Bread Pudding, Horseshoes and cat poo

After we got our licenses renewed in Sioux Falls we came back to Pekin, where we had left the RV with Theresa and Tomm.  Saturday Tomm drove us to visit with another one of Randy's siblings, Lonnie and his wife Chris.  They recently moved from their country home into the small town of Andover.  Their country home was custom-built for their antiques and unusual finds, and I was wondering how they would adjust to another, smaller house.  No problem - they have made this one uniquely theirs, with some of their wonderful collections.  Their Florida room includes skulls, shells, wooden sculptures, antiques, one-of-a-kind artifacts and art projects.  Outside one of Lonnie's hand-made weather vanes sits proudly by the backyard.

It was good to see Lonnie and Chris again; we last saw them in Texas on the beach at Gilchrist, where Shorty made a good friend of their little dog Pita.  Since then their beloved Fanny has passed on, so it's a blessing they have Pita.  Pita has gotten taller but not much bigger, so she has long legs like a tiny deer.  But she runs like a Greyhound!  She and Shorty immediately picked up where they left off, chasing each other.  

But now Pita can out-last Shorty; he has to take a break while she stands by, impatiently waiting until he starts chasing her again.  

Julienne still stays on the border of the action, doing her own thing.Theresa and Tom brought their little dog Tika along, too; she, like Julienee, preferred to sit on a lap instead of running around like a maniac in the sun.

Lonnie and Chris live near Bishop Hill so we went there for lunch.  I don't recall when we were at Bishop Hill last - it would have be over 20 years ago.  And yet we still talk about the Bread Pudding there.  So of course we had to try it again.  In 20-plus years a lot can change and I honestly expected to find a very good but not great Bread Pudding.  I was wrong.  It's really great!  It's the lightest bread pudding ever, with a sweet, crumbly topping and thick caramel sauce.  Worth the trip!

Bishop Hill was originally founded by Swedish settlers in the mid 1800s.  They had a rough time but created some beautiful buildings that remain, along with a surprising number of portrait of the original inhabitants, painted by Olof Krans.  I didn't stop at the museum this time but I can recommend it to anyone.  Their culture created living spaces full of austere, clean lines, light colors and simple designs.

Afterwards we headed back to Andover for more talking, and eventually back to Pekin.  It had been a wonderful, relaxing day but all that changed when I let the dogs into the RV.  Quick as a flash Shorty found something on the floor to eat.  I grabbed him and realized that he had gotten a piece of cat poop with some litter attached.  I can only assume that Missy got out of the litter box before she finished the job, which is pretty awful.  But worse was my fear of what it might do to Shorty.  Back in 2010 we almost lost Julienne to a similar bout with cat litter.  We wrapped Shorty in a blanket and gave him some diluted food-grade hydrogen peroxide.  It may have been diluted too much or perhaps he just doesn't vomit easily, because other than getting us all wet, nothing happened.  Theresa called her vet who felt that since Shorty was acting fine and he could not have eaten much litter, he would probably be OK.  And he was, although he was real unhappy about having water poured down his throat several times.  He shook it off and went to bed, all tired out from a day of playing with his doggy cousins.  He didn't sleep well, though.  I kept getting a flashlight and checking on him, up until 2:30 in the morning when I finally decided we had both had enough.

Today I will be visiting my Mom for a few days while Randy continues to stay with Theresa and Tomm.  Later I'll meet him in St. Louis.  Until then I won't be able to blog, so I'll have to remember my vacation the old-fashioned way.  But before I log off, a quick nod to Perdue's Grill in Tremont, Illinois.  I had given up trying Horseshoes because of soggy fries and cheap cheese sauces.  Theresa convinced me to try them at Perdue's grill and I will always be grateful to her!  The fries are perfect - slender, crispy and seasoned - and the cheese sauce is a smooth, white, creamy sauce with just a touch of spice.  EXCELLENT Horseshoe!

One year ago: Horse Rescue

Two years ago: Dreamland BBQ

Three years ago: The Golden North Hotel