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Odds And Ends From Northlandia



1.  Budding Artists

                                         

Carol, a longtime pal, took up the brush for some fun time artistry.  She had never dabbled in the acrylic/canvas arts and did her first work, a Monet-ish impressionistic painting that I think holds great promise.  She was uber critical and I didn't want her to stop so I challenged her to do 4 more before she gives up.  I also recommended a French easel for plein air sessions. 

Being the trooper she is she not only loaded up on canvas but got the easel as well.  I look forward to her continuing efforts and if provided pictures (and permission) I will post them on the blog.  

And if that wasn't enough, her hubby has promised to do a little daubing as well.  Isn't that neat.  They may just let me display their latest efforts if I plead with them.  If so I'll post. 

2.  The Amazing Mr. Fox

   




I must first apologize for these poor pictures, again I had my iPhone and not my good camera.  This is the amazing Mr. Fox foraging outside The Wombie's, aka Aquaman, 


best porch in West-Central Illinois.  He seemed to be eating something, then simply ambled toward a cornfield nearby.  

 3.  Leadfoot

Perhaps the less said the better on this item.  My buddy (who shall remain nameless), who I spent some time with while I was back, was pulled over by this guy near (again, nameless to protect the innocent) for exceeding the speed limit.  I include this only because it was a hilarious exchange between law enforcement and citizen, who, by the way, did not receive a ticket for this transgression.   I was told I ran this conversation into the ground and to "can it" so I won't give the details.  Just another fun and interesting event that happened on my trip to Northlandia.  

 "OK, folks, there's nothing to see here, so keep on moving." 


5.  Mercer County Rip-Off

I stopped at the Aledo Tastee-Freez for a ice cream cone.  They charged $3.16 for a large vanilla cone.  Man, I thought that was outrageous.  So in the interest of consumer education and my general addiction to all things "ice" and "cream", I decided to conduct a survey, or sorts.  In my Galesburg travels I stopped at Dairy Queen for a similar size cone and they charged $2.69.  At some point I also stopped at Flavor -Freez in G-Burg and they charged $1.98 for a large vanilla cone. 
  

My conclusion:  The Aledo Tastee-Freez is charging too much for their cones and are either doing a Casey's-like gouge on the good people of Aledo or they're coffers are a little short ahead of their winter hiatus.  The oldest restaurant in Aledo may very well be the next Mercer County economic casualty if they can't convince people to shell out the better part of fin for a lousy ice cream cone.  Me?  Oh, I'd shell out more for any kind of ice cream, Oh God yes!  That stuff is like catnip to me.

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