1999 has been very good to us. In April Mel and Mary  took a 2 week
vacation to the southwest States. the focus was Tombstone Arizona where
we revisited the O K coral. We motored thru the Central states, then
Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado and then home.

   September 17th  Mel, Mary, & Carol Flew to Dallas TX to attend
Christina Rennells Wedding At Abilene TX( Jeff's Daughter)

    After 4 years of retirement, Mel went back to work as a contract
 Engineer for the same company he left in 1990. It Lasted till December 29th.
 Mel is also an elder assigned to the church corporation committee,
records attendance, church financial secretary, newsletter
co-editer both church and lions, and just upgraded to a 333mg pc in January.

    Mary Is still working as a Medical Tech. at the Winona Clinic and
Gardening and taking care of our 4 cats and one dog. She also has joined the
ladies Lions.She is on the christian education committee and the bell choir
and a sunday school teacher.

    Paul is now working the graveyard shift for Technigraph
labeling Bottles and Cans. He has had several raises.
    Carol has renewed her lease on her apartment which she
shares with two other friends. She is starting to do some student
teaching and will began her 3rd year at Winona State University.
She spends much time in playing volley ball and checking groceries at
County Market.

    On April 17 we started out on a two week journey to Tombstone
Arizona and back. We left our animals to be baby sit by Paul And Carol.
We drove the Conversion Van And slept in it though out the trip. the
first night we stayed in a city campground in NW Iowa. The temperature
dropped to 20 degrees and a puddle next to our van froze. we then went
into a pioneering village state park in south central Nebraska.
    The next day we visited Dodge City Kansas and then on to an
air museum in liberal Kansas. We then passed though the Texas panhandle
and just west of hobbs NM we had a flat tire, and replaced two tires.
    We next went to and stayed overnight at Guadeloupe
Mountains in western Texas. the next day we finally got to Tombstone AZ
and went to the O K Corral. We stayed at Benson AZ and the
next day, drove to Tucson AZ to go though the desert museum and zoo.
    By a quark we received a free pass to old Tucson studios ($14
each saved) and we stayed over night. Next day we headed north to the
grand canyon and stayed overnight.      It snowed 3" of wet snow that
night. next day we drove east along the rim and then on Zion National
Park in  Utah where we spent the night.  Next day we drove to bryce
canyon national park and then on though a scenic route in eastern Utah.
    This was a very mountainous road with driving down the ridge
of a mountain with 3000 foot canyons on both sides.  The two lane road
was the ridge of the mountain. We stayed overnight in Green river UT.
Next day we made it a point to clear the rocky mountains before
dark and stayed in eastern Colorado that night. we then went to an auto
museum in Nebraska and stayed over night. We then drove north to South
Dakota and then slept at road side park on the western edge of
Minnesota.
    We spent the next afternoon at Albert Lea visiting Shirley Earp, Mary's
Mother and was home that night.
    Next day we washed cloths and mowed the lawn. Sunday morning we
hooked on to the camp trailer and spent Sunday night a Whitewater State
Park just Camping.
     Mary started back to work on Tuesday May 4.
     On May 15 and 16 we went camping at Whitewater.
     On Memorial day weekend we camped at Albert Lea's Helmer Myre
      State Park

VACATION JUNE 12 through JUNE 22
    We left June 12 heading towards the UP with the conversion van,
tent trailer, canoe, wood box and tippy. The first nite we stayed at a
private campground and motel.near Columbus Wi. Next we stayed at
Gerfast Mi. next day we drove the 7 mile trail through the seney
wildlife refuge. Next nite we were at Joann and Burt Spitler's home in
Northport MI. next night we stayed at Joyce and Dick Hargett's home at
Potterville MI. .We decided to go the extra 170 miles required to go
home through the UP and stayed at the Straights State Park at St Ignas
that night.  The next night was at Wells State Park on Lake Michigan
between Escanaba and Menomonee MI.  We visited Jennifer Hammock and
family in Fondulac Wi(Jeff's Oldest Daughter) and was home that night.

    We just got our new sewer line installed last December. No
more open sewer in our front yard.
    July 3rd the timing chain on our 1986 plymouth voyager failed
and we had to have it pulled home. We plan to junk it. We have 2 other
cars, mary's 1987 chev impella and our 1987 GMC Conversion van.