Offenburger.com

Along Our Way

What a way to end a summer! We Offenburgers were the guests on a late-summer weekend at the lake house of our friends Joe and Cindy Connolly. The Connollys live in Council Bluffs and commute many weekends to their get-away place on a private lake just south of Columbus, Nebraska. It was a real “kick-back” weekend with lots of sunshine, fun boating, good food and plenty of time to read.
[TO SEE THESE PHOTOS & OTHERS IN LARGER FORMAT, AND TO READ A BRIEF STORY, CLICK HERE.]

A conversation

LIVING WITH CANCER

with the Offenburgers

Chuck Offenburger was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins follicular lymphoma cancer on July 10, 2009, had six months of chemotherapy & is now doing well in a “maintenance” program. Carla Offenburger underwent surgery on April 26, 2010, for removal of a jaw tumor which was found to contain adenoid cystic carcinoma cancer. She underwent six weeks of follow-up radiation in June and July, and continues under close medical observation. We post updates frequently here, including brief insights from Chuck, Carla and at least one of you readers.

“Carla, if you were standing here I’d hug you. This is such a ton of stress and scheduling for anyone but then add that you are recouping yourself and it is nearly overwhelming. Yet here you are forging ahead.”

FOR THE LATEST UPDATE, CLICK HERE.

What’s the deal with the
black & white saddle shoes?

Click here for the story of our farm in Greene County, Iowa.

Here's looking at life
at Simple Serenity Farm

Carla’s sister & brother-in-law Chris and Tony Woods, of Des Moines, were at the farm on Sunday, August 22, helping Carla do the lawn mowing and other yard work that we’ve struggled to keep up with lately, with all our medical appointments. The Woodses brought along their 18-month-old granddaughter Ari, who was a delight watching all the action from the porch with Chuck, catching up on her reading and then getting a moment on the lawn tractor seat!
Click here for larger format

Earlier photos in this series

Chuck Offenburger's
new book on sports
legend Gary Thompson
gets excellent reviews

FOR INFORMATION ON WHERE & HOW TO BUY THE BOOK, CLICK HERE!

''GARY THOMPSON: All-American'' is the new, 352-page biography of one of the state’s genuine sports icons. From 1950-’53 Gary Thompson led the Roland Rockets to high school sports glory in basketball and baseball, giant-killers from one of Iowa’s small schools. Then he led the Cyclones at Iowa State from 1953-’57, becoming the college’s first two-sport All-American. He’s had major success in broadcasting and business, from his home base in Ames. And he and his wife Janet have a family as solid as they come. “I’m the luckiest guy around,” Thompson says.

TO READ CHUCK OFFENBURGER'S COLUMN ABOUT THE BOOK AND THE ''BOOK LAUNCHING'' HELD EARLY IN DECEMBER, CLICK HERE.

TO READ DES MOINES REGISTER SPORTSWRITER RICK BROWN'S REVIEW OF THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.

TO READ CEDAR RAPIDS GAZETTE SPORTS COLUMNIST JIM ECKER'S REVIEW OF THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.

TO READ AMES DAILY TRIBUNE SPORTSWRITER DICK KELLY'S STORY ABOUT THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.

TO READ DOUG BURNS' STORY ABOUT THE BOOK IN THE CARROLL DAILY TIMES HERALD, CLICK HERE.

TO READ ANDY GOODELL'S STORY ABOUT THE BOOK IN THE OSKALOOSA HERALD, CLICK HERE.

WANT TO SEE AND HEAR THE OLD ROLAND HIGH SCHOOL FIGHT SONG PERFORMED? CLICK HERE!

FOR INFORMATION ON WHERE & HOW TO BUY THE BOOK, CLICK HERE!

FOR PHOTOS FROM OUR BOOK LAUNCHING EVENTS, CLICK HERE!

SEE BOB MODERSOHN'S PHOTOS OF OUR BOOK CHAT AND SIGNING AT BEAVERDALE BOOKS IN DES MOINES!

