On October 23 Konnie and I headed to Chicago for the ultimate purpose of my attending a conference for mutual fund directors.  We headed out ahead of the start of the conference as we had been wanting to get back to Chicago together for the first time since 1996.  As the third largest city in the US, Chicago is, according to one guidebook, famous for magnificent and innovative architecture, its colorful and turbulent political history and significance as a transportation hub, the now vanished stockyards, as well as its educational institutes and vibrant cultural venues.

During our visit we hoofed it around town enjoying the architecture as exhibited by the photos but not enjoying the very, very frequent and aggressive begging on the streets which makes strolling the city a bit unpleasant.  We continued what we began in England with our connecting with people I have worked with in Belize working with the Mayan Research Program (www.mayaresearchprogram.org).  This time it was Keitlyn Alcantara who is working on her masters degree at the University of Chicago.  Keitlyn and I dug together on the same structure during my 2009 visit but Keitlyn was unable to return in 2010 because of an unfortunate confrontation with a taxi cab while visiting Chicago in the spring.

Otherwise we focused on the Art Institute of Chicago with two visits there because of the fabulous collection it houses in this beautiful city.

Oh yes, while there we heard that the people of Chicago are so disgusted with the political environment that they are each only voting once this year…

On October 14 Konnie and I headed to Georgia to spend some promised time with our friends Lisa and Dave Wangsness in an area called Big Canoe.  Located in the foothills of the North Georgia Appalachians, Big Canoe is
just one hour north of Atlanta. It's the perfect retreat
for the weekend, the summer or forever–because it is so
nearby.  A rich and established community, the Big Canoe lifestyle comes in as many shapes, sizes and colors as meadow wildflowers.  Oops.  Sorry.  I was reading the promotional material earlier.

Lisa and I grew up together decades ago in little Liberty, Indiana.  So Konnie (Greeley, Colorado) and Dave (Grafton, North Dakota) get the opportunity to be bored to tears during our times together as Lisa and I reminisce about places like the Liberty Restaurant and J's Dairy Inn, schoolteachers and friends, our two traffic lights and the Saturday nights of old when downtown was hopping with activities sponsored by the local merchants.   

But we did enjoy four days in an area of the country previously not seen by us, the company and hospitality of friends and experiencing their new and lovely secluded retirement home.  And the North Georgia Appalachians, as they call them, are very beautiful.  But having accidentally left my SLR camera at home, I was limited in what I could capture with the point and shoot camera I had along. 

Members of the Short High School classes of the 1960s gathered together on October 9, 2010 which was a perfect day at the beautiful Whitewater Memorial State Park just south of Liberty, Indiana.  The event was the brainchild of and organized by Jackie Peters Ginn from the SHS class of 1967.  Approximately 30 people attended the inaugural event including almost everybodies' second parents, Joe and Ginger Stanley who now reside in Greensburg, Indiana.  A day of catching up and viewing old pictures seemed to be enjoyed by all of those who took the time and effort to attend.

Jackie is tentatively planning the second annual event for October 8, 2011.  Mark you calendars and join in the fun and reminiscing.  Some pictures from the day follow.