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Wow, I havn't added to this in a while... The last week of July and first of August are summer shutdown for the factory. Many of the engineers also take some or all of shutdown as vacation time. Newer engineers (with fewer vacation days) usually do training during these two weeks. I took an introduction to hydraulics, which was a bit interesting. This week, I'm catching up on work.

It's been a nice summer, they say. It has been nice out. Not too hot, most of the time. We got a canoe and have been out a few times--definitely the way to explore the midwest. We also finally made it out to Backbone state park.

I've got a few pictures to put up, too.

28-Feb-04

Winter is starting to lighten up around here, the snow's all melting and it's shorts and light jacket weather again. We had a bit of snow for a while--it's generally been colder here than back home, but not all that unbearable. I guess right now the biggest weather concern is mud, and all that salt they put on the roads.

This winter we went to Seattle, where we enjoyed some much missed hiking and a trip to the coast. It's always good to go home, enjoy the mountains, visit the family for a while.

Back in October, we drove an hour north to Pike's Peak (the one in Iowa, not Colorado.) There are some incredible fall colors along this river.

28-Feb-04

November I'll be finishing my stay in skid steer design and moving over to the hydraulic testing group. It should be a real change, more hands on work.

Hana and I have been exploring the parks and reserves in the immediate Dubuque area. I have pictures from the Mines of Spain, an old lead mine on the river. In late July we explored the site of an old homestead, and in late September we walked through tall grass prairie. And we just went to a place called Swiss Valley and walked through some Iowa mature forest.

25-Oct-03