sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
thank you kind lady.
Story Aunt Gus and Little Bear's Adventure Book 3 (Complete)
- Thread starter Kathy in FL
- Start date
thank you kind lady.
Jan 11th: Carthage, MO >> Springfield, MO
Driving Route:
Weather was more normal today. For this area of the country, this time of the year, that meant cold. As in freeze our tail feather off cold. We didn’t travel that many miles today, less than one hundred. We still wound up with plenty to do.
Since we stayed in the town of Carthage, we decided to see the most popular Carthage attraction, the Precious Moments Chapel. I remember Grandma Barry have these little dust collectors from the company. She said they’d belonged to her mother. I met the woman once and she seemed like she was a million years old, but she got a kick out of me for some reason.
It was free to see, so we headed down there when they opened and went to the chapel. The chapel was certainly impressive with massive art pieces that had been painted by the creator over four years. It is worth checking out if you like that type of thing or just looking for a unique stop that you can only do here. Benny didn’t know what to make of it and Lev whispered in my ear that one of these days he’d take me to the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. That was enough of a distraction that my heebies stayed out of sight.
The Jasper County Courthouse in Carthage is beautiful and resembles a castle if you use your imagination. There are a few small Route 66 exhibits in the lobby that you can see, as well as a lot of civil war history to learn about here as well. I told Lev about the old courthouse in Live Oak and in a few other of the older towns in that area of Florida that he hadn’t seen while we were on assignment. I told him to think about putting together a travel book for the area since he has so much filler left over and also we’d be close enough we could take more pictures.
“Might not be a huge seller but it could be something different until we figure out what the next assignment is going to be.”
I got a kiss for effort which didn’t bother me at all.
Next came the little town of Spencer. It was one of the better ghost towns I suppose. Sorry, not my thing but I can see other people getting a kick out of it. The owners have painstakingly recreated the buildings and it is interesting to see the exteriors, even though nothing was actually open.
There was supposed to be a neat Sinclair Gas Station but we must have missed it. What we did see was an abandoned historic building. What was unique about it was that it was built of stone, and even though the store was no longer there, the walls still stood, and it has trees and brush growing up through them.
The next stop was at Fantastic Caverns. It is the only drive-through cave in the USA and one of only four in the world. The tour takes you through the cave while seated on a trailer connected to a jeep.
It was a beautiful cave with a lot of history, and it was worth the tour to explore it. I have been in many caves before but never like this. I was not thrilled with the price and was trying to figure out how to just suck it up when we heard, “Lev?! Dude, is that you?!”
I turned and Lev and another guy were doing some weird handshake. “I heard from Diego a week or so ago and … Dude! … you got married?! Please tell me it wasn’t …”
“No!” Lev yelped letting me know that there had been people in line ahead of me. I mean I knew it but still … tough pill to swallow if I’m forced to think about it. That’s when Lev spotted Benny and I and beckoned me over.
“Gus this is Rex. Rex this is …”
“The hot chick from the Florida Assignment.” He looked me over then turned to Lev and said, “Duuuude.”
Benny looked at me and I could tell he was wondering who the weird guy was. Well Rex was on a working assignment for a nationally syndicated news show. He was with one of the busses of Route 66 travelers. They were just shy of the number they needed to get a group rate and … yep … we got invited which cut the cost of our tickets by nearly 50%.
Rex had to get back to work but after the tour, while the bus group were looking in the gift shop and that sort of thing, he and Lev stepped aside to talk. I heard a few names I recognized but most of them I didn’t. I also saw something I was sure I wasn’t supposed to. When Lev would have walked out, I stepped in front of him and smiled and kind of guided us over to the restrooms.
“Babe?”
Still smiling but not really doing it so anyone could see my lips move or hear what I was saying I asked, “Was Rex supposed to have dropped something into your hoodie?”
Lev froze. “No,” he said, gritting his teeth.
“Then do me a favor and go to the men’s room and flush it. ‘K?”
He gave me a kiss. “I’ll do one better. Can you get it out without being obvious then return the property to its original owner?”
“Watch me,” I told him with a naughty look. “Bend over and check Benny’s hikers. Benny play along.”
It didn’t take but a second for me to lean over Lev while he was leaning over, slip my hand into the hood of his hoodie and scrape out the little memory tab. It had something sticky on one side which helped it to stay in the hood and I doubt it would have been noticed until laundry day. Because of the sticky side it made getting rid of it a little more challenging, but not by much. It’s new home was in the same place on Rex that he’d put it on Lev.
We left quickly after that, and I asked Lev to drive while I plied my trade of the path I did not take.
Finding what I was looking for I said, “Yep.”
“Yep what?” Lev asked still irritated and stressed.
“Your friend Rex is now on the payroll of a company that is a subsidiary of … wait for it … Beaumont International.”
“You are shi …,” He stopped and cleared his throat obviously having started to say something else. “… kidding me.”
“Nope. I’m not going to say this is specific to us though they seem like they are spiteful enough, but might be a good idea to pass the info along.”
“Fine. Call Bob and let him know but …”
“Try and keep us out of it? That was the plan.”
“Er … you’re enjoying this?”
I stopped and checked my attitude. “Wrong word for it. I’m happy that I caught it. And it gives me a target to expend some energy on. Maybe it even gets you some brownie points for loyalty to Bob or something along those lines. Let’s call it satisfying.”
Thoughtfully Lev said, “I guess I haven’t been listening well enough. You said you have more, and more directed, training than some of your other friends.”
I hesitated but when you’re married you gotta share some things to understand each other. “Yeah.”
“What did your brother think, or was it his idea?”
Carefully I answered after checking that Benny had his headphones on. “Lawrence didn’t know. The further away from that time the more convinced I am that maybe he hadn’t wanted me to go into the military … possibly at all. Hard to say and I’m not going to go around second guessing everything.”
“But …”
“But … I’m thinking he may have thought I wasn’t ready or he wanted me to have more options or something. He trained me in case I went regardless of his opinion, and I admit he never tried to stop me in any obvious way, but he was the one that talked me into the bit of college that I’ve got. On the other hand …”
“Babe?” He prompted after I got lost in some memories and thoughts.
“There were people that definitely thought I had a place or could make a place for myself in the Navy.”
“They wanted you to be a female SEAL?”
I tried not to laugh. “No, definitely not. That’s a male-only club even if there have been females that have technically gotten in, and even I recognized it back then. Besides, the Navy does have other Special Operations groups you know.”
“Er …”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s in the past for me. But just to say, Lawrence didn’t know. And I’m not really sure what he would have made of it. I never hid the extra training, Lawrence probably guessed at some of it though then again, given some of the way things used to be when he was home it may have just gotten ignored in favor of more immediately important issues. And before you can figure out how or if to ask … yes, there are some facets of that part of my life that I miss. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t miss what has happened since more if I didn’t have it instead of the other. And I hope that made sense.”
“Yeah,” he said thoughtfully. “Yeah, it made sense. But I’m still glad you would miss us more.”
“Yeah, I would. So, if you just happen to meet any former ‘friends’ or whatever, treat them with caution and try and not get too close until you can clear them. Or we can clear up whatever is going on. The hollyweirdness is more than a little much to take on top of everything else we are trying to get through right now.”
He sighed. “Just call Bob. See if he has anything to say on the subject.”
Springfield, Missouri, is a college town with a lot of charm, according to Lev’s brochure collection, and a few unique Route 66 stops.
The main Route 66 stops are in the old downtown area, which is in the north part of the city. First up is the footbridge that crosses the train tracks. This is supposedly the longest pedestrian footbridge in the US, and I wouldn’t doubt it. The bridge takes you over the tracks and gives some great views of downtown and the trains passing by.
Also, while we were in the old downtown, we checked out Askinosie Chocolates or Eurasia Coffee. The chocolate shop is in a historic bank building, and the coffee shop is across the street.
There are a few more historic Route 66 spots in the city if you want to see them. The first is the Steak and Shake, which is a chain franchise, but this is one of the only ones that still has an original look.
Lastly, while not Route 66 related, Springfield, Missouri is home to Bass Pro Shop, and its flagship store. Named Bass Pro Shop World, this store is fantastic to explore.
The store has a gigantic aquarium with over a mile of walking to see everything, a wildlife area which has elaborate stages set to show off animals like elephants and tigers, and an NRA rifle museum with thousands of guns. And across the parking lot is the Bass Pro Shop Outlet Store and then believe it or not, Lev had us a room at the Bass Pro Shop Angler’s Lodge. When he told me it took me a while to believe him.
The Lodge had this exhibition called Wonders of Wildlife. There was a penguin encounter, a shark dive, and according to a sign-thingie, the world’s most immersive conservation attraction. There was over 350,000 square feet of exhibits. Plus, larger than the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, there was a 1.5 Million Gallons of Freshwater and Saltwater Aquariums and includes 35,000 Live Fish, Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians and Birds. Whoa.
Finally heard from Bob. There is a big, fat legal case going on that Bob was not free to give the details about to us, but it was noted – and appreciated – that we were showing some loyalty to our previous employers. I’m not sure what that is going to mean but brownie points are brownie points I guess. It was more my faith in Bob being a decent human being than loyalty to the company. I let Lev have his own opinion while not asking for it. It is also paybacks for Mizz Beaumont’s crapheaded actions. They did find it interesting about Rex but didn’t make more of it than there was, just said basically what I’d said to Lev … if you see anyone that you’ve worked with before, use caution. And that includes with Diego and Chan because word on the street is that there is a competing offer to have him come to work in their production studios.
