Been away

Cameron, Summer and I took a bit of a side trip up to Scott – the homestead of the Peanut Butter Cafe & Roadhouse.  We don’t have internet there and, so I tried to post via my phone. It wouldn’t take my password to get into WordPress.  I don’t know if that is because there is a setting that must be made for BlueHost access or not. My phone is still pretty much a phone with GPS capability; it is sort of phony in terms of an internet device – well for an old fogie like moi.

It was HOT by our standards and no air-conditioning, but the house is shaded by tall trees. However, the night remained warm, not so bad really since the humidity was relatively low. Today, though, we were hit with a thunderstorm that was followed by sticky, oppressive – but not sultry – air.

Der Bingle was in Iowa with some of his brothers, or maybe all of them – a few at a time – to see his mother and visit his father’s grave in Harmony Cemetery in Hancock County, Illinois*. This would have been the time of VanceFest, but , unfortunately fate moved the place of meeting from the croquet courts of Cedar Ridge or North Liberty to the resting place of family ancestors. I’d like to think that the spirit continues with my father-in-law and W.A. himself joining in through memories. I wonder if they told the story about the one uncle who was “thrifty” and used old ammunition while pheasant hunting: the grapeshot came out of the barrel and just arced to the ground. (Corrections on this story are welcome in comments – such as was it Uncle June or Uncle Chell?”Actually, any and all stories are welcome.)

Der Bingle picked me up a couple of treats on the trip – a cow print tote and a special cow shirt. He sent some pictures on his phone but so far only one has come through.

Ah, yes, there is this thought to ponder. You have heard of the straw that broke the camel’s back . . . Well, this afternoon in Kroger’s, Der Bingle was checking out and the young high school/maybe college freshman guy looked at the marked down copy of Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull and asked if this was the one set in the desert. Der Bingle told him that it was South America. The kid stared at the front of the package and remarked, “So (old) Harrison Ford is Indiana Jones.” This story is the inspiration for a new feature on this blog: The Tipping Point.

I will get Woo to figure out how to feature it and add it into the template along with this picture.

* List and pictures on Vance graves.