Dream Cabin, Firetruck, and a Barn

During my excursion last Saturday, I found a few interesting items to shoot.
Such as this little cabin stuck back in the Shag Bark Hickory trees.

If this place were hiking distance from the road and next to a pond, this would be my dream house/cabin. It is small. No room for clutter, only necessities. Easy to clean, no toilet to scrub. No traffic noise or neighbors. Just peace and quiet. Yes, I could live here. Well, for a while. I suspect I would start looking for electricity and a computer connection before the week was out. Great idea in theory, though.

I passsed this graveyard of anything and everything that once had a motor. Wrecked cars and trucks were farther down the road, past the house. I am a minimalist at heart, so I would probably find it difficult to live surrounded by junk vehicles. I know for a fact the man who once owned this property made a good living selling parts. He was a friend of my brother's and passed away a few months ago. He once raced stock cars at our local racetrack and Bro O was on the pit crew. It made for a fun Saturday night in an area where entertainment was hard to come by. It still looks like someone is conducting business, I suspect a family member has taken over.

Before my blogger breakdown, Barn Charm was one of my favorite memes. I'm told the meme is no more. I would take over the reins myself if I had more time, but alas I fear it would be too time consuming. Is there someone out there willing to take on the task?

Hazel Dell

On the way to and coming back from Moonshine, I passed through a tiny town called Hazel Dell. The sign says it was founded in 1866, but doesn't give a population. The main street no longer looks like it did on the sign. I like the color combination of blue and yellow. It makes it stand out, otherwise I might have missed it.

It does have an elementary school and a restaurant, but mostly it is a very small residential community. I have no idea what the population is, but I'm guessing less than 500 and probably more like 200.

The restaurant is well known for its homemade cinnamon rolls and pies. I've never actually been to the restaurant, but on one of my trips up here from Dallas before I moved back, sis-in-law served them for breakfast. I can tell you, they are melt in your mouth wonderful.

This is the only business I found on the main street. I'm thinking it might still be open during the week.  I drove through on Saturday, so maybe it isn't open on weekends. After all, there is a freshly painted sign, a 7up machine, and a trash bin which indicates life to me.

On the outskirts of town, I found this old house. Looks spooky doesn't it? To add to the eeriness, there are buzzards sitting on the roof...

...and on the chimney. Those birds always creep me out, but I can't help but take pictures every time I see one. It was a cloudy day until I drove back through Hazel Dell. The clouds slowly crept away, leaving a blue sky. Too bad it wasn't warmer. Still waiting on spring and I'm told today we will have snow again. I only like the first snow of the season. This one is way down the list of things I want to see on this day.

I hope wherever you are you have a wonderful, warm Monday!

Linking with Blue Monday.

Moonshine

Moonshine—this is not a post about the beverage, although I did have a taste back in 1973, and my throat is still burning! This post is about a town called Moonshine.

Moonshine is located in Clark County, Illinois.  Population 2. It has been featured on the CBS Sunday Morning Show. So around here, it is famous.

There is only one building in the entire town (not including the outhouse) and this is a grocery store built in 1912.  The wind was frightfully cold or I would have ventured out to take a picture of the outhouse. I hurried back to the car instead.

The store was later sold to Helen and Roy Tuttle in 1982, who created a restaurant that serves their famous Moonburger. 

The store has a guest book signed by visitors from all 50 states and from around the world. During the 2011 Terry Hammond Memorial Moonshine Lunchrun (has to do with motorcycle riders raising money for a cause) on April 9, 2011, a new record of 2,068 burgers were served.  

Moonshine is a dry town, no alcoholic beverages sold. 

There are two theories on the origin of the town's name. One version attributes its name to the moon shining on swampy land near the store, while another is attributed to a long time local resident who states a family from Philadelphia named it in the 1850s to honor locations in Pennsylvania. Wonder if those locations were known for their stills. Hmm.

