AMERICA'S DAIRYLAND

Here I am, with 16 of my closest friends, nestled in the woods of Wisconsin. Last night there were 17 of us here, one is leaving now to take her kids and horses to St. Louis to compete. These are my friends from elementary school, Brownies, Girl Scouts, Jr.High & Sr High school. This is only the 3rd time I've been a member of this reunion group--they gathered twice before I joined them. The first gathering was for our 40th birthdays, then it was every 5 years but now it's more often. We just decided we'd get together in 2 years at Lake Tahoe, then for our 60th birthdays we'd rent a villa in Tuscany. Since we've been talking about Tuscany for a while, this may actually happen.

We all grew up in Rockford (Ill.) together, so when we get together we all become totally Midwestern. We've got 2 living in Calif., 1 in Montana, 1 in Ohio, 1 in Va., me in the Adks., 2 in Wisc., several in Ill. and maybe some I've forgotten. I always forget how much I have in common with these women and how nice it is to visit with them. There are always several conversations going on, with a couple of us off in private. I've been reading my book group book a little, joining in conversations some, taking pictures, enjoying the whole thing. We went on a walk this morning but it's sooooo hot & humid (soooo Midwestern). Lots of mosquitoes, too. Two of us headed back early and saw a doe & 2 fawns, very nice.

We're staying in a huge log lodge, which supposedly cost $1.5 million to build. It's not that attractive, just too big with too many huge pine beams, but it accommodates us well. Hysterically funny and complicated showers with side jets and steam. Kathy, our leader, gave strict instructions that everyone was to have to figure out how to use it alone: no hints or instructions from those who knew how.

Tomorrow morning we're going on a bird hike. This morning one of us demonstrated hula hooping as exercise, in front of a video. We haven't warmed up the hot tub yet. Last night we drank a WHOLE lot of vodka and beer (not together) but we're old and go to bed pretty early. I'm sleeping on the top bunk--shades of college.

Uh--oh, cocktail time. Bonnie keeps asking for bloody Marys, but that's only because we have no tomato juice and she says she doesn't want to succumb to peer pressure and have to drink.