Riding along 224 on a tractor

The big Oliver 1855 goes amazingly fast for a tractor.  Cliff says it's because it has hydraul-shift.  It goes fast enough that our hair blows back when we're up to full speed, and if it weren't for cars behind us needing to pass, it almost feels like being on a motorcycle.  I thoroughly enjoyed our ride to Lexington and back.  

224 highway started life as the Santa Fe Trail.  After automobiles came on the scene, it was 24 highway, the main thoroughfare (at least in these parts) going east and west.  Later on a new 24 was put in, and this small stretch between Napoleon and Lexington became 224.  You will see lots of motorcycles traveling this historic stretch along the Missouri River.  

There are people living here and there along this route, but there are also abandoned houses like this one that remind me what the road was like in its heyday.  

I took this shot as we were leaving Lexington.  Local folks call this street "Irish-town Hill Road".  Those bricks are very slick in winter when coated with ice or packed snow. 

    We caught up with the owner of the local peach orchard, Larry, and he motioned us past him, knowing we had a faster tractor.  

Yesterday I thought someone was living in this house.  Looking at the picture, I'm not so sure.  

This is the outbuilding that goes with the house.  Now I realize why I knew the place was inhabited.  

What's left of an old service station.

Here's what it looks like in winter.  

This is the Peckerwood Club, somewhat infamous in its early days.  It was still open for business when we moved here in 1975.  I believe it closed for good in the 80's.  

Ah, civilization!  Just before you enter our little town, you come upon the Sni Mini-mart.  The only store or service station around.  

And here, also on the banks of the Sni, is Catfish Charlie's.  We don't eat there often, but the food is good.  Our tractor club group likes going there.

Thanksgiving approaches

I don't know where the time goes, but I was actually shocked to realize it's only two weeks until Thanksgiving day.  This seems like the best place for our family to have Thanksgiving; we'll be in the shop, as usual.  It's heated when we need it to be and there's plenty of room for the kids to play.  

Cliff and I went shopping at Walmart in Richmond this morning so I could get started buying the necessary food items.  I'll have a trial run before the big day, since we're having a holiday dinner at the Baptist Church the Sunday before Thanksgiving.  I walked in the store with $116 and left with about $6.50.  However, because one of my slow-cooker lids broke, I bought a nineteen-dollar Crock-Pot to replace it.  The one with the lid that broke was a fancy one that had to be programed after it was plugged in.  If I took it to a carry-in dinner and someone moved it, they'd plug it back in thinking it would start right up; then, when it was time to eat, the food would be room temperature.   I bought it on Amazon at a decent price, but there will be no more programable slow cookers for me. 

On another note:  the settings on my blog won't let a comment show up on any older posts because a lot of spammers and scammers like to post links on the comment section of long-ago posts where I'd never find them.  However, when something is posted on past entries, I am notified by email so I can see what was said; if I approve the comment, then it shows up.  It's a little hard to follow the guy's wording, but it piqued my interest and left me with questions.  I sure wish there were a way for me to correspond with him.  He posted as "unknown" and didn't leave his name.  Actually, he made two separate comments about two different structures along highway 224.  If you'd like to read that particular entry, click HERE.  Then scroll to the bottom and you'll see that two of the last three comments on the story are his, followed by a comment by me, answering one of his questions, although I doubt he'll ever go back to the entry and see it.  By the way, the entry was done in 2013, and you'll see we were riding to Lexington on the 1855 Oliver Cliff recently sold.  

I'm finding it easier to come up with blog posts now that I'm not a slave to Facebook.  I did not close my Facebook account, but after watching The Social Dilemma on Netflix, my feelings on the matter have been confirmed.  It isn't going to be difficult for me to distance myself now.  I decided to keep my account because Cliff has made his best tractor sales on Facebook Marketplace, and I'm the one who places his ads.  I could use his account, but it's just better if I'm the one watching for responses to the ads; Cliff often fails to notice private messages, which is how people contact sellers on Marketplace.  And of course, there are the memories that pop up from years gone by, not to mention that I keep in touch with relatives on Facebook, although if any of them need me in a hurry, they'd better call me on the phone, rather than message me.  

Donna doesn't live there any more.