June 1, 2005 - St. Bernice, IN - 2
When I think "custodian," it's synonymous with "janitor." Pretty fancy digs for the janitor, eh? Well, in this case I think the "custodian" is the caretaker of the Lincoln tomb, 'cause that's where we are, just outside Springfield, IL.
Barb's on her tiptoes to rub the nose of Lincoln. And inside the tomb, there were all kinds of statues like this. Some of which were the models for the monuments in D.C. apparently, this being one of them. It was too darn dark for us to read what the statues were all about! And there's Barb leaning over trying to make it out. Beautiful place, considering what it is. A place for dead bodies!
See how the toe of the boot is a different color from the rest of the statue? That's from being rubbed by people--imagine! Most statues are bronze and oxidized over time, except where rubbed. And "Now He Belongs To The Ages" behind the tomb. According to the spokesperson, Lincoln's body is three feet behind and 10 feet down from the monument.
And yet another statue with a shiny toe! There were bus loads of kids all over the place. In this case, they were lined up to hear what this guy had to say.
The young man gave a brief overview of the monument, when it was built and all that. Very appropriate for us old fogies standing in the shade as well as the kids anxious to go do something else. Each of the statues represented some phase of the Civil War and are made from the melted down cannons from the war. Those are the only government gifts to the monument. It was built entirely from private funds.
Sorry about the flair over the vault. The sign says it all.
I guess I'd have a shiny nose too if everybody I saw felt compelled to rub it! Impressive monument to a man that is still a bit of a mystery to me.
And not having our fill of politicians, we stopped by the Illinois State Capitol building there in Springfield. Along with several bus loads of kids, I might add.
It is indeed impressive what the government can do with our money. This place is a shrine to the extravagant spending of tax dollars. Yes, it's impressive, and yes it's awe-inspiring. Do I like the fact that the "servants of the public" work in such a place when the people they are serving live in such humble surroundings for the most part? Not a bit. Not one little bit. And having said that, I'll put it to rest. (Yes, let's DO get off the pedestal David--I happen to like those fancy buildings.) Those people you see below us are from the House, apparently on recess. There were cell phones in abundance, and lots of conversations going on between the representatives and lobbyists. Gorgeous glass work in the dome.
And then into the Senate chambers. The kids were told to not touch anything, and I'll admit that I was skeptical of that being an effective comment. And yet, while the kids did sit in the chairs and look around, I didn't see a single computer screen change nor did I say anybody touch anything on any of the desks. The ceiling sure was ornate.
Then more fun with the kids. They came up to the camp (Lake Williamson Christian Center where we were volunteering) to spend some time with us before we left. I liked the inventiveness of the girls with those ropes. They're actually part of an obstacle course. The participants are supposed to run through the tires, then crawl under those ropes, then up the ladder and so on. After pizza we took a walk around the lake, and part of the way just before we got "home", Huck was on my shoulders letting the wind blow his hair and just generally enjoying the view. Just as we got home, I felt his mouth on my head. When I asked what he was doing, Barb said it looked like he was licking the salt from my sweaty head or maybe just drooling! She grabbed the camera, and this is what we got.
And then goodbyes were said, and off they went. Both girls had some kind of performance commitment for the evening. We sure enjoyed seeing the family again.
This is Lenny and Pennie Walters from Eldred, IL. New friends, and great fun. They've been camping for years, and have a pop-up currently that is going to be a gift to their kids. They have one in college and one who is going to graduate from high school next summer. Then they'll sell their business and home, buy a rig and go full time. How exciting is that? We gave them an application to the Escapees RV club and all kinds of "advice" about what to look for in a rig. We got to know them because Pennie has been on the internet getting them educated about RV's, and in her searching around, she found this website. As they were driving by, she was certain it was us, and when she came to the door she asked if we were on the internet. Since I was sitting here hammering the keyboard, Barb said that yes, we were. By then I'd gotten up, and Pennie confirmed that yes, it was us she'd been following for a while. She got Lenny, and we enjoyed a good time with them. It's crazy the way this website seems to work. We've met so many neat people because of it, and it's purpose originally was just so the kids and family would know where we were and what we were doing. Is this a great lifestyle or what?
And to make things even better, the very next day (or maybe it was the day after or before) we had another surprise visit. Pat and Frank Buck rang our doorbell. We'd last seen them in Peoria, AZ, when we were both doing a SOWER project in March of 2004. Frank has a sister in the area who's health is failing, and they'd driven out from California to take care of things. They'd stopped briefly at the camp because they'd worked here the previous September, and when they saw our rig they stopped by. What a thrill it was to see them again! Is this a great lifestyle or what? Oh, I've said that already.......... Probably will again, too.