Skip to main content

Sunday Ride


Time is running out on my time in Northlandia.  Surgery, a new baby and a need to see my Princess intrudes, and soon I need to return to the Heat.  But today, a beautiful Father's day Sunday, it is opportunity to ride.  It's my ride today so it is up to me to come up with an itinerary.  I have decided on a leisurely river trip - from Emerald City down to Bald Bluff Road, down to Oquawka,  then up to Keithsburg, New Boston and Back to Emerald City.  Let's see how that all ends up.




Having arrived along the river in Oquawka, time to dismount and look at the local scenery.




And what can compare to a river for local scenery?  Today what surprised me or at least struck me more than anything was the total quiet.  I guess I had never realized that moving water makes no sound.   



After a nice long chat at the river discussing all manner of things with riding partner, Tim, we went looking for the Norma Jean the Elephant grave and memorial spot.  



Poor Norma Jean.  Struck and killed by a lightening strike in 1972 while in the employ of a small traveling circus, Norma was buried where she fell.  The next year, with its prized possession to sell tickets, the circus went out of business.    




But Norma Jean isn't the only grave to visit when in the area.  A part of this blog a few times before, it was a must to revisit the Dwight Vice gravestone.  An entrepreneur who likely got in over his head regarding a certain business he ran, Mr. Vice was murdered back in the early 2000's and his son seriously injured.  His family/next of kin/executors decided to erect a morally questionable edifice as a lasting remembrance.  Taste is often an immeasurable and ethereal thing, obviously mystifying Dwight's family/next of kin/executors as well.     




The ethereal nature of the taste factor extends to all corners of Mr. Vice's grave.  Sometimes taste, or lack thereof, knows no bounds.  

After these side trips we took off to explore Delebar State Park - virtually worthless, and then on up to a tenderloin and Bloody Mary at the Eagles Nest in Keithsburg.  

After that pleasurable and really tasty meal, we travelled on up to New Boston, checked out the cheesy oversized Adirondack chair, the swollen river, and then left for the Muscatine Road, over to Buffalo Prairie, investigated a cool country road till it turned to gravel and then back to Emerald City.  Boy, that was a really long sentence.   

It was a great way to end my first stint in Northlandia and I hope it augured for many fine rides to come.  Thanks, Neighbor, for taking the day to ride.  I'd waited a long time for that. 

It was an interesting month and after surgery, a new baby, the kid's possibly selling their house and three follow-up doctor appointments, I'll return.   

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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 f...
Post a Comment
Read more

Florida Air Museum - Part 3

Welcome back to a pretty neat tour of the Florida Air Museum in Lakeland Florida.  There's a lot to see and a couple of the old Geezer Gold Wing guys are already sitting down instead of walking around looking at the exhibits. That's John who is wore out and making a call to his wife.  In all honesty, John was pretty well bushed before the ride.  He told me his daughter's family was down from one of the Carolina's with the grand kids and he must have played with them too much.   He's about to take off on his own and head for home, but he's going to miss a couple of neat things out on Hangar A.   But, before we walk over there, we have lots yet to see here.  If you saw The Aviator with Leonardo DiCaprio playing Howard Hughes, you'll remember that he went up in a plane during the filming of one of his movies to prove a point about flying.  He crashed trying to execute a roll and this is a picture of the plane he crashed.  No...
1 comment
Read more

Summer Swim

It's Monday and the start of another work week.  Except for me.  I have the week off because the parents of my daycare charges are taking the week off, too. This is one of those wordless posts I love on Mondays so I can put my laziness in full view of loyal readers.  These pics need no words.  Why muddy the waters?   They were taken at the pool at Sinkhole Estates aka Death Valley.  The nice thing about this pool is it is heated in winter.  If one must find positives in one's situation, I suppose that is one.  But, please, no more.   
Post a Comment
Read more