We weren’t going to make us crazy. Peoples is peoples. Peoples just better leave us along. Found out that Lev had done some work for the Morris Family Foundation (a man name Johnny Morris started Bass Pro Shop) and called in a marker he had to get us a place to stay for the night with the understanding that he planned to spend some money on-site.
“Lev …”
“You admit yourself that the River House is a bit off the beaten path. Even having been there last December I’m not sure I could find it again on my own.”
“Yes.”
“And that we might basically be camping there until we can figure out what the place needs and what it is going to take to do it.”
“Er … yeah.”
“Remember how I talked about properly outfitting yourself prior to Alaska?”
“Yeah, okay but …”
“Trust me on this Babe. Now that I know that you know about certain wild beasts and where to find them … I’m going to provide some feed for them.”
It took me nearly a minute to realize what he was talking about. “You sure?” Before he could misunderstand, I continued, “Because there might be a small amount of feed in Jacksonville. I’d rather not bring notice getting more and sufficient for our needs.”
“Consider it a wedding gift.”
I snorted. “You’re the gift. Can we get some fishing tackle?”
He grinned. “Anything you want.”
“Better watch that. Last time you said it you wound up nearly comatose.”
Good thing he wasn’t driving, that’s all I’m going to say. He eventually started breathing again but it took a moment or two.
Resources:
Nearby Attractions | Bass Pro Shops Angler's Lodge | Springfield, MO
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Thank you for the late read, and now to bed.
7 qts of sweet pickles for dh cooling on the counter. I made dills for me a few days ago.
7 qts of sweet pickles for dh cooling on the counter. I made dills for me a few days ago
.
Jan 12th: Springfield, MO >> St. Louis, MO
Weather was “balmy” 32F when we got on the road this morning, rose into the 50s and by the time we made St. Louis it was in the 20s. It wasn’t this crazy in Alaska. Of course we were in Alaska summer and early autumn but this still feels like it is wrong. To be honest it might be the “feelz” I’m feeling coming off other people. The stress in ramping up. I can tell it. I can feel it myself. And the “snewz” sure isn’t helping with their bipolar act of “happy, happy ‘cause the government is here to help” and the Chicken Little routine of “the sky is falling, brace for impact.”
The night had been a good one and we stocked up on some things like Lev had said: feed for certain beasties, fishing gear that would work on the river, jerkies, snack sticks and summer sausages (beef, elk, venison), a couple of snares, I got a pair of outdoor camo pants and camo bib overalls (on the after-Christmas clearance rack), and enough popcorn that it will be a long time before we run out. I looked on the clearance rack for Lev and Benny some clothes but what they had in Benny’s size wasn’t appropriate (the things they put on kids t-shirts) and Lev is a hard fit because of how tall and narrow he is. He says he still has stuff in Bumpus Mills and we’ll just have to see from there. So far I haven’t seen any of The Limits on clothing or shoes, that may change and I’m getting the heebies. Lev did find some socks so there is that to be grateful for. Both Lev and Benny got crocs in their size as well.
We didn’t cart that stuff out to the van until this morning because I spotted a couple of people that could have been cruising to see who had what in their vehicles but security spotted them as well and tailed them until they left. Still, we just brought it to our room to get rid of some packaging to make it as smaller load this morning. When Lev came out from paying the bill he was carrying a box and took it over to the cooler.
“Benny, give me a hand?”
“Sure Uncle Lev!”
It was meat, hard frozen, and packaged with dry ice. He managed to fit it all into the cooler and freezer except for a couple of roasts – that I found out were elk – that he left out to thaw so he could make more jerky.
“Lev?”
“Someone in management forwarded the info that I was staying the night with my family. They offered, I accepted.”
“Annnnd were there strings with this acceptance?”
“No. Wasn’t really any skin off their nose either. Just good will. This meat is right on the best by date and it isn’t selling. It is the exotic stuff like elk and buffalo and boar. I can turn this into more jerky.”
Fine. Maybe I am too suspicious but Lev has more FOL’s (friends of Lev’s) than I do FOG’s and I … truthfully I’ve just become suspicious of every one and every thing since the Diego, Chan, and Rex stuff. Makes me leery. But there wasn’t time for the hamster to dance because we needed to get on the road.
Driving Route (part 1):
Rest Haven Court was a good stop for Lev to add to the Route 66 portfolio he is building. It is a good example of a Route 66 neon sign in the city. We didn’t see it lit up at night, but it was still worthing seeing during the day even if it was morning.
Next was the town of Marshfield which is the birthplace and home of Edwin Hubble, who created the Hubble Telescope. Right next to the courthouse is a replica of the famous telescope at a third of the scale that made for an interesting stop.
Another old sign that you can blink and miss, was an old one made of wood but it was in good condition. It sat nestled in the trees, which made for an unusual for a photo.
The next stop was the town of Lebanon, which has a small Route 66 museum in the town library. It is not something you have to stop at, but they were a stamp spot for the Route 66 passport and they had just opened when we got there. And we weren’t the only ones. No kids about, school started back up, so we got the hairy eyeball a little for Benny but I’ve learned to deal with it so that Benny can ignore it. Lev also ran interference here by saying out loud that he wanted to take a pic of the two of us for Benny’s school portfolio.
Finally found a Walmart that wasn’t too far off our route and that was not “locals only” thanks to a convo with one of the librarians. The Limits were very, very tight. No paper products to speak of. All the baby stuff like baby food, diapers, and formula were locked up in customer service and you had to provide proof of need. Huh?! Thankfully they hadn’t done that to the feminine hygiene aisle but I heard a couple of stockers saying that it was planned before the weekend. O.M.G. I stocked up on everything I could though I have quite a bit. I’m female and I need my female stuff. Geez Louise. They want the next world war, that’s a good way to make it happen sooner rather than later.
On the way out of town, Wrinks Market was on Lev’s points of interest on the list. It is a traditional market but it has a lot of history on Route 66 as well. It was built in 1950 and has served travelers for a long time
Right down the street from Wrinks is the Munger Moss Motel, which is a historic Route 66 motel. It was built in 1946 after the popular Munger Moss sandwich place from 1936 had become a staple on the route. People still stay there but most just stop to take photos of the well-preserved old sign.
Waynesville is a mining town from before Route 66. It still has a lively downtown area (for a small town), and it featured a museum next to the courthouse, a museum on stagecoach travel, and a historic house called the Talbot house that is now a storefront. They were all closed to the public but it was really the outside that Lev had wanted photographs of.
The next place was honestly such a Lev thing. Uranus is a silly tongue in cheek stop where everything is a joke on the word Uranus. They had a tourist-popular fudge shop (fudge from Uranus), gift shop, gun range (local hang out), and museum. They also had the world’s largest belt buckle on display. I could see Lev trying to hide his snickers about some of the jokes. Me? Not so much. Had to deal with this from the guys in high school. I had to explain to Benny that the fudge wasn’t gluten-free … until the sales clerk said they had some that was. O.M.G. Sigh. I got double puppy dog eyes for which there is no defense for. “Small pieces. For dessert. And not all the time. I mean it.” They were happy even if I did have to play Den Mother.
The Devils Elbow was one of the worst bends along the route. It was straightened, also known as getting realigned, early because it was hard for military vehicles to make it through. There was an old market in the devil’s elbow area that gives you a viewpoint for the neat looking old bridge that is still part of the route.
During the next section of Route 66, it was mostly highway driving. It was worth getting off here though, since there was a memorial that featured some beautiful artwork that honors the Trail of Tears part of American history. It wasn’t open but we could view it from the road enough that Lev could take pictures. We learned the history during our National Park adventure but this was a good review.
The town of Rolla was one of the larger towns we saw today. This town had a few stops, with the main two being service stations that are still in use. The first service station used to feature an old totem pole on top of the building. It doesn’t have the totem pole anymore, but you can still see it in the service station gift shop. Also, while driving through the city, we stopped to see an old wooden cabin that used to serve as the high school for the town in the early 1900s. Then on the way out of town, we stopped at the mule trading post with their hillbilly statue that has arms that move around.
While in Rolla, we found another Walmart. The shelves were scary. What I mean is items were only one or two deep on the grocery side. They say it is because they are having weather-related trouble with deliveries. Really? The weather has been cold but beautiful for us every step of the way. The Limits were just crazy. And thank goodness we have been using cash, even if it is the old-style currency, because they are tracking all digital purchases. People are being denied items if they’ve already purchased The Limit that day, or in some cases even within the last couple of days, regardless of the store it was purchased at. They also got a little pizzy that we weren’t using our debit cards.
“Look, the truth is something has happened to my account. I had to go to a pawn shop and hock a few things to get grocery money. I can’t help this is what some pawn shops are paying with since they couldn’t do a direct deposit. You wanna give me crap and waste both our times on something that isn’t illegal? Or do you just wanna make your store some money so you can get paid? I heard on the news that the Walmart in Lebanon wants old-style currency so they can pay their employees.”
The manager gave me a dirty look for saying it loud enough that some of the other employees heard me. It wasn’t that what I said wasn’t true, it is that obviously some of the people working at this wallyworld hadn’t been paying attention.
