trip report

[Martha]

Many of posters have talked about visiting Thailand, Europe and other exciting places. Well we just took a trip touring part of the MidWest! We spent most of our time in Missouri, avoiding Minnesota cold. My thoughts on Missouri:

* The Glore Psychiatric Museum in UncleMick's new hometown of St. Joe is one of the best museums I have ever seen. Interesting to see how mental illness was treated through the years. Enemas. Blasts of cold water. Cages. "Hamster" wheels. Drilling into the skull. Etc.

* Lake of the Ozarks is not located in any kind of mountains nor is it really a lake, but is a reservoir. But the state park is nice, with lots of trails through oak and hickory forests, and plenty of birds to watch. Missouri was allowing people who were homeless from Katrina to stay for free.

* The state parks in October were nearly empty during the week. Inexpensive and most had well developed trail systems. Dog friendly. Met a couple of campers who were staying in a state park for a month with their 11 dogs and 4 cats. They sold their home and hadn't closed on the purchase of their new house.

* The fall color is not near as intense as it is in the north, where there are many more maples.

* Southern Missouri's dirt is unpleasant, a mixture of dust and sharp rocks.

* We met a woman whose sister in law's step sister is Eminem's mother. I quote "that family has troubles."

* Who has all the money? Lots of very expensive boats on the various lakes/reservoirs.

* Saw more goats than I have seen in my entire life.

* Internet access via cell phone was spotty. Come on Verizon! But wi fi is continuing to explode and we found lots of free access points. Iowa has wi fi for free in its rest areas. Malls have it. Etc.

* What are those dirty green tennis ball things growing on trees?

 

[brewer12345]

10 dogs and 4 cats! Was this in a tent? Or a REALLY crowded motorhome?

I'll guess that the green balls were "osage oranges".

Somebody else can make comments about goats...

 

[JPatrick]

You didn't go to Branson??  

Why so many goats??
I don't know, maybe it gets real lonely there 

 

[wildcat]

What are those dirty green tennis ball things growing on trees?

I don't know either but the Asians a few doors down are peeling the green cover off and drying 'em outside. It has like a big brown pit. I don't know if it is squirrel bait or if it is going in some sort of stew No joke either. Can't figure it out.

Lake of the Ozarks --- I wasn't impressed

 

[brewer12345]

Martha, it would be a lot easier to ID the big, green balls if you could rustle up a picture.

 

[Martha]

No Branson. Sorry, not my kind of music.

We were very bad about taking pictures on this trip, so none of the odd tennis ball "fruit." Wildcat describes what I saw. Big brown pit or nut in the middle of a dirty tennis ball cover. They are fun to kick.

The 11 dogs and 4 cats were in a 30 foot motorhome. The owners had show dogs which looked like whippets. The owners were going stir crazy and had a hard time controlling the barking. I offered to help walk dogs but they didn't take me up on it.

Saw a number of people that looked as if they were ERs. One couple had just sold their home in LaCrosse Wisconsin and were now traveling in a motorhome full time. They were very green and we talked to them quite a bit about boondocking or dry camping and about phone service. They looked to be in their early 50s. Of course, it would have been impolite to ask if they were FI as well as ER.

Our dog Pete misbehaving at Lake of the Ozarks:

 

[REWahoo]

The "Osage Orange", the fruit of the Bois D'Arc tree, also known as "hedge apples":

 

[Martha]

The "Osage Orange", the fruit of the Bois D'Arc tree, also known as "hedge apples":

From poking around on the Internet, it looks like they may be called hedgeballs, hedgeapples, monkey balls, osage orange, mock oranges, horse apples and green brain. Looks like mystery solved.

