Surprise Trip Home

Tim and Carrie married on 9-10-11 (clever) and I made plans for a surprise trip back home in order to attend the festivities in Peoria. I got a pretty good rate on a rental car for the three days and Allegiant was pretty reasonable that week also.

Last Thursday I posted some foods that I had to have when back, and you'll unfortunately have to put up with it again today.

On Friday I went to Mt. Pleasant Iowa, home of the Tigers and West Side Tap, but, sadly, no longer a Phi Delta Theta chapter. Had to have a Jerry's pizza and amazingly that place never changes. Jerry still lives and hopefully has given the recipe to his pizza to a young person who will continue with this must-have treasure. I have never had another like it, and while Davis Bros in Peoria comes close, it can't really compare.

I then returned via Keithsburg and Joy road and remembered a cemetery Mark showed me once. I had time so I thought I'd check it out again. Sadly, I couldn't, but I did spot these turkeys ambling out in a roadside field.

As I inched ever slowly in the car, they slowly walked into the underbrush. By this picture-time they were tough to spot.

Now look in the center of the picture, the four white marks are their heads.

About as close as I can get with my zoom.

I love the river. This old bridge has quite a history. We walked on its track a ways from shore more than once back in high school.

OK once more the best pizza in the whole freaking world.

Miss Maddie looking at her world from the nice of porch Mark & Holly.

A quick trip to Candor Cemetery to visit the folks and pick up another small original foundation stone to the church that is undergoing renovations. I had permission.

Pictures from the plane on the way home.

Overall it was a great trip back. I accomplished what I needed to do but still ran out of time to see many old friends that I miss every day. You know who you are.

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Flashback Friday

Class, Or Lack Thereof The Dwight Vice gravestone in Oquawka, Illinois. I bring this old chestnut out every so often just to remind me that class is classless. Dwight Vice was killed in his home near Oquawka in 2001. It was one of those things that can generate crime: two guys thought Dwight had a lot of money stashed at home because of his pot-selling sideline to supplement his fishing job. Not really one of those big drug deals gone-bad things. Marijuana was, according to the trial, about the only stuff Dwight sold. But these two guys barge into the house and killed Dwight and attempted to kill his 11 year old kid, Darryl, before they took off with what money they could find. His son, now 23, was stabbed in the back and left for dead. He survived and is wheelchair bound and has undergone several surgeries to repair his wounds. He will be paralyzed for life. None of this is pleasant. Reading the facts of the murder and attempted murder are most unpleasant

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Florida Air Museum - Part 3

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Existing In BFE

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