Our Partners & Patrons
Iowa Hall of Pride
netINS, Inc.
Butler House on Grand B&B
Sam's Barber Shop
Douglas T. Bates III, Attorney
KMA Radio's ''Chuck & Don Show''
Barack Obama story & coloring book
The Monks of New Melleray Abbey

Along Our Way

It is prime time for bicycling all across Iowa, as people do their final training rides in preparation for the 36th edition of RAGBRAI -- that's the Des Moines Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. The ''world's oldest, biggest and best bicycle touring event'' is July 20-26, with 12,665 cyclists registered from all 50 states and 18 other nations. Riders will gather Saturday, July 19, at the starting town of Missouri Valley, with overnight stops Sunday in Harlan, Monday in Jefferson, Tuesday in Ames, Wednesday in Tama-Toledo, Thursday in North Liberty and Friday in Tipton before ending on Saturday, July 26, in LeClaire on the Mississippi River. Riders in Iowa have flocked to the state's backroads and recreational trails the last two weeks. Here are photos of some of the fun that's happened recently along the Raccoon River Valley Trail, a hard-surfaced trail which starts in Jefferson on the north, then extends 56 miles west and south to Waukee, then connects into the Des Moines metro trail system.

Chuck and Carla Offenburger, of Cooper, getting ready to start on a day's ride on the Raccoon River Valley Trail after overnighting in the west side of Des Moines at the home of Carla's sister and her husband, Chris and Tony Woods.

A sign on the Clive Green Belt Trail in the western suburb of Clive points the way to the Raccoon River Valley Trail, which leads on west and north, 56 miles from Waukee to Jefferson.

The number of trails and trail users is growing so rapidly in the Des Moines metro area that now there are many trail intersections, like this one in the western suburb of Clive. There are also directional signs along the trails, pointing users to spur trails that connect with adjacent streets.

Riders are shown here taking a break at the Redfield Depot, a favorite stop along the Raccoon River Valley Trail. A Redfield civic group operates a concession stand in the depot on weekends. Riders from urban areas are always amazed at the size of the grain elevator they pedal right next to in Redfield.

The Raccoon River Valley Trail Association had a free picnic for its members on Saturday, July 12, at Hanging Rock Park on the southwest corner of Redfield. Here RRVT Association board member Mike Wallace, who is also the Dallas County Conservation director, is doing the grilling.

Among those at the RRVT Association members picnic were Pam German and Linda Myers, from the Dallas Center area. They reported that they've been using the RRVT this summer to connect them to trails in the metro Des Moines area, then riding their bikes all over the city to experience different coffeehouses.

Gene and Mary Lou Nosco, of Des Moines, are shown here on a stretch of trail that goes from the shelterhouse area at Hanging Rock Park at Redfield, down a hill the Middle Raccoon River. The Noscos have settled in Des Moines after careers as military officers, and Mary Lou is now working toward her Ph. d. degree in leadership at Drake University.

Chuck Corwin, of Des Moines, is a veteran rider who used the trails on Saturday, July 12, to ride 31 miles from home to the RRVT Association picnic in Redfield.

Kim and Steve Lipshutz, of Urbandale, on their stretch tandem recumbent, were among those at the RRVT Association picnic. They're shown here on the trail coming up to Hanging Rock Park from the Middle Raccoon River, with wildflowers lining a median between the trail and road.

Jason Parkin, a meteorologist with KCCI-TV News in Des Moines, is a frequent user of the Raccoon River Valley Trail. He is shown here talking to Carla Offenburger, president of the RRVT Associaton, as he goes through the serving line at the group's picnic.

RRVT Association board members Julie Bailey, Bob German and Carla Offenburger were wearing three different styles of RRVT T-shirts during the association's picnic. You can order trail apparel by going to the Internet site www.raccoonrivervalleytrail.org.

Shown here on the east bank of the Middle Raccoon River at Hanging Rock Park are Patrick Utz, of Ankeny, Carla Offenburger and Andy Upah, of West Des Moines. The rock outcropping on the west bank of the river there is sandstone, stretching up 45 feet. The area along the river in that park is one of the prettiest places on the Raccoon River Valley Trail.

Send your comments to carla@Offenburger.com or chuck@Offenburger.com

Along Our Way Archives