old ride

Because in the Ozarks, everyone needs a junk car in the yard.

more gardening

They laughed—nay, scoffed!—when they saw my hedge. And, ok, yeah, I mistook spirea for privet when I was transplanting from here and there around the yard, so it is a little funky. But the whole place is funky! And look, the hedge blocks the road. Some of it is like eight foot tall now. So laugh away as I continue to create privacy.
 Hey, alla you kids, get outa my yard!

PS When I was digging yesterday, I dug up an 1890 Indian head penny!

the sister gardens

Have I mentioned that my sister is the President of the Garden Club? Well, maybe it's genetic or something because here I am, working with substandard tools borrowed from Bear, actually gardening. Now the PotGC would say that now was not the appropriate time to plant crape myrtle (catawba) nor much of anything else, and she would be right. But if it is to take at all, it must be while I can water it. Downside, if it takes you will no longer see the goose; upside, same thing. So here we go. . .

ozark-american

This is Jack Woods, 70, who sits with his dog in front of his Ozark gas station/junk pile all the live-long day. Lest I be misled by appearances, he informed me that he and his wife have two million dollars. Plus a whole heck of a lot of stuff.

post election

 The lone election sign in the streetlight has already been changed out. On Wednesday I saw the teams out putting up the new signs for November. Yes, that's when Sen. Claire will be running against the Tea Party candidate in Missouri.
  And speaking of the Tea Party, one member tweeted that if Obama won, he would just go on the dole, because why fight it. (I must say that, judging by what I've seen around here, he's probably already on the dole, but whatever.)
    The following hilarious rant was posted in response. And while I agree with the political sentiments, as an honorary redneck I feel insulted for my friends and neighbors here who, while wrongheaded, at least have their hearts in the right place. As opposed to those, ahem, arrogant fucks on the Coasts! See original post and the following

art

Today my mother has a reading of her poetry at the literary sala in San Miguel.
And Jessica Rath, a friend originally of the Ozarks and now of California, has an opening in Tribecca.
Author, author!
Artist, artist!

the new shed

I know you have all been eagerly awaiting news of  improvements to the Goose. Well this is it: Bear built a new house for the well and pump, and as a side benefit I get something my heart has always desired in each and every place I live—a place to put my tiki torches!

you can't make this up

Ah, Arkansas, where the holy trinity is Father, Son and Harley.
In case you'd like to find out about services at the Biker Church. . .

need i say more?

RIP

The thunder-storms have been fierce around here. Night before last it wasn't too peaceful in Peace Valley.
   After one big jolt,

Dianne said, "Hope it doesn't get any of our animals."
   "My thoughts exactly," said Frank.
    But in the morning, SP, a young gelding out of a world champion stallion, was dead of a lightening bolt. For the rest of the day, Dianne talked to insurance companies and waited for a backhoe. You don't want to wait long in this weather.

summer fruit

The red ones are Marianne's Peace, then there are green zebras and a golden I don't know the name of. Stll to test taste, the pineapple tomato and the Lincoln. The boxcar, a smallish red tomato, was delish, and the two-pound Brandywine I ate for dinner last night was, as usual, heaven and so ripe it looked like stewed tomatoes on the plate. Eat your hearts out, New York City locavores.

on the way to town

I saw a bluebird, three deer and a kingfisher. And when I got there—oh, the tomatoes!

I sometimes read Byliner, a collection of long articles and fiction by well known writers. I had no idea I had a piece on the site until I saw this oldie but goodie about MIT.

OK, off to town again.

artists or con artists?

My Craig's List ad for the Goose entitled Artists' Retreat has fished up a couple of keepers, but most of the responses have been from scammers.
Clues:
Multiple email addresses belonging to the sender
English that is so slightly off: "Hello, i want to know if me and my husband will be able to spend seven days at your place,the days start from (September 9nd - September 16th), Get back to me with the total cost for the seven days..Thanks"
And the ever-popular cashier's check from abroad which turns into a request to send out ticket money or some such after it clears.
People from Australia who would like to visit Thomasville, Mo., for a weekend! I mean, it is delightful, but hardly reknowned.

rain rain

One minute bright sun, then thunder and then, in a very short time almost an inch of rain and several tree branches fell out of the sky.  Now it's sunny again, like it never happened.
That's Bear's house across the street, which I've never been inside of. And on the left is the cafe with a new paint job.
PS It's 105 right now at 4:30.

back from work

The lumber mill where he works burned down a month ago or so, but it's getting ready to open up again, so he's back on the job. Ten bucks an hour, on the books, taxes taken out and social security credits earned. Most of the money goes into the gas tank of his truck, since the job is half an hour away. He lives rent free in the house he grew up in across the street from the Goose.
  People around here make and scrape. He told me that his daddy dug roots to sell.



Check this out on Chirbit

the road home

It is dry here, and hot, hovering near a hundred in what shade there is. The cattle are scrawny, and prices are low. Grazing is poor, and as feed prices rise farmers send their stock to market before the creatures get even thinner. Rumors of rain are the currency of the day, not devalued by the disappointments of cloudbursts in neighboring acres.
Supposed to get some rain today, but I don't know.

the best farm stand

Is it worth going a couple hundred miles out of the way for?
Definitely.
The first place I ever bought Honey Crisp apples was here. Their crop will not come in this year because of drought.
But the heirloom tomatoes were just starting to come in. They had varieties I've never heard of—Abe Lincoln, Box Car, Green Zebras, White somethings—sorry, not home, will correct tomorrow or whenever I get Internet access at the Goose.  And scored my fave Brandywines. Probably should have bought more but couldn't face buying white ones.
I tracked them down on the interweb and called to ask them to save me some. They did, and were very happy to see their New York-Missouri client roll in.

the open road

. . .and I'm off!

family hour

The cousins spend some quality time. Alas, we have all gone back to our separate homes, but it was great there for a week.
   Me, I am in New York and off to Missouri in a couple days, carefully calibrating a stop at the best farm stand en route, in Greenup, Il. After some research I was even able to call them and ask them to stockpile some of the season's first Brandywine tomatoes.

The blues

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