The Lucky Dog Blog

UNDERCLIFF

Yesterday, Marilyn’s sister Zella took Marilyn and Al out for a birthday lunch. She took them to a restaurant just outside of Neosho called Undercliff Bar & Grill. It is actually at Tipton Ford on Shoal Creek.

This restaurant is built in a very unusual location, under a cliff (although most people around here would call it a bluff). UnderCliff Web Page.

The restaurant was very busy and they had a good hour wait before being seated. There was many families with small children waiting with them.

Also waiting were several motorcycle people, since the restaurant is also a favorite of bikers.

              

When they were seated they had a nice Nacho Plate for their lunch. The food was good and it was OK with Marilyn and Al’s veggie diet.

                     

The place was packed but the service was good. If you look in the background you will see the place is really under a cliff.

                 

In case you were wondering, Zella and Marilyn are not bikers.

Lucky

JULY DOINGS

The month of July has several milestones for Marilyn and Al.

July 12th is the birthday of Al’s son, Dan Williams.

On July 12, many years ago, Marilyn Lee Carnell was born. Janie H., one of the Pineville church ladies gave her a card made of “quillng” paper, an old art form. She also got a lovely card from her sister. 

 

 

On July 14, 1988 in a small ceremony at city hall in Haddonfield, N.J., Marilyn and Al were married by the Mayor. This is a snapshot that the Mayor took that day.

 

 

 

On July 18 in San Jose, CA a baby boy named Allen Edward Williams was born. Al’s son sent him a compact (pocket sized), high-intensity incandescent flashlight like the kind used by the U.S. Special Forces. Al is very fond of flashlights and had admired David’s flashlight that he earned the hard way.

 

There are a couple of other July birthdays to note: Mary B’s birthday was July 9^th and cousin Billy Ray’ s birthday is July 14.

Because this little black dog is diabetic, no birthday cake for me. I wonder why Al needs a Special Forces flashlight for around our cabins?

Lucky

WOMEN'S MEETING

Please Note: I am trying something new on my Lucky Dog Blog posts. If you double click on the image it will open full size. Use your back button to get back to the post.

Lucky

Marilyn went to a Women’s Meeting at her church where they had a Show and Tell. From left to right the story of each photo is: Maurieen L. feeding a lamb as a child in Alberta, Canada; a Welsh “love spoon” that is carved from a single piece of wood; a painting of the old Cyclone store by Jean H., Jo P. and two of the several children’s books she has written and published; a “feathered star” quilt by Jeanne C. that is hand pieced and quilted; samples of “rosemalling” painted by Sue T. (Sue, Jeanne and Jo are sisters).

Marilyn took a couple of paintings that have already been shown on this blog, so I won’t bore you with repeating them. Tomorrow is her birthday (shhh!) I will show a photo of a special birthday card she got at the meeting.

Lucky

NEWS

Several news items from yesterday:

1. Al’s son David called to tell us that he will be going back to Afghanistan for his fourth trip there. The first three trips were when he was a Special Force army member. This trip he will be there as a contract worker. He will be leaving for Afghanistan today and will be there for six months. We all have him in our prayers.
   
2. It looks like Marilyn and Al’s house in town might finally be sold. Their realtor, Brenda K. was out at the cabins to get some signatures.
   
3. Brenda K. is a friend of Marilyn from early days in Pineville so they visited to catch up on what has been going on in the life.
   
4. We had visitors at the Guest Cabin, Betty & Raymond T’s. son and his twin sons spent the day swimming in the creek. (Al & Marilyn forgot to take pictures of those cute little boys.)

About the picture of Marilyn, she got the bruise on her face from a dental visit a week ago. Al said he had nothing to do with it.

Lucky

ZELLA'S COMPUTER

Marilyn and Al were gone most of yesterday working on Zella’s computer.  Marilyn’s sister could not get her E-mail working.

Al spent some time on trying to fix the E-mail program but could not make it work.

Marilyn also gave it a try, but was not successful.

       

They finally gave up on trying the fix on their own and had to get help from a professional over the phone.

Zella’s E-mail program is now working!

