Touches of Blue

It was truly a Blue Monday here in my little corner of the world. About one this morning we had some scary excitement when a severe storm came through our area. I have lived in this area all my life and this is the first time I felt threatened enough by the weather to actually follow that sound advice to seek shelter in the basement.

We had winds that reached seventy-five to one hundred mph and toppled trees, tore off roofs, downed power lines, and left the ground littered with roofing shingles, trash and branches. But, according to the six o'clock news, our town was among the lucky ones. Tornados and straight line winds caused more carnage in several neighboring towns and counties and thousands were still without power with many not expected to have power restored for another day or possibly two.

The St. Louis Tv stations actually came to our small town today to film coverage for the evening news. That seldom happens. I was shocked when a house that I pass everyday was part of the coverage. I took the following photo from the TV stations website.
According to the news account the owner was standing at the front door when this tree started to fall causing the door jam to hit him in the head. Fortunately, he was not seriously injured.

I had started my post for Blue Monday over the weekend but had not finished it before all of the above excitement happened. But, after seeing the blue house above on the ten o'clock news it not only reminded me but caused a rewrite of my post.

Now lets move on to the blue pictures that I intended to share this week.

Last summer we took some out of town guest sightseeing on the St. Louis Riverfront. I took this photo during a riverboat tour on the Mississippi River in front of the arch. The subjects were a Mother and her two daughters but it was the footwear that I found most interesting.

I snapped this shot of the rooftop swimming pools from the small windows at the top of the Gateway Arch.

I was driving by the local high school on day when I noticed these practice dummies sitting on the gravel parking area.

I am linking this post to Blue Monday hosted by Smiling Sally.

To check out all the other participants of Blue Monday click here.

Pounds of Soda Pop Cans

Beverage cans in our area are selling for twenty-eight cents per pound. Wonder how many pounds were in this bin at the city recycling center yesterday?

I am linking this post to the meme Color Carnival.

To join the fun or to check out all the colorful entries of other players, visit Maria and her friends at Color Carnival.

The Gathering Place

How fast time flies sometimes. We are once again back to that day of the week when my blogging buddy Lesley ask us to share any interesting signs we have found.

I have selected several that I think you may enjoy.

This first sign is posted over the window in my sister's kitchen.

Nancy's house is truly the gathering place for our family. Almost every family holiday and celebration is held in this kitchen. The room was designed and added to Nancy's house for the sole purpose of providing perfect place where she can do the cooking and canning she enjoys, and share the fruits of her labor.

The little country church of St. Mary's in Moselle, Missouri is well known in our area for the roast beef dinners they serve at their annual Church picnic. I noticed the sign above written in magic marker on the post between the entrance and exit doors of the dining hall while waiting our turn to be served. I never could figure out the reason for the sign.


I happened to park next to this purple truck at the shop of our auto mechanic. I have no idea what the sign was meant to tell me and could not find anyone around who could explain it to me.

I am linking this post to Signs, Signs. A new meme hosted by Lesley of Southern Ontario, discovered . To check out what interesting signs others have posted this week click here.

Tractors Git Her Done

Jenny over at Alphabe Thursday is featuring the letter "T" This week. Now as a country girl that is letter I know something about. What do we have more of in a rural area than TRACTORS------- of course.

It is almost impossible to take a drive a few miles out of town on a summer day without having to spend sometime at a slow crawl behind a tractor. And, you will find that our tractors come in every size, color and vintage as the following collages will show.

So the next time you get stuck behind one of these saviors of the family farm, remember that but for the eighteen hour days spent on that hard seat in all kinds of weather by the driver you might have to forgo that sweet corn with your BBQ or do without fresh fruit on your morning cereal.

I am linking this post to Alphabe Thursday.

The theme this week is the letter "T"

To check out the other participants take on the letter of the week visit Jenny Matlock and her friends by clicking here.

Rants and Tangents

I know some of us are bad about reading the fine print on things and occasionally it comes back to bite us. Well, if you pop up and read the fine print under the title of my blog you will see that I promise to throw in a few rants, tangents and some rambling’s on occasion. Well this is going to be one of those days. But, don’t worry; my fine print doesn’t bite back. So, grab your drink and get comfy, this may take a while. But, please don’t go running away unless you are going to be late to the doctor’s or your meatloaf is burning. You might find we have some thoughts in common.

