I lost a great friend last week and

the world lost a special person.  I will miss you Linda!❤️

We spent 5 days at Lacey-Keosauqua State Park last week with family, friends and LOTS of bugs, including gnats, mosquitoes, spiders, and ticks. The weather was warm and humid but tolerable. 

It barely looks like a bump but it and the picture below are of two of the19 Indian Mounds overlooking the Des Moines River.

Cutting rings around trees (girdling) is a conservation method of thinning trees for various reasons. This method imitates the natural death of a tree without using chemicals or cutting the trees. They usually die within three years.

Bathhouse

Built by the CCC, 147 steps down from the bathhouse to the beach. 

This looked like a giant ant hill but I don't think it was. 

This was our 10K hike from the campground to the bridge and back.

One day we went canoeing. Whereas there was a chance of rain every day, I think the only rain was right after we got on the river. It was warm and it didn't last long. 

We had a new Grandpa of twins along!

A snake slithered by.

Keosauqua, which translates as "the bend in the river" (Des Moines River), is a small town with a population near 1,000. 

The three story Hotel Manning dates back to the Des Moines River's steamboat days. It began operating in 1899 and is listed on the National Historic Register. Located beside the river it has been flooded 4 times. We enjoyed a stay there once.

There's a big modern playground behind the rocket slide. So glad to see this is still here. I have no idea how long it's been in the riverfront park across from the hotel, but we would stop there often in the 1980's as we traveled from Palmyra, MO to our hometown, Ottumwa.

Where are the Piepers now? Ottumwa, IA