Sign Sign everywhere a sign

And the sign said anybody caught trespassing would be shot on sight So I jumped on the fence and yelled at the house, Hey! what gives you the right?

Along the Katy Trail, central, MO...

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Turkey cookie concoction, something my wife whipped up. Hope I get to eat it later! We're actually having our celebration today, based on schedules of all involved. Hope everyone had (or is having) a great Thanksgiving.

Fall Colors

Just a couple of shots of the colors this fall. All the leaves are finished with their display now, but that's the way of it...

Lost and Found

Last Saturday, this puppy showed up at our yard, trying to visit with our dogs. She didn't have a collar, but was clean, well fed, and very well socialized.

Long story made short: We were unable to find the owners, and ended up taking her to our local pet-hospital. They determined that she had been micro-chipped, but it had not been "activated". So the weren't able to identify the owners (only the place that installed it, but they were closed for the weekend). Anyway, they agreed to keep her for the weekend... We checked this morning, and the pup was reuinited with the owners today, after they were able to track contact the place that planted the chip... So we're pleased.

Our puppies are chipped, but the registration expired not too long ago. We need to renew it, I suppose!

Riding The Rails

Last weekend, the local Model Railroaders club had an open house. They have a huge setup in one of the local historic buildings, and my (8 year old) son really enjoys checking it out.

Bare Trees

A flood of them, all from the archives. With lyrics from Fleetwood Mac:

Bare trees, grey light, Oh yeah it was a cold night

Bare trees, grey light, I was alone in the cold of a winters day

You were alone and so snug in your bed

I was alone in the cold of a winters day

You were alone and so snug in your bed

Bah do dah, do dah da do da do

Bah do dah, do dah da do da do

504

Well, the 2008 NASCAR season just ended, and Jimmy Johnson won his 3rd consecutive championship. Congratulations, Jimmy!! Much more important (to me, at least), was my showing in the Yahoo Fantasy League… Yep, they have fantasy leagues for just about everything these days, including Nascar racing! This year I finished in 504th place. Doesn’t sound too impressive, until you consider that there’s something like 400,000 players! A solid 99th percentile… And coming on strong at the end; 220th place for the second ½ of the season. This is the 4th year I’ve played, and my best performance (Previous were 66th, 96th and 95th percentiles)… Maybe next year I can crack the top 500… Either that, or maybe I'll just get a life.

Leaf

Just a silly little photo, taken this morning on the way to collect “scouting for food” donations… Today was the coldest, greyest, yuckiest day we’ve had in quite a while. This pathetic little leaf was stuck to out windshield……

Late fall, winter on the way...

Last weekend was the start of Scouting For Food. Boy Scouts / Cub Scouts across the country distributed bags to homes, for willing families to fill with food for the needy… It was cold and gray and windy last Saturday, but everybody still had fun.…. Here’s one of the neighborhoods we visited, just a “slice of life” from the East 30 Mobile Home Community….

Veteran's Day

I meant to post thgis yesterday (Veteran's Day), but didn't get it done... A couple of images from our Village’s Veteran’s Day ceremony, held last Sunday… My son's Scout Troop marched in the procession from the VFW to the village's Memorial..

Thanks to all the men and women who have protected us over the years, and continue today.

Hoops!!

Not too long before NCAA Basketball gets started, I think Duke plays their first “real” game tomorrow…

Super Duper

Metropolis, Illinois claims itself as the home of Superman, complete with a huge statue of the “Man Of Steel”… On a recent trip to Murray KY, we did the short side trip to Metropolis, and can now rest easy, having seen the fabled statue...

Least Rabbit

I got hung up at a railroad crossing today. Tool a couple of shots of graffiti on the cars as the rumbled past….

...and gas as cheap as thrills

I was driving across Missouri yesterday, on a STL --> KC round trip. I always try to fill up my gas tank in Missouri, because the gas taxes are about $0.20/gallon lower. Yesterday, for the first time in a LONG time, I paid $1.999, somewhere between Columbia and the STL Suburbs. That's less than 1/2 what I paid in July ($4.189), and saved me over $35 on a fill-up.

R.I.P.

I’m often struck by the memorial crosses you see along the highways of our country… Some simple, some intricate. Some well maintained, some obviously neglected. I wonder about the stories behind the losses…

This is actually not on the interstate, but where the off ramp from I-64 eastbound dumps onto Illinois Route 159, not far from my office.

Fall Colors

The front yard on a beautiful Sunday morning…