Journey to the Center of America

Return to the Center of America

2009-04-19T06:19:00.001-07:00

Return to the Center of America, the saga continues ...

2008-12-21T08:13:00.001-08:00

coming home

2008-12-21T07:40:00.001-08:00

John, his last day of work at the Sioux Power Plant in West Alton, MO

(His hard hat reads "Hitachi - John")

We have been home for about 10 days now and already our adventure to the center of America seems like a dream. We watch the weather for St. Charles, and it’s hard to imagine 6 degrees, or the brown and icy grey colors of winter. Meanwhile in Florida we are trying to heal our house (which became "sick" while we were away) and Jubilee, who has come down with a severe allergic reaction to the mold, pollen and dust of Florida.

I was touched very deeply by the rivers and sky and land and people of Missouri, and hope to carry them in my soul forever. I asked someone who had lived for awhile in Missouri if they ever missed living near the sea, and she answered, "no, because we have this big sky and endless land here." I understand that now.

We are grateful for the strange twist of event that brought this journey into our lives, and hope for more.

Snow

2008-12-05T06:09:00.001-08:00

I know it's just a little bit, but hey, I've been in Florida for a long time, and it's magic to me.

11 degrees F this morning, the water in the lakes is freezing. Glorious!

MO Girlfriends

2008-12-05T06:02:00.001-08:00

Julia and Marcia, my treasured Missouri friends.

(They know how to do scarves!)

Views from our windows this morning

2008-11-30T07:34:00.000-08:00

Front view:

Back view:
More snow coming this afternoon and tomorrow ...

yellow berries

2008-11-29T17:00:00.000-08:00

Just when I thought that the leaves had mostly fallen, and the trees had gone dormant, I start noticing all the berries!

Update: John tells me that these aren't berries at all, but crabapples! (Sure are small for the crabapples that I remember). There are lots of red and blue berries around, it seemed unusual to see yellow ones.

Springfield, Illinois

2008-11-28T12:50:00.000-08:00

Bookstore acroos from the Old Statehouse, Springfield Illinois

Illinois is a many-hued land, pasture and farmland that you can see far into the distance. The light in the winter sky changes things all the time.

On the way back from Mahomet, we stopped in Springfield – Lincoln’s town. We saw his giant tomb in the city cemetery and his home just a few blocks from the Old State Capitol. The Presidential Library gave us a very comprehensive (and entertaining) understanding of Lincoln’s life and times.

I think that I liked the Old Statehouse the best. “Humble” is the word one of the custodians used. It pleases me that Barack Obama chose this place to begin his run for the presidency, and to announce his running mate. Walking around the places in Springfield, I couldn't help but imagine how these places and this history had influenced President-elect Obama.

Entrance to the Old Statehouse (Isn't this lovely?)

(more photos on Flickr)

Thanksgiving in Mahomet

2008-11-27T12:37:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Day in Mahomet Illinois with the McMillan Clan!

More SLU photos

2008-11-26T17:03:00.000-08:00

This is the view from the Pius Library at St. Louis University, the day before Thanksgiving.

I've been fascinated by a coed sculpture at the entrance to the library for awhile. I think that she reminds me of myself. I finally took a photo of her:

And then there's the life size Jesus holding the child on the bench. "Beggars" (local pan handlers)are usually sitting beside him.

Emmy

2008-11-24T17:09:00.001-08:00

This is Emmy, Jubilee's best friend in Missouri. Also the first photo of my new camera (Canon Powershot G10).

This is Jubilee downtown New Town, another test photo from the new camera.

Weldon Springs - again!

2008-11-24T16:59:00.000-08:00

It seems that we are drawn again and again to Weldon Springs. This was my 3rd time there, once in the heat of summer, again in the fall with Eric, and yesterday with John. The 5 mile hike "makes you feel like you've done something" (quoting Eric), and is always enjoyable. The view of the Missouri River is spectacular. Very different in each of the seasons. It seems like the kind of thing you could to do again and again, and it would always be new. We also determined that this must be the place where Meriwether Lewis fell down a cliff and almost died on the 2nd day of the expedition - my gosh, those bluffs just drop off! (You see how John won't go to the edge of the rock he is standing on - I was petrified that Jubilee would run over and that would be the end of her.)

Walking the Missouri River

2008-11-21T17:21:00.000-08:00

Honest to god, as Jubilee and I were walking the Missouri River today, I thought that walking into heaven itself could not be more glorious than this.

We were the only ones around, and the temperature was below freezing but sunny. With my fleece coat, I didn’t feel cold at all – in fact, it felt wonderful, like swimming in cold water feels in Florida.

We will be going back to Florida on December 8th, and we don't have a clue what comes next. I will miss these cold, solitary walks along the banks of the Missouri River.

Laumeier Sculpture Park

2008-11-16T14:51:00.000-08:00

Laumeier Sculpture Park - just a lovely, lovely place. Open areas with huge, bold, magnanimous, sculputes. Paths that go off into the woods with surprises around every corner. We had never before experienced sculpture quite like this. Special. If I lived in St. Louis, I would come here often.

(Again, my cameras are still not working right and don't even come close to doing justice to the site. Check out the website.)

The St. Louis Carousel

2008-11-16T14:46:00.000-08:00

There used to be a section of St. Louis called “Dog Town”, which included an amusement park area, Forest Park Highlands. This is where the original St. Louis Carousel was. When the Highlands burned in 1963 the carousel was the only thing left standing. In 1987 it was restored its original beauty and is now housed in a county park just west of St. Louis.

We stumbled upon the Carousel this morning. Just $1 a ride, with a wonderful pipe organ accompaniment, all the kids yelled “giddy up” to get it started. Wish we had had a little kid with us!

The Zoo in Forest Park - St. Louis

2008-11-16T14:25:00.000-08:00

On the coldest day so far, we went to the Forest Park Zoo in St. Louis. There was no sun, the little zoo train wasn’t running, and all of the vending sites were closed. The few people walking around were bundled up. But it still was a most unusual and special place, reminding me somewhat of a city park in Prague with old buildings that housed the primates and birds, snakes and insects.

We saw Asian Elephants and Siberian tiger cubs, a sad polar bear, a leopard that paced nervously, mountain lions and cheetahs. The animal pens blended will with the park environs. Though I am intrigued with the striking beauty of these animals and like looking at them, I am bothered by their confinement.

Both of my cameras are malfunctioning now – one gives me a lens cover error, while the other renders unreadable files – and I was only able to salvage photos of the Asian elephant.

Winter is coming

2008-11-14T09:16:00.000-08:00

John and I often muse over the how our eyes find the colors – browns and tans and oranges – so delightful. Perhaps being in Florida for so many years we got used to seeing the world in mostly dense greens and blues. Here the colors can be more pale and subtle. The most intense color now is the deep brown ground. I literally walk around flabberghasted. My eyes can't get enough.

Look at how different my walk along the Missouri River is now compared to last August:

They're calling for snow flurries tomorrow!

Forest Park and the Art Museum

2008-11-09T16:05:00.000-08:00

There are many St. Louis museums that we want to explore, but we had been putting it off until the weather got colder. Today definitely qualified, so we went to the lovely Forest Park of St. Louis and started with the Art Museum.

Art has always been a mystery to me. I am a left-brainer. Math and science make sense to me; art doesn’t make sense to me, but somehow still seduces me. I am amazed with what I see, and absolutely awed with the genius and creativity of human beings who are able to produce such things.

There was a painting of men playing cards on a river barge. It was a simple painting, but the way the river disappeared behind, the way the lighting gave magic to the scene, it became complex with every detail (the grass in one man’s mouth) fraught with some unfathomable meaning. I felt forced to “look”. And wonder.

There were portrait paintings from the 1500s, living faces of people long dead. They looked like we do now. There was a jade knife from China that was more than 5000 years old. There was a modern abstract painting by a German artist that felt like the way the earth would be after a nuclear charring. There was medieval armor and fussy furniture that made me anxious. There was a huge, beautiful tapestry made from parts of liquor bottles. And on and on.

Saint Louis

winter, birds and gas

2008-11-08T16:32:00.000-08:00

It’s winter here – or it sure feels like winter to us. The temperature hovers in the 30s and 40s, but there is this wind … and we bundle up in hats, scarves and gloves every time we go out. Maybe we’re over-doing it. One of the neighbors was making fun of us the other day.

We keep going back to the North side of the Confluence - the Migratory Bird Sanctuary - where the Missouri River meets the Mississippi River. John says that we must be the only people who keep coming back. There are never very many people there. But there is a road there that goes right to the Confluence. It has been gated 4 and a half miles back, since we have been here. The sign says that it is closed due to flooding. It hasn’t really rained here in a while and I wanted to check one more time to see if it was open, but it wasn’t. We hiked around the marshy wetlands. There were a lot of geese and ducks.

Bird's nest

Meanwhile John's job, building a SO2 (sulphur dioxide) scrubber at the Sioux coal power plant, is ending due to a lack of funds. Something about bonds, and the environmental standard that made it a financially wise thing to do was lifted (by Bush?). We don’t know exactly when the job will end, but we have given our notice to the landlord. The rent is paid through November; we could be heading back to Florida any day.

