Birthday Celebration

The clock reads 6:32 A.M., the calendar says September 21,2009, that makes me 52 years 37 minutes old... Friday, when Hubby and I were working on assembling a section of wall for our house/lodge, I played "100 Questions" to see if I could narrow down what he had planned for my birthday celebration. I asked about three different scenarios...A visit to Bass Pro Shops in Altoona was among them. Silly man ! He always gives himself away when I guess what he has planned. He gets a grin on his face, can't look me straight in the eye, and this time he turned his back to me to hide any further facial expression confirmations. He wouldn't verbally say at that point which one since he still wanted it to be a surprise. His comment when he turned away was that I hadn't been wrong about one of the guesses. Bass Pro Shops got the biggest reaction... ;) After 34 years of marriage you get to know how the other person thinks even if they don't think they are that transparent. Late Sunday afternoon I made my second visit to the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World. This time I got into the picture to record my visit. I kind of blend into the surroundings because of my apparel color choices.

Media Tour of New Bass Pro Shop in Altoona, IA

  The Channel 13 News in Des Moines,IA has opened up the Bass Pro Shop in Altoona, IA to it's viewers. Yes, they mentioned it was a media tour and everyone else would have to wait...Oh well. The Grand Opening for the new store will be in three weeks, a date already scratched off on my calendar. The time I have waited to go checkout the hunter's paradise will soon be rewarded. Another post will be forthcoming when I finally step foot in the huge retail outlet.

34th Wedding Anniversary

Hubby and I are celebrating our 34th Wedding Anniversary today. This week I had a chance to go back to the corner of Iowa where I spent most of my childhood and teenage years. I got off I-80 onto Iowa Highway 71 south,following it to Atlantic and beyond. Traveling a mile past Lyman, we, my mother and I, arrived at the road that used to take us to the place we called home. It had rained not long before we stopped to visit graves of family members that lay at rest in the cemetery of the church we had attended. I didn't want to take the gravel road to get the car muddy driving by the acreage, because we still had more miles to go to get to our intended destination. If you were to follow the road in the picture west to the first stop sign and take a left going a 1/4 mile south we were the first house on the right. Sounds like a lot of directions.You can see part of the place on the edge of the photo to the left. It has been 34 years since my mother, or I have had any claim to the property built by my paternal Grandmother's parents. Time changes things and your memories or pictures are all that remains of what used to be... I diverged from the topic a bit.Now, I would like to go back and share a picture of my childhood church, where Hubby and I had the good fortune to take the step to become man and wife, way back when...34 years ago. ;) Have a great day everybody!

Altoona Bass Pro - Update

Progress is being made at the Bass Pro Shop in Altoona, IA. The top picture was taken this past Sunday evening, May 31,2009. As you can see in the picture immediately beneath, things were just beginning to be enclosed in February. What a difference three months can make... It is impressive to see the character being given to the building by the materials chosen to cover the structure.

Passing the Bass Pro Shop in Council Bluffs, on our trips back and forth to Lincoln,NE. a couple of times in the last year, left me to wonder what they might decide would fit the Altoona location. The Council Bluffs location reminds me of a huge log lodge, a very inviting site. The Altoona store looks like pine siding on parts of it from the Interstate. Presently, I can only speculate until I get a closer look. A job fair was planned for June 1st-3rd, to begin the search for the nearly 300 full and part-time staff . The invitation to people of the outdoors to become apart of the workforce whether you are a teenager, or a seasoned pro, is being heard over all the local news media. They are looking for individuals to work in the main store, 10 lane Bowling Alley and the Grill section.

Mark your calendars for the Grand Opening scheduled for Thursday, August 27th,2009, if you live close-by, or will be passing through the state on your vacation. I know I plan on being there to check out the inventory and getting pictures to pass along....;)

Altoona,IA Bass Pro Shop Updates

This picture I posted on July 18,2008, heralded in the public advertisement of the intent for the Bass Pro Shop chain to become an anchor store of the new Shoppes at Prairie Crossing Mall that is being developed at the corner of U.S. Highway 65 by-pass loop and Interstate 80. An article in The Des Moines Register on February 9, 2009, reported that the man behind the development, Mike Whalen, felt good about the progress that had been achieved during one of the coldest winters Iowa had experienced in the last seven years. Yesterday gave me the opportunity to check on the building myself. The picture to the left is the view presently seen from the U.S 65 by-pass as you travel to the on ramp to Interstate 80 East. Traveling further, another angle presented itself overlooking a water feature. I am sure it will be developed to add peace and serenity to what will be a very busy location. Familiar markers are seen in the picture to the left - the Bass Pro Shop sign, and the Altoona water tower, along with the east edge of the building. This building is impressive in size,3 1/2 football fields worth of merchandise will fill it when completed. Could take days to see it ALL. ;)

New Bass Pro Shop Location

Bass Pro Shop announced on December 18,2007 they would be building a new store in the Des Moines,IA metro area. A public sign of their intentions became visible along the Highway 65 Bypass intersection with eastbound Interstate 80 within the Altoona city limits.

Looks like a great place for easy access. It won't be more than a half hour drive from my place. I will certain;y have to give it a test run when the doors finally open. ;)