A few days back we had visitors. They are kids. You can tell that because they arrived at 3:00 in the morning. They are DOR and future SILOR. That's Daughter of Ralph and future Son In law of Ralph for those not paying attention. They were leaving their home town of Chicago and traveling to spend the rest of the summer coaching basketball and preparing for a wedding in Denver. They called me mid morning the day before this pic was taken. Tiffany said "Cliff, we're going to Denver and need a place to stay." I said "You know you're welcome, you don't have to ask, what time will you be here?" "Oh about eleven or midnight." I said "Great, we'll wait up for you." At midnight I called them to see where they were. They were half way across Iowa. "That's three hours away Tiffany, you know where our bedrooms are, see you in the morning, the door's open, shut out the lights before you go up stairs." Shutting the lights off was a deal I always made with the kids. I left lights on and they were to shut everything off when they came home and went upstairs to bed. That way I didn't have to wake in the middle of the night and wonder if they had made it home. They got here at 3:00 AM and when I got up the next morning at 7:00 (no I don't always sleep late but I'd had a late night) Tiff was already up and sitting in the living room visiting with Marilyn. It must be nice to be young. They left here after breakfast and a quick tour of Tekamah. I did have a chance to take Jason on a tour of the farm in one of my tractors. He is quick to pick up on farming techniques and was genuinely interested. Well at least he asked all the right questions.
Tiffany already has a teaching and coaching job for next fall in Chicago and Jason will finish college and teach Biology as well as coach, after graduation. This is the beginning of what looks like a well planned out pair of careers and marriage. It was nice to be remembered with a visit even if it was a brief one. Those two are always welcome.