I am a list maker of long standing. I tend to make list of my lists so I won’t lose my lists. Since the bad weather and my Fibro have been messing with my health and sanity the list of things I wanted to blog about has gotten lengthy. So rather than trying to compose a post devoted to each subject I am going to do the cliff notes version of a few. Hope you are all settled in because here goes.

WHAT IS IT-------------with people these days?

People seem to be in such a rush to get somewhere that they don’t have time for basic human decency and politeness.

Recently a niece’s birthday party took us to a large indoor amusement park. It was a busy Saturday with dozens of parties scheduled and the place was hopping. In the course of two hours I got run into by kids on skates, shoved by parents on cell phones, hit by tots tossing balls, and doused in spilt soda without anyone saying a simple “I’m Sorry” or “Excuse Me.” What’s up with that?

One day I stood outside the Men’s room waiting for the Old Salt and during that few minutes’ two guys exited the restroom still zipping up their pants. What’s up with that?

Another day while shopping with my elderly mother, I stood outside her stall in the ladies restroom in case she needed help. During that time I counted 15 people come and go. Only eight washed their hands. Two of them were teens who washed because their grandmother was with them and set the example. What’s up with that?

I got into what became a very heated discussion recently at a family function. Seems, that I am really outdated in my thinking and couldn’t find anyone who would agree with me, at least openly. The subject was “wearing clothing with advertising on it.” For example, in my day (Ha, there I am talking like my father) if a person was wearing a Tee shirt that advertised a person, place or product you knew that it was because the shirt was a give-away or freebee.

To this day, I refuse to pay for an item to advertise for someone or something. You will not see me plunking down hard-earned money for something with Tommy Hilfiger, Abercrombe, Columbia, Aeropostle or the like emblazoned across it. Of course my nieces had to set me straight real fast on the flaws in my thinking. In their minds, if the brand is not major and the print large they do not want to own it. I think it is a status thing. What’s up with that?

Over the years the Old Salt and I have been married there have been several occasions when I disagreed with some decision he made where a child or young lady was concerned. When he explained why he did whatever, I felt he was being silly or outright paranoid. During a discussion with a group of friends recently a similar subject came up and I discovered that every man in the group felt the same way my husband did.

I can’t believe that the world has gotten so upside down that good, honorable men are hesitant to go out of their way to help a child or teenage girl for fear of being accused of some inappropriate behavior. What’s up with that? What has happen to the “It takes a village to raise a child” idea? Heck, when I was a kid I new that if I did something wrong my parents expected whatever adult was nearby to give me the same chewing out they would. And, I was always certain that if I needed help I could trust the adults in my neighborhood to provide it. That was even true when my kids were growing up. When did that all change? And, how did I miss seeing it?

Okay, I guess my little rant is out of my system for now. Thanks for taking the time to listen. Feedback is desired and always welcome.

Tricycle Time

It is that time of week again when we celebrate all things RED. Thanks to all the white stuff we've had the last month I'm having to delve into the archives for todays shots. I can't recall if I used these pictures before, so forgive me if you have already seen them.

Last summer we went into St. Louis to attend the first birthday party of my nephew. On the way home we passed a city park that had some great sculptures. Of course we had to do a turn around to photograph them.

I was so taken with this giant tricycle that I could not resist trying to climbing on board. The Old Salt was convinced I would not make it without his help.

But, I showed him, and must admit that it was not easy. I almost fell off trying to get posed for this shot.

I am linking this post to Ruby Tuesday and Rednesday.

Mary at "Work of the Poet" hosts Ruby Tuesday. Rednesday is a Wednesday meme hosted by Sue at "It's a Very Cherry World." Both memes are dedicated to the color red. To join the fun or just check out what Red others are excited to share visit Mary and her friends at Ruby Tuesdayand Sue and her friends from Rednesday

A 3-Cent Nickel

If you are a regular visitor here then you know that I suffer from Fibromyalgia. And, let me tell you it has been kicking my butt since all the bad weather started. This last week it took all I could do to stay awake long enough to complete the basic daily task, so my blog has suffered ---------AGAIN!

I'm way late in posting to my new blogging buddy Lesley's meme on signs for this week but could not reconcile with myself to skip it all together. "So better late than never" as they say.

