WTF Two days in a row

First, yes it is two days blogging in a row. Second, I am on call with the AOW Ambulance service so if I get the call to duty this may be very short.

I spent some time the other day downloading music on to my Ipad. I was watching Colbert and he had The Killers on and they had a new album out. Their first album Hot Fuss was great. It was followed by what I considered a lackluster sophomore album called Sam's Town. They are a Las Vegas band made up of Mormon boys. I have been to Sam's Town and the casino was better than the album. I did jump off the bridge and bought the third album (Battleborn) having never heard a song off it. I am listening to all the songs I downloaded now and haven't heard one yet. I also downloaded the new Taylor Swift album Red. I find her music interesting and she seems so genuinely surprised by her popularity. The sceptic in me knows she is just a really good actress in that regard but the music lover in me wants it to be real. Don't we all believe the things we want even when we know better. Denial is so powerful.

I think the interesting thing in all of this is how the Ipod has changed the way we buy and listen to music. I have about 600 songs on my Ipod and about 75 on my Ipad. So many times it is one song by an artist. I rarely buy a complete album. I think back to my college days and 8 track tapes and cassette tapes. How many of those would I have to lug around to have that much music? I would  have to hire a servant just to carry it around and find the song I wanted to hear at the time. The same thing has happened with my reading. I have a Kindle and there are about 100 books on it. I don't have the storage problem with books any longer. Do I miss holding a book in my hands? Sometimes. It is so easy to bookmark and find the passages I want to read again. I feel better when I look at trees and realize that I am not participating in their demise for some trashy book like 50 Shades of Grey. Yeah, I read all three novels of "mommy porn".What are you going to do, tie me up and beat me for it? The books cost less on a Kindle and with a little creativity I can share them with my son and daughter in law. They get free books which is okay with them.

Some times you wonder if electronics have changed the world for the better. I don't know. It seems to have saved some natural resources that would have gone into books and records, or tapes or CD's. They have given you the opportunity to read an old man's senseless ramblings. You be the judge. Is it better or not?

Missouri, Must Love Rednecks

The weather is cooling in Illinois and I am less likely to be in the woods cutting firewood and more likely to be sitting at the computer blogging. I am hoping to provide you with more opportunities to look at the world through my twisted view.

Friday was the 38th anniversary of the best day of my life. That is the day that Carol joined me in the joys of wedded bliss. While every day has not been filled with rainbows and unicorns, I would not trade the last 38 years for those years with anyone else. She is and always shall be the love of my life.

We took a trip to Missouri wine country for our anniversary and had a wonderful weekend. We started off going to Augusta and visiting the local brewery and winery. Then off to visit a few other wineries in the area. When the day was done we went to Hermann, Missouri for an overnight stay at a bed and breakfast called the Wine Country Inn. After a meal at the Black Walnut (highly recommended by us if you want a great meal) then off to the Inn for a relaxing night trying some of the wine purchased earlier in the day. The next day we were off to West Plains to see some friends and that is when we happened across a few things that I found amusing.

Our first stop in the strange state of Missouri, a small town called Bland.

 

They are clearly proud of their over 100 years of Bland. I didn't get to talk to any of the residents of Bland but I suspect the celebration was somewhat muted. I can almost hear them saying things like: "It was okay, nothing special." or "Just another day in a blah life."

 





The Bland Christian Church would seem an unlikely place to hear any of the hell fire and brimstone preaching you expect in the Bible Belt. What do you think of Jesus? He's all right. You know, Prince of Peace, Lord of Lords, I guess all of that is okay and all. It's hard to get too excited when you are bland. As you will see things are about to change in Missouri. While many miles don't separate these towns I think my view of them puts them a universe apart.

We have arrived at Licking.Missouri. I enlarged this picture so you could see the sign in the background. They enforce the noise ordinance. Licking is okay but no slurping. Apparently if licking leads to excessive moaning or screaming you may be cited for an ordinance violation.

 



Now you have to ask yourself a question. Would you rather attend church at the Bland Christian Church or the Licking Pentecostal Holiness Church? I am sure in Licking Pentecostal you are sure to hear a few "Praise the Lord" and "Thank you Jesus" and "Oh God" along the way. If you don't perhaps you should head down the street for some training.

You can apparently take some training classes at Licking Elementary. It appears to have the support of the local Parent Teacher Organization. I think probably only the basics are taught there as down the street you could attend another school.

Yes folks you can move on to Licking High School. I think it is completely appropriate and perhaps a bit of bragging to indicate you are home of the "Wildcats". I guess if you are at that level in Licking you have reason to have confidence in your ability. Apparently for those folks who are adventurous they have the Licking Alternative School. I am hoping in the future to send off for a list of class offerings.

 

A progressive community Licking even has a Park Plaza. It is good to have a Licking Park. Monkey Bars, swings, slides, all the things one might need for a good time Licking.

 



No visit would be complete without a visit to the Licking water tower. Does it strike anyone else as odd that the word Licking is on the upright shaft of the tower rather than the tank? Seems like a message of some sort.

As we left Licking I noticed a road sign that  indicated Success, Missouri was 15 miles down the road. Another message? Classes, religion and some Licking Wildcat effort can eventually lead to Success. Those rednecks may be on to something.

Seasons

Spring or Fall? It is a question I can never answer. Should you have a favorite season? I think we all do. It is easy to eliminate summer- too hot. It is hard to get excited about a season that makes you sweat and smell bad. Winter, it has become too comercialized with Christmas. Well, that and I HATE cold weather. I think the Christian religions view of hell is wrong. It could just as easily be a place of unimaginable cold. Enough about religion. The weather is changing here and the trees are starting to give us some of that glorious Fall color. I took some pictures today and they explain why Carol and I choose to live out here in BFE.

This is the view off our front porch looking to the northeast.

This is the same view with a little telephoto enhancement.

This is a view to the east from the driveway. You can see the road turning back to the left. There are two houses east of us. One is unoccupied the other is a weekend get away for a family from Peoria. So most days the only traffic past us is the occasional farmer checking crops or cows.

The same view with telephoto enhancement.

This is the view off our deck looking west.

This beautiful red leaf is poison ivy. If it was this color all the time maybe I wouldn't get it 3 or 4 times a year. Actually I would because I know what it looks like all the time. Sometimes you just can't avoid it.
That is the view of our little corner of the earth taken today. Every day here is a joy and a blessing.