Lev was a couple people behind me with his own cart. I was wondering if he was going to get hassled too but I must have done enough damage because the manager just rang him up and the few other people in line with currency without saying another word. However, I didn’t find it out until we hooked back up at the van. Two wallyworld stops would have made the van look like an oversize grocery buggy but we decided to just put everything in the platform bed area until we could get it better organized.
Driving Route (part 2)
Lev and I were stressing so he made the next stop just silly enough to knock my hamster off the wheel it was trying to climb into. In the town of Fanning, MO, we stopped to see the world’s second largest rocking chair (it just lost the claim as the largest a few years back). It is a giant rocking chair, and there is a large gift shop with all sorts of different kinds of popcorn.
“Lev, we just bought …”
“I know. But you can never have too much popcorn. Right Benny?”
Benny was smart enough to realize that Aunt Gus will put up with some silliness but didn’t want to be ganged up on so his smile was a little naughty-guilty as he agreed with Lev. I let it go. Some days you have to but next time I’m not going to take it lying down even if the face Benny made was kinda funny and made it hard for me to keep a straight face. Funnier was Lev realizing he might have made a tactical error. Me rolling my eyes let him know he was off the hook but like I said … next time …
The town of Cuba is known for the murals that are all over town. We didn’t get to see them all, but we drove around and saw several of them. The town also had an old hotel known as the Wagon Wheel, which had an old neon sign, and it is one of the oldest motels along Route 66. It reminded me of a couple of the signs that we saw in the Neon Sign Museum in Las Vegas. Lastly, there was a vintage Phillips gas station that is now a sandwich shop in the middle of town. We needed to get going after that photo because our next two stops were important to Lev.
First, when we got off the highway to go to Meramec Caverns, we stopped at the Jesse James Wax Museum. I guess Lev played enough with his cousins – usually having to play the “outlaw” and get shot – when he was a kid that this tugged at some memories. They do not allow photos in this museum but Lev got some shots of the outside and I picked up some postcards for him.
Then it was off to Meramec Caverns. The caverns was a famous Route 66 destination for people wanting to explore a cave while traveling west. One of those early tourist spots when the horse and buggy, and then the Model A, were the main transportation. There are signs for this cave painted on barns hundreds of miles from it in each direction. The cave is fascinating to tour with over a mile of walking, lots of water running through the cave, and some awe-inspiring formations.
Also, at the end of the tour, they have a movie that they project on one of the biggest of the formations. It is a silly thing they have been doing for decades but something I have never seen at any other cave. The cave was also a hideout for Jesse James as well which is why many people want to see it. Proof of Jesse James’ usage of the caverns as a hideout is found through collaborative factual evidence. This evidence consists of sheriffs’ reports, eyewitness accounts, and physical material found inside the cave. Among the artifacts found inside the cave (at Loot Rock) were strong boxes traceable to the train robbery at Gadshill, MO, rifles, and shackles.
And there’s other history about the cave, like what was on a sign thingie that I am transcribing here: Although we don't have official documentation of the cave's usage by the Underground Rail Road due to the secrecy of the issue, it has been part of the local lore that the cave was the second to last stop along the Underground Rail Road before one's exit to freedom. This coincides with the cave’s usage as a Civil War gunpowder manufacturing plant.
We spent more time at the caverns than we had estimated and needed to get back on the road as it was getting late. Big Chief Roadhouse was a great dinner stop on the north alignment of Route 66 heading through St Louis. We didn’t want to stay in the city, so we stayed out this way and then we’ll head into and through the city the next day. It was in this little area called Wildwood on the far west of the city. This place is one of those lucky finds because so many people are being forced to cancel their reservations. St. Louis is not LA (thank the Creator) but it isn’t any place we want to travel through at night either.
We were able to park in front of the door to our motel room. It was a courtyard set up so we were surrounded on three sides by the motel and the entrance/exit was only two lanes wide. As a result I don’t worry that anyone could really see what I was doing. Most of the people staying at the motel were older folks that were already calling it a night. Lev took Benny into the room and I admit it was very … er … budget. That didn’t stop Benny from have a blast being allowed to sleep on a “pull out” and it gave Lev a table top to do some editing on. And what was I doing? I had pulled all the curtains and was playing “where can I stick this so it doesn’t roll around while I drive.” It took me almost two hours to get everything organized to my satisfaction.
Tomorrow we drive through St. Louis and we are going to try and make a couple more stops between stops to take pictures. I’d explain better but Lev is finally at a stopping point with his editing and wants to check the van one more time before we hit the hay.
Resources:
Our Hotel - Wildwood Hotels With Indoor Pool - The Wildwood Hotel
beaglemama
Contributing Member
Thank you, Kathy!
Jan 13th: St. Louis, MO >> Bloomington, IL
Driving Route (Part 1):
Woke up to find that Missouri and Illinois have both instituted strict curfews. It meant getting on the road no later than 6 am in order that we could get to a stopping point in Bloomington (the only place we were going to be able to travel because they were doing some serious checking to make sure that people were following their submitted travel plans) before curfew or we were going to waste another day.
Our first stop, or sorta stop, was the Route 66 State Park that once housed a popular resort and beach. It is since gone defunct but the park features many walking and biking paths, as well as great views of an old bridge Route 66 used to use. There is also a small museum and visitors center on the east side of the park. We didn’t do any of the walking or biking which would have helped me I think, but we also needed to keep going.
Ted Drewes is a frozen custard shop in east St Louis that has been there since the 1930s. People line up early to try their custard, with the most popular dish being the concrete, which is a thick ice cream that you add toppings into. Reminded me of the old Culvers fast food chain that I can just barely remember Grandfather Barry taking me to a couple of times in Lake City, FL when we would have to go there to find a big box store that sold a particular item he would need for one of his projects.
While not specifically Route 66 related, Lev insisted that any road trip through St Louis should stop at the St Louis Arch. Standing at 630 feet tall and built in 1965, this arch is more impressive in real life than it is in the photos. You can go up in it but the elevator was closed today. Thanks to Lev, Benny was able to do one of the national parks that we had to miss, and he earned the Junior Ranger Badge[1] for his collection.
I’d always heard that St. Louis was a bad place. You couldn’t have proven that to me by what we saw which was very vacant city streets. It was actually kinda freaky. I overheard a couple of the rangers talking about it as well. Their suspicion was that people were waiting for night to set in so they could have a demonstration without having to worry too much about facial recognition. Seems like “zero tolerance” for breaking curfew was not going to just be hot air, even if we could have used some heat in today’s weather which never escaped the 30s.
Benny was happy but both Lev and I were getting jittery. We were either feeding off each other or off the news we were hearing. Either way the next few stops was a welcome distraction.
The world’s largest catsup bottle stands over the city of Collinsville. The bottle was initially used as a water tower when it was built in 1949 but has since been preserved as a novelty. You can see it as you drive down South Morrison Ave, and it is about 3 miles off Route 66.
Right off the highway in the town of Livingstone, the Pink Elephant Antique Mall is an old high school that was purchased and renovated to become a roadside attraction. The mall featured all sorts of sculptures outside, including a giant pink elephant and a muffler man. The inside featured a diner, candy shop, and a large consignment store with all sorts of antiques. Lev wanted to stop to see if the consignment was worth anything (nothing we needed but he fell in love with an old camera and after everything he has sacrificed I certainly wasn’t going to tell him not to get it).
Located on an older alignment of Route 66 in the town of Staunton, Henry Rabbit Ranch – aka Hare It Is – turned out to be a must-stop. The former gas station featured many artistic takes on things on the route, including a large jackrabbit you can sit on for photos, cars stuck in the ground like Cadillac Ranch (you cannot paint them though) and many different old signs and ads. The owner also has a bunch of rabbits, and you will see them when you walk in the store. Benny got a chance to meet and pet Gilbert the IX, which was one of the rabbits roaming around.
In the town of Mt Olive, we made a goof and stopped by Soulsby Service Station, which turned out to be just another of the replica gas stations we ran into on Route 66. The station was built in 1926 and stopped selling gas in the 1990s. The station now has a bunch of old photos, artifacts, and even signs that you can see if the inside is open. Luckily there was a station across the street and they said they get business from a lot of people mistaking Soulsby for still being in business.
We skipped a covered bridge that Lev had wanted to see because it was further off the highway than he thought. Three miles and two checkpoints. We did not want to add that time to the route when we were already having to go slower than anticipated.
We were hungry and the Cozy Dog Drive In is a Route 66 institution that claims to be the birthplace of the corn dog. A sign-thingie told us all about it. The creator, Ed Waldmire, opened the first Cozy Dog out of his house in 1946. The location we stopped at is from the 1990s, but it has all sorts of art and history on the walls of the restaurant. Benny and Lev got Chili Dogs without the bun and I tried the original corn dog as we explored the historic shop. I wouldn’t say the food was haute cuisine but it filled the holes in our stomachs.
Instead of Springfield, MO we were finally in Springfield, IL. Springfield was the home of President Abraham Lincoln before he moved to the White House. Because of this, there are a ton of President Lincoln related places you can see in the city. I’m glad Lev had planned an itinerary that kept the backtracking and hunting around to a minimum.
In the national park site in the middle of the town, there are two restored streets that look basically like they would have when President Lincoln lived here. In the middle is his house, and you can take a tour of it multiple times per day if you are interested. The Gold Star Family designation got Benny and I in while Lev walked around nearby taking pictures. There wasn’t a Junior Ranger Program but I did get some education links[2] to use as a follow up.
The Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is in the city as well. So too is Lincoln’s Tomb. This is the last President Lincoln stop in Springfield. If you go when it is open, you can go down into the tomb and see where he is actually buried. If you go when it is closed, then you can still see the fantastic granite memorial that sits on the gravesite.
Being from the South, the Barrymore family has always had a different view of the Civil War, sometimes known by people as the War of Northern Aggression. See what I mean? Depends on which side of the war you lived on. But to the victor’s go the spoils and the feds made sure that they wrote the history books as well. Most people don’t know that the war didn’t start out being about slavery and never really was for the South. It was about State Rights and all of the compromises and agreements the federal government had broken over several decades. But this log isn’t about that but at some point I’ll probably have to figure out how to explain it to Benny the way Grandfather Barry and Dad tried to explain it to me. It can be a touchy subject for some people and I wasn’t known then for my diplomacy. Still don’t try all the time but at least I do try more than I used to.
Driving Route (Part #2)
The mill is a historic building on Route 66, which featured a full windmill attached to the roof. It was built in 1929 but went into disrepair until it was renovated in 2006. Now it houses a small gift shop that you can visit if it is open. It wasn’t open but it still looked neat from the outside.
Then there was the world’s biggest covered wagon is in the Best Western parking lot in the town of Lincoln, Illinois. See a theme?. We stopped and read all the sign-thingies. The rail-splitter wagon features Abe Lincoln reading a book, and the Guinness Book of World Records recognized it as the largest covered wagon in the world, and it was a quick stop for a few photos.
As we drove through town, we stopped to see the old courthouse, which is where Abe Lincoln practiced when he was a lawyer in the county. In the middle of the town there was also a memorial at the site where Lincoln christened the town with watermelon juice. A sign-thingie recorded the story of the event, and there was a small watermelon painted to memorialize the spot.
We pulled into a boondocking spot in this place called Atlanta, Illinois. It was set up specifically for people to get off the road and obey curfew. Lev is asleep after taking first watch. I wish we could have amended out travel plan with the CDC but the website kept crashing and we were running out of daylight to get in before the curfew. And thank the Creator we didn’t try and do anything foolish because there are military convoy vehicles patrolling and looking for curfew breakers. Lev told me they’ve set up a section of the parking lot across from us for cars that are coming in by tow truck. Since there are no people with the cars it is possible that the people in them are now in a holding facility. However, he says most of them look like EVs so it is possible they simply ran out of power. Who knows and we are keeping out nose out of it.
Tomorrow we are going to make a mad dash to Bumpus Mills. I’ve got the heebies but more like excess energy than that I’m scared. I haven’t been working out the way I need to. Once we get to the River House I have got to get some kind of schedule going. My skin is nearly crawling. I remember this feeling as a kid, and it didn’t mean good things as the hamster usually sucked that energy up and did not behave very well … oh heck, just admit it Gus. You don’t expend enough energy, you go Hamzilla. I need to find something to do with myself and I need to do it now. Maybe some crunches will help. There’s just enough room between the two front Captain’s chairs.
[1] Kids & Youth - Gateway Arch National Park (U.S. National Park Service)
[2] Curriculum Materials - Lincoln Home National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)
Jan 14th – 15th: Bloomington, IL >> Bumpus Mills, TN (Part 1)
Driving Route:
Woke up to 34F weather and the news said it was only expected to drop from there. We were heading south and the weather was a high of 53F during the day in Bumpus Mills but was expected to drop down to 25F tonight after our arrival. I prayed hard to the Creator that we wouldn’t run into any ice on the road. He heard me and it was like we flew on angels’ wings.
We had to get out of Illinois soonest. We were ready to leave Bloomington by 5:30 am but had to wait another half hour so that curfew ended and managed to get to Kenny’s place – what Lev is now calling the Old Hargis Farm – before Noon, but just barely. We weren’t going to impose but Kenny insisted that we let some of the family come over and tell us bye, help load up the trailer, and take a few other odds and ends from the family as wedding gifts.
First thing we did was make sure that the Ark could pull the trailer. Not going to be fun on some of the mountain roads but we’ll manage but if semi’s can do it, I know I can … as long as we didn’t overload things and kept the weight balanced. I never have utilized the full power of the van. Might happen this time but more likely to happen once we get to Jacksonville and load up.
The trailer is an 8’ x 20’ and at first I thought it was cavernous. That is until everything started getting put in there. First thing that was decided was to get the kayak down off the top of the van and set it to the side for loading later. As well as I had it tied down, one of Lev’s cousins that is a truck driver, suggested we weren’t going to want to deal with any more wind resistance than we were already going to have with the trailer. I seconded that motion. Then we started loading what Lev wanted to take and deciding for sure what he wanted to leave behind.
I hadn’t really asked what kind of stuff Lev had in storage on the farm. I remember packing up all the stuff from Grandfather and Grandma’s home – soon to be our home – and vaguely remember that Lawrence and Uncle Daniel nearly got into a fistfight when Uncle Daniel didn’t want to let him in the house to take out what was in Grandma’s codicil which turned out to be signed by Grandfather as well. The lawyer had to get involved, I remember that much now that I’ve thought about it. Judge Phelps was there as well. It had to do with some Barrymore heirlooms that Grandfather Barry had wanted to divide the way he wanted them divided. Yeah, I know, it was Grandma Barry’s Will but that’s just the way it rolled. She was always about Grandfather Barry getting his way and this was her way of seeing that happened. So, there is some old furniture and such in Jacksonville, I just don’t remember what all it is because I was sent to be comforted by Meemo as I was still pretty broken by losing Dad and both of the grandparents in such a short period of time. Both my homes gone and not sure what the future held. It made me worried about Lev.
Once there was a break in pulling up all of the boxes and stuff out of the basement, I pulled Lev to the side. “Are you sure about this?”
He looked at me and then asked, “Having second thoughts?”
“Not about what you must be thinking. Just … this is your home Lev. And this is your stuff. You keep looking at the trailer and then *poof* you tell Kenny and his wife they can have a lot of the antiques and stuff and …”
He relaxed. “The hamster is dancing again huh? Look Babe, there’s some stuff that’s important to me and the rest is just stuff that I want to go to people that will take care of it and not just throw it in the burn pile or hock it for cheap. Kenny and his wife are all into the family history stuff. Yeah, maybe under different circumstances I’d be keeping more of what we are pulling up but … to be honest I’m just as glad that I’m not having to be completely responsible for it.”
After trying to puzzle that one out I said, “Okay, explain it because my minimalist brain isn’t understanding. I know why I would feel that way. I’m not sure I understand why you feel that way.”
He snorted. “There’s a story for most of these furniture pieces. But I’m not the only one that knows the stories. I’m taking photos because … well, yeah, they are part of my family’s past. That doesn’t mean that I need the actual item in my present and future. A picture is good enough for me. And I know Kenny and his wife are going to take care of the stuff better than I have. And make it useful again and not just have it buried in the basement where it will deteriorate.”
It finally clicked. “You want the stories, not necessarily the items.”
“Yeah, pretty much. There are a few things that I want.”
“For instance?” I asked, determined that he would get them even if it means giving up stuff in Jacksonville.
“Dad and Grandad’s hunting gear and the gun cabinet they were always kept in. There’s also a big gun safe that was my uncle’s that will work because the laws are different than when I was a kid, even here in Tennessee, and we have Benny to think about. I also want to take my uncle’s antique roll top desk. It isn’t a Hargis heirloom but something my uncle got at an estate sale the year he passed the Bar. It was designed to look like an antique – it probably would be considered an antique now – but was also meant to be used with electronics like a computer and oversized monitor. I always imagined using it as an editing station. I never knew my father’s mother. Long story short, she was a city girl that never could fit in to my grandfather’s life and never liked living in the shadow of his first wife. They were only married long enough for Dad to be born legitimate and after that they separated. Supposedly she tried to stay in Dad’s life for a while but then moved away for work when he was younger than Benny. The family lost track of her when she stopped making an effort to stay in contact. Not even Kenny’s wife has been able to find her – not that I asked her to or anything – and the only thing they are sure of is that she moved to Canada and gave up her US citizenship.”
“Oh. That’s …”
“Her choice and I’m not going to get all broken up about it at this late date. I only told you because … well, Kenny wants your information for the family tree and to say that Grandad had women that he’d call his ‘lady friends’ after that. Before that too. But there was one in particular that was real nice to me and there are a couple of things she gave me when I was a kid that I want. There’s a lamp and a quilt and a couple of other things that made my room here feel less like space in a haunted house. Er … you still look worried.”
“Not … exactly. I’m …” Struggling to put it in words I finally said, “I just don’t want you to give up something that … that means something to you. The farm?”
“No. That’s done and over with. The farm was more like an anchor … and not a good one, more like one that pulls you under. And some of this stuff is the same way. It belongs here, not where we are going. I’m going to take the best of my past, and leave the rest where it belongs.”
“Are you sure Lev?”
“Tell the anxious hamster that he’s barking up the wrong tree,” he said smiling and pulling me into his arms for a hug. “Yes, I’m leaving the farm, but it is a relief. A burden managed that I don’t have to feel guilty about. More important than leaving something I’m going toward something, a new life with you. Maybe the River House is our final destination, maybe we have other places in the future. Either way? We will be in this together. I’m not leaving. I’ll tell you that as often as you need to hear it.”
