Head Out On the Highway, Looking For Adventure

Road Trip!

One of our first road trips was to Peoria and then back through Tanner's orchard. There are probably pretty good Fall apple stands all over the place. One is up north of Viola called the Corn Maze. They have expanded the past few years and its OK. There are other places, too, like Oquawka. They have them down here, too but usually in places too far away or through Tampa or just decide not to because of the traffic. That's why Tanner's is a must-stop location. Today was no exception, because we were there early enough to avoid the later, more hectic times later in the season. I told myself I didn't need the cider donuts but damned if they didn't get in there anyway. Tim and I drove our bikes by there are couple weeks later and the tug to swing in the strong, but I was stronger.

You have probably driven by this building lots of times, and maybe never paid any attention to it. It is just on the outskirts of Toulon. Today for some reason I really saw it for the first time. I'm no architecture fiend or even educated in styles, but this is a unique building only because it is so old and still being used. It looks to be art deco (20's-30's) and has a patina in its cement that says it has seen a lot of weather. It is home to Stark County's highway department. You know that because it is etched in the stone all along the westward facing side. The windows are those neat blocks that let light in but allows for no looking in or out. As buildings go in our area it is a real treasure. Kudos to the county for keeping it viable.

Not far out of Galva is a marker commemorating Fraker's Grove. It says that a Potawatomi village existed at this spot but thanks to old man Fraker's kid, Michael, who settled near here and was peaceful with the Indians so they (whoever they are) named the village Fraker's Grove. he became the first settler in northeast Knox county. Of course you could also give some credit to the Indians who decided to live with him in peace. If they'd been smart they would have done a little Big Horn action on him and bought a few more years before being driven out. As it was Michael probably got on the horn and called up all his kinfolk and, as the Indians no doubt said, there goes the neighborhood.

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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 f...

Florida Air Museum - Part 3

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Summer Swim

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Existing In BFE

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