Random images

Sean got educated in eating biscuits and gravy, by a lovely lady in Mt. Vernon. She was shocked that a grown man had never eaten biscuits and gravy. She instucted him well. "Split open the biscuit. You're only taking one? Now smother it in sausage gravy. Now smother it in black pepper. Come on, now, more pepper, you can still see the gravy." Aha! We get it, biscuits and gravy are just a black pepper delivery system. He had lots of firsts on this trip, this was one of them.

Another first, he saw a gorgeous big praying mantis, that remained through the whole festival weekend on the outside of one of the windows in the dance rooms at Karen's Meet in the Middle tango festival.

One of my favorite oddities is a version of Stonehenge, in Rolla.







Toby and Tasha and I had an expedition to the wilds of Branson. It was hot, 99. Horrendously crowded, dazed tourists milling unexpectedly out into the road. Hundreds of cars, since there was going to be a car cruise at midnight. People were already putting lawn chairs by all along the roadside to sit and wait (this was at 6 p.m.!) We dodged into the first restaurant we found; I asked for horchata in a Mexican restaurant (the waitress was delighted and surprised). We went to see Cirque, which was a wonderful and other-worldly change from the usual Branson fare (Baldknobbers show, which features lots of no-teeth looks, and banjos and big hair, or no hair. Don't get me wrong, I adore Bela Fleck).











Another favorite billboard, and I'll leave you with this (no, I didn't take a picture, I was driving and nearly went off the road as it was): A giant billboard on the outskirts of town: "GOT TEETH?" "WE HAVE TEETH AND LAUGHING GAS FOR YOU!" "SEE DR. CHUCKLES TODAY!"