Gas at our critter gas station was $1.95 a gallon today.

Update: The sign closer so that you can see the price!

The last warm day

2008-11-05T13:12:00.000-08:00

I think that this may be the last warm day. It is quite windy today, and it is supposed to rain tomorrow followed by a cold weekend.

Jubilee and I needed to get away from the television and computer, and so much election talk, so we headed over to our favorite walk along the Missouri River. Our days here in Missouri are numbered, and I realize how grateful I am for the opportunity to live and know this place.

Be the change you wish the world to be ...

2008-11-04T13:03:00.001-08:00

Election day, 2008 - a glorious day for America. John and I both voted for Barack Obama with Florida absentee ballots a couple of weeks ago, but we are still excited by this day, which feels electrified with a quiet charge. What a beautiful, sunny day, filled with hope for our country and our world.

This is the neighborhood Obama headquarters:

Meanwhile, though the little trees on our streets look to have moved to the "falling" stage, there is still much vibrant color around...

Pickle Springs and Ste. Genevieve

2008-11-01T16:34:00.000-07:00

On a tip from the St. Louis newspaper, we headed down to a place called Pickle Springs Natural Area – about 50 miles the other side of St. Louis – for a 2 mile autumn hike. This is supposedly the “peak” weekend for fall foliage.

The drive through Southeastern Missouri was glorious. The trees are all in various shades of yellow, orange and red. It is neat to see this change in nature and know that we are all a part of it as well.

There were lots of “Pro-life” signs around this area of the state, and a lot of political signs (mostly Obama, I think.)
[Like Bill Clinton, I am opposed to abortion but I think that it should be safe, legal and extremely rare. Teaching sacredness of life and sexuality goes a lot further to reduce abortions than sending women to back alleys or jails.]

The hike was just as the paper described it: “a gem”, “like a Japanese garden”. Rocks, giant ferns, moss (John has an obsession with moss), and gorgeous fall colors. Even though the hike was “easy”, there was enough up and down to make it feel more than just a walk through a park.

The Whispering Pine Trail is named for the shortleaf pines;
Pickle Springs flows into Pickle Creek, where Jubilee enjoyed a number of swims.
Afterwards we went into Ste. Genevieve, a charming and historic little town on the Mississippi River. Ste. Genevieve was originally a French settlement for fur traders. We didn’t get to the museum, so I’m a little lame on the history. A large Catholic Church dominated the area we saw, with “Vote Pro-Life” signs all around it. (I hope that they know that Pro-life means opposing to the Death Penalty as well as abortion.) Again, the Obama signs predominated.

There is a ferry just outside of Ste. Genevieve that takes you over the Mississippi River to Illinois – 4 minutes to cross the river.

More photos on Flickr.

Halloween 08 in Missouri

2008-10-31T19:45:00.000-07:00

Jubilee greeted every trick-or-treater, who had to brave getting past her to the treat! She wagged her tail and loved them all.

We're ready!

2008-10-31T13:25:00.001-07:00

What is it about almost naked trees that is so astounding?

2008-10-29T17:55:00.001-07:00

Autumn

2008-10-25T18:18:00.000-07:00

I don’t know how to capture autumn around here. I just know that it is achingly beautiful. The grasses are yellow and gold and brown. The trees are all shades of yellow and red and some are still green. You can smell the overturned earth in the plowed fields. I never remember autumn being so visceral, something that I can recognize and know in my own body. They tell me that everything will change on Monday, when we are expecting our first freeze.

Somewhere I once heard the words, death is as gentle as a falling leaf. It seems almost miraculous that I can watch this, day by day.

Fast Eddies, Alton IL

2008-10-25T18:02:00.000-07:00

John was a little jealous that Eric and I had gone to Fast Eddies in Alton without him, so we rode over for lunch today.

At first I thought this was a tourist place. It is, sort of, a Midwest hot spot. At noon on a Saturday the parking lot was full and the place was packed. Not really a rout-y crowd, some senior citizens. But it soon became apparent that these people were mostly the locals, and this was truly a gathering place. The food was cheap but surprisingly very good. We got 10 shrimp (29 cents each) and 2 hamburgers (99 cents each). We did have to wait about 15 minutes for our food, so we sat at the bar for a couple of drinks, which were not expensive. Fast Eddies thrives on the crowd.

The yellow brick building, known as Bon-Air, has been a local drinking establishment since 1921. In 1981 it was bought by Eddie Sholar (aka Fast Eddie). A friend, who is a native to Alton, told us that it can get rough at night when the critters come out. I was disappointed that there were no pool tables.

Fast Eddies - Why go anywhere else? (It was very dark in there.)

Eric's visit

2008-10-24T17:20:00.000-07:00

Alton, Illinois

Yesterday I took Eric to the airport. After 8 days of coddling and enjoying our 24-year-old son, we reluctantly sent him back into the world to be an adult.

We did lots of fun things while he was here … hiked, rallied, explored, and ate. He was as intrigued with the hard scrabble city of Alton as I am. This is Fast Eddie's Bar, known as the toughest place around. John and I will go back on the motorcycle for some pool someday. (John can run the table.)

The food is cheap, so there must be a lot of drinks being sold ...
Alton was also the site of the last debate between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas on October 15, 1958 (150 years ago, almost to the day). Douglas was arguing for the states' right to allow slavery, Lincoln the absolute wrongness of owning human beings. Lincoln lost the race for Illinois Senator to Douglas that year, but the debate brought him to the nation's attention, and he became president in 1860.

Weldon Springs has to be the best hike around here. We did the 5.2 mile Clark Trail and had the whole forest to ourselves. Wonderful views of the Missouri River.
Meanwhile, it is starting to get seriously colder around here.

(more photos on the Flickr site).

John McCain rally in St. Charles, MO

2008-10-20T12:35:00.001-07:00

It is interesting, but also sometimes disturbing to listen to what the other side is saying.

The McCain rally in my neighborhood in St. Charles this morning looked like a county fair. A small county fair. I’m not good at estimating crowd size, but maybe 1500 is in the ballpark. Children, old people, everyone was well behaved and excited, but the crowd response was weak. Lackluster. The lines that generated energy were those that referred to Sarah Palin.

Several Missouri politicians spoke before Senator McCain, and I was confused by their message. The evil of slavery was equated with socialism. A lot of talk about the idea of “spreading the wealth around”, especially in terms of giving “your hard earned money to people who don’t work”. Do rich people who don’t work deserve it more? I heard a lot about the danger of raising taxes, but not a word about raising the minimum wage.

I stood at the very back of the crowd, but still had a good view of Senator McCain. He looked good. The first words out of his mouth were a commendation of his running mate, Sarah Palin, that drew loud applause. Then it was mostly a re-hash of the confusing money issues that the other Missouri politicians had been drumming on. He ended with a chant about “stand up and fight for America”, and one old woman who had been sitting in a wheelchair stood and thrust her fist in the air. I was behind her and wish that I could have photographed it, but the memory was gone on my camera.

I’ve already mailed my Florida absentee ballot.

Here is NY Times reporting on the rally in St. Charles.

Some photos from the rally ... The crane was used to hoist a giant flag:

A Sarah sighting in the crowd ...

Sharpshooters...

And lots of buttons ... mostly Palin!

Preparing the Prop

2008-10-19T16:52:00.000-07:00

We got a notice on our door today that, indeed, John McCain would be holding a rally at the amphitheatre at 9 o’clock in the morning. We were assured that this event was not an endorsement by the neighborhood, that Barack Obama would have been hosted if he had asked. We were told to be on our best behavior.

Let me explain a bit about “New Town”. This is a planned community, but not a town in itself. Rather it is a developing neighborhood in the middle of cornfields, about 5 miles from what could be considered a “town” or populated area. I still haven’t decided what I think about New Town. I like the people I have met here. My next door neighbors are African American. The homes are all new and everything is well kept. The sidewalks are great, and everyone walks to the market, the gym, the mail room. Sometimes something feels contrived about it all, but I have to admit that it is comfortable and convenient for us. This is the closest place to where John works where we could find a furnished apartment to rent.

The idea that John McCain was holding a rally here sounded so very funny to me when I first heard it. Contrived. If the appearance is right, then the underlying reality will just have to fit that appearance. A photo op.

People have been busy all day today getting the amphitheater ready. It looks like there will be a stage, with tall bleachers behind it, and places for the cameras in front. Fences started going up this afternoon, but it is a small area, so it is not difficult to enclose.

I hear that they are going to begin bussing people in at 7am. We were told that we would need tickets to get in, but they were all out by tonight. They told us to come anyway.

Eric and I plan to check it out. Here are some photos of what things look like today. Lights ...

Cranes (for cameras?) ...
Cameras ....

Fences ...

All fenced in!

Top of the Arch

2008-10-19T15:28:00.001-07:00

This is the area under the Gateway Arch where 100,000 people rallied yesterday for Barack Obama - all before the Old Capitol in St. Louis where the Dred Scott cases were argued in the mid 1850s.

