Off for another exciting adventure

Monday, October 15, 2012

Jacob's "new to him" toy

Barney plowing the front 40

We departed Houston, MO around 8 am on Monday the 14th, according to Barney’s watch.  He would later find out that his sundial was one day off because he hadn’t reset it from the short month of September.  Time is very important to we who are retired!

The colorful leaves were sparkling in bright sunlight as we pulled out. A very sad Magoo half heartedly ran beside us just a few feet. She knew something was up and she wasn't going to like it. Barney and Betty were in the lead, which is very rare, so it was them that very nearly hit the second of three deer crossing the road. They thought the third might leap out in front of Fred and Wilma, but luckily stayed out of the way.

Relaxing at our beautiful campsite

After a stop in Cabool to take on fuel and get a SuperSonic breaskfast, we headed east, enjoying the beginning of the fall colors.

We drove past Poplar Bluff then turned and went back through town to the Forest Service office to get a couple of stamps that Betty had just discovered.   The ranger had 2 new helpers. One had been working 2 days, the other 3 days.  They had not been asked for stamps and learned where the stamps and pad were hidden, and they were hidden pretty well.  It was a good stop.

We drove on into Kentucky, on route 60 after going through a couple hundred yards of Illinois.   Cairo, IL is really a small area at the extreme south end of the state, between Missouri and Kentucky.  We went south on route 51 to Columbus, KY and on to Columbus-Belmont State Park.  This was the site of a Civil War Battle where Union General Grant engaged Confederate General Polk.  The site was considered important for the control of the Mississippi River.  We did get a stamp at the park for the Trail of Tears.

Barge traffic on the Ohio

There had been a big weekend Civil War re-enactment at the park, and the lady in the administration building was evidently having a very busy day. She drove up to the museum to get the stamp for us, and then proceeded to set the date on the stamp  for Aug 51, 2012. Betty noticed the incorrect date after both books were stamped, but Fred reset it and got a correct one, he thought. It still said Aug. Finally getting that all straight, Fred got a good stamp with the correct date. You gotta watch out for all of us!

One of many cotton fields viewed today

We headed east on route 80 then north on the J M Carroll Purchase Parkway to I-24 and then to the Land Between the Lakes where we were able to get into the Canal Campground.  We actually got the same sites we were in last year.  Lake Barkley is visible from our campsites and the hickory trees are just brilliant with yellow and gold leaves.

More on the stone slab tomorrow.