Friday was a warm summer day in Iowa, so Grandma, Aunt Val and Daddy took Nyan Thomas to the creatively named City Park for a bit of fun. They have a small section of amusement rides – nothing fancy, but for 75 cents a ride, who’s complaining?

One of Daddy’s favorite rides growing up was the miniature train that snakes a long oval around part of the park. On Friday, we boarded the black-and-gold (of course) train and went for a couple of laps.

Then it was off to the merry-go-round:

Finally, Nyan and Daddy relaxed in the grass a bit.

Back home, Nyan Thomas got to know Ripley, Aunt Val and Uncle Steve’s dog whom they brought with them on their day trip to Iowa City. Ripley is a very sweet and gentle dog, and while Nyan kept his distance at first, eventually his curiosity got the better of him, and he and Ripley became pals.