FALL/ONE MORE TIME

 HERE IS THE ONE THAT HAS BEEN FLYING IN THE CLOUD!  IT MUST HAVE BLOWN IN WITH THE WIND YESTERDAY!!!

   I finally left the hilltop and took a drive thru Eastern Kansas on the way to Branson, MO.  I had several friends that were playing the Harvest Festival at Silver Dollar City.  It had been so many years since I went down there that I had to just chuck everything and go.  I have a god daughter down there that I have not seen since she was little and she is in her 7th year of teaching grade school now. (hang my head red faced).
     It has been years since I was down thru Dexter (Henry's is still open).  I like the southern Flint Hills and Chautauqua Hills.  There was so much to see that I had to slow down to catch a lot of it.  I had breakfast, both ways, at Cedarvale at the Hill Top Cafe.  Good food and the locals drink coffee there.  They are in the process of adding a steak house, hope it goes good.  The bad note that between going and coming the dishwasher there had died.  In a small town it is a sad event for everyone.
      I was delighted to see that US 166 is a really good two lane highway.  If I was not in a hurry to get down the road there were a lot of bargains I would have tried to buy.(if I had a way to get them home).  Old cars, trucks, and tractors don't fit the budget well.  There was this one classic car lot in Coffeeville I had to speed by.
      The colors were not at their peak but during the last part of the week there was great rains from Winfield to Branson.  I did not know how to take thunder, lightning, and water running.  Was a great reminder.  And the colors after the rain started going wild.
      Did not have time to detour to Sedan.  That is a great visit and I hope someday to visit the Red Buffalo Ranch owned by Bill Curtis.  Driving on I-44 again was an experience.  It is a shame that all the tourist trap places on all the exits now are all Adult Video stores.  Once away from that onto the MO state highways it was back to the way I remembered it.  It also occurred to me that the 20 MPH curves really are that not like in Kansas where it is a suggestion.  When I was younger I liked driving them more than I do now.  That is why I left for home at 4:30am on Sunday morning so I had no traffic until I got back on Interstate.
      I only saw a little of the tornado damage going thru Joplin.  The old way I went thru would have taken me right into the worst hit areas.  They are building back with that same can do spirit that Kansans are famous for.  Good luck to them.  I did see FEMA trailers being sold.
     I hope all of you will take some time to get away from your place and visit the rural parts of Kansas and go ahead go onto Missouri if you want to.  I saw not only my friends at Silver Dollar City but also went to the RFD Theater for Roy Rogers Jr. and Brule'.  They were great.  I also went to see the Sons Of the Pioneers Chuckwagon Show. 
     Now if I can get time to listen to all these new CD's.