We made our way to the Gateway Arch today – my 3rd trip – and this time we took the trip to the top. I can now say that I did it, and I don’t have to do it again. Only 5 people could fit into the little cars. It was tight. And I wasn’t overly impressed with the view from the top. The windows were small, the area was small, and it was way too crowded for such a small area. I was glad to get back down.

We paid extra to see the National Geographic film on the Lewis and Clark adventure. Since coming to Missouri we have been immersed in this story, and now feel like we are fairly literate about most all aspects of the journey.

Another beautiful day, we finished if off with an Italian dinner on “The Hill”.

100,000 rally for Obama in St. Louis

2008-10-18T17:23:00.000-07:00

Meanwhile, more than 100,000 people gathered for an Obama rally in St. Louis today.

Holy smokes!

The little amphitheatre down the street where McCain will be on Monday will be an interesting photo-op, but so trivial compared to what happened in St. Louis today.

The Confluence

2008-10-18T17:15:00.000-07:00

“The Mississippi, as if astonished at the boldness of an intruder, for a moment recoils … and views in silent majesty the progress of the stranger.” – Major Amos Stoddard, War of 1812.

“ … through a vast unknown of barbarism, poured its turbid floods into the bosom of its gentle sister.” – Father Jacques Marquette, 1673

Finally, today, we saw the “confluence” – the place where the Missouri River flows into the Mississippi. For some time, I have noted the relative “excitement” of the Missouri compared to the more sedate Mississippi. The place of confluence is a quiet, gentle place, just as Fr. Marquette and Major Stoddard describe it.

We followed the Mississippi from the south (rather than the north), and were able to drive through the Columbia Bottom Conservation area to the Confluence. I think that this is the most beautiful and peaceful place in Missouri, with great expanses of grasslands. We didn’t see a lot of birds, though. Perhaps it is still too soon.

Today was also the first time that we’ve actually been on the Mississippi River. We took the car ferry to Grafton ($8 one way). It was a glorious autumn day. The little town of Grafton was inundated with sightseers, like us, so we didn’t stay long. More photos on the Flickr site.

John McCain is coming to New Town!

2008-10-17T11:57:00.000-07:00

What a time to be in Missouri.

Tomorrow Obama will be speaking under the St. Louis Arch – just where we were planning to go with Eric. Much as we would like to see Senator Obama, we really didn’t want to deal with the crowd and traffic so we changed our plans and will go into St. Louis on Sunday.

But – and this is the real hoot – John McCain is coming to New Town on Monday morning. This little neighborhood in the middle of a cornfield! We saw police and important looking 30-somethings with blackberries prowling around yesterday. Today police dogs were here and the word about McCain coming spread fast. Everyone is talking about it. American flags are appearing.

My gosh.

The amphitheatre is only a block and a half away. The whole entourage will most likely pass right in front of my house. The only thing that I can figure is that it’s a very picturesque place, lots of Republicans are here, and the amphitheatre looks pretty “full” with just a couple hundred people.

I most certainly will have to walk down the street to see what’s going on. I guess I’m going to a McCain Rally! Stay tuned.

New Town Amphitheater

Pumpkins

2008-10-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

New Town Organic Farm, St. Charles Missouri

Autumn Geese

2008-10-14T17:14:00.000-07:00

This is so utterly cool.

Every night, just at sunset (and not a minute before) the sound of cackling starts, and many flocks of geese begin hovering overhead. It seems that they are coming from the Missouri River, and heading north over to the Mississippi. They circle and even seem somewhat confused about where they are going. It must be that there are 2 rivers here, so close together. Eventually though, they all go north to the Mississippi.

back on the bus ...

2008-10-12T12:35:00.000-07:00

It is good to be back in Missouri.

Jubilee and I rolled in here yesterday afternoon, buzzed by 2 days of blessedly uneventful driving. The same car that I said, last July, would never see Florida again, made it to Florida and then back to Missouri again - more that 2400 miles. The a/c worked the whole time.

The first day of driving is the hardest – the flatness of Florida is followed by a frantic chase on I-75 through Georgia. My sister had recommended that I pick up some books-on-tape to make the long driving easier, so I got Barack Obama’s “Dreams of My Father”. Obama, himself, reads it. Listening to the book was the best part of the long, boring-yet-tense, day. I don't know how anyone can say that they don't know who Obama is after reading this book. I am left confident that we are about to elect one of our wisest and brightest presidents. He has done his homework and he is one of us.

By the 2nd day we were driving across Tennessee Mountains and the farms of western Kentucky. The roads are much less hectic, and the autumn colors exhilarate and calm as the land rolls on and on. I wish that I had taken some photos, but when you're driving, you're driving and there's not much time for anything else. We knew were headed in the right direction.

The time in Florida was hassled. Under the care of a pool service (Crystal Blue Pools - don't even consider using them), our swimming pool had turned into a mosquito infested pond of algae. Between cleaning and worrying over the pool, I had doctors appointments and a few computer appointments where I picked up some pocket change. I think I got the pool problem straightened out, and the reports from the doctors were pretty good. The breast cancer that I had last year shows no sign of returning.

Besides all that, this is my least favorite time of year in Florida. The weather is yukky – dank and dark with no real breeze. Our house felt empty and lonely.

But I did get to see many of my friends, whose love is dearer to me than time or distance can ever erase.

While I was away John visited the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis. This was a place he knew that I would never be interested in seeing :-). I promised him that I would add his photos to the Center of America collection in Flickr.

Eric is coming to visit on Wednesday! Lots of fun adventures coming. Supposed to be cold and autumn-y.

Friends and on the road again

2008-09-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

In 1979, John and I lived in Wading River, NY (Long Island) for 8 months. John was working at a local power plant. During that time, we became friends with Dennis and Barb. Dennis worked at that same power plant. We kept in touch for a few years after that, but basically we lost contact with them.

This weekend, Dennis and Barb, who live in Illinois, stopped by in their Scamp camper. I couldn’t remember half of the things everyone was “remembering”, but even so, it sure didn’t seem like it had been 25 years since we had seen each other. Amazing how you can just pick up where you left off with friends.

Early tomorrow morning my trusty road partner and I are hitting the highways to head back to Florida for a couple of weeks. I have some doctors’ appointments that I need to follow up with, and I have to figure out what to do about our swimming pool. I am worried that I will miss some important autumnal changes, so I’m not planning on staying in Florida any longer than is necessary. Hopefully the drive will be uneventful!

Scotty, artist

2008-09-24T12:56:00.000-07:00

Like a familiar elf, Jubilee and I sometime run into Scotty on our Missouri River walks. Oftentimes he is the only other person we see.

My gaze is usually toward the river. I love the way it swirls and dances and flows. Scotty, though, looks mostly at the trees and vines. I know what the river looks like, he says, but I have to study the way these trees go together.

He’s been an artist all his life. As a child the teachers mostly let him do what he wanted to do, he says, because he liked art so much. Then he worked at a big company doing “three dimensions: display”.

We talk about a lot of things, but mostly how things look. He let me take a photo of one of his pictures.

Elephant Rocks, Art, and the Missouri River (again)

2008-09-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

[Elephant Rocks State Park, Missouri. That's John and Jubilee out there.]

I’m getting a little behind here, so I figure I’ll start with today and work backwards.

John seems to think that we should start scouting around the Ozarks. All we know about the Ozarks is that they are somewhere south. On the map the beginning of the Ozarks didn’t look so far, so we headed down to a place called the Arcadia Valley and Elephant Rocks State Park. Supposedly the tallest spot in Missouri – Taun Sauk Mountain – 1700 ft high, is around here somewhere.

They call these mountains? The area is very pretty, but more like rolling hills. Maybe you have to get down into Arkansas before you see the real Ozark Mountains.

We went to Graniteville and hiked around Elephant Rocks State Park – a good park, a paved trail through the rocks with some side trails leading deeper into the forest. Jubilee enjoyed climbing the rocks.

I have been looking for a granite bowl for some months now, and thought that perhaps this might be where I would find it, but the one place we saw offering granite products only sold tombstones!

We had lunch in nearby Ironton, where there were only 3 restaurants – all fast food. Ugh.

St. Louis University Art Museum

My son, Eric, is a good art museum date. He helps me to see things that I ordinarily don’t see on my own. Nevertheless, I ventured into the St. Louis Art Museum last week without him. I found the SLU Art museum to be a very quiet and wonderful place to just wander around, looking. It was an interesting collection – some Andy Warhol, Dale Chihuly, Paul Klee, Miro … There was a side exhibit, "Persuasive Politics", a collection of presidential campaign memorabilia that included even the Palm Beach County voting booth of 2000 (I voted on that!). The life-size cutouts of Obama and McCain caused some elderly men (the only other people in the museum besides me) to comment that it was obvious who the people setting up the exhibit were voting for - look at those droopy pants!

I didn’t have time for the collection of the Western Jesuits on the 3rd floor, and hope to see that next week.

At the entrance to the museum there is a sculpture of an “Urban Francis”. This photo does not do it justice – I liked it a lot.

