Dad's Birthday: Part I and Done

Where's Olivia? She didn't want to be in the photo.
Dad's 40th birthday was Friday and he took full advantage of the opportunity to do his annual "epic" birthday bike ride.

This year (he can't even remember where he rode last year), he left from the Wabash Trace Trailhead and ventured through the Southwest Iowa bluffs, with stops in Mineola, Glenwood and Central City. Four hours - and 74 miles - later, he was back home, having lucked out on missing a storm front that dropped the temperature about 10 degrees and had the wind gusting to 25-30 mph.

As for the "surprise" aspect of his birthday (since there was a surprise birthday party for his 30th), Mom had gone to great lengths to get 40 birthday cards mailed to him. The unofficial count (photo above) puts the number close to 35, with more trickling in each day. Thanks to everyone who took the time to take part! The other part of the surprise was the 40 balloons that Mom and the girls blew up and placed on the front yard. Now the neighbors know that there is officially a crabby old guy living in that red brick house.