Customers place their order in the back of the store at what looks to have been a meat counter at one time. Tell the cooks what you want and give them your name. There are no tables, just wooden benches and a few folding chairs. In nice weather, there are several picnic tables outside. 

Once your name is called, you go to the back and pick up your order, which is served on a paper plate. Next stop, the condiment table. Add thick slices of onions, pickles, mustard or ketchup to taste and pull a cold drink out of the cooler. Pay when you leave.

There is a lot to look at while enjoying that famous, thick, juicy burger. The walls and counters are lined with antiques and pictures. 

If you so desire, you can take home a souvenier such as a t-shirt, coffee cup, or shot glass—all emblazened with the town's name.

So, if you are ever in middle-of-nowhere Illinois and develope a hunger for a tasty burger, Moonshine is the perfect place to stop.

Northern Shoveler

After dinner last evening, Fergus and I went for a walk around The Rez. I was surprised to see what I thought were Mallards on the water. After a closer look, I realized they were not Mallards, but some other duck I wasn't familiar with. Sadly I didn't have a zoom with me, so these are the best shots I could get.

I hurried back home to get a better lens and quickly looked through our National Geographic Field Guide to Birds in North America. The ducks are Northern Shovelers.  I loaded Fergus in the car and drove back to The Rez, but by the time I got there, the ducks were gone. That's the way my luck runs!

This is Fergus waiting patiently for me to come back to the car.

This is Fergus with his patience wearing thin. He was about to jump out of the window. No leash. I would have had a heart attack!

For being such a good boy, we walked around The Rez a couple more times.

Linking with Saturday Critters and Camera Critters 

and Bird D'pot

Diggin' in the Archives

My Random Five comes from a trip to Franklin, TN to visit my son. I rode down with daughter and her four kids. We had tons of fun.

1. My dream vacation always includes visiting historical sites. I've been to The Hermitage before, yet always seem to find something interesting.

This is a view from the back of the house. For those who may not know, The Hermitage was President Andrew Jackson's Tennessee home. The grounds are beautiful. Since it is Friday, thought I would put a fence in the post.
2. I especially enjoy wandering around the grounds to see all the flowers and trees.

3. The cotton exhibit was new this trip. I have bought several items with cotton fragrance, such as soap and candles, but still didn't realize how fragrant cotton is. Having lived in the south for about 35 years, I have seen lots of cotton fields, but never got close enough to inhale. It smelled heavenly.

After The Hermitage, we stopped by Provence Bakery on 21st Street, near Vanderbilt, in Nashville for a tart and coffee. There are so many, it was tough to choose one. This one made my mouth water.
4. I try to go to the Provence Bakery at least once when in Nashville.

We got our tarts to go and drove a couple blocks to a park. I don't know the real name, but we call it The Dragon Park because of this mosaic dragon. There is playground equipment and Mr. Dragon for the kids to climb on. It was a beautiful day, which is great for being outside, but not so great for taking pictures midday.
4. Watching the grands pllay together is such a joy. I wish I could post pics of them, but I'm not allowed. My daughter worries about internet predators, which I believe is an actual concern. Especially since it is easy to determine our location.

This is a close shot of the dragon's skin.
5. Each year I'm responsible for taking my daughter's Christmas card picture. Last year we tried to include the dragon. The kids all put on their goofy faces and I took the picture. Sadly they were too far apart to fit on the card. Next time I'll know to position them closer together.

A cold front was on its way, so the local news channel 5 had a reporter doing a story on what people were doing to enjoy the nice weather before it turned cold. They took video of the kids playing on the dragon.

And that's my random five for today! Happy Friday!

Linking to Random Five

Robin

I always think winter is over when the Robins return. I saw a robin earlier in the week and another one this morning while taking Fergus out for his morning walk. He was all puffed up, I'm sure to keep warm in the frosty grass. It would have been a good picture. Of course I didn't have my camera. By the time I got Fergus back in and my camera in hand, Mr. Robin was gone. But he looked a lot like this one from a couple of years ago.

