.

I don’t know if I feel rested for the next push or worn out from this last couple weeks. It’s been hot and hard to sleep. The A/C is loud and the girls don’t like it. So I toss and turn, sticky with humidity. I worry about the weather. A historic El Nino is forecasted for this winter. 1000 year floods are hitting unlikely places like northern Vermont. Tornado sirens were wailing one night north of town. Huge thunderstorms have hit us so far on this trip and many others have skirted on by.

I worry about our pace. Can we keep this up? It’s only been a month but already feels like an epic adventure. Will our equipment hold up? Will our bodies hold up? Will our emotions and tolerances for each other expand or shrivel? Is it going to energize us or wear us down? I am very much looking forward to all the neat places on our list but I also worry about the constant motion and effort required to get there and see it all. Many things to worry about, like always.

My girls will miss the activity here and the distraction from mom and dad and each other. And the water and the skiing and YT and Jackie and Bob and Dorey and the parties and the people. It will be back to just the 5 of us for a while and I hope they aren’t too bummed about that. We will see.

It has been like a real vacation here in Rockford. Only now, we are not flying back home.

We continue east today to Indiana Dunes National Park. Onward!