I sighed. “Sorry about being a Needy Nelly.”
He snorted. “Last thing you are is a Needy Nelly. But think about this. I need you to need me. I need you to need to hear that I’m not going to leave you … you or Benny. I’ve always been the odd man out, even here where I grew up. I don’t have to be that person anymore. I found where I fit. With you. I …”
“Ew … are they like that all the time?” A young girl squeaked.
Benny in all his seven-year-old wisdom answered, “Not all the time but a lot. But it’s a good thing.”
“Really? How do you know?”
“Ask James Lee, he explains it real good. But we’re waiting on getting me some little sisters. There’s not enough room in the van right now.”
I nearly died of embarrassment and Lev nearly stopped breathing, especially when James Lee came along right behind them and said, “Forgot to mention, you might not want to talk about that stuff where they can hear you. Grown-ups are funny about the facts of life. It kinda turns them inside out and when adults have that happen you never know how they are going to react. They might turn dangerous, like Peepaw’s dog does when a raccoon get’s into its food dish. C’mon before you two get into trouble or something.”
I muttered, “Is this why you don’t want a houseful?”
“I’m seriously considering adding it to the list.”
His tone was such I started snickering and whatever was making the hamster anxious finally let go and we got back to work.
Jan 14th – 15th: Bloomington, IL >> Bumpus Mills, TN (Part 2)
I suppose some of my anxiety was caused by meeting all these family members of Lev’s. Some were there out of curiosity about the “Old Homestead” but some really were there to congratulate us. I got a feeling several of them were both surprised and thankful that Lev was keeping the farm in the family. Kenny is a well-liked member of the clan, and everyone was as happy for him as they were acting for Lev.
Apparently lifting, loading, and all the rest was a purely male function and Kenny’s wife did indeed pull me into the house – to give me a tour – and ask me about my family. I came prepared for that since Lev had warned me before hand and I was able to pull up Grandfather Barry’s hand-drawn family tree on the Barrymore’s and also told her what I knew about my mother’s family and told her good luck on that one as they’d been in Florida since before it was a State but also bounced back and forth between Cuba and Key West a lot until the early 1900s, and beyond that I didn’t know much because Dad and Lawrence never spoke of it much and never encouraged me to ask.
We’d been talking about an hour – she seemed fascinated that I would know so much about the Barrymore’s and so little about my mother’s family – when she looked out the window and said, “Uh oh.”
I turned quickly and there was some woman giving Lev a perfunctory hug. Before I could even think of something to say Kenny’s wife said, “That’s Lev’s sister. She said she wasn’t sure she’d be able to come by. Er …”
“Lev explained that due to … uh … family circumstances they aren’t … close.”
“That’s a polite way of saying it. Lev’s sister is … she … oh goodness, might as well say it like it is. She can be a …” she looked around before whispering, “A bitch of the highest order when it comes to Lev. She’s not that way with anyone else but … their mother really messed up them being able to have any kind of healthy relationship. Uh … maybe …”
“I should get out there?”
“Actually I was going to say maybe we should wait a minute to see how this is going to go. Her sister-in-law is like a sister to me, and Lev’s sister is a great wife from all she says, but it is well known that when she and Lev get together there can be fireworks, and not because Lev intentionally sets her off.”
I straightened my spine. “Well it won’t be happening this time,” I said before walking out onto the porch, stopping whatever the woman had been working up to.
“Gus!” Lev said, on the border of manic thankfulness. “I’d like to introduce my sister. She wasn’t able to be at the 4th of July picnic and …”
“Are you saying I wasn’t here on purpose?!”
Wowzer. But I was proof against that kind of drama. I told her, “Don’t read anything into it that isn’t there. I’m a very literal person and Lev, thankfully, is good about helping me out and explaining things as literally as I need them. He was reminding me that you had a previous engagement and some obligations with your husband’s family. Not to mention Lev and I hadn’t really been anything but friends at the time. It is nice to meet you. Hold your ears.”
“Excuse me?”
I gave the whistle Benny knew meant get to my side immediately. He came running and skidded to a stop, reminding me of the old Road Runner cartoons, feet in place and the rest of him vibrating he stopped so quickly.
“Benny, this is Uncle Lev’s sister.”
He knew it was important and made me proud. “How do you do? I’m Benjamin Lawrence Barrymore IV. It is nice to meet you.” Then he looked at me and whispered, “Is she my aunt now too? Do I call her Aunt or is it rude?”
Lev’s sister surprised everyone by saying, “It is nice to meet you as well and yes you may call me Aunt if I may call you Benny.”
“Yes ma’am,” Benny said with a grin.
There was an awkward silence for a moment before Lev’s sister indicated a box her husband had placed on the porch. “We can’t stay Lev. I … wasn’t sure how things were going to go, and I have a meeting I need to go to. But that box has things that … well you should have them. No, don’t … open it until I leave. I hope you understand.” She gave Lev another awkward hug and then turned tail and some people might have called it running though it really was a fast walk. Her husband never said a word the entire time. My understanding is that isn’t his normal and even Lev said it was a little strange though given what was in the box it was probably a way of staying out of the blast zone at home.
Lev took one look inside the box, gave a troubled look and then put the lid back on and went back to deciding and loading what would go in the trailer.
“Lev?”
“Let Kenny’s wife look at that stuff and see if there is anything she wants, or wants a copy of. Please.”
Kenny’s wife said, “Oh Lord, what now. Bring it in and let’s get this over with.”
Turns out Lev’s sister had packed up all the stuff still left from their mother that had anything to do with their father, including pictures and legal documents that he didn’t already have.
“Why would she do this? And then do it this way?”
It might have been a rhetorical question, but I still answered her. “Who knows but this makes it seem like she was a lot more hurt by what went on when Lev was a baby than she’s ever been able to share with him. This might be her way of finally letting go of it … or trying to. Maybe she thinks that Lev will be able to understand whatever message she’s trying to give.”
“Well that’s certainly one interpretation. And if you don’t mind I’ll share it around. She is what my mother would call dual-natured. As far as I know Lev is the only one she is this rough on and the family never has taken kindly to it. And yes, I know that likely Lev has had a few stories to tell on how rough this side of his family could treat him, so it makes for some hypocrisy.”
I shrugged. “Lev has never had anything bad to say about anyone in his family, not even his mother who sounds like … never mind.”
“Nothing?” She asked, obviously surprised.
“Nope. I mean he has said that people didn’t know what to make of him being so different but that’s not a bad thing. It just is.”
She gave a thoughtful look. “Well, he may not be quite as different as he thinks. There are more than a few black sheep in the Hargis family, and this includes his grandfather’s uncle who was a soft spoken man that was a world traveler. I’m still looking for his gravesite. He died down in South America after catching one of the pandemic flu strains … 1968 if memory serves … while on some expedition on the Amazon River.”
“He was a sailor?”
“Photographer. Hired out to help catalog frogs of all things. They were his specialty. I’m sure Lev has the man’s files some place as when he was in high school he edited them and swore he was going to turn them into a book. Then his grandfather passed and he decided it was time to leave home and … the rest is history. There’s other family that were different. Most of them men and most of them didn’t marry so hopefully Lev marrying you means he’ll have a happier ending.”
“I hope so,” I said, trying to keep the hamster from dining on the details.
Not everyone there was like Lev’s sister. In fact, she was the only one like that. Everyone else was nice if not more so. They gave us wedding gifts, something I didn’t expect at all. Several of the older ladies that reminded me of Grandma Barry and Meemo even laughed at how surprised I was. Saying things like if I had lit up any brighter they could have used me to start a bonfire and things like that. I think Lev’s – and Benny’s – reaction gave them the most pleasure.
“Wow. They did this all special and stuff? Wow. This makes us really family, right Uncle Lev?”
“It certainly does Little Bear,” he answered, ruffling Benny’s hair.
Jan 14th – 15th: Bloomington, IL >> Bumpus Mills, TN (Part 3)
Times are getting tough for people. Really tough in some places. Farmers always seem to take it on the chin in the beginning though they make out in the long run. What Lev’s family had done went above and beyond in my book and I made sure to write down every single gift, who they were from, and how I can contact them for a thank you once we settle in.
Kenny’s brother-in-law – a Vet and a member of a local militia though most probably didn’t know that – said that that the gifts were likely more useful than most of the fru-fru that most people got as wedding gifts and it would keep the government from thinking they could confiscate them for any reason. That sounds too cloak and dagger, but I do see his point. We mostly got food items as gifts, and they were mostly homemade.
The value of each gift is in the effort and care that went into making them. I did feel bad once I learned how expensive jars were, but Kenny’s wife said not to worry about it as the ones that gave us the items in jars likely had hundreds squirreled away as extras because she knew they had hundreds they rotated through every year as they preserved foods that came from their farms. And what had blown Benny and Lev out of the water was that each was carefully made to be gluten-free and they even made up a recipe book so that I’d know what all the ingredients were. Fried apples, corn, vegetable soup, green beans, tomato juice by the quart, canned potatoes, white beans with ham already flavoring it in the jar, and venison chili made from deer they had hunted themselves. There were pints of home canned chicken, duck, and quail where the only other ingredient than the meat and the juice it made as it cooked down was salt as a preservative. Uncle Cyrus gave us two country hams that didn’t require refrigeration so long as we stored them properly and kept the animals and bugs out. There were jars of sausage patties packed in fresh lard, venison summer sausage, ground corn meal from an historic grist meal that a family member worked during the summer. There were dried peppers and strings of onions and garlic. An ancient lady had made us some pillowcases that she’d crocheted an edge onto. A couple of decorative throw pillows came from another family, obviously hand made. And several other odds and ends like that.