Linking to Alphabet Thursday - today's letter is R

He's Ba-a-ck

It's Wednesday. Usually one of the best days of the week, right behind Friday, but today my desk is piled with work. The last two days have been super busy, which makes it impossible to be caught up by days end. So today I start out way behind. Hopefully I will be back on track by days end. Other than Friday, what is your favorite day of the week?

Mr. Red-bellied Woodpecker showed up last evening. Getting out of the car after my long day at work, I saw a spot of red out of the corner of my eye. Luckily I had my camera in the car, so quietly sneaked up behind the storage shed and peeked around to get this shot. Of course, there was no opportunity for a second try.

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday

Move In Day

Mr. and Mrs. House Finch are setting up housekeeping in one of our Juniper Tree. Hubs planted them 3 years ago so they are not very big, but I guess the Finches are trying to keep up with the times. Little houses are the new thing, right?

They were camera shy, even though I tried to hide behind the drapes in the living room. These shots were taken through the window, which includes the screen, kind of gives them an aura. Still, I was happy to capture their move in day.

Linking to OUR WORLD

Blue Monday

Blue Monday is a good description of this particular day of the week. I'm always ready to hop out of bed in the early morning hours on Saturday, Sunday and holidays, but come Monday morning and I'm pounding the snooze button on the alarm. I guess I don't want to miss out on a minute of freedom and don't mind missing a few minutes of a work day.

We  had a foggy morning one day last week. I took this shot from the back driveway as I was leaving for work. We live at the edge of our small town, only 1/2 block from this corn field. Once the fog cleared, we had a beautiful blue sky kind of day.

There is a photo contest coming up and I'm thinking of entering, so spent some time over the weekend looking through my pics. The categories are Country Life, Patriotic, and People. I found a couple worthy of entering, but need to get them framed.

This isn't a contender, but I have a thing for hot air balloons. This one was floating along above us as we were leaving my son's house in Franklin, TN last summer.  In my younger years, I wanted to take a ride. Now I merely enjoy watching them. Ride anyone?

Linking to Blue Monday

Luthy Botanical Garden

Remembering a visit to Luthy Botanical Garden in Peoria, Illinois.

Linking to Today's Flowers

Reflections of Litter and Random Thoughts

I have probably posted this before, but it has been quite a while back. But I don't think it was posted for Weekend Reflections.

I recently used it as the photo prompt, begins with the letter L, for Camera Club. It didn't place, but I've always thought it was a cool picture. Litter floating in the water.

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS

RANDOM 5 FRIDAY
1. Fergus isn't an independant dog, he likes someone to hold his bone while he chews. If I'm on the computer too long, he gets bored and hops up on the bed behind me and sets the bone on my head.

2. Grandson Adam called me last night to tell me he would be mailing me a letter as soon as he got a stamp—and then proceeded to tell me everything he wrote.

3. I heard yesterday we will be getting a Joann's Fabric Store in the near future. This means I won't have to drive an hour, only 30 minutes to buy fabric. I am a closet quilter. Therefore, I am ecstatic.

4. I just finished reading a book titled The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis. I couldn't put it down. If you like to read, add it to your reading list.

5. This is a very difficult task, thinking of 5 Random Things. Yesterday we went to town to buy groceries. Life is so full of excitement right now I can hardly stand it. I'm ready for a weekend excursion!

Happy Friday!

Weird Weather

Yesterday the car said it was 73° outside when I left work. The weathergirl says the high today will be 35°. I liked yesterday's temps better. We had thunder in the night and now it's pouring down rain with the possibility of a wintery mix.

I'm dreaming of spring!

The indefinable 'they' say it's just around the corner. I want to know which corner so I can hurry and find it.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Cheesecake Anyone?

