Two weeks in Indy --- week one

Falls Park, Pendleton IN

Roger here....  We have been parked outside of my hometown of Pendleton, Indiana for 17 days.  Since our RV spot did not have wifi and our hotspot is very low on space for a few more days, we have had to wait to update our blog.

We were parked among the soybean fields at the Glowood RV Park near I-69.  It is not a fancy place, but it does have full hook-ups for a good price, nice agrarian views, and friendly owners.  It was also near to my hometown friends and my former employer.  Perfect for us.

Every day began with a three-mile doggie walk along a mostly un-busy county road.  The walks are always good for invigorating us and exercising the dogs.

Dianne took this picture of the ever-present morning glories that wind through the stalks of corn along our walks.  I am sure that the farmers do not care for them, but they are pretty.

Dianne spent a day at the Indiana State Library in downtown Indianapolis.  As many readers know, she has become a genealogy fanatic and is determined to find the parents of my third great grandfather, George Norris.  No luck at the state library, but perhaps later in Dayton OH.

I enjoyed driving around the small town where I grew up.  The town has fared well due to its proximity to Indianapolis.  Jimmie's Dairy Bar was the teen hangout in the late '60s.  I wasted a lot of time there after getting my driver's license :-).  We stopped by to enjoy one of those BBQs and some of their famous tangerine sherbet.

Pendleton holds a fairly significant place in Indiana history as one of the earliest settlements.  

Much of that history is on display during weekends in the town's museum.  It was a nostalgic time for me as I found pictures of my parents, high school memorabilia, and pictures of the people who made Pendleton such a great place to live.

Roger's parents' photos are in the Markleville HS Class of '39 on the wall

I probably sat in one of these desks.  In the upper right corner --- the purple M sweater represents nearby Markleville.  My Dad had one of those (he was the basketball star).  Back in the day, Pendleton High School (before consolidation with Markleville) were the Irish.

Jessamyn West wrote a nationally acclaimed best seller about the early days of Pendleton.  I did not read this piece of historical fiction until I was an adult,  but I was very much aware of the events that were the centerpiece of her story.

(Roger makes fun of my genealogy hobby, but I discovered during this trip that Catherine Adams 

[his fourth great-grand aunt] as a 13-year-old girl was the one who discovered the bodies of the murdered squaws and children who were the subject of the novel "Massacre at Fall Creek."  -- D.  

 I wish I had taken a better picture of my friend's MP uniform from Viet Nam.  Russ married my first cousin, Beth.  He passed away recently  --- a loss to all who knew him.

The falls of Falls Park flow behind the museum.  When I was a kid, I was able to dive over the falls from those limestone rocks.  We were also able to swim under the falls and stand on the narrow ledge behind the flow of water.  Good times.

Just one of the healthy, delicious meals Nancy made for us!

We were able to visit with many dear friends during our time in Pendleton.  Our friends Jay and Nancy invited us to have a delicious dinner our first evening.  I also had my annual dinner with my recently-retired colleague, Brian.  Dianne reunited with Jennifer, the friend who used to cut her hair.  Dianne and I had dinner with Beth (and her husband), the librarian from the school where I was a principal.  I spent a great hour with two of the teachers from my building, Mike and Tony.  I had lunch with my former colleagues from the school corporation central office, Mike, Gary, and the other Mike.   We were busy!

Speaking of the  school corporation where I literally spent my adult life, this was Hamilton Southeastern Junior High School.  (It now has a different name).  I was its first principal.  1000+ 7th and 8th graders.

This is Hamilton Southeastern High School.  I began my career in this school teaching science and coaching swimming when it was Hamilton Southeastern Jr-Sr High School.  Since that time four junior high schools have been built, a second high school has been built, countless elementary schools, and each high school has approximately 4000 students.  From humble beginnings....

Sticking with the school theme,  wonderful friends and colleagues, Neal and Laurie, hosted an evening for many -- but certainly not all -- of my former junior high teachers and staff.  

A very special group of educators!

The get-together moved outside on a remarkably cool and comfortable August evening.  So many stories.  So many memories.  Thanks Laurie and Neal!



The first week in Indy culminated with a dinner at Chuck and Cindy's new house in nearby Fishers, Indiana (where I formerly worked.)  We never go hungry if Cindy is the hostess.  Barbecued pork chops, breakfast juice.  Yum.   If you read our posts, you may remember our camping buddies Chuck and Cindy from Turkey Run.  The camping friends in the picture below were all at Turkey Run when we were there the week before.

Pat, Audrey, Cindy, Chuck, Joyce, Tom, Roger (Dianne took the picture)

The pet picture of the day is actually from the following week at Grandview Lake in southern Indiana.  Bandido does love to swim.  More about Grandview Lake and our second week in Indy next time.