Fat Tuesday

[2soon2tell]

Today is Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday). Maybe we can enjoy one day without worring about the economy and our dwindling funds.

Laissez les bon temps roulez

 

[ziggy29]

What do you get when you combine Mardi Gras with Chinese New Year?

Gung Hay Fat Tuesday...

 

[Bestwifeever]

Cajun chicken salad and creme brulee for lunch--ooh la la. Let Lent begin.

 

[W2R]

We celebrated by driving north to Missouri (where we plan to retire) for a few days of vacation. Frank lives on a major parade route, which is fun since we don't have to go far to party, but we also enjoy getting away from the crowds, traffic, trash, and drunken excess [-]some[/-] most years. Like most New Orleanians I already have more boxes of beads than I can store.

Today we went for a 1/4 mile hilly walk on a measured, paved trail through the mountain wilderness at the Springfield Nature Center. Then we enjoyed a couple of hours in the reading room at the brand new library here in town. These are just two of the free and inexpensive activities we have in mind for retirement.

 

[kumquat]

paved trail through the mountain wilderness

Sorry, I understand what you are saying but it sounds like a huge oxymoron

 

[REWahoo]

I interpreted it as "roughing it the easy way".

 

[W2R]

It's great. The wilderness is absolutely untouched all around you, if not beneath your feet. There, you can see this unobstrusive, nice, narrow black asphalt path winding around the trees and through the native woodlands down the mountainside, so that you don't trip on roots and such. As a naturally clumsy person, I loved it. The views were amazing.

It wasn't roughing it at all, I agree! The path wasn't the mountain wilderness - - it just wound through an area of steep hills/mountains and native forest, of which there is still plenty in the Ozarks. I guess you just had to be there to see how much fun this was. I appreciated not having to clear my own path.

Sure beats fighting the crowds in New Orleans today!

 

[aaronc879]

Today we went for a 1/4 mile hilly walk on a measured, paved trail through the mountain wilderness at the Springfield Nature Center. Then we enjoyed a couple of hours in the reading room at the brand new library here in town. These are just two of the free and inexpensive activities we have in mind for retirement.

Weren't you cold with temps only in the 40's?

 

[W2R]

Weren't you cold with temps only in the 40's?

It's amazing - - without New Orleans' humidity and with no wind, I feel comfortable in a light jacket in the lower 40's in mid-morning (though I do need my heavier jacket when it is close to freezing). By the time we were walking on the nature trail, it was almost 50 and with our brisk pace I would have been comfortable even without a jacket.

 

[Bestwifeever]

W2R at the Springfield library:

 

[W2R]

W2R at the Springfield library:

Envious, aren't you! Actually, I have a photo of the event though it is in my camera which is downstairs in the Murano. If I remember, maybe I'll post it to show you the real thing.

This library is like a dream come true. All the books are brand new and recent. The reading room has so many periodicals, all in perfect order and waiting to be read!

 

[Purron]

Envious, aren't you! Actually, I have a photo of the event though it is in my camera which is downstairs in the Murano. If I remember, maybe I'll post it to show you the real thing.

This library is like a dream come true. All the books are brand new and recent. The reading room has so many periodicals, all in perfect order and waiting to be read!

Sounds great W2R! I thought of you today and wondered if you and Frank were participating in the festivities in New Orleans. I'm happy to know you were in the place you want to move to when you retire. Just think, this is your last Mardi Gras as a "workin' woman"!

My father was from Missouri so I've spent some time in that part of the country. It is indeed a special and beautiful place

 

[CuppaJoe]

Fluffy really got into the spirit of the day.