I also got of photo of the Jesus on the bench with the child this week. It is named “Heart to Heart”. People sit on this bench with Jesus and the child, waiting for the bus. And a sculpture of a coed on campus. (More photos on Flickr)

Finally, I want to post this photo of the Missouri River which crested on Thursday and flooded its banks. This is the place where Jubilee and I walk most every day. The water level is usually 30 or 40 feet down an embankment.

It's starting to look a lot different around here ...

2008-09-16T09:50:00.000-07:00

It’s starting to look a lot different around here. For one thing, the cornfields that surround us are not green anymore, but yellow and brown. It looks like they are waiting as long as possible to harvest. I’ve heard that this is because the corn will be used for fuel, and the longer it can stay on the stalk, the better.

And there’s a lot of water around. Hurricane Ike came through on Saturday night, and a lot of the roads are still flooded even today (Tuesday). The ground has so much clay in it that the water just sits there. The path that Jubilee and I use to get to the Missouri River is still impassable:
I am reveling in the change. Ever so slightly, the weather is getting cooler, so that I can wear blue jeans and long sleeves most every day now. No more air-conditioning! I am sleeping better than I have in 3 years.

[The latest word is that we will be here at least until the end of November.]

The Hill

2008-09-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

John is always saying that we need to go back to Italy. Today, we went the The Hill District of St. Louis. Italian immigrants began settling the area in the 1890s, drawn by the promise of work in the coal mines and clay factories. The housing conditions were very poor until the turn of the century, when one story, 4 room brick houses began making their appearance. There is an interesting variety of houses there now.

It is a quaint Italian neighborhood, with lots of fine Italian restaurants, bakeries, and grocery stores – the likes of which I haven’t seen anywhere outside of New York. We found a nice restaurant, Zia’s, that was packed even at 2pm on a Saturday afternoon. Tables filled with big extended families passing babies around. John had ravioli and I had some kind of mosticolli dish. We bought lots of stuff at Viviano's grocery store to bring home - more ravioli, gravy, cheese, wine ...) John says that having food like this in the refrigerator is like having a gold mine!

[John with the Italian Immigrants statue at St. Ambrose Church. More photos on Flickr site.]

St. Louis University

2008-09-11T12:15:00.000-07:00

Doesn’t this look just like an old American Jesuit college (sculpture and all)? That's St. Ignatius, "the Pilgrim" down the sidewalk. And I believe that's Eve and her offspring dancing out of Adam's rib.

The day started out cloudy, and I headed down to the St. Louis University campus in St. Louis. All of my cousins and my sister attended St. Louis University, and but for a quirk in my own personality, I would have been here too. I ended up at Spring Hill College – but that’s all another story.

I started out in search of a photo exhibit by Mev Puleo (another friend, now deceased, who attended SLU). I didn’t find the exhibit, but I did find an oasis of old buildings, young (and old) people who looked to be from everywhere, and an ambience that kept me just wandering around, wanting to go back to college again, or at least work somewhere on the campus! I attended the simple noon Mass in the Church chapel, and wish that I were close enough to go every day. I love the Jesuits.

The land between the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers

2008-09-08T06:38:00.000-07:00

View Larger Map

In the previous post, I guessed that where we live is halfway between the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Looking this up on a Google Map, I'm surprised at how correct I was! It looks like the distance to each river, as the crow flies, is more like 2 miles instead of 5.

No wonder I dream about these rivers.

Confluence Park

2008-09-07T14:40:00.000-07:00

We are living on the land between the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, just before they join. Each river is about the same distance, maybe 5 miles, away. It seems that we are drawn to the place where the 2 rivers meet – a place called Confluence Park.

In 1721, French explorer, Father Pierre Francois de Charlevoix, wrote of the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, "I believe this is the finest confluence in the world. The two rivers are much the same breadth, each about half a league: but the Missouri is by for the most rapid, and seems to enter the Mississippi like a conqueror, through which it carries its white waters to the opposite shore without mixing them, afterwards, it gives its color to the Mississippi which it never loses again but carries quite down to the sea ..."

This is flat land, wet land. Many bays and islands, and usually quite a few people fishing. It is also a sanctuary for migrating birds. Birds from as far away as northern Alaska use the Mississippi River as a navigational route to warmer lands.

I can’t wait to see this area later in the autumn. But already things are starting to look different around here. The sky for one thing. And it is cooler. Will it really get cold here??!! I’ve lived in Florida so long I tend to doubt that this season change thing is really going to happen.

So far, every time we have attempted to drive to the actual place where the Missouri meets the Mississippi, the road has been closed due to flooding. Today, though, we were able to drive as far as the locks. We hiked the “2 pecan nature trail” through tall grasses. It is a magical place.

Hannibal, Missouri

2008-09-01T16:27:00.000-07:00

Labor Day was hazy, hot and humid, and on a lark we drove up to Hannibal, Missouri, the childhood home of Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain. This area served as the setting of Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn and other of Twain's writings. It is about 1 ½ hour drive from here, almost to Iowa.

Hannibal is a small-ish town on the Mississippi River. Had its heyday during middle 1850’s when the Mississippi River was the main shipping route through America.

There was not much happening other than the few tourists who were milling about. Maybe it was the weather. We toured the museum, the Clemens home, and the Tom Sawyer cave. If you ask me, the quandary of slavery that so consumed Mark Twain still haunts the place.

The Piasa and another river (the Illinois)

2008-08-31T09:38:00.000-07:00

[Photo taken going South on the Illinois side of Mississippi River, with Sioux Power plant in view.]

In our wanderings up the Illinois side of the Mississippi River, we kept running into the word "piasa" - the Piasa creek, the Piasa Winery.

On the Illinois side of the Mississippi River, north of Alton, there is a river road with limestone bluffs on one side, and the river on the other. High on the bluffs there is a painting of a strange bird-like monster. This is the Piasa Bird (pronounced Pie – a – saw).

Father Jacques Marquette saw images of this monster on the bluff while exploring the Mississippi River in 1673. The bird is called “The Piasa” by the Illini Indians, meaning, the bird that devours men. For centuries, every Indian who passed in his canoe fired an arrow at the figure of the bird. More about the Legend of the Piasa Bird is here.

Yesterday we hiked around the Pere Marquette Illinois State Park, which is where the Illinois River dumps into the Mississippi River. This is just north of Grafton, Ill. – a very cute little river town which is not too far from us if we take the ferry. We decided to do this some day in autumn.

This Illinois River.

The Illinois River runs through Illinois, almost to Lake Michigan, and was important to Native Americans and early French traders.

Weeds are my thing

2008-08-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

Weeds are my thing. I’ll take wild and random weeds, any day, over an organized, cultivated garden.

Weeds are not flashy or showy, but humble, mostly blending into the background and each other. You have to make the effort to look at weeds, but when you do, you are astounded at their simple loveliness. All together, weeds can make amazingly subtle changes of color across a landscape.

And if you cut weeds – say for a bouquet or arrangement – they will only hold their beauty for a very short time, maybe an hour, before they die.

Weeds are ordinary, every where. Some people never notice them other than to try to get rid of them. But if you take the time to look, you’ll see and delight in their beauty.

More weeds on Flickr - all weed photos taken this morning at Dusable Park, St. Charles, Missouri.

Missouri River Walks

2008-08-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

It has been cool enough this week for Jubilee and I to take long, lone walks along the Missouri River. This morning we met a man, sitting on a stool, drawing with colored pencils. He showed me the many pages in his notebook of the scenes just around us. A fox scampered by. I could tell that he knew how to sit there quietly, noting the simple beauty around.

The walks clear my head of words, and the need to “do” something. (Since in Missouri, I feel like I’ve lost my identity, and I’m waiting to see what will happen if I can be quiet!) And I like to photograph the weeds. (More weeds and other things on Flickr)

This is the Wabash Bridge, a cast iron railroad bridge that was finished in 1871. It was only the 2nd bridge to span the Missouri River. Before the bridge, a ferry carried trains across the river.

The motorcycle comes to the Center of America

2008-08-26T18:34:00.001-07:00

John’s motorcycle arrived tonight on this truck. This is as close as it could get to the apartment where we are staying in Missouri.

Ten days ago, in Florida, it was the first motorcycle loaded onto the truck. The truck then collected some more bikes and went to Sturgis, South Dakota. He dropped off some bikes and then picked up some more. On his way back, he passed by here and delivered John’s bike to him. That’s some business. I have no idea how John found him.

Point Jean Baptiste du Sable Park (weed walk)

2008-08-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

After finally conceding that I don’t stand a chance against the IRS, I wrote the check and then took off with Jubilee for a weed walk. It is cool today, not even going to get to 80 degrees.

We went to the nearby Point Dusable Park, where I found out that Jean Baptiste Point du Sable was born in Haiti to a slave woman and French pirate (imagine that!). After being educated in France, he came to the western shores of Lake Michigan in the 1770’s and built the first settlement in what is now Chicago – hence, he is known as the Founder of Chicago. There he married a Potowatomi Indian woman and became a high ranking member of the tribe. Point du Sable came to St. Charles the last few years of his life, where he lived with his granddaughter. He is buried in St. Charles and now has this nice park named after him.

Here are some photos - more on the Flickr site.

