The Lucky Dog Blog

GINGER BLUE

On their recent tour of McDonald County, Marilyn and Al visited the “new” Ginger Blue resort. It is located, reasonably enough, in the Village of Ginger Blue. Actually, the resort came first. It was built in the early 1900’s by executives of the Kansas City Southern railroad. The old resort sat on the banks of Elk River. The name was a fiction created about a lovelorn Indian Chief who pined after his lost maiden.

Marilyn worked there in the summers of 1958–62 as a waitress in the dining room. She earned fifty cents an hour plus meals and tips. When she says she worked the summers, she isn’t kidding. She started at 7 a.m. serving breakfast and lunch, was off at 2 p.m. when she went swimming and then took a nap at a cabin she was allowed to use. Back at work at 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. This was the routine 7 days a week for 3 months. In retrospect, she said it is a pretty good way to keep a young woman out of trouble – no time for mischief.

The resort was furnished with fine antiques and the food was excellent. It was like many traditional resorts of its era, the same people came every year for vacations. There was plenty to keep them busy – tennis courts, riding stables, swimming pool, canoe trips and all of the nearby villages offered movie theaters, antique shopping and other activities. The resort was sold in the 1960’s and changed hands several times, gradually declining. The antiques were sold off, the ambiance lost and it ended up as a hot sheet place for immigrant workers at the nearby poultry processing plant.

                     

A fire in 2000 completely destroyed the historic Ginger Blue resort. A new Ginger Blue Bed and Breakfast has been fashioned across the road from the site of the old resort. It is located on the old “Jefferson Highway” that went from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico as the later built U.S. Highway 71 now does. 

The new B & B has a lot of stone work. Marilyn asked about it as it didn’t look like native rock. She found out that it was something called “terra stone” or concrete made to look like stone. In one of the rocky-ist places in the world, it is a bit like carrying coals to Newcastle, our neighbor, Marilyn Y. said.

 

                                          

It looks very nice, but Marilyn said it will never replace the Ginger Blue she remembers.

Lucky

ODDS AND ENDS

I have a few Lucky Dog Blog pictures and stories that need some follow-up.

Our little county road turned in to a speed way over the Memorial Holiday. Perhaps Bumper Cars would be more accurate. there were three crashes on our little country road last Friday night.

Earlier this week, I did a blog post on the car that crashed and overturned in our front yard Car Crash. That same night, skid marks told the story of yet another accident at an unexpected curve in the road. That spot has been the scene of many cars careening into the field. Another neighbor reported that in their field “a Nissan 350ZX rounded a curve and almost hit the emergency vehicles that were coming back to town and took out a lot of our fence.”

After a gazillion phone calls to the Sheriff’s office and Highway Patrol, Marilyn finally asked the tow-truck driver and found the identity of the driver who visited our yard more suddenly than he intended. It turned out to be a neighbor from across the creek. Marilyn and Al hope he will come and clean up the mess he made.

                      

Speaking of cars, in town there was an old car. It looks like it could go pretty fast.

                     

I suspect that is not the car’s original paint job.

In follow up to other earlier stories:

For those who remember Marilyn’s brother-in-law, William Richard Collie III, his obituary can be found at the following site: Clark Funeral Homes.

If you are interested in seeing the professional photographs of Kimberly Carnell Hamilton’s wedding, they can be seen at Seemyprints.com. The Search term is Hamilton Wedding.

Let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Lucky

HEALTHY FOOD

After Marilyn and Al’s appointments in Fayetteville, Arkansas yesterday they stopped by a natural food store to get some supplies for their plant based diet.

       

They were impressed by the store and by the foods on display. Marilyn remembers when the coop was a casual little market closer to the campus. It was started in 1971 and Marilyn was at the University from 1978–81 when she was earning her PhD in Food Science.

       

It is a big store with all kinds of things to buy and or to eat on the premises. Marilyn is getting old. She remembers when organic watermelons (the only kind grown at the time) were 3 cents/pound or 4 cents/pound if chilled.

       

I was told the store even had a organic dog food selection. They didn’t bring me any. Humph.

Lucky

NO ACOUNTING FOR TASTE

Marilyn and Al are on their way to an appointment in Arkansas this morning.

All they left me for my Lucky Dog Blog post is a picture of a treat they brought home from the grocery store.

                   

Marilyn is not sure she likes the treat. She thinks it is a gross name, but Al really likes Frog Spit. I guess it is like the Smucker’s slogan, “With a name like this, you have to be good.”

As the title says, there is “No Accounting for Taste”.

Lucky

SAD DAY

Yesterday was a sad day, Marilyn’s brother-in-law William Collie passed away. Below is a last picture we have of Bill when Marilyn’s grandsons were visiting back in April. They had a good visit and he and Zella gave the boys some Indian artifacts that they treasure.

                                        

I did not know Bill, but I am sure he will be missed. A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, May 30, 2009 at the Clark Chapel in Neosho.

Lucky

MEMORIAL WEEKEND

This Memorial Day weekend was very busy on the creek behind the cabin. During the days, the weather was nice and sunny and a lot of people were out for canoe floats. The creek was in ideal condition – full, clear & relatively swift. (It is officially termed as a “slow flowing” creek.)

The picture below is the parking lot at the Kozy Kamp canoe rental. It is just one of the many campgrounds in the area. They were all equally busy as best we could tell.

                       

During the day on Friday and Saturday it was wall-to-wall canoes on the creek. Towards the evening, both days the rain came in buckets. Over an inch of rain, both Friday and Saturday. On Sunday there were no canoes that I could see on the creek, everybody must of givien up and gone home because of the rain.

