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Two Days - 12/8/09 & 12/9/09
12/8/09, Oakdale, IL - This was a rainy and cool day. It was nice harnessing and hitching under the overhang of the livestock exhibit area. After pulling out of the fairgrounds in Nashville, we had to run around (with the wagon) and do a little shopping. First stop was about 1 1/2 miles north of the fairgrounds, at the local grain store. While there, I bought a couple of hundred pounds of oats and filled up the water tank on the wagon. The next couple of stops were for groceries.
We pulled on to a wide spot in the road for lunch, before turning south for the town of Oakdale. In Oakdale, we met Johnna and her Grandfather, Bill Patton. Bill invited us back north 1/2 mile to spend the evening on his farm. The Pattons were really wonderful hosts; they did everything they could to make our visit a great one.. The evening turned into a nice supper, with a lot of friends and family stopping over. Both Denise and I really enjoyed our stay there and appreciated everything the Pattons did for us.
12/9/09, Sparta, IL - After saying goodbye to our hosts, we drove to the local Elementary School. The Oakdale School is relatively small with K through 8th grade only having a total student body of 80-some students. Most classes have two grades combined in one class.
We started off the presentation in front of the school, where the kids got to meet the horses. With a could west wind, it wasn’t long before the session moved to the gym. Like all the school presentations I do, I really enjoyed myself. The kids had a lot of questions, mostly about the horses and their care.
Moving south from Oakdale, we finally stopped for the night just east of the city of Sparta. Tonight we’re camped behind a neighborhood tavern. It’s a cold, windy night, so the propane heater is turned to ‘High’.
The past two days have been really rewarding and nice travel days. The first day was rainy and the second was windy and cool, but we really enjoyed ourselves. We met some really super people and had a great time!
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