When they finally came back to the cabin they were very tired from their ordeal and I knew enough to keep out of their way.

Lucky

GOT GAS

Marilyn and Al went into town yesterday to get gas for their Prius car and the lawn mowers. With over ten acres to mow they have to keep several gallons of gas in storage, ready for the mower.

    

To their surprise they ended up paying over three times the amount of money for the lawn mower than their car.

Remember their Prius is getting over 50 miles per gallon of gas.

Brutus has gas last night, but it was a different kind of gas. Pew.

Lucky

FAST FOOD

Because of their new plant based vegetarian diet, Marilyn and Al have a problem finding food at the normal fast food outlets like McDonalds, Burger King, KFC .

They were pleased to find food they liked at the local Quizno’s.

         

The Veggie Sammie, which contains guacamole, black olives, lettuce, tomato, red onion, mushrooms, cheddar, mozzarella and vinaigrette is a favorite of theirs. It is very tasty and not a huge portion. Just right for their diets.

I will stick to my good, old fashion dog food.

Lucky

OLD BARN

On one of Marilyn and Al’s trips they saw an old, fallen down barn. In other parts of the country, barns are considered treasures and are maintained. In fact, some very expensive homes have been made from some of the Amish barns in the east. That doesn’t seem to be the case around here.

          

They stopped on the highway so Al could get some pictures.

         

Al said I could use the pictures for my Lucky Dog Blog.

Why, I am not sure, but some strange things turn Al on!

Lucky

IDENTITY THEFT

One of my Lucky Dog Blog readers sent me  a Missouri Lottery ticket.

                    

I may have to take legal action about the use of my name.  That dog is pretty cute, but not nearly up to my standards. I am one good looking dog.

Lucky

INDEPENDENCE DAY

Yesterday Marilyn and Al took a ride of Neosho to do a few things. When they were driving into town Al took some pictures of the large flag the city has on it outskirts. There is something about seeing that flag flying freely in the breeze that lifts the hearts of Americans.

       

These pictures are The Lucky Dog Blog tribute to the Fourth of July.

                                   

Everybody have a nice holiday.

Lucky

FABRIC TRIP

Marilyn was gone most of yesterday on a trip with cabin neighbor Marilyn Y. to a huge fabric store in Oklahoma. The photo below shows only a small part of the store. It was enormous, they said.

    

Marilyn Y. has bought a new home and needs draperies for lots of windows. The only practical thing to do is find the best price for lots of fabric. My Marilyn is sort of a fabric addict. She never sews anything for me, but once in a while she produces a quilt or a purse. Of course, she bought some fabric,too.

I did not get to go with her, neither did Al, Brutus and the Cats.

So, did we care?

Lucky

RED ONION ESPRESSORIA

Yesterday Marilyn and Al took a trip to Joplin. Marilyn had a dental appointment. After her appointment they went to a new restaurant call the Red Onion Espressoria for lunch.

They have eaten in other Red Onion restaurants in town and have always enjoyed their food. This coffee espresso bar had just opened this week. It is on 32^nd Street and more conveniently located for them.

 

The restaurant is small, just about fifteen tables.

    

They had a  Veggie Sandwich and a Baby Spinach and Feta Cheese Salad for their lunch. Their sandwiches contained cucumber dill cream cheese on focaccia roll with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, sliced red onions, baby greens and sweet vinaigrette. Marilyn also had one of her favorites – an iced Caffe Latte

       

Marilyn said it was the best meal she has had for some time.

Lucky

YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP

Crime Stories

 

Last week’s local paper’s front page was full of stories about crime and crime fighters. It was a pip.I can’t wait for this week’s edition to see how they interpret the Joos story.

 

The headline was “Jane Bank Burglarized.” No kidding, Sherlock. It used to be that banks were built like Greek temples. Supposedly the sturdy buildings gave customers confidence that their money was secure and held safely. Lately in McDonald County, it has been the custom to build the cheapest construction possible – either like a pole barn or just haul in a trailer & set up business. Apparently, the Jane Bank was of the latter persuasion. The burglars must have had cased the joint pretty well and knew exactly where the safe was, so they cut a hole in the back of the trailer, drilled into the safe & fled with $6,000. Deputy Gow or Glow (the account differs in spelling) said they had some strong leads. Earlier another bank near the state line was allegedly  robbed twice by a father/son team. They were eventually apprehended and await trial. However, the pair was pretty gutsy as the bank is across the street from a Sheriff’s sub-station.

