On the road - Branson, Starvy Creek Bluegrass Festival

 95º with "feel like of 102º here at Starvy Creek Bluegrass Festival Campground near Conway, Missouri.  TV said Springfield (about 40 miles southwest of us) prediction is 98º will set an alltime high for this date.  Believe me, the AC is running almost full time here in our travel trailer.

We got back from Branson about 3:30 pm yesterday  Spent 3 nights in hotel there and went to many shoiws, mostly by courtesy of Timeshare and Travel Agents (of course we had to listen to 2-hour speils by each of them)

We have very slow WIFI here through my phone, so won't post any photos.  Was at a Gospel Show Sunday afternoon, went on a "Redneck Comedy Tour" on a bus Monday morning - driver and one other guy had us in stitches all the time, spent almost two hours from downtown Branson out west to the lake and lots in between.  Went to a comedy dinner show at Shephard of The Hills theater Monday evening.  Tuesday morning had a session with what turned out to be travel agents selling a program to save money where you vacation every year.  Mostly based on hotel prices and we don't do hotels much, but did enjoy the free tickets and hotel they paid for to have us attend the session.  Tuesday afternoon we got to visit with Steve Baldridge and his brothers Paul and Shawn before they performed their preshow at Dolly's Stampede, then had the cornish hen, potato soup, corn on the cob, pulled pork, apple turnorver dinner while watching the North vs the South during their vaious competitions.  Then headed over to another theater for CJ Newsom's Comedy and Country Music show.  Wednesday morning a 2-hour session with a "new and better" time share sales pitch (by listening to this we got the $80 each Stamede tickets for $20 each.    Then after a stop at Walmart and Sam's Club in Springfield back to the campground here.  I would estimate there are well over 200 units setting here -- program starts at 4 pm this afternoon and we will see several sets each by 12 different bands by Saturday evening at 10:30 pm.

Then will pull the trailer to Fredericktown, MO for a Bluegrass Festival there next week.

LCM

Labor Day 2026 over

 84º with a "feel like" of 84º here in Clarinda, IA at 1:30 pm Thursday.  Have had rain several overnights lately, 1/2 to 3/4" in several of them.  Is to cool off for a bit.  Click on any photo to enlarge.

         I have been doing quite a bit of "Paint by Numbers" this summer.  I just compiled nearly 90 of them into an album that you can Look at HERE  Click on any photo to enlarge, then slide right.  I put one on with some of the greyed areas that shows where I am to click when that color is highlighted in the menu below the picture.  Then one of them - this one 

here - I made "screen shots" at five different stages leading up to the completed one, showing the many multiple points for me to click on.    Enjoy - There is a phlethora of photos to work on with all sorts of themes - I have gone across several themes and left other ones completely alone!

We attended the Labor Day Parade in Essex on Monday.  To show you we were really there, I found this photo on Facebook where Phyllis shows -- however I am behind the lady on the convertable.

   

          Many of the local Fire Departments in the area had trucks in the parade.

The local Americal Legion Auxiliary passed
out little six inch flags to parade watchers. 

I don't recall seeing this type of tractor!

I think this is a Model A car similar to the
first car I remember us having back in the
1940's in Custer County, Nebraska, though
ours was black.

Essex had largest band in parade though I think total was about three bands.

Didn't seem like quite as big a parade as some years.  Last time we were at it was in about 2004 and we rode on a wagon with Circle 8 Square Dance Club members.

Will see what next few days brings.  ----   LC

Dad - Kermit Miles

Yesterday was the 122nd anniversary of my Dad's, Kermit Miles, birthday.

 

Some more of my paint by numbers pictures

 It is 98º here in Clarinda, IA at 4:35 pm Friday September 4, 2027 with a "feel like" of 109º.

One thing I can do while sitting in the air conditioned basement while it is over a hundred degrees "feel like" outside is the computerized paint by number.  With most of these having 150 or more numbers/colors and many having between 100 and 200 of each number/color they can be quite challenging.   Here are today's pictures-- (Click on picture to enlarge)

Hot again here in Iowa

 96º with "feel like" of 105º here in Clarinda, IA at 5:45 pm Wednesday - outside - I am guessing it is about 72º here in the basement at my desk -- much more comfortable.

This is our 10-year old great grandaughter
Jessica that visisted us back in July --  taken in 2017

Another old photo - about 25 years 
ago at our place west of town.

the Four Miles Brothers - 1996, Cape Girardeau

Solar Battery for pump under the leaves.

We are getting a few tomatoes every day from the four plants - two in containers.  I was wateriing them with the solar powered pump that dripped for 10 minutes four times a day.  But now I hand water, with some added fertilizer, each day as no sun reaches the battery charger. 

Little over a month ago the solar
didn't have competition.

Solar Pump is back under there, really!

Some roses on the little rose bushes planted last year.

Decided the white I had painted the rose trellis when I added the front three posts and four rails was to garish so repainted the 
trellis similar to house to camouflage it a little.  

We attended a meeting at Church Sunday with Linda, the Choir Director/Organist.  Starting practice middle of this month - we will be gone.  May be able to sing one Sunday in October before we head south.

Next time - LC