McRocks Midwest Get together 2007

It was 4:30 AM Thursday morning when I woke up. I got Dad and Randy up and by 5:30 we where on our way to Keokuk, IA. Around 7:30 we stopped at the Pioneer Café for some java and grub. It only took us about 30 minutes to eat and get back on the road. We got to Jamesville, WI around 10:00 AM to stop in to Uncle Howard’s to give him some papers of Uncle Harold’s that he needed. We chatted for a short time and got back on the road again.

By 2:30 PM we were just north of Hamilton, ILL and stopped along the Mississippi River to get some pictures of a big flock of Pelicans. When we finished with the pictures and watching them we got ready to leave but one problem. The van wouldn’t start. Lucky the guy across the road came home and gave us a jump. It took about 45 minutes for us to get the van started. We tried every thing to get it go, hitting the starter with a hammer, checking the battery post, moving the jumper cables. When she did finally start we didn’t stop for anything till we got to Auto Zone in Keokuk, IA.

Well we took the battery out to have it tested for I noticed that the battery is four years old. It turned out to be in great shape so we put it back in and tried to start the van. This time we didn’t even get a click from the starter. So next we had to get the starter off and have it checked. We couldn’t get the bolts lose so one of the man from Auto Zone helped us. He even couldn’t get the bolts to come lose at first. After a half hour of trying they finally came lose. He took the starter in to test it and guess what it was shot. So I got a new one and put it in and wa la it started the first try. So we got done putting every thing back in the van for tools and it was 6:30 when we left there to go get some grub at the All American Café.

Well it tuned out they where closed all ready so we went to the 4^th street Café. We had supper and had some java till 7:45 PM. So off to Keokuk Motor Lodge we went so we could check in and get our key. We unpacked the van with our stuff and seen that no one else had came in yet. So we just sat and watched some TV. Around 9:00 PM we heard a knock on the door (I wonder who had check in and stopped to say HI) here it was Virgil – DWS to say hello. We chatted a bit and he had to go unpack his truck yet.