In my Lucky Dog Blog post yesterday I said that later Al will post a memory album of Marilyn’s cemetery visits (look on the right side column of the blog.) Also this is the link to her Cemetery Visit .

Lucky

MEMORIAL DAY

                                                                

Today is Memorial Day, or Decoration Day as it is still often called in the South. Marilyn continued the tradition of placing flowers on the graves of family members in the area. That involved visits to three cemeteries yesterday – Anderson, Pineville and White Rock (Jane). All of the cemeteries were well kept and looked like peaceful places to rest. Marilyn decorated graves of several branches of her family – Carnell, Bunch, Spears, Lines, Prigmore, and Arnett.

Memorial Day is a time to remember and to reflect. It is a time to tell stories and visit with others who are there for the same purpose – honoring those who have gone before. 

Later today Al will post a memory album (look on the right side column of the blog.)

Lucky

SLEEP STUDY & BIG TRUCKS

Guest Writer – Marilyn

Lucky asked me to write about the sleep study I had earlier this week.  You may wonder what that could have to do with big trucks, but that will be revealed in due time.

Recently, I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (my heart sort of stutters occasionally). Usually the first treatment of choice is to take a blood thinner, but that wasn’t a good option for me, so I started taking a medication called Cardiziem. It seems to help, but I still have some flutters. Another one of the things that might be involved is sleep apnea (where you stop breathing briefly during sleep).

I drove to Springfield to see the pulmonologist on Thursday morning. While on Interstate 44, I noticed something odd. In Missouri (and probably other states) an oversized truck must have accompanying vehicles with lights and signs warning of the presence of said oversized object. What was peculiar in this case was that in addition to the usual small warning trucks, there were Missouri Highway Patrol cars leading and following. I passed (below the speed limit)  two of these caravans on the way to Springfield. I have no idea what the cargo was, but it must have been special. Look at the photo below and if you know what it is, let us know.

                          

Back to the sleep study. Because several symptoms of sleep apnea were identified in the consult (snoring [ugh!], daytime fatigue and the need for naps among others) I was told to report to the sleep lab that evening. I got there about 7:30 p.m. as directed. Was checked in, vitals taken & preparations began for the test. I was wired to more than 20 leads most of them to my head so they could monitor my brain waves (Yes, I now have additional proof that I have a brain.) and other vital signs during the night. I looked at myself in the mirror after I got all hooked up and it was a frightful sight. It would definitely scare small children and dogs like Lucky. Needless to say, no photos were taken of that.

Below (left) is a photo of the sleeping area (It was a “Sleep Number” bed. I found that interesting. The commercials don’t tell you that adjusting it makes a sound like a vacuum cleaner – hardly conducive to sleep for a partner if you decide to firm it up during the night. Frankly, I didn’t notice that it was especially comfortable.) On the right is a boring photo, but it shows the infrared camera that is focused on the sleeper. In addition there was a microphone and speaker somewhere so that there was two way communication. I was told to entertain myself by reading or watching TV until my usual bedtime. I wasn’t allowed to read in bed (bad “sleep hygiene” I was told) so I sat in a miserably uncomfortable chair and read from my book stash in my Kindle. (I am currently reading mysteries by Dana Stabenow about Alaska. I like series books.) Anyway… I finally got sleepy and all of the wires were connected to the main lines. I fell asleep fairly easily considering that there were people watching me, I was in an unfamiliar place and it was totally dark except for the red glow around the camera. The night passed fairly uneventfully.

The bad news is that they get you up starting about 5:30 a.m. I consider that against God’s Will for me. He means for me to sleep until about 7:30 a.m. but they weren’t persuaded by my theological arguments. I had to get out of there promptly. They did give me a cup of coffee before I was escorted to the door.

As to results of the tests – I’m waiting. I don’t have overt sleep apnea or I would have been put on a C-PAP machine during the night. I may have to go back for an additional test, but I am guessing that sleep apnea will be ruled out.

Now you can tell why Lucky doesn’t let me write very often. It is hard to get get me to quit writing just like I am about talking

Marilyn

THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT

Last night while we all were watching television I heard a loud noise. Because we live out in the country with only a small county road running in the front of the cabin’s field we though the sound had to be on the TV. After all, nothing exciting ever happens around here.

Later we heard sirens and saw lights up on the road. Marilyn and Al went up to the road to see a car had crashed off the road. It was dark , but Al was able to get this picture.

According to our neighbor, Jim (who didn’t look out right away), the car’s occupants must not have been seriously hurt. He saw them tossing things into the back of a white pickup and they left the scene. Al and Marilyn briefly talked with a deputy who said that the white truck and occupants had been apprehended and were on their way to someplace in custody.

                

This morning Al went up to see the damage to our trees. What a mess. They must have hit the tree with a big bump, that’s for sure.

               

We don’t know the full story behind the accident, but I suspect alcohol was involved.

Lucky

HEALTH

Last Monday, Marilyn and Al were in Springfield, MO for a Doctor appointment. Al was seeing his doctor to followup on the carotid artery surgery he had last year. The good news was that the there was no further plaque buildup. He will need another checkup in two years.

Yesterday Marilyn was in Springfield for a “Sleep Study”. I am not sure what a “Sleep Study” is about, but I am sure Marilyn will tell us all about it when she returns.

As far as I can tell, Marilyn knows how to sleep all ready.

Sleeping as never been my problem.

Lucky