 

A second story was about Lanagan. Now Lanagan is a small town that had the distinction of getting smaller in the 2000 Census - the only town in the county that failed to grow. You might ask, why? I’m sure there are many good reasons, but one might be a problem or two centered around city government.

 

Several years ago, the City Clerk disappeared in January. A smoker, she left behind her purse and cigarettes. There was a widespread search including bloodhounds on her property and areas where she was known to have been. In April her body was found in a shed in her own back yard. A deputy was heard to say she was found in the “fecal position”. No, I’m not making that up. Her death, caused by a single stab wound in the abdomen, was ruled a suicide because it was reported that “women don’t like to cut their clothes.”  As a former smoker, Marilyn said that if she were feeling a little depressed, she would sure want a last cigarette – One for the road, so to speak. Sounds like a project to Cold Case Files, to me.

 

Back to last week’s stories. In the article the Lanagan mayor said that the Fire Chief and the City Clerk “had become involved a personal relationship.” When the fire chief’s wife (who was also a City Council member) discovered this cozy relationship, she apparently took matters into her own hands According to the article. “On Tuesday, [Mrs.X] was arrested on a charge of felony assault after she allegedly struck [the clerk] with a boat paddle outside City Hall.”  Doesn’t that beat all? Around here a canoe paddle is a frequent method of assault. Much easier on the hands. About once a year some Bubba Sixpack has a little too much suds while floating on the creek and decides to whack the old lady with an oar to straighten her out.  So far this year it hasn’t happened (to our knowledge) but the canoe season is young. Apparently it is still a good way to stake your claim of possession around City government. The Fire Chief and Council Member resigned and the Clerk was reprimanded, but allowed to keep her job. Local wags tell me she is a very friendly girl. I wouldn’t know, myself. 

 

Cozy relationships in city government is not confined to Lanagan. It is common in small towns. In Noel a few years ago the Mayor’s husband served on the City Council. Currently in Pineville the Mayor’s husband is the City Marshall. All  legal, but these kinds of relationships often don’t pass the smell test. I’m sure that isn’t currently. They are all apparently paragons of virtue and we certainly wouldn’t want any  government  solely in the hands of a few families.

 

The third front page story was about the Pineville City Council meeting. Apparently there was a dire need for a new car for the Marshal’s department. While this was being discussed, an amazing coincidence occurred. A second car with high mileage had broken down and left the deputy stranded. Crisis! Immediately a motion was made to purchase two vehicles. (How do you spell manipulation, boys and girls?)

 

The fourth front page story was about the school budget. It remains to be seen whether any actual crimes were committed or averted by that doughty crew, although Marilyn thinks it is criminal that they are placing schools away from the towns. It appears that they are oblivious to consequences of such actions–  destroying the hearts of communities, encouraging needless sprawl and make it impossible for children to walk to school – thus making the county more dependent on busing and expensive fuel instead of putting that money into actual education.

 

Lucky 

POOR DEAR

On Marilyn and Al's trip coming back to the cabins they saw a little fawn that was looking for its mother.

                 

The mother did not seem to be around. I hope the little poor dear finds her.

Lucky

COUNTRY STORE

When Marilyn and Al were on their tour of historic McDonald County they visited a old Country Store  outside of Anderson, MO. They are not sure if it was a real store that was moved to that location, or if it is a reproduction. There is great attention to detail in any case.

    

Dan Rickets (who is now deceased) collected the artifacts in the store as a hobby. He and his friends would gather by the old pot bellied stove and play checkers and tell tall tales, just like they did in the old days.

   

The store is not open to the public,but Judy Rickets, (Dan window) did share the store with for this tour. It was a special privilege to have the opportunity to see it and step back into a moment in time, Al and Marilyn said.

Lucky

THUNDER AND LIGHTNING

This morning I woke up to heavy thunder and lightning.

