Vacation Tidbits

We were gone for a little bit and saw some lovely country in Missouri and some wonderful family too.

First stop was Tom and Clures's. Troy and Isaac spent a couple days helping Tom put the deck around their new doublewide at the lake property.

I'm sure they'll enjoy not only sitting on the deck, but just having some stairs to the door too! (I think if you click on the picture, you can get a larger copy. Is it just me, or do Tom and Isaac look busy while Troy looks like he's enjoying an iced tea?)

They managed to pick up a gorgeous three slip dock. With the lounge chair and boat seats mounted to the deck, it is a great place to hang out.

The view across the river is pretty and makes you wonder: would I dare jump off the rocks?
(I wouldn't--much too chicken.) It all made me hanker for a canoe.

Clures and I, while the boys were busy, entertained ourselves with a lot of quilt shopping (you can read about that on my other blog) and a side trip to the local chamber of commerce housed in an old train depot.
The museum had a display of 1970s artifacts from the area and many tidbits from the big druggy Woodstock-like concert held at the state fairgrounds. The organizers figured the local law wasn't up to stopping their fun (and they were right). And they did things like tell the local officials 50,000 were expected, but printed up 153,000 tickets. Stuff like that.

After a couple days we moved north to Peggy and Warren's, no sooner getting there than turning around for a charity auction. Troy found a sweet deal on a second canner for us. Lucky me.

Sunday was a quiet day, but Monday I rode along with Peggy on her taxi job. We took some people (and their produce) to the produce auction, slipped out to look around the local town,

and then headed back to the auction to wait for her fare. They weren't ready yet so we sat on a bench in the shade and talked to whomever came by. I was of course working on some knitting. After that, a few more errands on the way home. It was a full day.

Meanwhile Troy went to look at the lathe and/or milling machines he was so excited about but unable to get any real solid information about. Out of the three machines, he made arrangements to buy one and that will make it here sometime when Warren can haul it for us. (His welcome offer made it so we could drive the car (with A/C) instead of the pickup. Think about it--three of us in the front of a pickup. No A/C. Me knitting. Troy shifting gears between Isaac's legs. 11 hour trip. These thoughts did not make me happy. So, thank you, Warren!) And then maybe by the time it gets here, the shop will be ready for it. Ok, so maybe that's asking too much...

Tuesday we drove the long trip home. We went a different route (being now in northern MO rather than central) and can you believe we saw a pickup we had seen on the way down? It was the same vehicle. Had a bumper sticker that read, "Jesus is coming back--look busy." Not a bumper sticker I'd want on my car. Maybe "be busy," but "look busy?" Nope.

Anyway, it worked out that we could stop at my sisters on the way. They were just home from family camp and had lots of stories to tell. We're in charge next year and she was already making plans. Go, sister, go! Troy's even talking of camping now, so I won't be alone. (Sorry, Paul, I know you were hoping I'd share with Yvonne again!)

Anyone got a camper?