The Old Salt received a gift card for Christmas to Bass Pro. We do not live close to one of their stores so we waited for a nice day to made the long drive to redeem his card. Whenever possible we try to travel the most scenic route so that we can enjoy the countryside. I photographed the following sign in the front yard of a home on one of those narrow, curvy state roads that always seem to have some kind of double letter. You know the kind I mean, Highway KK, or AA or such.

The family that lives here takes their patriotism very seriously. This sign was made to last a life time and they wanted to be sure that it could be seen given the size of it. I enlarged the wording in the shot below so that you can read it better.

While visiting a small local museum I captured a shot of this sign that was locked behind a glass showcase. I had never heard of this coin before.

Have You?

I am linking this post to Signs, Signs.

A new meme hosted by Lesley of Southern Ontario, discovered . To check out what interesting signs others have posted this week click here.

Tin's Galore

A few weeks ago the Old Salt and I had some business in a small town about an hours drive from home. It was getting into mid afternoon so we decided to shop for lunch. A drive through the downtown area led us to this restaurant with a "now open" sign in the window.

As the owner of my own restaurant, in one of the many chapters of my life, I am always a sucker for trying a new place. So in we went.

That impromptu stop turned into a very pleasant visit. The restaurant had only been open for a few weeks; and due to the between time of day, we were the only couple in the place for a while. As a result we got to have a very interesting visit with the owners, a retired couple who had just moved back to the wife's home town from Vegas. The husband had worked for years as the head chef at one of the casinos on the strip and they were looking forward to having time to enjoy a slower lifestyle while still being able to do the cooking they enjoyed.

Needless to say, we had a great lunch. I was also able to get some photographs of the restaurants decor which is perfect for sharing on Color Carnival. The walls were lined with hundreds of old tins. There was everything from coffee and syrup tins to imported biscuits and cookie tins.

I have never seen so many decorator tins in one place before.

All of the post in the center of the room contained other old and colorful items as well.

I am linking this post to the meme Color Carnival.

To join the fun or to check out all the colorful entries of other players, visit Maria and her friends at Color Carnival.

Abby, Gigi and Valentines Pink

I live in a small town where all the shops in the downtown area are family owned. The kind of businesses that are still warm and friendly, and they try to remember your name. I can't count very many of them that don't have a shop pet. When you walk down Main Street you will see a cat or a dog lying in the sunshine of the front window. You will notice pet doors that allow the animals to move between the sales floor and the back rooms, and sometimes the sidewalk. You may even have to step around a dish filled with kibble to get inside the front door.

One shop owner brings her toy poodle Abby to work each day wearing a different outfit. During my visit a few days ago Abby was wearing a pink sweater with white hearts.

I went to the car to fetch my camera and when I returned I found the daughter of another customer playing with Abby and her purple mouse. Luck was smiling on me that day because the little girl had touches of pink, from her hood and cap to the soles of her shoes.

I captured this next photo of Gigi, that same evening when the Old Salt and I attended the birthday dinner of her resident human and our dear friend. Gigi must have know I was seeking pink shots to share because she choose a pink blanket on the back of the sofa for her nap.

Beverly, who hosts Pink Saturday, gave us the option to feature something pertaining to Valentine's day this week. Due to the weather, I have not been getting out much, so I am afraid that the hearts on Abby's sweater is the best I could do. Perhaps you will find something more in keeping with Valentines Day by visiting Beverly and her friends at Pink Saturday.

Scrambled Sky

When I was a child the sight of a airplane contrail was rare enough for us to run outside to see it. Today, you can look up anytime and see not one, but several contrails. Is our sky that crowded? Maybe planes are flying at higher altitudes than they once did. Contrails only occur above 26,000 feet where modern jets tend to cruise.

Last night during a drive in the country I took this shot because the color of the sunset contrasted with the starkness of the tree in winter appealed to me. After looking at the photo at home, I realized the sky was full of contrails making the sky look like scrambled eggs when you first start to stir.

I am linking this photo to Sky Watch Friday. Why don't you go check out the sky shots posted by others. Just click here.

Snow as high as............

Our new camper has been installed on our pickup for several weeks now and, due the all the snow and ice, the Old Salt has not wanted me to drive it. But an overloaded schedule and the need to be in two places at once, forced me to venture out alone today with a much reduced ability to see to the rear. So Folks, while the Old Salt stayed home with the plumber, who is making his fourth attempt to fix our broken water heater, I took the truck to do some shopping.