Katy Trail

2008-08-24T22:10:00.001-07:00

Not much to add here this week. The weather had gotten somewhat hot again, though the nights and mornings are cool, and I’ve been bogged down with re-doing our 2006 Tax Return. Ugh. (The Government says we owe them $8000!) The tires on the Jeep kept going flat so we got new tires today. John’s motorcycle due to arrive early this coming week.

Above photo is John and Jubilee on the Katy Trail, which is a 225 mile bike path that runs almost all the way across Missouri. Much of it follows Lewis and Clark’s Trail up the Missouri River. We pick it up just down the road.

Friends, St. Louis, and beer

2008-08-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

Remember that guy who was behind me in the Mississippi River a couple of weeks ago, and I said that he wasn’t going to make it? Well, the water level has fallen, and I now find out that it is Lewis and Clark and their dog, Seaman, on returning to St. Louis from their westward adventure!

That’s what 2 weeks without rain will do around here!

We were graced with our first visit from friends last week. Jane and Ron came! Jane is our friend from Florida, and Ron is Jane’s friend from Wisconsin.

We had a wonderful time, and I got to explore some more the museum under the St. Louis Arch. I feel like I am learning the history of my country for the first time, and considering it all as I muse over the land. (I'll have more to say about this as I go along ...)

Ron took the tram to the top of the Arch while Jane and I browsed around the museum. I’m saving my trip to the top of the arch for autumn, when Eric comes to visit. (We're both claustrophobic, once leaving a climb to the top of the Statue of Liberty in a panic.)

The museum is very well done, in concentric circles, the outer one a complete recounting of Lewis and Clark’s Journey to the Pacific Ocean. As you walk through the more central circles, you see memorabilia and artifacts from the different phases and aspects of the westward expansion of the United States.

I had been wondering what kinds of “gifts” were sent to appease the Indians. There was a whole wall of the different “peace medals”, engraved with the head of the President (or “Great Father”), that were given to the Indian chiefs. They were fairly large and hollow inside. Essentially, trinkets. Gee.

[This is a photo of a wall in the museum, an artist's conception of what the crowd looked like that greeted Lewis and Clark as they returned to St. Louis in 1806.]

There is an old Cathedral near the Arch. It reminds me of the old Churches of my childhood, with candles, communion rails, and confessionals. [Aside: my letter to the St. Louis newspaper about Archbishop Burke was published today. Can be seen online here.]

Last but not least, John wants me to post this beer list for Eric to see. There was a beer tasting festival at our neighborhood bar last weekend. You got to taste 20 beers for 10 dollars.

This blog is becoming a real scrapbook!

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Faye, seems to have spared our friends and home in Florida from damage or harm! We are forever grateful for the friends and neighbors who look after and take care of us.

More Missouri (and Illinois) stuff

2008-08-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

We’re still wandering around, looking at the different things in this part of Missouri. Here are some sites and comments, though I still feel too “green” to be making comments.

The corn is getting high, they should be harvesting soon. Mostly the fields around us are planted in corn or soybeans, and they are all marked with signs, noting the type and number of seed (I think).

There is a little ferry boat – the Grafton Ferry – that goes across the Mississippi. This seems kind of strange, since there is a big bridge not too far away. But last Sunday there was long line of cars and motorcycles waiting for the ferry. $4 one way for a motorcycle, we figure maybe people take the ferry just for fun. On the other side, in Illinois, there are bluffs and a road that runs right along the Mississippi River.

John and Jubilee at the Lady of the Rivers statue. The Sioux Power plant where John works is in the background.

Bridge going across Mississippi River to Allton, Illinois.

I really liked the feel of this city (Allton, IL). It feels old, but not tourist-y. Almost industrial, but with a long and living history right on the river. Lots of secret, interesting little places to look. And yet with a realness that is still alive.

There’s a big, glitzy casino on the river now in Allton.

As usual, more photos on Flickr.

Portage des Sioux

2008-08-10T13:50:00.001-07:00

As the Missouri River approaches the Mississippi (that's the Missouri River on the bottom), there is a place where the distance between the rivers is just 2 miles wide. This place is known as “Portage des Sioux”, because the Indians would take their canoes out of the river and carry them across this narrow neck of land to the other river rather than paddle down to the “confluence” – where the Missouri dumps into the Mississippi. This saved them 25 miles of paddling.

Human history has been known here since as far back as the Mississippian culture – a mound building Native American culture that flourished in the Midwest and Southeastern United States from 800-1500 A.D. Cahokia-type mounds have been found in the area.

Portage des Sioux is also the place where the Native Americans lost much of their land. A peace treaty between the Native Americans and the United States was signed here in 1815. Tens of thousands of Native Americans from many different tribes arrived in canoes. The tribes were given $20,000 worth of presents to facilitate negotiations, in which the United States secured vast territories in the Midwest.

The treaty signings at Portage des Sioux occurred between July 18 and September 16, 1815.
The most notable chief to refuse the invitation was Black Hawk who was compelled to come and was the last sign the treaty. He was to resist its terms in the Black Hawk War.

Situated on the north side (the Mississippi River side) is the small town of Portage des Sioux, population 316. There is a trading post, a couple of interesting looking restaurants, St. Francis Church, and on the river there is a large statue of the Blessed Mother.

Flooding has always been a problem here. In 1951, when rising waters threatened the small community of Portage des Sioux, the local people prayed to the Blessed Mother, calling her “Our Lady of the Rivers”. The river crested and the town stayed dry.

In gratitude, the parish of St. Francis decided to erect a statue on the river. The 25 foot statue of Mary sits at the edge of the water of the Mississippi River, looking across to Alton, Illinois. Every year hundreds of boats gather here for a blessing that will protect them.

My sense is that she is there, holding a lot of things in her heart.

August A. Busch Conservation Area

2008-08-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

We went to the August A. Busch Conservation Area today. Yes, as in Anheuser-Busch - Mrs. Busch made a big contribution in memory of her husband to help the State of Missouri buy the land.

Several thousand acres of pure Missouri land. Fields filled with all kinds of weeds - and, being a weed-lover, I say that with the utmost of appreciation and awe. Most people were fishing the many lakes in the area.

We went for a hike and didn’t see a soul.

We did see several bunker-like buildings built into the land. I have no idea what they were for, but they were everywhere throughout the conservation area. Kind of creepy.

John was very interested in all the fishing lakes, so we'll probably be going back early some morning with fishing poles.

More photos on Flickr.

Post note: I just found out that before Mrs. Busch and Missouri bought the land it belonged to the federal government. In the early 1940's the Army used the land as a TNT munitions plant. So all of those bunkers were used to store TNT. 100 bunkers still exist on the property.

Sunrise, 8-09-08

2008-08-09T05:06:00.001-07:00

It was so cold this morning, I almost put on a sweater!

The Storm

2008-08-06T04:59:00.000-07:00

Last night when we took Jubilee out for a walk it was 93 degrees (with a "feels like" of 105). This is what it looked like. Fifteen minutes and some wind squalls later, it was a good 10 degrees cooler. But no real storm came, and not much rain. However there was lots of rain and some thunder through the night. Feels very much cooler and fresher today.

Thunderstorm coming!

2008-08-05T07:42:00.000-07:00

Looking forward to a "strong" storm coming this afternoon!

(In another life I must've been a "storm-chaser" :-)

The Heat

2008-08-04T13:32:00.001-07:00

(I drink at least one of these jugs of tea every day.)

It is 97 degrees now, with a "feels like" index of 110 degrees.

All I can say is that the heat in Missouri is different from the heat in Florida.

Yeah, it’s hot, and I can’t see anything more than little wisps of clouds in the sky today. The heat is more intense than in Florida – more like a sauna. When we walk Jubilee later in the day, we come home drenched in sweat. Nightly walks in South Florida are balmy, delightfully breezy – tropical. Here, it’s just hot.

At midday, with no cloud cover, it’s bright here -but more clear than the "glare" of summer middays in Florida. It must have something to do with the water in the air.

Florida is definitely more humid, all the way around. The air is thick in Florida, and I’ve never so much as noticed humidity here, though everyone else complains of it. In fact, it feels "dry" to me.

But the heat is not constant here, like in Florida. After a couple of hot days, a thunderstorm will come through and cool everything down so that you might get a day where it never goes above 75, and the nights are in the 60’s.

One thing that has me baffled is the thermostat. In Florida, we keep our air-conditioning set at 80 degrees, and except for some nightly hot flashes that cause me to turn it down to 78, we are comfortable. 78 is downright cold. Here we keep the thermostat at 75, turn it to 72 or 73 and night, and it’s still hot for sleeping. I don’t get it.

Needless to say, I am anxiously awaiting the day when I can turn the air-conditioner off for good and open the windows!

Misi-ziibi - "Great River"

2008-08-03T14:02:00.000-07:00

(The Mississippi is still over its banks. The guy behind me isn't going to make it!)

The word MISSISSIPPI comes from the Anishinaabe (Ojibwe or Algonquin) name for the river, Misi-ziibi ("Great River"). It is the 2nd longest river in America – 2,340 miles long – running from Lake Itasca in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico.

