May 2, 2003 - Carlinville, IL (4/4/03 - Lake Tawakoni & Canton, TX)
We're going to be volunteering with the SOWERS again this month. Yesterday we arrived at the Lake Williamson Christian Center "campground." Beautiful private lake full of fish (no license required!!!!) and all the right water toys, including a killer slide that you'll see when I get all caught up with the website. Two full gyms, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, racquetball courts, and on and on. 315 acres developed. Some of the property used to belong to Al Capone. How's that for irony? But more on all this later. For now, let's go play catch-up, OK?
Anybody'd think we were in Texas. Matter of fact, we are. Parked at Lake Tawakoni, not too far from Dallas. Oil and cowboys are both a mainstay of the state, and we really enjoyed the cowboy riding the oil pump! Barb's standing by one of several racks of these beautifully prepared longhorn racks. The longhorn cows in this area were more for pets and "nice to have" than their meat. We're at the "First Monday," as this huge swap meet/ flea market is called. Walked all day and didn't see everything. Oh, yeah, and you'll notice that it's April 4th. And you'll know, of course, that it's not a Monday. That's because in spite of the name, the event is a monthly occurrence on the Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday preceding the first Monday of every month. Yeah, we understood it right away too.
It's impossible not to be impressed with the local talents and the local flair in all the different areas where we travel. On the left were spurs ranging from $5 to over $200 per pair, and on the right are renditions of tire swings for Texas kids. They're cut and shaped into the horses complete with neckerchiefs. $50 each, if you're interested.
Barb and I had never actually held a black-eyed Susan before. This one had fallen off the rack of pots of them for sale. And being a "gun nut" I had to have a picture of this matched set of .44's glued to the antler lamps.
If you glue enough antlers together, you can have a tall lamp, and you don't even need to remove the antlers from the skull to make a lamp.
Antlers were used for every conceivable item, including kitchen utensils, marshmallow cooking sticks, and, of course, some beautiful knives. We liked the fact that that longhorn got to stay with its hide.
This particular vendor made furniture with either side of the hide. Didn't actually sit on the hairy side, so can't comment on its comfort. I know I like the hairless side. And the antler lamps in the place made me wonder if there was any white-tailed deer who still had his rack. Of course there are, because there are more white-tailed deer in the country now than before the Europeans landed.
Yeah, some people like their little dogs and dress them up, but when I told this lady we had to have a picture of it, she was thrilled. The only other dog we'd ever seen in one of those carrying pouches was Queenie who belongs to Henk and Thea, our Canadian friends. Now, see that thing around Barb's neck? She'd been getting stares and comments about her fancy gold necklace.
Only it's not a necklace! It's a visor that she just stores around her neck when she's not using it. Made out of some kind of Styrofoam and covered with spangles.