 

[JPatrick]

QUOTE: No Branson.  Sorry, not my kind of music.  >>

I'm guessing you don't like country which is what many folks say when they hear the word "Branson"
But Martha----did you know you can take in Vegas quality shows (some actually rotate to Vegas) such as David Copperfield, Chinese Acrobats, Broadway Shows,
Cirque, Andy Williams/ Pet Clark and------TaDa  Dick Clark is building a large complex which will feature all your 50/60/70's groups starting with Paul Revere, Tony Orlando.  Have I hit on anything you like so far

 

[TromboneAl]

The top jazz guy from Eureka just moved to Branson to resume his job arranging and playing piano with Les Brown and his Band of Renown.

 

[Martha]

QUOTE: No Branson. Sorry, not my kind of music. >>

I'm guessing you don't like country which is what many folks say when they hear the word "Branson"
But Martha----did you know you can take in Vegas quality shows (some actually rotate to Vegas) such as David Copperfield, Chinese Acrobats, Broadway Shows,
Cirque, Andy Williams/ Pet Clark and------TaDa Dick Clark is building a large complex which will feature all your 50/60/70's groups starting with Paul Revere, Tony Orlando. Have I hit on anything you like so far

Ooh Noo! Not Tony Orlando!

But you are right, I hear Branson and I assume He Haw.

 

[HFWR]

And you missed the chance to add a new "fruit on pet's head photo"...

 

[JPatrick]

The top jazz guy from Eureka just moved to Branson to resume his job arranging and playing piano with Les Brown and his Band of Renown.

Another fine endorsement for Branson.
Yah gotta be really lucky to actually see Les, but I hear his son is a great talent as well.
Looking forward to hearing them.  Branson could use a good jazz show also. How bout it  Al?  8)

 

[Cut-Throat]

No Branson.  Sorry, not my kind of music. 

We were very bad about taking pictures on this trip, so none of the odd tennis ball "fruit."  Wildcat describes what I saw.  Big brown pit or nut in the middle of a dirty tennis ball cover.  They are fun to kick.

The 11 dogs and 4 cats were in a 30 foot motorhome.  The owners had show dogs which looked like whippets.  The owners were going stir crazy and  had a hard time controlling the barking.  I offered to help walk dogs but they didn't take me up on it.

Saw a number of people that looked as if they were ERs.  One couple had just sold their home in LaCrosse Wisconsin and were now traveling in a motorhome full time.  They were very green and we talked to them quite a bit about boondocking or dry camping and about phone service.  They looked to be in their early 50s.  Of course, it would have been impolite to ask if they were FI as well as ER. 

Our dog Pete misbehaving at Lake of the Ozarks:

So, is Pete friendly, or very owner loyal and hates every visitor he sees, like most all of the other Dachshounds (sp?) that I've seen?

 

[wildcat]

So Martha or anyone else, can someone cook these things or is there some reason for keeping the pits?

That's the mystery around the apt complex.

Your pup looks like an ankle biter.

 

[Martha]

Judy, the other dachshund, the one who wears food on her head, is very promiscuous with her affections. She loves everyone and frequently jumps in strangers cars and tries to sleep with guests in our home.

Pete is not so friendly, mostly because he is scared of everything. Has to take antianxiety drugs.

 

[Dawg52]

No Branson.  Sorry, not my kind of music. 

We were very bad about taking pictures on this trip, so none of the odd tennis ball "fruit."  Wildcat describes what I saw.  Big brown pit or nut in the middle of a dirty tennis ball cover.  They are fun to kick.

The 11 dogs and 4 cats were in a 30 foot motorhome.  The owners had show dogs which looked like whippets.  The owners were going stir crazy and  had a hard time controlling the barking.  I offered to help walk dogs but they didn't take me up on it.

Saw a number of people that looked as if they were ERs.  One couple had just sold their home in LaCrosse Wisconsin and were now traveling in a motorhome full time.  They were very green and we talked to them quite a bit about boondocking or dry camping and about phone service.  They looked to be in their early 50s.  Of course, it would have been impolite to ask if they were FI as well as ER. 

Our dog Pete misbehaving at Lake of the Ozarks:

Does your dog get so excited that he pees? A buddy of mine has one and goes ape shat everytime someone comes around. They make me sneeze too. My long haired golden retriever doesn't. Go figure.  