Yesterday we explored the riverfront area of St. Louis. I was itching to get a closer look and feel of the Mississippi River. Like the Missouri River, it is a big river. I don’t know that I could swim across it. The water was still over its banks, and looks to have risen quite a few feet on the lowest river road last month during the floods.

The Sunday mood around the Gateway Arch was very festive and touristy. The arch, itself, is quite impressive and beautiful – so simple. It was built in the 1960’s as part of an effort to commemorate the “Westward Expansion” of the United States, of which the city of St. Louis played a significant part. All of this history is told, mostly in glowing terms, from the perspective of the white man.

Standing below the Eads Bridge (built in 1872) there is an interpretive marker describing the return of Lewis and Clark in September, 1806. The citizens of St. Louis (population about 1800) had long given them up for dead. However word had drifted in from St. Charles that they were coming back. Lewis and Clark, dressed in furs and animal skins, rounded the river to the North to the cheers of the crowd gathered at the St. Louis riverfront. They went on to become highly honored and celebrated, and their adventure would be etched into the history of America. The soldiers who accompanied them were rewarded with good pay and land. Only Captain William Clark's personal slave, York, who had enjoyed relative freedom on the journey, would be returned to slavery with no compensation for his contribution.

More photos on Flickr.

The Great Muddy - Weldon Springs Hike

2008-08-02T12:25:00.000-07:00

The Missouri River, also known as “the Great Muddy”, is the longest river in the United States. Starting in Montana, it flows for 2,540 miles before it joins the Mississippi River just north of St. Louis.

Today we were hiking (Weldon Springs Clark Hike) some bluffs overlooking the river, and got this glimpse through the trees. It is a big river, and looks to be very rapidly flowing to me. Maybe if we'd hiked a little further we would have gotten better views of the river, but it was pretty hot. When the weather cools down, we'll do it again.

It was in 1803 that President Thomas Jefferson commissioned Meriwether Lewis to explore the Missouri River and any streams that led to it and might provide access to the Pacific Ocean. Captain Lewis chose as his co-commander his friend, William Clark.

On May 14th 1804 Lewis and Clark set out from St. Charles on their expedition with 42 soldiers and hired hands. Lewis was 30 years old and Clark, 33. They started out traveling in a keel boat and two small boats called pirogues. The boats were propelled, as conditions required, by oars, poles, sails, or tow ropes.

They sure weren't going downriver!

They would return to St. Louis 2 years, 4 months, and 10 days later, on September 23, 1806.

According to a sign at the bluffs, Lewis and Clark camped nearby and traded with the Indians that lived in the bottomland forests along the banks of the river.

It was hot, but the shade made this a very fun hike, even in midday. Quiet, no sounds of traffic or civilizations. It was easy to imagine what it was like for the Indians. We didn't meet too many other hikers.

More photos on the Flickr site.

Food

2008-08-01T09:15:00.001-07:00

I haven’t had cantaloupe like this in a long time!

Food is definitely better in the Center of America. Maybe it is the time of year.

The regular grocery stores have mounds of fresh fruit and vegetables. Huge, green lettuces and kales and even collards. Plums and peaches and cantaloupes that are actually sweet. Corn that does not taste like chicken feed, but is really delicious.

I buy bags and bags of this bounty and my grocery bills are a lot less than in Florida, where I had to go to specialty stores (like Whole Foods) just to find vegetables that weren’t wilted and totally tasteless.

Even the fish is more affordable.

back to Bardstown

2008-07-30T12:18:00.000-07:00

I was side-tracked with a trip back to Bardstown last weekend for Aunt Louise’s 94th birthday party. What a gift it is to be within driving distance (5 ½ hours) for these occasions! I’ve been away for so long. (But I have to admit, I remember why it was that I had to leave!) More photos are on Flickr.

I love our adventure to the Center of the country. It is quieter here, and there is something very calming about the fields of corn and soybeans (though John tells me it is all being grown for bio-fuel, not food). It is McCain country - haven’t seen an Obama bumper sticker yet.

The great rivers, the Missouri and the Mississippi, both captivate me. And I can’t wait to get into St. Louis to explore more than just driving through.

Missouri Land and Sky

2008-07-24T06:44:00.000-07:00

Something about the Missouri land/sky that both thrills and scares me. I find myself dreaming about it. It's so BIG! These photos are to the East, where Jubilee and I walk every morning. Same view, 2 different mornings.

Missouri Wind, Rain, and Mud

2008-07-23T05:14:00.000-07:00

There were thunderstorms the other night. Missouri thunderstorms feel different from Florida thunderstorms. The light flashes higher in the sky, and is more diffuse. The timbre of the thunder is not as deep. I think it must be because the air is not as thick.

And then there is the wind. The mat before our back door (on the inside) was soaked from the 70 mph wind-driven rain. No one around here thinks much of any of this. But I was speaking to my neighbor, Julia, about the winters here. She says that the big thing is the wind. You have to figure out a way to walk your dog according to which way the wind is blowing.

I had forgotten about mud.

The ground doesn’t look especially wet, but when you walk on it, the mud cakes and clings to your shoes until they weigh about 10 pounds. And there’s no getting it off with a stick. You need a high-powered hose.

Jubilee fared much better than I did with the mud. After walking through a couple of puddles, she was free and clean. Maybe because she was born in Missouri?

Ameristar

2008-07-20T16:50:00.000-07:00

(the smudges on the photo are John's dirty car windshield.)

Just outside of the quaint little town of St. Charles, built into the Missouri River (to avoid gambling laws, the “offshore” trick, I guess) is a huge casino – Ameristar.

John and I decided to check it out on Sunday morning. I guess I’ve never been into a full scale casino before. No charge to get in, but we had to show our IDs and were issued a special card to stick into the machines. It would keep track of our earnings and losses. We were told that in the state of Missouri, if you lose more than $500 in 2 hours, you’re cut off and have to wait 24 hours before you can gamble again. Gee. We were advised that if we got close to the $500 loss, we could just wait an hour and then would have another hour to gamble.

It was a strange kind of place – I couldn’t quite understand the energy. A lot of people there, even on a Sunday morning. I wonder what it was like on Saturday night. The gamblers were all ages (over 21) and came in wheelchairs and with walkers, like to a shrine. Most sit alone before the myriad of glitzy machines. A few at the card tables.

Smoking was mostly allowed – there were a few small non-smoking areas – even though the air-conditioning was cranked down low and the ventilation was good, the smell of smoke was in the air. Bars were open and busy. Loud music – I remember hearing “What’s new pussycat?” play for a very long time.

What attracts so many people to a place like this? Is it the lure of winning big? Risk? Having fun?
It’s fancy, that’s for sure. I just don't get it.

This is the hotel that is attached to the casino. Wonder what it is about red and black? The Roulette Table?

Again, smudges are on John's windshield.

Post note: The states of Iowa and Missouri have sought to revive their waterfronts by permitting riverboat gambling. The initial gambling regulations required the casinos to navigate the river. They were subsequently amended so that the casinos could be permanent land-based structures as long as they had a moat with Missouri River water surrounding them. - from Widipedia

Saturday Night in New Town

2008-07-19T23:37:00.000-07:00

Jubilee and John on the front porch, listening to Saturday Night Music

This whole phenomena of New Town has me slightly mystified. Ordinarily I would be suspicious of a “planned” community, built in the middle of cornfields. I would wonder where “real” life was.
But there is something about this place that feels refreshing to me, and it’s not just the newness. The friendliness of the people, the ability to walk everywhere.

Ada, my new friend next door, moved from a place near here. She says they were stuck in a rut, and one day she told her daughter, “we have to move!” She rented her house out and moved into a rented apartment here. Now, as she feeds the birds from her balcony, she calls down from her balcony to me: “good morning, I’m so happy to be here!”

Saturday night they had live music downtown. We walked the 2 blocks down there, but ended up listening to it as we sat on our front porch.

Here are some more New Town photos:

New Town Cops!

The Diner.

The Canal. Saturday Night Music.

I admit this Church has me mystified! I 'm sitting under it's spires right now, connecting to everyone and the Almighty too. It's 7PM and still 95 degrees!

Here are some photos of the Missouri Ground:
And, just for my friend Sandra, here are some Missouri Weeds!!!

St. Charles (Old Town)

2008-07-19T16:23:00.000-07:00

Exploring the town of St. Charles, I’m re-learning some basic U.S. history.

Missouri became the 24th State in 1821. St. Charles, a little further from the hustle and bustle of St. Louis on the Mississippi River, served as the state’s first capitol from 1821-1826.

The Missouri River runs through St. Charles.

It was from here that Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out on their venture westward, commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson to explore the headwaters of the Missouri River and negotiate with the Indian Tribes. Post note: The dog, a Newfoundland named "Seaman", belonged to Captain William Clark.

(I need to find out more about how the Louisiana Purchase figured into this whole deal. When I get my Internet connection back, I promise to be more academic about this journal!)

St. Charles, itself, is a lot like Bardstown – an old frontier town with lots of old buildings now turned into antique and knick-knack stores.

Anyone know what “Quilogy” is?