One of the sweetest things was from James Lee to Benny. It was a picture of them churning ice cream at the 4th of July party.
“You know, I just figgered that until he has some sisters of his own he could borrow us.”
We were both sitting on the edge of the porch and I told him, “That’s nice but got news for you. Benny doesn’t consider you borrowed. He thinks of you as the real deal.”
“Aw you ain’t gonna get mushy are you?”
“Who me? Not normally my thing but … I might make an exception this time. Benny really does think a lot of you James Lee. You set a good example for him more than once and he’s only been in your company a day … but he remembers it all. That’s something special and I for one will never forget it.”
I embarrassed him but at the same time I’m pretty sure he didn’t mind. I also told him, “Maybe one day you can come visit the River House. We’ll go fishing and it will be a girl-free stuff kinda day.”
“For real?! I ain’t never been to Florida. Dad keeps saying we’ll go to Panama City one of these days but … you mean for real and everything? I mean after your honeymooning and stuff. I don’t want to get in the middle of that.”
I laughed. “For real and everything.”
“That’d be bodacious.”
As nice as things were that afternoon, they were also hectic with an underlying layer of stress and worry. Uncle Cyrus and Mrs. Hargis are being super careful due to her parents – everyone affectionally calls them The Ancients. You can hear the moderated excitement in the national news as well as the controlled fear at the local level. They’ve found a few cases of the Frankenvirus outside of DC and NYC. The cases from outside of NYC is a direct result of UN workers not following rules. The UN is now blockaded in. Likewise the cases outside of DC appear to have come from low level clerks in political offices smuggling “friends” out of the Capitol.
Even more worrying is, if you can find the right sources, you’ll hear that the rumors of several more terrorist cells being identified aren’t conspiracy theories like they are trying to play it out from the White House. You’ll also find out that the President isn’t in DC which they are trying to get everyone to assume, but is in some continuity of government bunker somewhere. When he shows up on TV people have figured out it is a mockup of the Oval Office and not the real deal.
Lev and his cousin in the militia are talking. A lot. So is Kenny though I caught his wife trying to hide a prune face over it. I don’t know what that means but I sure wanted to be part of those convo’s but I realized it was my job to run interference to keep some of the other family from trying to distract whatever the purpose was. I calmed Kenny’s wife out with the idea that her husband and Lev were working out details.
“Tell Kenny not to worry so much. Lev has said outright multiple times that he trusts Kenny and is willing to work with him until the transfer and whatever else has to be done.”
She blinked and then relaxed. I’m not sure what she was thinking but it appears that I dealt with it without even really planning to. As far as the rest, I said that the other men were probably giving Lev some advice on pulling the trailer.
Jan 14th – 15th: Bloomington, IL >> Bumpus Mills, TN (Part 4)
Jan 15th
It took us until late to pack the trailer and then the legal paperwork couldn’t be completed until today which means another day before we get back on the road. However I wouldn’t call it wasted time. While Lev and Kenny were off taking care of all the legal who-ha, Benny and I helped Kenny’s wife move some stuff into the basement to get it out of the yard before a snow or rain came along. I also helped her do a few other things around the house in gratitude to how nice she and Kenny have been and maybe to smooth some things over with Lev and his family.
I will admit that Lev was gone long enough to worry me, or at least have me concerned that something was wrong, but he came back bearing “gifts.” More corn meal. Sorghum molasses from one of Kenny’s wife’s cousin’s business. He bought some sorghum grain as well from the same source. Dried white beans from a Mennonite store. Frozen fresh butter direct from a local dairy. Lots of odds and ends like that. He also insisted on bringing home a bunch of pizzas for supper, a treat that Kenny’s family seldom gets to indulge in because there were so many of them, and was even able to find gluten free crust pizza from the same pizzeria.
“Ew,” one of James Lee’s little sister said, curling her lip at the very idea of a chickpea pizza crust.
“Delnora Hargis!” her mother snapped.
I just chuckled. “Don’t know what you’re missing,” I told her. “It may not be quite as good as what your Mom can cook but if it is this or nothing, you don’t get picky.”
“Momma makes the best,” the little girl said. The kids all agreed, and the bru-ha-ha was avoided. Turns out I like Kenny’s wife, but it is a fact she can get her sails in the wind pretty fast.
Since we were leaving early in the morning Lev convinced everyone that it was just best if we slept in the van and gave Kenny and the rest a chance to start settling in and get comfortable. I’d helped organize the mess a bit during the day but they definitely had a ways to go and the kids were still not sure what to make of the old place, the strange sounds it made at night, and the fact that there was only one bathroom that everyone had to share until Spring when Kenny could finish the new master bathroom they were turning the old “nursery” into and putting a half bath in the “mud room” they were closing in.
Once we were in the van and Benny had crashed and burned Lev said, “Kenny admits he’s bit off a bit more than he expected.”
“With the house?”
“And wanting to open the fallow fields this Spring.”
“But?”
“He and Uncle Cyrus … are butting heads. Kenny wants to go one direction … more variety, keep harvests closer to home. Uncle Cyrus prefers one or two crops rotated seasonally. Thinks there is less work and a bigger payout.”
“And you think?”
“That I’m glad I’m not a farmer and don’t have to worry about it. Never did a thing for me no matter how hard I tried. I went the 4H route all through school. Tried. Damn I tried. I could hunt, run a tractor, and all the other things my cousins did … and do it better than some of them. I just never could see me doing it for the rest of my life. I wanted to see life through a camera lens. But now I’m worried that maybe …”
“Maybe what?”
“At least with farming you are guaranteed to eat. Maybe not a lot of variety but still better than some of the places I’ve visited.”
Figuring it was time I asked, “This have something to do with the time you were spending with Kenny and that other cousin of yours? The Vet?”
He rolled over in the dark and pulled me in closer. “Babe … what happens if I can’t get another assignment for a while.”
“Then we get other jobs. We figure it out. Together. Because you aren’t leaving me … us.”
“No. I’m not. And one of the reasons I’m not is because I don’t … I really, really don’t … want to work in a war zone.”
“I’m not asking you to. I wouldn’t want you to given your feelings on the subject.”
“Even if that would pay the bills?”
“Lev?”
He sighed and sat up and I sat up with him. “Dunk says that he hears things are worse than this Administration is letting on. He’s thinking days to weeks that something breaks out. Months is out of the question though.”
“Is this a WAG or does he have legit sources?” I asked, not feeling the worry that most people might expect.
“Dunk says he has sources.”
“Okay … he ‘says.’ Let’s assume that he has sources. And he thinks the sources are legit. We don’t know where those people are getting their information. We don’t know whether they are being fed a line of BS.”
“Er …”
“This stuff is like playing telephone. No matter what you say in someone’s ear, by the time it goes through enough people, it is rare that the original word or phrase remains intact. Sometimes it is completely different from what it started as.”
“Dunk isn’t playing a game.”
“Don’t get angry or offended on his behalf. He can have the best of intentions but he’s still playing Telephone. Whether he knows it or not that information has been filtered so many times it may not be what it originally started. But, for the sake of discussion, let’s say it is. Is there anything we can do to change it?”
“No,” he said after a moment of silence.
“That’s what I thought. We aren’t high up enough in the chain of command. And those in control might change the timeline for whatever reason as well. Want a lesson in that sort of logistics, study the run up to D-Day during WW2. Next question, would it do any good to spread this information around through our contacts?”
“We can’t. It could put Dunk in a bad position, certainly put his contacts in a bad position and cause them not to share further information.”
“Again, that’s what I thought. I wonder at Dunk so freely sharing but hey, none of my business. If people stopped talking the sky would fall.”
“Gus …”
“Next question,” I said, ignoring whatever he was offended by. “What can we do, assuming we choose to believe the information shared with you, to put ourselves into the best position to address circumstances when they start to affect us? Do we need to change our current plans?”
He was silent another moment before snorting. “I should have ignored them and just called you over and introduced you. You find the holes.”
“I’ve been trained to find holes,” I told him. “That said, I freely admit I don’t have all the training a real surveillance officer would have. I don’t have the experience I need either. But basic questions should be asked, and people shouldn’t get offended at those questions. Loose lips sink ships. What do people hope to gain by ‘sharing’ information they’ve probably been sworn to protect. You would think that the situation would need to be drastic for them to break through that type of barrier of behavior … it isn’t just a chain of command issue, it is a moral issue. If they have good motivation, are they acting on good information? If the information is good then at what level did it leak from because while it might be good at a certain point, it is just as possible that the information, motivation, or both changes and what is being shared no longer holds true.”
Jan 14th – 15th: Bloomington, IL >> Bumpus Mills, TN (Part 5)
“Okay, I get it Gus.”
“Do you? Because I will agree that your cousin probably has good intentions but what does he expect people to do with that information? Have you ever read Alas, Babylon?”
“Back in high school. Why?”
