Chapter 13

Charles and Bobby Jo headed home on Monday just as the four of us took off for Niagara Falls. The trip was a bit of a haul and we didn't have a good attraction that appealed to Lou Ann in between. We made the two-hundred and fifteen mile drive take much of the day by stopping for food, and shopping, and things like stopping to examine some of the many historic markers along the route.

Since it was a short day, the girls checked into the hotel in the early afternoon, got some rest, and we agreed to go out for supper to a wonderful Italian Restaurant. The Como Restaurant is located downtown, just a few blocks from the falls, which meant we could see the falls at night, with the lights, after we took the Maid-of-the-Mist boat ride, which leaves from Niagara Falls State park on the New York side.

We got wet.

The slickers helped, but a lot of wetness got all over us.

The whole boat got soaked. Fortunately it was fresh water, so there wasn't a problem with going around coated with salt. Lou Ann was enthralled by the massive amount of water going over the falls, and how much larger it looked when you saw it from below. We tried to keep her dry, but that just doesn't work on the Maid-of-the-Mist.

I bribed the captain four-hundred dollars to keep us out a little later, since it was his last tour of the day, and we saw the sunset playing off the falls, along with the many rainbows created by the mist. It was just what the day needed. Lou Ann was so wound up she got her mom's phone and called home to tell her grandparents all about it.

We listened to her excitedly telling about the boat ride, and all the people she met onboard. Hearing about Niagara Falls through the eyes of Lou Ann, gave me an entirely different perspective on the marvel of the falls, and how unique it was. By the time we got her back to the hotel she was ready for a bath, and bed. Kelly and Lane got very busy, and I snuck out to the coach to shower off, dry off, and hit the sack.

Niagara Falls seemed like a turning point for the three girls. The next day we drove into Canada and picked up highway four-oh-three, taking it to four-oh-two, which got us back into the United States, at Port Huron, Michigan. Lou Ann watched the scenery pass us by, still in the grip of the Niagara Falls adventure and talking like a magpie.

"Do you think the water on the falls is there all the time?

"How many gazillion gallons of water does it take to make those falls work like that?

"Does everyone come to see Niagara Falls? I know everyone should"

Lane chose to answer that one. "Lou baby, lots of people go to Niagara Falls right after their marriage ceremony, on their honeymoon. It's one of the biggest honeymoon attractions in the world."

Lou Ann wasn't totally buying that one, "Does that mean that you guys got married? When were you going to tell me?"

Before she could get mad, I put her straight. "There is nothing I would like better than to be your daddy, Lou Ann, but I just met you and your mommy a few days ago. You knew your Grandfather asked me to drive you on your vacation, and one of the places he wanted to you to see was where he took your Grandmother after their wedding ceremony.

"You remember all the kids your age, on the Maid-of-the-Mist? Well ... They weren't all married. They were too young, just like you and me. In fact, I'm so young, I had to have Kelly and Lane vouch for me because children weren't allowed on some of the rides at Cedar Point."

She thought about that and settled down some. I caught Lane and Kelly giving me an appraising stare after I put her problem to rest.

She was full of questions and energy for most of rest of the day, but began to run down just as we quit for the night. Lane and Kelly handled child care in the hotel, and I took the coach to an all- night truck repair shop and ran it through the wash bay, got the oil changed, and had everything checked out. The filters were fine, but I got the fuel filter changed anyway, and bought three replacements, in case I had to change it while we were traveling.

Canada isn't all that motor coach friendly, but better than it used to be by a long shot, so I was glad to cross back through customs and continue on US highways.

Michigan and Minnesota were just where I'd left them, and we were soon away from the traffic crunch and I was able to relax a bit more, even though I was driving a massive coach. We revisited some of the places I took Cindy and her mom, to see, like the Eighteen-Eighties Town, and Mount Rushmore. I still can't get over naming a vacation spot you know, the kind of place you go to relax and get away from the hassles of work Rushmore! Seriously Rush-More?

Lou Ann loved the people at Eighteen-Eighties and they seemed to love her. The piano player, Jeff Klein, and his wife, Cynthia, got Lou Ann and Lane all dressed up in western garb and we took pictures of them all together. It was both a good experience, and a chance to get out from behind the wheel. The eastern two-thirds of South Dakota isn't known for having many great places to stop and see things.

The Black Hills were spectacular. We shopped for Black Hills gold and even panned for gold at one tourist stop. It's boring, and the water is really, really cold. Other than that, it was just wonderful. Lou Ann liked it as long as I got my hands frozen, and she directed the work from her chair.

Kelly left the trip in Rapid City, due to a sick relative back home, and I arranged for a hotel car to take her to the airport. Lane looked concerned, but not worried, if that makes any sense. Kelly was very competent, but I reminded her, "How hard is it to hire a nurse for a few weeks?"

Even with my brilliant powers of observation, Lane elected to go on without replacing Kelly. That made my responsibilities just a bit more intense, as I found out the first night after Kelly flew home, when Lane called me to come in to the hotel room and help get Lou Ann in the bath.

So far Lou Ann had been the perfect little child. Sick, but willing. Struggling to survive, but easy to please. On this night she was a terror. Losing Kelly must have really upset her, because she was fighting Lane tooth and nail until I walked in, and said, "Hey! What's the trouble here? Are you two fighting over me? There's plenty of me to go around, so stop fighting, and start telling me how wonderful I am, already!!!"

They both stopped struggling, and Lane looked at me like I just farted in church, until Lou Ann began to giggle, relaxed and let Lane bathe her. When she was clean as a whistle, Lane called out and I lifted Lou Ann out of the water, and held her while Lane rubbed her down with a couple of towels, and put her night gown over her head, and a new diaper on the other end.

When she was presentable, I carried her to bed, kissed her on the chin, and tucked her in.

Lou Ann must have exhausted herself, because I sat and held her hand, expecting her to want to complain about Kelly leaving, but she yawned, turned towards me to have a talk, and fell asleep in mid-sentence. That freed me to head to the coach and give Lane some time to herself, but she wanted to talk, instead.