Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Wednesday June 29^th.
We head to John and Dorothy’s who are glad to share a meal with us and teach us a dice game and a card game that neither David or I could ever teach anyone else. It takes more than one afternoon to learn these games. I am sure playing these games keeps their minds active even when health issues suffered by each prevents them from being as physically active as they want to be. John is a retired farmer who, like his sister, suffers from COPD. John and Dorothy have been married 63 years. The day after we leave Dorothy goes in for hip surgery. Their son Rodger lives just around the corner which I’m sure is quite a blessing to them to have him close by. The Saturday before we arrived, their small town suffered from severe winds that split and toppled many large trees. They were blessed in that nothing fell on their property.
Before leaving I found out how much our annual Christmas cards have meant to them throughout the years. Just goes to show how a simple act of kindness can show a lot of love and bring joy into someone’s life.

Nearby, in Laclede, we drive by John Pershing’s boyhood home and the school where he taught before he started his illustrious military career and became one of America’s highest ranked military officers.

School where he taught

Cousin Rodger came to save the day. After I had shown family photos to John and Dorothy via my computer slideshow, I set my computer out of the way while we played games. I didn’t realize I had left it behind. Luckily for us, Dorothy found it and called Rodger who was at work and was able to track us down after we left Pershing’s historical site. So after a brief
visit with Rodger we traveled back to get the computer. Circumstances worked out in our behalf because I would not use my computer until later in the evening (at which time we would be in southern Missouri).

As we travel onward, a short distance is the Locust Creek Covered Bridge which is a state historical site. Once you leave the highway and travel down a paved road and then a dirt road, you must walk across a wooden bridge that has rapidly flowing water beneath it. I know you must be thinking all bridges have water flowing beneath them. Not true as we soon discover after walking a quarter mile through a wooded area filled with birds singing and trees that could tell some interesting history, if they could talk..

David, being in the road & bridge construction business, is fascinated by this structure.

This rabbit is enjoying a meal where water normally would be. Most of Locust Creek’s channel was straightened after World War II, leaving the bridge spanning a dry creek bed.

This bridge was built in 1868 and was situated on the main east-west road in northern Missouri. It once served on America’s first transcontinental road. Originally covered bridge’s provided shelter from wind, snow and rain for riders in uncovered buggies and carriages. That reminded us of the motorcycle riders who sought refuge under overpasses in Indiana’s rainstorm.

On the road again, now heading toward southern Missouri.

We really did not expect to see such rocky terrain in Missouri. Another thing I did not expect to see were the many Amish wagons we saw.

We find a quiet motel in Lebanon, MO which has a mattress that is firm, but not as firm as the one from the night before. Since previous motels had micro fridges, microwaves and small coffee pots we decided to prepare a meal in our room. We had purchased something simple to make when we were in northern MO, and then the laugh was on us as this place had none of these amenities. No problem, there is a place to eat about one block down the road. Tomorrow we visit another cousin and some of his family and then we head for home.