“Remember that the older brother had a special code to validate how serious he was so they could do a face to face meet up? Then he only revealed what he had immediate knowledge of and told his brother to keep it to himself. There was none of this friend of a friend … of a friend of a friend of a friend …”
“Dunk wouldn’t …”
“Not intentionally. But disinformation is an art for some people and for others it is a way of life to the point not even they can always tell truth from fiction. I’m not knocking your cousin or anyone he is connected to. But you have to be careful with this stuff. The militias have a target on their backs now that they are coming back into the open. All it would take is one or two incidences in a few groups to create problems for the other organizations no matter how clean their hands are. Look, tell Kenny … just tell Kenny to be careful.”
“Gus? Are you … scared?”
“No. But I am … let’s call it concerned. People are too easily wound up. Even those of us with some training and those with some experience. Look how I was at Pearl Harbor. I left Benny.” I put up my hand to stop Lev who was ready to defend me, even from myself. “Yes, my motivation was good but I still …” I shook my head. “I abandoned my primary responsibility. It doesn’t matter why, how, or anything else. I allowed myself to be distracted from what was most important. The results could have been catastrophic even with you to depend on. On many different levels. And when we were on the plane out of Korea? I was point blank told that they knew who I was and mentioned Pearl as a justification for asking me to ‘volunteer’ to help with the questionnaires. A couple people tried to schmooze me with it, like it would make me more compliant. One of the officers gave me a look like it could be a threat. Either way it wasn’t comfortable knowing that my actions in Pearl gave them power over me.”
“I knew you were shook at the time, I didn’t put two and two together.”
I shrugged. “The information stream that the government has access to is massive. Groups like your cousin says he is involved in … they have their own ways of handling information, and ways of dealing with those that spread secrets they shouldn’t have access to regardless of motivation. Whether your cousin’s info is legit or not isn’t the point I want to make. The info could be solid gold legit but that doesn’t mean he is legit to be spreading it around. He’s sharing the target on his back and I question why he would do that. I don’t know. I wish I had been there to hear it from the horse’s mouth so to speak. What I do know is that I’m glad that we are leaving in the morning. And you need to tell Kenny to watch getting pulled into something. The rest of where that could go is none of my business.”
He looked at me thoughtfully in the dark before saying, “Our plan doesn’t change. We are going to drive to Jacksonville tomorrow and then get to the River House as soon as we can after that. Along the way I want to continue to stock up. Even the Mennonites and their customers are talking about how things were back in the 20’s. Lockdowns. Economic downturns. Wars and rumors of wars. How there were shortages of necessities and luxury items.”
“And Dunk played on that?”
“Maybe not intentionally but it does seem to have his lips loose.”
“Does he claim to be someone important in the militia?”
“No. Well sometimes, because of his experience. But, he doesn’t claim to be an officer or anything.”
“Good. Because if he did I would call BS. Bad, because he might be a weak link in his organization. Just … just tell Kenny to be careful. I’m willing to be wrong. Hope I am. And make sure Kenny keeps the boys out of any games that Dunk sets up. They’re the right age.”
“The right age for what?”
“Being groomed. And I don’t mean that kind of grooming. I mean … look, I know about militias because when I was twelve and thirteen, there were people that thought I could be useful after they caught me spying on them … and then found out I’d known about them for as long as I can remember because I was on the river so much. I saw them, noticed them, I just hadn’t noticed what they were. My brain put it together because I liked that sort of thing, but I didn’t really know more than that they were training, the same way Grandfather Barry had been training me. It wasn’t until they started talking me up that I learned more. I never told Dad … or Grandfather. I never told anyone, not even Lawrence. Not any of my cadet mates or fellow sea scouts either.”
“You’re telling me now. Why?”
“Because, if things really are heading South, if the real militias are coming out of hiding, I might be … targeted for recruitment.” I could feel Lev’s doubt coming off of him in waves and it irritated me, probably as much as he had been irritated by some of the things I’d said about his cousin. “Lev, at some point you need to trust me on this. They wanted me because I was a Barrymore, because of where the River House is located … a strategic bend in the river … because I would have been a good recruit as a young person that already knew the river, etc etc etc. Not all militias are as … organized … as the one that tried to bring me onboard but the good ones, the real ones, the potentially dangerous and successful ones are. We aren’t talking weekend warriors who are out playing the same games they played as kids. There are some damn serious people in the militia movement or do you really think the government, with all of its resources, would really be worried about a group of guys playing cowboys and Indians out in the woods?”
“Are you saying Dunk’s people are playing?” He asked. And I didn’t get mad at the question because it was a good one and he at least sounded like he was listening to what I was saying.
“I have no clue. But the real militia groups are … secretive. Their members don’t go around sharing information … at least not without a doggone good reason. You may have one or two members from the same family but that’s about it because … because it is a matter of trust. You might have family groups that create a kind of militia but that’s not the people that I’m referring to. In a family it is harder to hide secrets. You’d think it was easier but it isn’t. You can also lose control of who knows the secrets when you have too many inside the same family. Heck, as I understand it not even wives were supposed to know, certainly not girlfriends. And vice versa where the few women involved were concerned. You’re brought in young. You’re trained in the ways of that particular militia. You’re sworn to secrecy. These people are your family, sometimes even above and beyond blood relations. Sound familiar?”
“Er …”
“It is the same concept used in the military. You go into basic training a kid and you come out the other side a man capable of going to war … or at least that is what used to happen. These days you send in boys and what gets spit out is mostly cannon fodder with a very few recruits being sent for advanced training that turns you into a weapon. And if they can find these few recruits before they go to Basic Training … look, …” I shook my head knowing I’d never be able to explain things to Lev because unlike him, I’d had this stuff instilled in me by my grandfather nearly my entire life, at least for as long as I could remember anyway.
“Keep explaining,” he said.
“No point to it. I can’t convince you. You’ll either come to see it on your own – and I think you will – or you’ll just get mad because you think I’m talking down your family. And I’m not. You know I’m different …”
“You from some secret society or something?”
“No need for the snark.”
He sighed. “Yeah. I … I’m sorry. This family stuff always gets to me.”
“It isn’t family stuff I’m trying to … to explain. I understand it because of how I was raised and that in part is family stuff I guess. But what I’m trying to explain, and what you are actually proving, is the militia organization stuff. This … disagreement … we are having is the very reason why the militias keep their business strictly separate from their family business. It is also why they are strict about how information gets disseminated and to who. And the ones that I know … knew … of also deal out consequences when organizational rules are broken.”
“You saying Dunk broke the rules?”
“I don’t know, every militia has its own rules and leadership. And since I don’t know I can’t do anymore than tell you to tell Kenny to be careful of what he agrees to do or gets involved with and to keep an eye on his kids. And maybe even who they hang out with because … geez, never mind. I can’t control the world even if the hamster wants to try. I have my responsibilities and priorities and Benny and you are it.”
“This is how you really feel.”
“Yes,” I said, too tired to go over all the reasons of why I feel that way.
“But?”
“No buts. And despite this I’m willing to entertain the idea that what Dunk shared is good intel. What I’m not willing to do is get trapped here if you really want to leave, have the River House become someone else’s fallback point in case they get in over their head here if they screw with things that get out of their control, and I’m not willing to put Benny or you in danger just in case my past association with a militia group tries to be regrown. So, can you live with that?”
He snorted. “Of course. I never meant for Dunk to get the idea I was some kind of resource or vacation spot.”
“Did he sound like that was what he wanted?”
“Uh … he and some of the other men said they thought it was great they would have a place to stay the night if they came down to do some fishing.”
“And you said?”
“Nothing,” he answered and I could hear the guilt in his voice.
“Never have to unsay something you let fall out of your mouth.”
“Huh?”
“They can ask, that doesn’t mean we have to say yes at any point. Besides I already said something similar to James Lee … that maybe he could come visit Benny at some point after we get set up and are done ‘honeymooning’ or something like that. Strategic error on my part, it won’t happen again. Same for anyone else … including my cousins if they dare to have another go at me with their play acting. Let’s … just kinda drop that part for now before we start doing the hamster dance. Agreed?”
“Sure. Why not?”
“Lev?”
“Yeah?”
“How badly am I screwing up the communication efforts here?”
“Huh?”
“Family can be … a sensitive issue for both of us. I admit my communication skills lack in a lot of areas. If I’m being too rough just spit it out. I can deal.”
He sighed. “You aren’t. It’s … weird. You are asking questions that make sense. There’s no reason for me to be so damn upset about this. Dunk is just one of the few in the family that never gave me a hard time and …”
“And I’m stepping on toes. Sorry. I just don’t know how to do this I guess. Or at least do it without … without …”
“You’re right. Let’s just drop it for now. I’m just stressed out. The family. My sister acting … sisterly … or sort of. The news. Getting the paperwork finalized which was harder than it needed to be because someone in the county tattled to the state about how the property was changing hands and how we might be trying to avoid capital gains … and yeah, we are but we are doing everything above board and legal by going the Lease to Own route. Going through all the stuff and it bringing up memories I wasn’t prepared to deal with on top of everything else. And then Dunk and what his info might mean for us and our plans.”
“First off, crazy dancing hamsters making a mess is my thing. You are calm, cool, and collected.”
“Ha! Says you.”
“Yes, says me. You’ve already said that what you heard doesn’t change our immediate plans to leave tomorrow and head to Jacksonville.”
“It doesn’t.”