 

[Martha]

So Martha or anyone else, can someone cook these things or is there some reason for keeping the pits?

That's the mystery around the apt complex.

Because I was curious, I started reading up on those Osage Oranges. They are not considered edible because the pits are so bitter. But acorns are bitter and some people eat acorns in one form or another.

So who knows.


Apparently at some point, this fruit developed the reputation for keeping spiders and other insects out of people's basements. Supposedly, all you need to do is place them outside your home around the foundation or spread them around the basement for them to effectively repel all types of pests. However, one university web site says there is no scientific evidence to support these claims.

 

[brewer12345]

Pete is not so friendly, mostly because he is scared of everything.  Has to take antianxiety drugs.   

Sounds like Mom's Cardigan Corgi (minus the drugs).  Very wary, sometimes fearful, and not too eager to see people she doesn't know.  You might laugh at Mom's dog and call her an ankle-biter, but Cardigan's have a Dachs background and have the teeth to match.  "ankle-biter" is not a good description of a 40# dog with large, razor sharp teeth and a tendency to snap when she is afraid.  That's the same reason I tend to give dachshunds a wide berth unless I know they are friendly.

 

[Martha]

Does your dog get so excited that he pees? A buddy of mine has one and goes ape shat everytime someone comes around. They make me sneeze too. My long haired golden retriever doesn't. Go figure.

Pete used to do that. Now he is an advertisement for Clomacalm--doggie version of Prozac. Brewer, you might suggest drugs for the Corgi. Pete is almost as big as a Corgi, weighing 23 pounds and not an ounce overweight.

The allergies aren't too bad around the weiner dogs, but I have to keep them and the house clean. Because of allergies, we used to have poodles:

The top one was Spike, a 75 pound male standard poodle. Smartest dog I have ever had. The bottom one was Paavo Nurmi. Named after the runner from Finland. Also a male standard poodle. We are standing in the bitter cold on Lake Superior.

 

[brewer12345]

Yeah, we know all about Clomacalm. Lots of things are contraindicated for the corgi because she has had a bout of severe pancreatitis in the past.

 

[JPatrick]

Prozac for dogs? 

Please Martha, will you get that poor guy an inflatable leg   

 

[Cut-Throat]

Saturday Night Live once did a gig on Dog Drugs


Called them "Puppy Uppers" and "Doggy Downers"

 

[TargaDave]

* Who has all the money? Lots of very expensive boats on the various lakes/reservoirs.

Being a boating enthusiast I ask the same question myself all the time. The waterfront homes on some of those lakes are quite pricy too I hear. I guess a lot of boat loans on top of mortgages and car loans. And then there is the 150+ gallon tank to fill at $3+/gallon for some 0.5 mpg cruising.

 

[greg]

Maybe I'm a bit odd, but that insane asylum museum was really interesting: They had a display of the stomach contents of one woman who was caught eating all sorts of strange things. The staff decided to go in and find out what was in her stomach. There were buttons, nails, pins and needles, and even a few folded spoons and forks--some 200+ items in all. I guess she had pica, an inordinate desire to eat non-food items. I was standing there examining all those things and a woman came up to look at the display too. I said "I wonder how long she had the disease, how much stuff she passed." I grossed the poor woman out.

The most troubling part of the trip for me was our strong desire to be near the internet. We even moved our campsite away from a beautiful spot on the lake shore to get better cell phone service and internet connection. We would stop at malls just to use the internet for a few minutes. Something is wrong--maybe. I'm worried I might have to add a forth pillar to my retirement plans: play--find a wi-fi spot--snack-- nap--repeat.

Did Martha mention the chigger bites and deer ticks? Or how much time she made me look at birds? I can now identify and name three kinds: big ones, medium ones, and small ones. Next time Texas--where I only have to worry about seeing rattle snakes.

--Greg