I've been working on making a family cookbook. I'm titling it Such as It Is. My grandma always used to say, "Dinner's ready, such as it is." I don't really know why. I guess she was being humble. She shouldn't have been, she was a wonderful cook. Of course, the tradition followed and my mom said 'such as it is', too. Now guess who says it? Yep, me. And I still don't know why. It's our thing. So while trying to come up with a title, this seemed appropriate.

I'm trying to take some pictures so it won't be a boring cookbook.

Cheesecake anyone?

Linking to Our World Tuesday

Blue Monday

Fergus has a lot of energy, which means he requires a lot of walking, running, and tossing of frisbees. Last Saturday I took him for a walk down by the covered bridge.

The clouds disappeared and the sky turned a beautiful shade of blue. The snow was almost gone, the ice was melting, and the birds were singing. Had me dreaming of spring.

Today we are expecting temps in the 60s. Too bad it's a work day!

Linking to Blue Monday

You Lookin' at Me!

Canadian Goose wondering what I'm up to.

Linking to Bird D'Pot

WILD SALSA - Colourful

Wild Salsa is one of my favorite restaurants in Dallas. The idea behind “Wild Salsa” was to bring authentic Mexicana and cuisine to downtown Dallas. And this restaurant succeeded in its goal.

So why a skull at the entrance you ask? One might expect food to be poison laced or have some other deadly explanation for the skull, but in truth, the skull makes reference to the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos.

Dia de los Muertos—Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday celebrated, not only throughout Mexico, but also around the world. The holiday is a gathering of family and friends brought together for the purpose of remembering those who have passed before us. The holiday is celebrated on October 31, November 1 and November 2, in connection with All Hallows' Eve a.k.a. Halloween. Traditions include building ofrendas, private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the dearly departed's favorite foods and beverages. (I'm sure those beverages include tequila as my favorite drink there is the swirl margarita.)

Dia de los Muertos can be traced back hundreds of years to an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl.

In Aztec mythology, Micecacihuatl is Queen of Mictlan, the underworld. She rules over the afterlife with another deity, her husband.  Her roll is to watch over the bones of the dead and preside over the ancient festivals of the dead.

So all this talk of the dead isn't very appetizing, but I can assure you the food at Wild Salsa is. If you are looking for TexMex this isn't the place for you, but if your taste runs toward the authentic, take a drive downtown.

Wild Salsa
1800 Main St., Suite 100
Dallas TX 75201

Linking to Saturday Photo Hunt's prompt - Colour

Lent and Black and White

In case there is someone who does not know what lent is, it is a solemn religious observance of many Christian denominations. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer through prayer, penance, repentance of sins, almsgiving, atonement, and self-denial, which ultimately culminates in the joyful celebration on Easter
Sunday of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I sometimes add something during Lent, such as religiously reading a scripture, but other times I give up something, such as sugar, chocolate, or ice cream. Once I gave up white foods. This included sugar, flour, salt, and potatoes. If it was white, I didn't partake. You can bet I raced out of church to indulge in baked goods and potatoes.

This year I gave up negativity. Of course, the moment I walked into work yesterday, that one was in jeopardy. However, with the help of my co-workers, I will try to stick it out.

March is also the month of the Lakeland Photography Exhibit. There are several catagories, with one theme chosen by the committee, which is different each year. This year's theme was Street Photography.  Below is my intended offering.

However, since I live in the middle of nowhere, I had to drive an hour to the city in order to buy an appropriate frame. Of course, this horrid winter prevented travel during my days off, so I wasn't able to submit a photo this year.  Hopefully, next year.

Anyone giving up something for lent?

A Rose is a Rose

Missing summer and my roses. This one is from last  year.

We are supposed to have temps up into the 50s next week. Looking forward to it!
I'm going to place an order for some flowers to plant along the fence. Having trouble making a decision though. Everything looks so nice in the plant catalogs. I need something that grows well in partial shade. Any suggestions?

