August 7, 2025 (Thu.) - Gloomy Skies, Moth Mysteries & Sad Tacos
The day began under gloomy skies, and Lynn was up at 6:15 AM—still trying to get that retirement clock to sync with reality. The morning dew soaked everything, so no outside coffee today. Instead, Lynn dove into blog catch-up mode (almost caught up—yay!). But the pesky mini flies from Minnesota were still hanging around, and she spent hours swatting at them with little success. Eventually, she triumphed—three flies down, and hopefully the last of them, since our Wisconsin site seems blissfully fly-free.
Then came the moth incident—a moment that would haunt the rest of the day.
At 9:00 AM, Lynn was in the bathroom, casually reaching into the medicine cabinet, when she froze. There, nestled among the toiletries like it owned the place, was a massive moth. It had clearly been there for a while, silently watching, waiting. Lynn’s heart skipped. She knew one wrong move could send it flapping wildly into her face—and in an RV bathroom, there’s not a lot of room to run. If it took flight, it was almost guaranteed to hit her.
Operation: Silent Extraction began. With the precision of a bomb technician, Lynn slowly removed her essentials—cosmetics, brush, moisturizers—one by one, careful not to disturb the winged intruder. Then, with a final breath, she closed the cabinet door, trapping the moth inside. She didn’t want to wake Kirk just to declare war on a bug, so she took a photo for evidence, timestamped and clear. The plan: show Kirk when he woke up, and let him handle the execution.
But when Kirk got up at 9:45 AM, and opened the cabinet to confront the beast… it was gone. Gone!
No fluttering wings. No carcass. No trace. Just an empty cabinet and a rising sense of dread. Kirk waved his hands around, checked every shelf, every crevice. But the moth had vanished without a trace. There were no holes, no escape routes. It was as if it had dematerialized. Lynn, clutching her phone like a courtroom exhibit, showed Kirk the photo. Timestamped. Undeniable. She hadn’t imagined it. The moth had been real. And now, it was somewhere—lurking. Watching. Waiting. Now, every time Lynn enters the bathroom, she’s on high alert. The cabinet has been armed with mothballs, but the unease remains. Because there’s nothing worse than knowing a bug is loose… and not knowing where. The saga continues.
The rest of the morning was routine: breakfast in the RV, more blogging, and some unexpected news—Lynn’s cousin had passed away. She spent time researching flights, hotels, and coordinating with her sisters to meet in Salt Lake City and drive to Idaho Falls. Meanwhile, Kirk headed into town to wash the bike for Indian Bike Week and scheduled ‘honey wagon’ visits for tank dumping on 8/11 and 8/14 ($40 each!).
We also stopped at the local credit union to grab cash, since Indian Bike Week vendors charge a 5% fee for card payments. But surprise: Lynn’s debit card had expired on 7/31/25, and Kirk’s was already out of commission. With no Orange County Credit Union branches nearby, we had to get creative. Lynn still has a Wells Fargo account, but no card on hand. Same with the USAA account. Tomorrow’s mission: sort out the banking situation and add Kirk to the account for future emergencies. OCCU and USAA are great, but nationwide access matters sometimes.
Dinner was at Acapulco Mexican Restaurant in Stillwater, MN, the first Indian Bike Week meet-and-greet. Lynn finally got a decent shot of the “Welcome to Wisconsin” sign as we crossed the border. The group was small, since the official start of Indian Bike Week hasn’t begun yet, but it was great to meet Butch, Mike, Karla, and Art, the event organizer (they had come from Texas and Minnesota). Lynn had high hopes for the tacos, given the name and her California memories, but the chips and salsa sniff test warned her. The taco shell was stale and chewy, easily the worst so far. The meat was flavorful, but the shell ruined it. On the bright side, Art’s queso with chorizo was a hit. We learned a lot about Art—his recent struggles and resilience made us appreciate the effort he’s putting into the event. A genuinely kind man with a lot on his plate.
Back at the campground, we spent some time relaxing on the patio until the humidity chased us inside. Kirk tried to trim Otis’s nails, but Otis wasn’t having it. He even tried to jump onto the patio to escape, but his hip dysplasia kept him grounded. Poor guy rarely jumps! Otis won that standoff.
The night ended with a surprise fireworks show from a nearby site—an unexpected but festive close to a long, eventful day.
Not many photos today, but plenty of stories.
Weather – High 86*, Low 66*. Winds 4-15 mph. Humid at 85% but not as bad as Sioux Falls.
Traffic – None.
Food – Acapulco Mexican Restaurant.
Notable – Meet & Greet Indian Bike Week riders/organizer, vanishing moth!
August 8, 2025 (Fri.) - Tube Talk, Banks and Puzzles.
It was a beautiful morning, and Lynn finally got to enjoy her outside coffee ritual with Otis by her side at 7 AM. She chatted with some friendly neighbors who were gearing up to go tubing on the Mississippi River—apparently, our campground is a hotspot for floaters. We might just have to give it a try!
The morning started slow, with Kirk rolling out of bed at 9:45 AM and breakfast happening around 10:15-ish in the RV. The heat and humidity were already in full swing, so we spent the rest of the morning doing chores and watching TV. Lynn tackled the banking issues, while Kirk took it easy. In the process, Lynn stumbled upon an old memory card from 2012 packed with photos—cue the nostalgia spiral and a detour from blogging as she uploaded and reminisced.
The afternoon was all about errands. We had a 3 PM appointment at Wells Fargo in Hudson, WI, about a half-hour drive. The meeting was productive, though Lynn—who has a background in banking—found the experience a bit… offbeat compared to what she’s used to. After wrapping things up, we swung by Cabela’s to hunt for the gazebo we’ve been eyeing. Kirk’s online search showed “limited stock,” so we gave it a shot. No luck. Another location an hour away had one, but we decided to hold off for now.
Because of the afternoon errands, we missed the second Indian Bike Week Meet & Greet. By the time we got back, it was already over. But we did find a Portillo’s and stopped in for their Italian Beef sandwiches—a delicious consolation prize!
Back at the campground, we went for a walk and reconnected with fellow riders we’d met earlier. Kirk struck up a conversation with a guy selling mugs (yes, we bought one!), and it turns out he grew up in Garden Grove, CA, right near where Kirk lived back in the day. Small world moment! Kirk also met a few more riders along the way for some good old-fashioned biker banter. The mug was a bit pricey at $35! But profits went to a good cause so we didn’t mind supporting it.
The evening was quiet but meaningful. Lynn spent time blogging and cheering on her family from afar as they competed in their 5th Puzzle Palooza competition in Yorba Linda, CA. Since she couldn’t be there in person, her niece Mia stepped in to join her sisters Jill and Trish, and her son Luke. It was their fifth competition, and they crushed it—finishing in 38 minutes and 51 seconds, a new personal record by over 12 minutes! Lynn joked that she might be officially replaced, but she was so proud of them. 
A very slow day for pics.
Weather – High 89*, Low of 69*. Winds 9-17 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. Humidity 90%.
Traffic – None.
Food – Portillo’s! Delicious.
Notable – Lynn’s family getting a personal best in the puzzle competition!
Screen time – Smoke, Chiefs of War