Funky New Town

2008-07-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of New Town, a funky little place in the middle of Missouri Corn Fields. They tell me that the community is modeled after “Seaside” in Florida and that the architecture is a blend of New Orleans and Old West. New Town actually reminds me a bit of the 500-year-old village of Parsdorf, Germany, where all the homes are near to each other, and surrounded by farmland.

We live on the main road coming into New Town. There is a canal going down the center, and on each side are the row houses and a variety of “mansions”. The mansions are actually apartments, 4 or 5 to each “mansion”.

This is the Canal down the center of New Town Avenue. (John has caught some catfish and bass from this canal.)
These are the row houses and the street that we live on.

This is the “mansion” next door to us. My new friend, Ada, lives upstairs here.

This is our corner of our mansion. I think that ours looks kind of “Greek”.

Here is another "mansion".

Here are some photos of the community pool. You can see the surrounding farmland (mostly corn). It is 98 degrees here today (much hotter than I've ever known Florida to be), so the pool is very cool:

This is one of the side streets. I call these the "prairie houses". They look very much like the houses that are in St. Charles "Old Town". Again, you can see the farmland that is just beyond the street.

Corn is higher than John, already. Wonder where it'll be in August???

This is where we go to get our mail. Kind of a funky place. I know the postwoman by name, because, so far, none of our mail has been forwarded.

I've been going here most every day. Hopefully I'll get stronger.

And this is a little herb garden that I discovered behind the diner. We haven't eaten at the diner yet. I wonder if they use the herbs.

Some more funky things around this place.

What about this Church with Radio Towers for Steeples!? I'd say they just might be able to connect with the Almighty!

The Center of America (we made it!)

2008-07-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

The heat and sun gave no sign of letting up, and everyone was warning me not to drive to St. Louis in the late afternoon. You’ll be heading right into the sun, they said. And the days are longer up here than in Florida this time of year. The sun doesn’t even go down until after 9.

So Jubilee and I were up at daybreak on Tuesday to begin the last leg of our journey. Once we got through the morning rush hour into Louisville and across the Ohio River to Southern Indiana, things improved considerably. It was still cool and I64 from Louisville to St. Louis has to be one of the best rides in the country. Not much traffic, lush and scenic as it follows the river. I didn’t have to roll down the windows until about 9AM, and was finally able to listen to some of the music I had brought along. This was the way to do a road trip!

As we crossed into Southern Illinois, the land opened up more to large fields of corn and grasses. And we had to roll the windows down. As we neared St. Louis, things got a little hairy (and hot). When we were about 9 ½ miles east of St. Louis I could see, across the fields the river, the city and the great arch – gateway to the West. It was impressive.

Somehow we made our way across the Mississippi River, and through St. Louis. At one point we crossed the Missouri River, which looks pretty impressive as well. These great rivers are mysterious to me.

And somehow, without one wrong turn, we found our way out to this funky little place called “New Town”, which really is in the middle of a corn field. So far, I haven’t ventured out much (it’s hotter than Florida here), but I’m sure I’ll have a lot to say as I begin to explore.

For now, I’m just glad to be here.

[I only have access to the Internet when I carry my laptop 2 blocks down the street to a free WiFi area. I may keep it that way, because it is somehow free-ing (and quieter) to not be “connected” all the time.]

Bardstown

2008-07-14T13:07:00.000-07:00

[This is the house that I grew up in. 413 North 2nd Street, Bardstown KY. It used to be white (not grey). ]

Jubilee and I headed north from Knoxville on Sunday morning. It was raining and that made the driving without air-conditioning tolerable.

The mist rose off the mountains of Northern Tennessee like a light smoke. We passed several quaint and colorful Fireworks stands and I wish that I had had the patience and presence of mind to take some photos. But I was afraid to stop. Because of the heat, I wanted to take advantage of the cooling rain while it lasted. I also saw a couple of large (huge) white crosses on the side of the highway that felt very “in-your-face” and scary. Klu-Klux-Klannish.

When I was a child and we traveled out of the state of Kentucky, my father would make somewhat of a production when we returned, stopping the car at the state line so that we could get out and kiss the ground. I always seem to remember this when I see the “Welcome to Kentucky” sign.

The land of Kentucky feels familiar to me. The summer vegetation. The rock exposed in the hillsides. The hay rolled in the fields. The blue and white wildflowers on the sides of the road. Kentucky evokes memories of my childhood and loved ones who have died.

By the time I got to Lexington, I no longer needed to consult, and be confused by, my Google directions. Thankgod – Google wanted to route me on the winding and narrow road that we used more than 40 years ago, before the opening of the Bluegrass Parkway.

My excursion to Bardstown was really to see two people: my Aunt Nora and my Aunt Louise.

Aunt Nora is 96 years old, my father’s sister, and my last living relative from the generation before me. Though she is in a nursing home, unable to walk or see, her mind is still sharp as ever. I’ve always known a special ease being with Aunt Nora – we share a similar temperament and understand each other. For one thing, we’re both insomniacs. I loved finding again that familiar humor and honesty with her.

This is Aunt Nora.

Aunt Louise was married to my father’s brother, Harry, and is 94 years old. She still lives in her home on 3rd Street, which was built in 1850.

Aunt Louise is sort of a 2nd mother to me. Her children (my cousins) were about the same age as my sister and I, and we were all raised together. Her mind is all there, and then some. She is among the most creative and intelligent persons that I’ve known, telling fascinating stories of how life was in the 30’s and 40’s and when we were children, remembering every detail and weaving together both memories and an accurate accounting of how-things-are/were. She told me about a time when she was watching me at the swimming pool – I must have been about 3 years old – and how I was afraid to put my head under water. She could remember the color and style of my bathing suit and how I sat and looked at the water for a long, long time, undeterred by the encouragement (and taunting) of my older and braver cousins. Finally, in my own time, I ventured off the side of the pool, went under the water, and came up exultant!

My Aunt Louise is also the master of being able to not worry and let life take care of her. My favorite thing that I remember her saying, after a big dinner is: “Oh, let’s not worry about the dishes, let’s have dessert!”

Being in Bardstown also brings with it other adventures.

For one thing, I am never “anonymous” in this town. Even after having been away for 40 years, someone always recognizes me. This time, while I was eating lunch at the nursing home with Aunt Nora, Aunt Louise, and Aunt Grace (Aunt Louise’s sister), a woman comes up to me, looks right at me, and says “Do we know each other?”. My gosh. I knew that it had to be someone that I had gone to school with it. And I guessed right – Linda Boone, my First Communion partner in 1957 when we were 7 years old. And now we are 57!

I went to school with the many of the same kids from Kindergarten to graduation from High School. That breeds a kind of familiarity, bondedness and recognition that never goes away.

[This is St. Joseph Church – Proto Cathedral – with St. Joseph School the other side of it. I was baptized, first communioned, confirmed, and married in this church. Both of my parents were buried from this church. Most all of my childhood and schooling centered around this church.]

My cousin, Sidney, still lives in Bardstown. If we were playing monopoly, Sidney would win. He and his wife, Brenda, have made of very successful living buying and running local businesses – mostly liquor stores, but also a gas station and store on a major interstate. Sidney’s lifestyle reminds me of the way my father made his way. He knows people all over the county, and though he “works” all the time, he also seems to always be free to do what he pleases.

Anyway, he asked me if I would drive his mother’s car to a man in the country who was going to work on it. I would be following him in his pick up truck to somewhere “deep” in the back country, he said. That turned out to be a most enjoyable ride off the beaten track through tobacco fields, tunnels and lovely hillsides. On the way back we stopped at “Brenda’s store” for ice cream.

[Brenda’s Store.]

Friends along the way

2008-07-13T15:55:00.000-07:00

These are my friends Carolyn, Reed, and Hal, with dogs Kipper and Wishbone.

Carolyn and I met in 1980 when we both worked at a place called Micro-Circuit Engineering. She later married Dr. Hal and I was the matron of honor at their wedding. And then Reed was born.

They live in Knoxville and I only see them every few years. Reed doesn’t even remember the last time I visited.

Their home is a colorful menagerie of dogs, cats, rabbits, fish, and birds – all lovingly cared for. There are books everywhere, ham radios, musical scores, English teapots, robots. Fortunately, Carolyn is a Martha-Stewart style neat-nick who keeps everything clean and organized.

So when I stay with them I feel surrounded by their interests and love.

Carolyn made me a proper English breakfast of poached egg with toast, fresh local blackberries, lemon curd – and tea, of course.

When I was leaving, trying to organize my stuff for taking to the car, Hal - who has so many interests beyond his medical practice - told me that he didn’t need to be organized, Carolyn did that for him.

The world is blessed with the Carolyns of the world, and I am very lucky to have one for a friend.

The hole we fell into in Knoxville and the angels disguised as tattooed rednecks who got us out

2008-07-12T23:53:00.000-07:00

How did we fall into that hole? I’d say it was a combination of the heat and our determination to get to Knoxville. Seriously, I never even saw the hole.

The plan was to get up early and drive during the cool morning hours to Knoxville, which I figured was about 4 ½ hours north. We had friends in Knoxville who were going to take care of us.

