Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center

Our next hot excursion was to the Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center. We visited the indoor exhibits including a few tortoises and a very active rattlesnake before venturing out to do the short loop through the woods. (Long enough when it's over 100°F outside!)

Old Chain of Rocks Bridge

Aunt Claire and Uncle Curtis came to visit us from Texas, sparing us another couple of days of driving to see everyone. I worked half days, but that left us plenty of time to spend the hot, hot, hot afternoons exploring.

the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge over the Mississippi

Noah and Benjamin, seeing what they can see

Uncle Curtis and Aunt Claire

 

fancy water intake tower

30° angle in the bridge

Rolla: Missouri S&T

 After the car debacle was successfully resolved, we made our way toward Rolla, Missouri, where we met up with friends James and Laura Castle - former internet-friends turned real-life friends about ten years ago when they visited us while they were living in England. 

James's parents generously hosted us in their guest house just outside of town.

 

 

not the guest house

 

Benjamin had agreed to visit Missouri Science & Technology, and James and Laura's daughter Maddie visited the same day, so we got to spend a good part of the day together as we toured campus.

 

 

MO S&T participates in the concrete canoe competition

in a classroom in the structural engineering department

 

 

 

with James, Laura, and Maddie after our tour

Maddie and Benjamin

the design center

We visited the design center, and one of the students showed us all the different projects students were working on. He asked Benjamin if he saw something he was interested in, and Benjamin said, "Everything!" 

Before heading to Missouri, we gathered our things from the guest house and said goodbye to everyone - and posed for one more picture with James, Laura, and their other daughter, Reese.

Memphis

We stopped overnight in Memphis as we traveled from Alabama to Missouri, to see my college friends, Allison and Mick Wright. They took us out for dinner to a restaurant where we happened upon a server whose father lives in Nice. He was happy to practice a few words of French with us, so it wasn't hard to talk him into taking a picture for us.

The next day, we planned to meet Allison at Barnes and Noble, but Frédéric managed to get out of spending time in the bookstore by scraping our rental car tire against the curb. So instead of books and coffee, we got to chase down a replacement for the rental.

We managed it, here's the new one.

After lunch, we continued on our merry way to Rolla.
 

Alabama

As we often do, we started our US trip this year with a few days on the farm in Alabama, visiting Aunt Ruth, Uncle Mark, Grandma Crowe, Travis, Heather, and kids. My parents were also there for a couple of days after we arrived. 

It was hot, hot, hot, so we ventured out for short farm tours, but also spent some time playing games in the air conditioned house. 

Benjamin and Noah got to participate in their first chicken-cleanings (which doesn't mean giving them baths, for those of you not in the know).

We enjoyed several games of Scrabble and Rummikub with Grandma

 

Benjamin got to drive a monster truck

 

Noah took me on farm tours

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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