Tuesday Tidbits

1.  Filed under the "It's Who You Know" Department:

You know how you do things every so often that ends up an "oops moment"?  Almost instantaneously you know you've done something to turn a good day into a bad one.  While messing with the locks and doorknobs of the house in Henderson I inadvertently locked myself out of the garage, where Miss Frump was residing.  I had slipped a piece of wood through the garage door and had locked the door leading into the garage from the breezeway.  

Two obvious options emerged:  either break glass or mangle the doorknob with a brick enough to get it loose.  Both options were not appealing.  I had made many trips to Lowes/Menards/First Glass anyway and didn't want to make another.  But still, only those options remained.  I decided to mull them over.  In the meantime, I had been invited to Sutor Woods to visit with Jeff and Carol.   

What to do?  What to do? That's my reflection from the breezeway looking into the garage.  The garage door was locked as was the door itself.  And that is Miss Frump inside.  

During the visit I told Jeff about my dilemma.  We went into town for a Pizza House pizza (still Galesburg's best) and Jeff grabbed some tools.  He said we'd swing by and see if there was anything he could do.  When we reached the house he looked at the situation, grabbed one of his items he'd brought and I swear, from the time he eye-balled it to the time he opened the door without destroying anything wasn't more than 15 seconds.  Amazed at what I had just witnessed, he simply said, "A little something I learned during high school."

2.  A Neighborhood Icon.  

When we were kids in Seaton we had a neighbor, Gary, who had this pristine '67 Pontiac Tempest.  We used to laugh when he'd get on his raincoat and wash it during rains, I guess to save on the water bill.  Gary was always one of the good guys in the neighborhood and I had a chance to drive by one day with the Wombie doing his Aquaman thing…..

 …...and see the old girl outside once again.  The paint is a little faded these days, and the interior needs work, but she is still a beauty and runs well.  Gary had it out and was just doing a little maintenance. It sure was nice to see again after all these years.    

3.  Now This Is Something You Don't See Very Often.   

One of Holly's friends told her she had a hive growing in a tree along her drive near the front door.  In the spirit of curiosity and assistance we all went over to take a look.  Yes, indeed, it was a hive and I could truly say I had never seen one except maybe in a Natural History museum diorama.   Turns out it is the work of Paper wasps.  The way to handle these things, we learned from others in town, was to let it freeze in winter and remove. All the wasps will die in the cold except for the queen, who, presumably, will tire of being alone and find new friends in warm Florida.   

4.  Jeep Selfie

You can tell where we are.  See the water irrigation system in the background?  We cruised down below the bluff a couple times just to put some miles on the Jeep and smiles on the participants.

5.  Oldest in U.S.?

For you history buffs, Aledo is the home of the oldest Tastee-Freez in the U.S. as well as the oldest restaurant in mercer County.  I know this because the sign says so.  It may very well end up in the dust bin if the owner continues to charge $3.16 for an ice cream cone.