I am worried that we will lose the power and the Internet.

I did download a picture to use in the Lucky Dog Blog post.

I will shut down now and go back to bed.

Lucky

GREEK NIGHT OUT

Thursday night Marilyn and Al were honored to be invited to a Unity in Diversity dinner with  a Greek theme. Their hostess and the evening moderator welcomed all for food and fun. I must say that she really did look like a Greek goddess, herself.

       

Every one brought a dish of Greek origin to share for the dinner. The food was delicious, I’m told. At each meeting, they choose a different country to celebrate and learn more about. Thus, they widen their knowledge of the world and learn about ways in which we are the same, yet differ. They also had entertainment for the evening. Of course, it had a Greek theme as well.

       

It looks like they had a lot of fun, but as my Lucky Dog readers might expect, this little black puppy was not invited.

Lucky

BIG NEWS ON BIG SUGAR CREEK

Well, wouldn’t you know it. When our area makes the news, it is seldom for a good thing. Yesterday, as Marilyn was going into town she saw an amazing sight.  There were a number of official looking vehicles parked around the entrance to the Big Sugar Creek Park. The photo doesn’t show many of the cars and SUV’s that were there also.

     

Now, you must understand that like this little black dog, Marilyn is pretty territorial about things going on in our neighborhood. She wanted to know what was going on.

    

She stopped and took some photos for my blog (Isn’t it nice that she always thinks of me?) No one even acknowledged her presence. (So much for all of those murder mysteries where when the protagonist tries to enter the crime scene, cops are all over him.) She must have been invisible.

    

She tried to find some answers, but I must say that was a futile attempt as her calls to the park authority and sheriff’s office didn’t provide any answers. Both said “I know nothing.” She knew it had to be a big deal to have both the Highway Patrol and the ATF involved, but it might have been a training exercise although surely they would have had enough sense to avoid that on one of the hottest days of the year in a place infested with ticks and chiggers. So, not knowing any details she went on about her business.

On her way home, she met more than ten official vehicles rushing back toward town and when she passed the park, the big trucks and other vehicles were still there. Later in the evening, Marilyn & Al were coming back from a special dinner. (I will write about that tomorrow.) They learned from a neighbor that there was a search for one of our “neighbors”.

This morning’s Joplin Globe had the full story. It seems a local self proclaimed white supremacist, Robert Joos had been arrested and they were searching one of his training camps that evidently was established in the park. Joos is a well known figure around here having had several skirmishes with the law and is a convicted felon. He claims to be the leader of a church that (among their more menacing beliefs) advocates long hair (evidently he never got over his hippie stage), fringed clothing and a total disdain for any governmental entity (the exception seemed to be his frequent use of the Older Americans Transportation bus, since he refuses to get a driver’s license and has served time for driving without one.) I suggest you read the story in the Globe to get the details that I am not able to get typed in a timely manner (my paws are tired.)

Tomorrow’s story will be more upbeat.

Lucky

CLOUDS

We have been having some unusually hot weather for June. The temperatures have been in the upper 90’s for several days. Yesterday it was starting to cloud up, and as she drove though town, Marilyn thought the clouds were pretty and they promised some relief from the heat.

                   

It might rain, she thought. As she neared the cabin, there were even  more clouds in the east.

                  

The rain never came, that is lucky.

No wait, a minute – I am Lucky.

Lucky

YELLOW TOMATOES

About ten days ago I did a story about Al’s tomatoes on our front deck, Tomatoes.

At that time, the tomatoes were just started to grow. Now the yellow grape tomatoes are making their first appearance.

             

Here is a better close up of the yellow tomatoes.

            

I still do not like tomatoes, but if I did, I would want to eat red ones. Those look like some kind of mutant tomatoes.

Lucky

STEAM MOP

Marilyn has a new gadget here at the cabin, that she thinks might be of interest to my Lucky Dog Blog readers. It is called a “Steam Mop” which is a mop that uses steam to clean hard floors.

Because Brutus is getting old (over 15 years old) he sometimes does not make it outside when the urge comes. Sometimes he leaks inside (the house, not himself).This reporter is better about going outside but accidents do happen.

