Car Show in Reed City, MI

Since we are doing very little of interest now, I thought I would post one of our highlights from this summer while we were in Reed City (Hawkins). We posted very little from Hawkins since that was virtually an "internet dead zone".
While in the area I spent some time trying to find old pictures of the Oseola Refinery and their semitrucks. My father drove for them sometime in the 50's, possibly early 60's. I have one picture of my dad with his truck but was looking for more and any information as we may do another "home" with an International like he drove.
During this time we went to a concert at the Crossroads in Reed City on a Thursday night. We got talking to some people there that had been involved with the refinery. We showed them what we were traveling around in now. A son-in-law (who was involved with the car show that coming Saturday) saw the picture of our "home" and asked if we could bring the whole rig to the show.
My best friend's husband had just finished restoring his '64 Falcon. So I called them to see if they were going to the show. Nelson, her husband, had to work but with lots of encouragement, his wife, Joyce(my best friend) was talked into bringing the car to it's first show. Hopefully we have started a tradition. Maybe Nelson will even be able to go with us and relish in the attention that his car received. People were impressed with his car and told of the memories they had of one just like it.
We managed to set-up next to each other which was great because she still lived in the area and knew everyone. I had been gone for 45 years and knew very few. Through
out the day I met a man my dad and youngest brother had worked for in Baldwin at a gas station. Then one of the daughters of another driver came over with her husband whose dad had also been a driver and introduced themselves. What a great time!!! Hearing all the old stories!!
Around 4 pm they were giving out rewards for the show. Life even got better, "Green
Ache-rs" placed in the top 25 and received a plaque! WOW! Who would have thought!!

Tennessee

Here we are in Tennessee back on the Natchez Trace--we traveled north on it this spring from Louisiana to Missouri on our trip home to Michigan. Now we are back after leaving MI. going through WI. and then Ia. and into MO. We left Savannah Mo.--traveled to Tightwad where we stayed for two very rainy days and then headed to Owensville Mo. through California Mo.and Jefferson City-- the state capital. It is amazing the different towns we have traveled through on the backroads of the country.We got to Lost Valley Resort the day after they received 5 inches of rain. We were there 2 weeks and I think we had at least 5 more inches. Our Canadian friend Chester stopped for two days on his way for 6 months at a house he rented in Mexico. It was rainy so we went to the hottub and mostly stayed at the trailer and caught up on things with him. It will be real interesting to hear about his stay in Mexico. We arrived in Tn.and the Trace with the trees still green and now the colors are really coming out. The campground we are at is 800 acres with a 3 mile long lake and we are only about 2 miles off the Trace. We are staying here another week and then plan to head towards Nashville for afew days and then on to North Carolina for a truck show and then south for Florida. We are having fun traveling with the ltlgrntruck to new places and states so no destination is firm --- just plans as we go.

Missouri -Show me state

I'm beginning to think the clouds and rain is over US. We seem to take the bad weather with us irregardless of what weather is in the forecast! We actually woke up to frost on the windshield Thursday,the 30th of Sept in Nekoosa,WI. We quickly left there and went to Frenchman's Landing at Eastman, WI. What a welcoming bunch of people. The managers and work campers made us feel quite at home. We felt like we had known them forever.
After lunch with John and Linda,the workcampers,Bob and I spent the rest of Friday afternoon in town visiting the Villa Louis mansion in Prairie du Chein. What history in that little town!
When we got back to the campground we found a sticky note inviting us to an impromptu supper at the office. We were visiting with some people from Manitoba parked by us when Linda stopped by to see if we were coming up for chili. The people from Manitoba were, also, invited. What a lively group we became. Nothing better that good food, good people and good conversation!
The next day we left early enough to stop at a benefit breakfast for the first responders with John and Linda. Then we pulled ourselves away from our new friends and headed towards Madrid and some old kewpie friends.
We managed to meet with June Anderson and her son,Bob, Monday afternoon. Not only does she have a vast collection, June is a walking encyclopedia about Kewpies and Rose O'Neill. And ORGANIZED!! She has always been a wealth of information and always willing to share it. After a fun filled afternoon, the 4 of us went for pizza at Polk, MO where one of their main toppings is sauerkraut. Hmmm, maybe we'll try that the next time.
We left Madrid the next morning headed towards Savannah,MO and Mabel Dray's collection of Kewpies on display at the Andrews County Museum. I was impressed with the Kewpie Mountain, of course, and all the other rare kewpies in her collection. The museum had a lot of information about Mabel's brother (Harry F. Duncan--Founder of "Little Tavern Resturants")and his collections and about the "the rural way of life"in early Savanah. Definitely worth the time.