I am happy to report I had no problem with the added width, height or weight the camper creates but, I sure had a problem finding a parking space at the shopping center with snow mounds as tall as Paul Bunyan and as wide as Dumbo's ears piled up all over the lot.

Now I am trying to maintain my sense of humor but ........... I can't wait for spring.

Thought I would share the following bits of winter humor with those of you who are feeling like I am.

Signs, signs and more signs.

Signs, Signs and more signs. It is impossible to live life without them. But, sometimes they can also add a smile or a giggle to our life. Then there are some that will have you laughing.

These have done all of the above for me. I hope they add some mirth to your day as well.

Last fall the firehouse across the street had an open house. It included an exhibit of restored antique fire engines. I saw this sign lying on the seat of the oldest engine. Since our town was founded by German immigrants and many of the townsfolk are of German heritage I assumed it was written in German and ask the owner of the fire truck to translate it. Turns out that it is written in a combination of German and English. Kind of a comic pig Latin. I hope that someone out their can translate it for me because even though it was read to me I did not write down the information and just can not remember it all, but it had me laughing at the time.

Achtung!

Das machinen is nicht fur

Gerfingerpoken und mittengraben.

Is easy schnappen der Springenwerk

blowenfusen und poppencorken mit

spilzensparken. Is nicht fur

gerwerken by 'Dummkopfen'. Das

rubbernecken sightseeren keepin

hands in Das pockets. Relaxen und

still gestanden.

The moment I saw the window on this truck I thought of Mike and Frank who star on the TV show American Pickers on the History channel. Their pet phrase is that they will "Buy anything they can make a buck on."

For over a week, last fall, we watched the progress as a new concrete retaining wall, stairway and sidewalk were replaced on a house we passed on our nightly walks. Finally, the work was done and as we walked by I noticed this cheery yellow tile had been set into the cement wall beside the stairs leading up to the sidewalk.

I am linking this post to Signs, Signs.

A new meme hosted by Lesley of Southern Ontario, discovered . To check out what interesting signs others have posted this week click here.

Last Caboose Standing

In a previous post (click here) I explained how a misdirection from our GPS system, had the Old Salt and me standing in front of a vacant lot on Main Street in the little town of Newburg, Missouri. Today I want to share more of the red items I photographed that day, along with a little history of that old town.

As towns go Newburg is not much to look at. It is one of those small towns carved into the limestone bluffs of the Ozark mountains that time has forgotten. Most of its buildings have seen better days. According to the 2000 census, Newburg has a population of 484 people with 30 percent living below the poverty line.
Even on that cold and rainy fall day, it was easy to see what Newburg lacked in curb appeal it made up for in human and natural resources. A large old house on main street housed an antique shop and served as the community center and soup kitchen. A sign in the window announced an upcoming Christmas production by the community theater. Down the street was a block long organic community garden that helps make low cost fresh produce and vegetables available to the citizens of Newburg. The teens, hanging out in front of the market, who we asked for directions were polite and friendly.

Newburg is nestled among the rolling Ozark Hills on the banks of the beautiful Little Piney River, and the area features a wide range of lovely flora and fauna, the surrounding area features several Crystal-clear streams, meandering through heavily forested countryside and a network of cycling trails any family would love to explore. The beautiful natural surroundings, friendly people and centuries of history made Newburg a unique place to visit.

Newburg was the last town in Phelps County created along the railroad line. But, unlike other communities, the St. Louis & San Francisco Railway (“Frisco”) founded Newburg solely for railroad purposes. After World War II, when the railway switched from coal to diesel engines, which could run much longer distances without refuelling. The Newburg stop was closed, removing the roundhouse, turntable, and freight yards. This single "Frisco" caboose is all that remains to mark the spot of the old freight yards and to stand testament to the prosperity that once existed in this small town. But, it appears that nature lovers are starting to discover the unspoiled beauty of this jewel in nature's crown and may soon be bringing good news back to forgotten little Newburg.

I am linking this post to Ruby Tuesday and Rednesday.

Mary at "Work of the Poet" hosts Ruby Tuesday. Rednesday is a Wednesday meme hosted by Sue at "It's a Very Cherry World." Both memes are dedicated to the color red. To join the fun or just check out what Red others are excited to share visit Mary and her friends at Ruby Tuesdayand Sue and her friends from Rednesday