Marilyn and Al hate the sticky floor after the puddle is wiped up and Marilyn would have to get a regular mop and a bucket of hot water to clean the the floor and then rinse the mop and so on and so forth.

Now with the steam mop she can clean the floor without the extra effort. Just fill the tank with distilled water, plug it in, wait a minute and then use steam to clean. The floor is clean and dry and when the pads get dirty they go into the washer and dryer for another time. She has used it for several days now, and finds it very handy. (No, that isn’t a photo from our house, but it looks nice.)

Lucky

OUR EAST COAST FARMERS

Al received a nice telephone call from his son David yesterday on Father’s Day. He also received a E-Mail message from David with a nice picture of his grandson Eric.

             

David’s message also said:

We have become suburban farmers this year, we set 7 topsy turveys with tomatoes, peppers and strawberry's.  (Word to the wise don't do strawberry's they don't grow real well upside down apparently.)  Last night we had fresh tomato, pepper, peas, and cucumber, Yummy. We have also planted on the back tiered area mint, strawberries, basil, tomatoes and no doubt more to come.

       

I can see that our east coast farmers are better gardeners that Marilyn and Al.

Lucky

VISITORS

Yesterday, Al & Marilyn went to meet Cousin Jim and his friend Marianne. They met at Zella’s home and then went to lunch in Neosho. After lunch, they came back to Zella’s and looked at family memorabilia. When Zella was a teenager, she worked at the newspaper office printing labels for the local strawberry growers. She has framed some samples of her work.That was back in time when Anderson, MO was the “Strawberry Capitol of the World”.

 

The framed pot holders were made by their Aunt Dink (Sarah Ellen Bunch Edmonds). Aunt Dink had severe rheumatoid arthritis and doing hand work was her therapy to keep use of her hands. The flour sack came from the mill in Southwest City, MO where Grandpa Bunch took his corn and wheat to be ground. He went with a wagon and team of mules and it was at least a two day trip. The ice tongs are from the days when ice was delivered in blocks to homes for the “ice boxes” to keep food cool.

 

 

 

This arrangement is of mementos of family members who were in law enforcement. The photo is of Marilyn & Zella’s grandfathers who were the Sheriff and Chief Deputy of McDonald County in the early 1900’s. The single spur is one of the few effects returned from their Uncle Clancy who was a cowboy in Wyoming before WWI and he died in France in the last week of the war in 1918. It is called a “Gal” spur as there is a silver image of a girl’s leg on each side of the heel piece. The shoulder holster (hanging from a thong) belonged to Grandpa Bunch when he was the deputy. Marilyn doesn’t know the story of the Kachina doll in the foreground.

 

Lucky

HOW GREEN IS MY VALLEY

This year has been particularly wet with rain and the Big Sugar Creek Valley is lush. This photo was taken earlier in the year, but it is of a peaceful little cemetery that is up the road from the cabin. It shows how green our little valley is – not uniform, but all shades and tints of green.

  

Marilyn recently learned that it is called the Ferguson Cemetery. She doesn’t know much about its history except that it is very old. It is on private property and recently the owner passed away and was interred there. It looks like a very pleasant place to spend eternity.

Marilyn is feeling a little maudlin today. I think she has cabin fever. It is time for her to get out and about.

Lucky

Fish

When Marilyn and Al were at their  lunch in the Japanese restaurant the other day, Al took some pictures of fish.

    

I am not sure why, but he likes to bring me something for my Lucky Dog Blog.

   

Maybe he is thinking of getting some fish for the empty fish tank we have here at the cabin (it has been empty for the last five years, at least). Al used to have Oscar fish. Little Oscar IV was the first Editor of the Williams Report, a newsletter that Al and Marilyn produced before they learned about blogs. I’m glad they got smarter. A blog is a lot easier for me to manage. I guess they had to do the newsletter because fish don’t have hands and they would get the keyboard all wet.

Lucky

JAPANESE LUNCH

Marilyn and Al were gone yesterday to an Dental appointment in Joplin. After their appointment they had lunch at a Japanese restaurant – Tokyo Japanese Steak and Sushi.