“Then we go with that. We’ll keep our ear to the ground and remain … flexible. So long as I can provide some structure for Benny I can be flexible. It might feel like Chinese water torture, but I can do it. And sorry if I was being a bitch about your family. That wasn’t how I meant it.”
“Babe I didn’t mean for you to think that is what I was thinking. I was just …”
“I get it. And we agreed to drop it.”
We did drop it … or we dropped it between us. Lev fell asleep … really, not just faking … within thirty minutes of us ending the conversation, and I helped that along a little bit. Sue me.
As for me, I’m preparing myself for going “target acquired” because Benny and Lev are my life. Someone wants to challenge that, put roadblocks up, interfere in any way? I am going to go completely and totally Barrymore all over them. Unfortunately, Lev’s family has become a concern. Not the same level of concern as Uncle Daniel, Sharon, Charlotte, and their connections. But, they are now on my radar. I only hope it is the “nothing” I told Lev it most likely was. And I pray to the Creator that Kenny is smart enough to keep himself and his kids out of that nothing until and unless he has his priorities taken care of.
Jan 16th: Bumpusmills, TN to Jacksonville, FL
Weather: high of 67F
Driving Route:
Rather than drive through Nashville and then the nightmare that is Atlanta, GA we went due south first and dropped through Montgomery, AL and Birmingham, AL, crossed into Florida and picked up I10 at Mariana and took it all the way into Jacksonville, initially bypassing the exit to the River House. It was a 12-hour drive even avoiding what we could. Montgomery and Birmingham were also their own kind of hell to get through with actual checkpoints at the state lines making things even worse. We went straight to the storage facility to start loading. Good thing I called ahead because they weren’t open except by appointment. I’d never heard of it but once we were in, we could stay as long as we wanted including overnight so long as we were emptying the locker.
We did it in shifts so we didn’t have to find a place to boondock for the night. The manager had come around several times, making sure we weren’t making a mess and then once it got dark he came by and said *wink, wink* that it looked like we were locked in for the night since we didn’t get out before they locked the gates at curfew. Just to keep working and make sure to stay below a dull roar.
Had we been able to finish that night we would have, but there was a lot of stuff to go through and set aside for donation. I got rid of all of Penny’s clothes and personal items that weren’t worth keeping for Benny. It nearly undid me, but I did the same for Lawrence’s things though I kept out one of his uniforms for a cedar chest of things that Benny might want as he grows up. I’d already gone through a lot of it, but Penny had refused to part with some things. The further we got into the locker the older the stuff was. I don’t even know why we kept some of the things we did. I think Lawrence and I both probably should have gotten help to deal with Dad’s stuff and the rest of it rather than trying to do it ourselves while everything was still so raw.
“This is ridiculous,” I growled in embarrassment at what all we were finding. “I barely remember some of this stuff.”
Lev had been extra touchy feely after the disagreement the previous night. He hugged me and said, “Relax. It will all fit.”
“That’s not the point. I should have gone through this stuff before we moved to Key West, maybe before that. Lawrence always meant to but … there was always some reason he didn’t. And now look at all this flotsam and ballast.”
“We’re going through it now. And if we need to we’ll go through it again at some point. I’m just glad your stuff is more neatly packed than all the junk we brought up out of the old house’s basement. Look, your boxes are neatly labeled with everything in it. How many boxes did we have to open just to find the few that I meant to take?”
I snorted. “Don’t brag on my OCD too much and give it ideas. It is just how I coped with having to leave so much behind.”
“Same applies here. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
Uh huh. I know he was trying to make up, but the fight was practically nonexistent and he doesn’t have anything to make up for. I knew already that family could be a sensitive subject for him. I could have used a lighter hand to swab the deck with. You live, you learn. I’ll be more careful if there is a next time and hopefully he’ll try as well. We had other things on our minds anyway.
Things are getting insane. Dunk’s info was good, I don’t think he expected to be as right as he was however. We need to get to the River House asap. As soon as we pulled up to the storage facility Lev called his Uncle Cyrus to let them know we arrived safely. The family is grateful we made it when they did, because the area around Ft. Campbell is starting to lock down as there have been blatant threats by North Korea. That hadn’t even hit the news, or at least none that we’d heard while driving.
Jacksonville is a mess and people are being warned of eminent lockdown here as well due to all the Navy personnel. It’s 2 am and while we have everything out of the storage unit, we’ve got a couple of hours of getting it put into the trailer in some semblance of order. There’s a charitable donation operation right across from the storage facility. We are going to finish loading, catch an hour or two of sleep, then that will be our first stop on the way out of town.
Jan 17th: Jacksonville, FL to the River House
Driving Route:
What should have taken an hour and a half took roughly six plus hours. We weren’t even out of Jacksonville when Lev wanted to stop at one of the big box home improvement centers and pick up some basic supplies. Kenny had helped him to make a list and it was a good thing that I donated so much because we needed all the room remaining in the trailer. If I hadn’t been worried about starting another tiff, I would have said something. The problem is all of it made sense and I would have just sounded cranky rather than reasonable.
Not far down the road he insisted on stopping at a Cracker Barrel for breakfast. It was still early and unusually empty. Half the employees had called out sick and pickings were a little slim but when they found out we didn’t need bread, just some basic meals, things moved a little quicker. I took Benny out to the van, leaving Lev to pay the tab. Mistake. He came out with sodas and old-fashioned candies.
“Lev …”
“I know. We don’t need it. But I want to do this … in case.”
“In case what?” I was afraid to ask but did.
“Just in case it is a while, or longer, before I get to do this again.” The look he gave me asked me not to fuss so I let it go. I should have just taken the chance to make a point however. We were only down the road a few miles when we pulled over in Baldwin to hit the Love’s Travel Center to get fuel. I started the pump while Lev took Benny inside to use the facilities. They came out loaded with stuff that was on sale.
“Lev!”
“Same thing applies Gus. Just let me do it.”
I sighed. I can hear Grandma Barry now. Boy would she grind her teeth in exasperation sometimes when Grandfather wanted his way and nothing else. Lev fits in with the Barrymore males more than he’s ever likely to know.
Next exit was MacClenny and the first Wallyworld of the day. The Limits were in evidence everywhere but at least they weren’t asking for ID. They were checking out of state license plates in the parking lot however. Made the hair stand up on my arms.
Lev used his debit card from the Assignments to empty it and cash to cover the difference. We picked up US90 not long after that because I10 had several road blockages – and checkpoints between them - and all that did was give Lev the chance to hit the wallyworld in Lake City. And after that the Tractor Supply Store and two Dollar Generals. Geez. The one thing we didn’t have a problem with was the stores accepting old-style currency. If it was spendable they took it. And the self-serve check outs were closed and you could only go through manned check outs. Every check out had a cashier and a bagger. The bagger was usually male or a beefy female. Lines were also run through a chute. Once you were in you better stay in because if you got out you went back to the end of the line. There was no holding places. It was announced that all minors had to be accompanied by an adult and had to be well-behaved or you would be asked to leave the store. It was the quietest and most orderly wallyworld I’ve ever seen.
We stuck to US90 into Live Oak where we hit the third Wallyworld, three more Dollar Generals, another TSC, as well as another big box construction supply warehouse. There were Limits in every location, but we got around that by using one of my debit cards and cash for all the other stops after hearing complaints out in the parking lot that the national and regional banks and credit card companies had gotten on board and were definitely notifying cashiers if Limits had been reached in other cities. Using cash screws up that checks and balance system. Which is probably why the feds were barking about it on the news. Cash changes their ability to control things.
I didn’t feel a bit of guilt about gaming the system. The news kept deteriorating as the morning turned into afternoon and the shelves kept getting emptier with each stop we made. It wasn’t dark when we pulled in but dusk wasn’t far away.
I ran over to Meemo who had seen us drive up, hopping the fence the way I had as a kid.
“Oh my. It’s just like old times. I think this is the first time I’ve laughed in days. Let’s get the keys. The Judge is already asleep. He’s had a bad day. Tomorrow morning will be soon enough for both of us to meet your new gentleman.”
She grabbed me in a hug and I realized what a tiny woman she really was. And fragile. She felt so fragile. I knew what my grandparents would have expected so now my crew has expanded to five, two of them just don’t know it yet.
I walked into the house and had to walk back out. I was shaking with fury.
“What did I get you into?” I almost wailed at Lev after Benny had finally gone to sleep in the van. Lev and I were outside so I could work off my emotions.
“Babe …”
# # # # #
Not the end. The story will continue in Book 4 but I want to get one or two other stories finished before I start that one. It is written, but it needs a significant amount of editing in places. I'm going to start tonight to try and pick up a thread or two for another story, but I don't know which one I will post first.
Kathy
beaglemama
Contributing Member
Thank you, Kathy!
I have a feeling Gus is going to go all out Barrymore on Uncle Daniel and his children and they deserve it.
I have a feeling Gus is going to go all out Barrymore on Uncle Daniel and his children and they deserve it.
sssarawolf
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Very big thank you. Folks moved out of a house about 10 miles from us. It was them or thieves soon after that striped the house of everything and I mean everything, pipes, sinks, tubs, toilets, ele. receptacles right off the walls you name it. The whole kitchen gone, no counters nothing but bare walls. They even started to take up the wood flooring but something stopped them after a few feet. They took the metal roofing off the back of house and the shed where no one could see it.
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