We are back in Riverton Wyoming to finish up our summer jobs for the season. Thank you to everyone that commented, texted and called regarding the passing of Dan’s father, Stu. We spent quite a bit of time helping out his mom, Joan, with bills, paperwork and other odds and ends around the house. Dan’s sister Linda and brother Gary were also a great help. We are grateful to Brad and Joanne, our employer, for allowing us to have the time off to spend back in Wisconsin.

The local irrigation district here in Riverton just announced they will be shutting off the water for the season on September 25, so we only have a few weeks left to irrigate. Then we flush out the pipes, disassemble them, and put them away for the winter. We can’t leave them out in the fields, because the horses that spend the winter here, treat them as toys to place with, and will break the pipes!

Currently we are trying to lose all the weight we gained back in Wisconsin! Joan and Stu’s friends and neighbors were very generous in bringing over food and lot’s of delicious baked goods!

While we were back in Wisconsin, I was able to briefly get together with my family, which I enjoyed. We stayed a few days with my brother Brian and sister in law Annette in the Milwaukee area. Wisconsin has a lot of Church festivals in the summer, and we were able to get together with my brother Jerry at one of them.

GO MADGE/TEAM PHOENIX!

The best part of getting back to Wisconsin was seeing my sister Margie (a/k/a Madge), channel her inner athlete and compete in a “Tri-ing for a Cure” triathlon. Margie (along with my other sister LuAnn, my mom, my niece Tracie, are all breast cancer survivors. And several good friends as well). Aurora Health Care sponsors Team Phoenix, which offers breast cancer survivors a 14 week training program to prepare them for their second biggest challenge, a triathlon. There were 50 women in this years Team Phoenix group participating in the 1/4 mile swim, 15 mile bicycle ride and a 5K run. In addition, there were about 350 others at the triathlon, including those in the Olympic distance division.

Before the race, I was able to get a picture of my brother in law Greg, nieces Molly and Hannah, along with Madge.

The back of my niece’s Team Phoenix shirt.

My niece Tracie was also able to attend. I have not seen her in years, so it was nice to have time to catch up on life.

The event took place at Ottawa Lake in Wisconsin, which is a wonderful state park. About an hour after the first group began the race, it was time for the ladies from Team Phoenix to warm up in the water.

Once everyone was in the water, it was hard to tell who’s who. But my sister spotted my sign that I was holding up, and moved towards me so I could get a photo before the swim.

Team Phoenix had a large and vocal group of spectators. I overheard many of the other triathlon participants comment on how happy we were there to cheer everyone on.

My sister was all smiles after she finished the swimming portion of the race, and jogged over to the staging area where all the bicycles were stored.

I have never been to a triathlon before, and was impressed by how organized everything was. A quick change of shoes, and my sister was ready to begin the 15 mile bicycle portion of the race, which took place on country roads (so no photos).

While we had time to wait, I went back down to the beach to watch additional groups start their race. After the last group of participants started, I was amused when the geese decided to participate and began lining up at the starting line!

Of course a few of them cheated and flew across the lake!

Team Phoenix had several cheerleaders in addition to family and friends.

SPAR is the motto for Team Phoenix. It stands for Strong Proud Alive Redefined.

After the bicycle portion completed, it was on to the 5K, which my sister said was the hardest portion for her. And by this time, the heat and humidity made for an extra challenge. But Madge was all smiles as she approached the finish line!

The time displayed on the finish line is the total elapsed time since the first group of swimmers took off. Madge finished her first triathlon in 2 hours and 1 minute. Absolutely fantastic!

When all the ladies began training for the triathlon, they were given a blank piece of cardboard to write their mantra to motivate them. Some had a few words written down, but my sister used up every inch of her piece of cardboard!

Another family photo at the end of the race!

And a picture of Madge and I

The entire 2025 Team Phoenix group of warriors finished the race, and posed for a post-race photo on the beach. They have battled and won breast cancer, and now they are triathlon winners!! Awesome job ladies!!

It was truly inspiration to watch these ladies. Many tears were shed by the participants and their family and friends watching and cheering them on. I’m so glad I was able to attend, and am very proud of my sister!

Quote for the day: “You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.” – Cayla Mills.