ON THE BANKS OF "BIG MUDDY"

GREETINGS FROM KEOKUK, IOWA, ON THE SHORES OF THE MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI RIVER... MY HOTEL IS WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF THE RIVER AND THE STATE LINE BETWEEN IOWA AND ILLINOIS...I'M IN A TIME WARP, BUT IN A GOOD WAY...MAIN STREET IS LIKE A THROW BACK OF THE MAIN STREETS WE HAD WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP. THERE'S A GENERAL STORE, LOTS OF FARMLAND WITH MASSIVE MACHINES SPORTING THE UNGODLY HUGE TIRES WE USED TO GET IN BY TRAILER...

I AM AMAZED AT EXPANSES OF LAND WITH ONE HOUSE FOR WHAT SEEMS LIKE MILES...THERE ARE TWO THINGS YOU CAN FIND ALL OVER THE RADIO OUT HERE...COUNTRY MUSIC (WHICH IS OK WITH ME) AND THE LORD (WHICH IS OK WITH ME TOO)...AND A LOT OF FARM REPORTS AND FARM EQUIPMENT COMMERCIALS...

I TOOK A RIDE INTO ST. LOUIS TUESDAY MORNING AND DROVE BY THE ARCH, BUSCH STADIUM AND A PLACE I BELIEVE I HELPED MAKE A LOT OF MONEY BACK IN THE DAY, ANHEUSER BUSCH BREWERY...CROSSING THE MISSISSIPPI THIS TIME MEANT A LOT TO ME...I HAVE DONE IT IN PLANES BUT NEVER IN A VEHICLE...I HAVE CROSSED THE GATEWAY TO THE WEST. I THEN MOVED ON THROUGH MISSOURI UP ROUTE 61 NORTH. I SAW THE SIGN SAYING HANNIBAL, MISSOURI AND I COULDN'T REMEMBER WHY IT WAS FAMOUS AT FIRST, BUT THEN IT CAME TO ME...MARK TWAIN...DO I STOP AND VISIT HIS ANCESTRAL HOME? HELL NO! MARK TWIAN IS CREDITED WITH THE QUOTE THAT "GOLF IS A GOOD WALK WASTED." WELL, I BELIEVE THAT TOURING HIS HOME IS GOOD TIME WASTED AND I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT. BESIDES, I NEEDED TO GET TO KEOKUK TO FOLLOW ANGELA TO HER HOME BECAUSE OF ROAD CLOSURES.

ANGELA MET ME AT THE HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS AND I FOLLOWED HER TO THE "COMPOUND". I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE SINCE THE SLOCA REUNION WHEN MY SISTER WAS PREGNANT WITH HER FIRST CHILD, BUT I REMEMBER THAT DRIVEWAY! AND THE SAME THOUGHT RAN THROUGH MY HEAD AGAIN...HOW DO THEY DEAL WITH THAT STEEP ONE LANE DRIVEWAY IN THE SNOW? ANGELA SHOWED ME THE ALTERNATE EXIT (I COULD TELL YOU ABOUT IT, BUT I'D HAVE TO KILL YOU)...THE MAIN HOUSE (BUILT IN 1860) IS GOING THROUGH A MAJOR REMODELING PROJECT, BUT I GOT THE WALKING TOUR OF THE GROUNDS (AND THERE IS LOTS OF GROUNDS) AND SAW THE LAKE WITH THE WATER SLIDE AND THE HOMEMADE RAFT (I CAN'T DIVULGE THE BUILDING MATERIALS, THERE MAY BE A PATENT PENDING).

DINNER WAS DELICIOUS (THE GIRL HAS SKILLS!) AND I GOT TO MEET THE EXTENDED FAMILY (SANDY THE DOG AND THE SEVEN KITTIES). SITTING AROUND THE DINNER TABLE AND TALKING AND SWAPPING STORIES WITH ANGELA, JON AND RACHEL (THEIR DAUGHTER) WAS A WELCOME CHANGE FROM RESTAURANTS AND MEALS ON THE RUN...IT'S A SIMPLER LIFESTYLE BUT IT'S NOT SIMPLE...THERE'S ALOT OF HARD WORK INVOLVED AND ALOT GOING ON AT ALL TIMES...

THE RIDE BACK TO THE HOTEL WAS A CHALLENGE BUT I MADE IT WITHOUT INCIDENT...SLEPT IN A LITTLE LONGER THAN I PLANNED, BUT I GUESS I NEEDED IT. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE LATENESS OF THE BLOG. OK, BUSY DAY TODAY...