Marion County Illinois

I recently attended a meeting at the Marion County Courthouse in Salem, Illinois. I enjoy visiting courthouses in other counties. I hated history in school, but have found most of my vacations now revolve around some kind of history and have developed an appreciation for most things ancient.

The Marion County Courthouse was built in 1910. Marion County was organized in 1823 from portions of Jefferson and Fayette Counties. It was named in honor of South Carolina's Revolutionary War Gen. Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox".

Most of you may not realize The Swamp Fox was a TV series back in 1959. It was a Walt Disney Production and starred Leslie Nielson. I was but a mere child, but I remember the series. The series was set during the American Revolutionary War about a band of guerrilla soldiers who each week battle against the English conventional forces.

It was freezing cold with a nasty north wind, so I didn't feel inclined to take pictures outside. Below are pics from the inside.

 According to the sign, this canon was used during the Civil War in Shiloh, Tennessee on April 7, 1862.

 Domed stained glass window in the ceiling.

Looking up from the lobby. I wish I had taken more time to go upstairs. I could have gotten a better shot of Lady Liberty.

Off to brave the elements. It's yet another work day. Enjoy your day!

Fergus the First Six Months

Okay, so I know I haven't been posting in forever. Too much work, too little time to play. I am going to try to post at least once a week, which should help me get back into the groove.

Well, there hasn't been much to take pictures of anyway. Mostly just snow, snow and more snow—and ice— or a trash barrell stuck in the ice.

Hope this snow we are expecting misses you.

Fergus Update

Fergus is getting bigger. He is now officially tall enough to leap up onto the bed. He likes comfort.

 Last weekend I took him to my daughter's house to meet his human sister and his niece and nephews. He gave them a run for their money. Now they are asking for a pup of their own. All kids need a dog, especially boys. Fergus got to meet their 2 cats. He wanted to play with them, but all they wanted to do was puff up to look like blimps and turn their tales into what looked like a wire brush. He tried to chase them, but they would either run down the basement stairs or upstairs to the bedrooms.  Fergus is afraid of those scary stairs.

 Fergus enjoyed taking the kids for a walk down the sidewalk, dragging them as far as the playground at the school.  He had tons of fun and is looking forward to his next visit.

Happy Tuesday!

Fergus Update

Fergus 11 weeks

After a week into this dog gig, we are considering changing Fergus's name to Tasmanian Devil or perhaps Whirling Dirvish. Although he looks like an angel in this photo, Mr. Innocence he is not! With all the new toys we bought for him, he much prefers a stick found outside while avoiding doing what he is supposed to be doing. His favorite thing to do with this stick is NOT fetch. He likes to peel the bark off and leave it all over the living room carpet.  Children!

Today is the Day!

If anyone actually purchases this book, I hope you enjoy it. Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Back in the Day

This is a picture of the movie theater in our town back in the day. I got my fix of Elvis Movies here. You could buy a movie ticket, have popcorn, and a drink for a buck. My how times have changed. This picture must have been taken around 1941, before my time, since the movie, Among the Living was released that year. Billed as a horror/crime thriller, it stared Albert Dekker, Susan Hayward, and Frances Farmer. I've never heard of it, but, just for fun, think I'll see if I can find it. Hopefully it still exists. The movie theatre was torn down in the late 60s or early 70s to make way for a parking lot. It's too bad, since the kids without concerned parents in our area have nothing at all to do on Saturday night except walk the streets and get into trouble. A sad song repeated in small towns around the country.

 Feeling nostalgic, I decided to add a little sepia to the post today.

 Above is the picture of a road I took. It was very sunny, which washed out the colors. Delete or sepia...sepia won out.

This is Bro O's cabin which is a nice hike to the west of his house. It sits in the woods beside a pond. Nice place to camp. If you look at the screen door and not the sliding window, it could be 1941.

Happy Monday!!!