    

They said that it was a nice restaurant with a small bar and sushi preparation area.

      

Their food was soup and salad with a main course of vegetarian sushi. The ginger/peanut salad dressing was very good, so was the miso soup.

    

They were very happy with their lunch. 

I, myself, am not into Japanese food. Good old dog food is OK for for me.

Lucky

SHADY GROVE SCHOOL

This is a photo of the Shady Grove School that was about 2 miles from Cyclone on Big Sugar Creek Road. It was about 1/2 mile from our cabin. Marilyn’s Grandfather, Leander Porter Bunch, is seated on the right (with a cane) and his wife, Mary Willie Watkins Bunch is standing directly behind him. Grandpa Bunch was a member of the school board at the school. Marilyn thinks the picture was taken in the early 1940’s shortly before they sold the family farm and moved into Pineville. All of the Bunch children attended the school and Marilyn’s father taught school there in the late 1920’s.  L.P. walked with a cane because he was terribly injured when a team of mules ran away with him as he was driving them down Pine Hill Road.  Marilyn has the names of the other people if anyone is interested.

                                                    

If any of my readers have other photos of the school, Marilyn would appreciate hearing from you. She and her sister want to commission a painting of the school in memory of their parents. So far, this is the only photo they can find. The old school has been moved across the road and is in very poor shape. It would be wonderful if it could be restored and be an integral part of the Big Sugar Creek Park. The trail head is the original site of the school, I’m told.

Lucky

SUMMER

While the official summer season does not start for another week, we were in for a very hot day yesterday.

Brutus and I were content to just lay around all day. When it it too hot to do much, napping is the best way to pass down time. You will notice that all of the photos are of us animals. They wouldn’t let me get to the camera to take pictures of Marilyn & Al napping.

 

      

CC and Blackberry know how to rest as well.

 

Cowboy and Busted are getting ready for their nap, they are brothers, and like to stay very close to each other.

                   

I sure hope today is cooler, it feels like rain this morning.

Lucky

TOMATOES

Al is growing tomatoes on our front deck. The plants are starting to look like those in a real garden.

     

These plants are for cherry and grape tomatoes (are those confusing names or what?) There are even some good sized green ones. Al is like a proud papa.

     

I don’t think Marilyn needs to prepare to make spaghetti sauce just yet. As for me, I’m not a big tomato eater. Maybe if they grew beefsteak tomatoes….

Lucky

A DAY OUT

Since Marilyn got her C-PAP machine, she has been over sleeping in the morning. Maybe she is catching up on her ZZZZ’s a bit. Be that as it may, it is a great inconvenience to me and my publishing schedule. I hope she gets with the program, soon. In her defense, she did do something yesterday and brought me back some photos and a story. I guess I will have to forgive her one more time.

Yesterday, my roving reporter, Marilyn took her sister, Zella, to lunch in Joplin and then to an “Acoustic Festival” in Carthage. They didn’t stay long for the music, but it looks like it might have been fun.

                

Carthage is the county seat of Jasper County and has a beautiful Victorian courthouse. Marilyn got only a fleeting shot, to give you a general idea. It is the centerpiece of the downtown Carthage square. Carthage stone & marble were the sources of early wealth there. The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. is made of Carthage marble that was soaked in linseed oil to make it more translucent, but I digress….

Our friend, Marilyn Y. was there displaying some of her art work and a more recent creative line of beaded jewelry. Zella couldn’t resist buying one of the turquoise necklaces. Each piece of jewelry is named. Because it was made of bead tubes, Marilyn called it “Tube or not Tube”. Very clever, that Marilyn. My Marilyn got a nice photo of Marilyn Y. with her wares.

Zella is in “yella” behind the display table. Al isn’t the only one who can take unflattering photos, it seems. Apparently Marilyn has learned that from him.

                            

While they were walking in the courtyard, they found this monument. Interesting that Annie Baxter could get elected to office long before women were allowed to vote. To finish off the tour, Marilyn took a photo of one of the planters that grace each corner of the square. Carthage it trying to keep its downtown vibrant, but it takes a lot these days.

Lucky