But I didn’t wake up until 7:30 and we didn’t get on the road until 8:30. From 8:30-9:30 it was still cool. This was a full sun day, no cloud cover at all, and things started heating up around 10. I found myself driving in the far right lane just to catch the shade still being cast by the roadway trees. By noon we couldn’t take it anymore. We had made it to Tennessee, though, and were somewhere north of Chattanooga. I saw a sign, “Blue Springs”, and that sounded cool.

Taking an unknown exit off an interstate is risky. You never know what you’ll find. I had seen a sign for a National Forest and a Red Clay Park, and thought that might a good place to hang out during the heat of the day. But the girl at the local Hardees said that they were far away and I would be better of just going to the playground of the Blue Spring School, which was just down the road.

I found the school and playground, which was deserted on this full sun-hot day. But there was a bench and a tree, and maybe a little breeze, so Jubilee and I began to hang out.

Shortly we noticed across the field a little cabin, and what looked to be a little creek. Two men were sitting in front of the cabin, whittling wooden sticks. Just out of boredom or something (the enticement of a cool water creek?), we walked over to investigate. The older man was somewhat friendly, but the younger one just glared at me. (He kept trying to look me in the eye, but I wouldn’t look back at him.) Then I noticed the name “Coon Club” on the front of the cabin, and realized that I was trespassing on some kind of men’s only club. (But what kind of men’s club would be that close to a school?)

Anyway, by the time we got back to our schoolyard bench it seemed that the breeze under the tree was not much better than the air blowing through the car, so Jubilee and I set out for the highway again. We were only about 60 miles or so south of Knoxville, and that was as far as we had to go. Surely we could make it.

We were doing OK. Hot, but ok. Carolyn knew we were coming, I had my directions for how to get to their house. Don’t ever trust the directions from Google Map. Repeatedly I have run into conflicting directions where I have to make a choice. Like, “take I640 West, toward Lexington” … but when I get to the place, 640West goes one way, and “toward Lexington” goes the other.

I knew I had made a wrong turn and took the first exit so that I could call Carolyn and get some directions. I needed some shade. I was in an industrial area and saw an abandoned car wash. The perfect place to make my call. I never even saw the hole. I only saw the shade.

I knew the car was stuck, so I got out and called Carolyn. She called her husband Hal. Said that Hal had a truck and could get some friends and come over later to get the car, but in the meantime she would come and pick me up. I was at the corner of Rudy and Haskill.

And then a very interesting thing happened.

There was a big black man across the street. He came over and said “I knew somebody was going to do that – I just been waiting for it to happen!” I told him that I had friends who were coming to help me. He said, don’t worry about your car, I’ll keep an eye on it.

Then the first guy with tattoos came by and got out and he and the black guy looked and the situation and said that they could probably get a board and get the car out. So they start working on it.

Hal shows up on his motorcycle about then, so now I have 3 men working on the problem.

And then, out of nowhere, a pickup truck with 2 tattooed rednecks shows up, the rednecks hop out, put a strap around the back of my car, and just pull it out. All in about 2 minutes. And then they were gone. I didn’t even have time to say thank you.

Within 10 minutes of my falling into that hole, I was out and on my way. I couldn’t believe it.

I will never, ever bad mouth rednecks in pickups again.

From there, I followed Hal on his motorcycle to his lovely air-conditioned home.

180410 – or the beginning of the Road Trip from Hell

2008-07-11T23:32:00.000-07:00

These photos are of the house and backyard “paradise” as Jubilee and I left, around 7:30AM Friday morning.

The odometer of my 1992 Toyota Camry read 180410. But it didn’t work for several months, so the car probably has more like 190,000 miles or more on it. One thing is for sure: this car will never see Florida again.

Around 9:30, just as I was beginning to enjoy the wild flatlands of central Florida and settle in for the long drive, the A/C stopped working. After trying every trick I knew to get it to start, I tried to talk myself into it. I can do this, I thought. Prisoners live without A/C in Florida. Heck, what about all the indigenous peoples who live in equatorial lands. They do fine without A/C. I thought about the therapeutic benefits of heat. People spend lots of money for saunas, and steam rooms. There’s even an infra-red sauna that supposedly kills cancer cells. Who needs chemo, just drive without A/C.

But by noon, I knew that I couldn’t do it. The inside of the car was well over 100 degrees, and the fan was blowing even hotter air. With both windows down, and trucks whizzing past us on both sides, Jubilee and I were fried, mentally and physically.

John directed us to a Car dealership place in Lake City, a town in northern Florida. Yes, they could fix it, they said. Jubilee and I waited in the very air-conditioned waiting room. I met some fine people from this neck of the woods. One woman lived in a house on the Suwannee River that she had bought for $5000. Another man had grown up near Miami, but couldn’t take the traffic and crowds and moved to Northern Florida. We all talked about how we seemed to have somehow gotten along without air-conditioning 30-40 years ago.

Four and a half hours, and $105 later, they told me that they couldn’t fix it. Something wrong with the compressor, but they didn’t know what it was. By now it was 4:30, and Jubilee and I set out again onto the highway. (Jubilee has to be carried and forced back into the car.)

Within a half and hour, though, we crossed the line into Georgia, and a blessed rain began to fall. Everything cooled down. We could do this, as long as we stayed off the road during the heat of the day! I was getting tired, but determined that I was going to drive as long and as far I could into the night. Maybe we could even make it all the way to Knoxville!

As we approached Macon, the sky darkened, the lighting became surreal, and we headed on into one wicked thunderstorm. The kind where the only thing you have to guide you on the road are the tail lights of the car in front if you, if you’re lucky enough to see them.

I was frazzled. Jubilee and I stayed at the first flea bag motel we could find. We were still 65 miles south of Atlanta, and the room was only $31 for the night. It was fine.

I don’t know if it is because I am older now, or because I don’t quite trust my car (I seriously wonder if it will start again every time I turn it off), but something about this road trip is making me somewhat anxious. The overwhelming heat doesn’t help.

I am beginning to think that it will be a major miracle if we make it to the Center of America.

Getting Ready to Go

2008-07-06T06:31:00.000-07:00

Jubilee and I are still here in Florida, but we are starting to get ready for our trip to the Center of America. After 5 days with out A/C, we finally got that fixed, the taxes are done, and I only have 2 more computer lessons on Monday. If all goes well with the dentist and the oncologist on Wednesday, we hope to set out on Thursday or Friday.

Meanwhile, John has moved into furnished apartment in a place called “New Town” - near St. Charles, Missouri. Web cam is here. If this isn’t the center of America, I don’t know what is. It looks like a little town in the middle of a cornfield, not much bigger than the neighborhood we live in now. With all the activities, I’m a little concerned that we are joining a Church! I’ll just have to adjust.

John sent some fotos via email. These must be the condo/townhouse John has rented. Looks pretty fancy!

And these are of the 4th of July parade, that John says went down the street just in front of the condo (I'm not sure if it is an apartment or a townhouse).

I like the looks of this Organic Farm. And walking to the Market will be fun. I still can't imagine what living there will be like, though. Not quite a Country Club, more like summer camp?

208257.5

2008-06-16T05:43:00.000-07:00

The odometer on John’s 1987 Jeep Cherokee read 208257.5 as he left this morning for St. Charles, MO. Who knows if it will make it back to Florida? I just hope it makes it to St. Charles.

It is 69 degrees this morning in St. Charles. It is 81 degrees here. And, as you can see, John decided against bringing his motorcycle.

Last night we reminisced some about the first time we set out on an adventure like this, with John going first and me following a couple of weeks later. Winter: 1973-74. We hadn’t even been married for a year and were living in Haverstraw, NY when John was sent to a job – the Duane Arnold Energy Center - near Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Funny how many details we have forgotten. But we do remember how we welcomed the clear air and open land of the Midwest – and how much fun it all was.

Update: John called from Chattanooga, says that his is the oldest car on the road.

we are officially GYPSIES again!

2008-06-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

Sioux Plant, St. Charles Missouri

I guess it’s official.

Today John was offered the position of PROJECT ENGINEER at the Sioux Power Plant in St. Charles, Missouri.

I never in my whole life imagined this place, or that I would go there.

The job is for 3 months, but that probably means 6 months with more jobs (elsewhere) following this one.

So we are officially GYPSIES now.

This is the way we lived the first 7 years that we were married. We started in NY, then went to Iowa, Michigan, Oregon, Washington state, Virginia, back to NY, and then to South Florida, where we’ve been for 28 years!!

It’s definitely time to get a move on again.

John is leaving on Monday. I’m staying here until at least the middle of July. I have some medical stuff I need to take care of (a bone scan that my oncologist is insisting upon, etc.). Then Jubilee and I will head out. I want to document the whole trip with photos and commentary, which I will keep here.

Journey to the Center of America

2008-06-06T17:40:00.001-07:00

Well, well. Sometimes the thing you never imagined to happen in your life, happens. Like going to the center of America.

It's been a difficult year. First I got diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer, and then John lost his job. So we've been stressed!

In fact, I'm not sure that things are turning around for us. But it looks like something is in the air, And just in case, I'm getting ready with yet another blog!!