Egyptian Pyramid Expedition

Did you know you do not have to go all the way to Egypt to experience the wonder and mystery of an Egyptian pyramid? As a matter of fact, there is one you can tour in northern Illinois near the town of Wadsworth, Illinois, in Lake County. The gold pyramid house was built in 1977 by Jim and Linda Onan, and they have used it as the home where they raised their children, as well as, periodically opening it up to the (very curious) public for tours. They were inspired to build the pyramid home after reading a University of Wisconsin study, suggesting that pyramids generate energy. In addition, Mr. Onan had a long-standing interest in all things Egyptology, such that when combined with his skills as a builder, and access to capitol, he is said to have built the largest 24 karat gold plated object in the world! This photo collage shows that water forms a moat that encircles the entire structure. The moat is 20 feet deep and spring-lake fed. Therefore, the pyramid could be said to be on an island, and you have to pass over a causeway to get into the home. The middle photos of the collage show the 80 stone sphinxes that line the driveway, as well as the "three-pyramid" garage (right center photo). Since Mr. Onan is said to have made his "fortune" by building garages, it is not surprising that HIS garage was built to hold FOUR automobiles. The collage also shows the 64 foot-tall and 200-ton statue of Ramesses II, near the entrance to the property. There is a tall, security fence, with large gates, that surrounds the property. So even if it is not open for tours on the day that you drive by, one can still take photos of the pyramid through that bars of the security fence.

In this photo collage, Linda Onan is showing our group, their family photos of the the children that were raised in the pyramid house. Don't you know that was a hoot for those kids, when explaining to their friends where they lived??!! Jim Onan is shown in these photos as he walks about the property, visits with guests, and unlocks the door to the recreated burial tomb of King Tutankhamen that is on the property. I was able to tour the simulated tomb, with someone who had actually been to REAL burial tombs in Egypt, and she said this recreation was as authentic-looking as the real thing.

The top left photo of this collage shows the "theater" where Onan greets entering tour groups. This area was originally meant to house a swimming pool, until water table problems interfered with that idea. Although there were signs posted inside saying "No Photography", Mr. Onan gave our group permission to take photographs of their living area. It was furnished much as any nice home might be, with the addition of NUMEROUS accessories/designs that would be called "Egyptian". The walls are hand-painted with hieroglyphs, as was the large window looking out towards the moat (upper right photo).

The property also contains a gift shop (middle right photo shows the interior, and the lower photo shows the exterior of the gift shop). When I was looking at the sarcophagus inside the recreated tomb of King Tut, I was reminded of the significance of the EMPTY tomb of Jesus Christ in Israel. The Bible verse in the gospels (Luke 24:34), relays the good news for Christ-followers, that "He is risen---He is risen, indeed!" If you would like to learn more about the Gold Pyramid House, and perhaps plan to go there for a tour, visit their website at http://www.goldpyramid.com/. For additional activities in the surrounding area, visit http://www.lakecounty.org/ You will be surprised to see how many treasures (Egyptian and otherwise) this scenic county has to offer! It is there you will find----miles of smiles! Tricia

Take A Farm Expedition This Fall!

Autumn is a wonderful time to make a visit to a farm, to see and taste the bountiful harvest they have produced. Although past generations may have found this easy to do, just by visiting a relative's farm, this has become less and less common, as family farms have mostly gone the way of vinyl records and 8-track tapes. But fortunately for us, "agri-tourism" has taken up the slack, and some families who want to keep their farm, have started the practice of opening their fields up to the public, for tours and field trips. That was just the case for a farm I visited recently in northern Illinois, called "The Royal Oak Farm & Fruit Orchard." This photo collage shows some of their harvest of pumpkins, gourds, and apples.

As interest in agri-tourism has grown, so have the facilities that this farm family has added, to serve their many visitors. They have a huge pavilion, that is not only covered, but screened in, and full of picnic tables and a beautiful wood interior. They made a teepee-shaped building for the sole purpose of giving school children on field trips, an orientation to farm life. They have an extensive "U-Pick" program, plus a restaurant, carousel, playground, train, bonfire pits, petting zoo, and bakery. There are also many locations throughout the farm that have the scare crows all dressed up in their best autumn decorations, to get visitors in the spirit of the season.

Since the farm is quite large, it is fortunate that they offer a wagon ride (pulled by a family member on his John Deere tractor) that takes you by their herd of "oreo" cows, their all-important bee houses (lower left photo), their berry and pumpkin patches, as well as their orchards. The driver explained to us that the owners put a yellow flag by the row of orchard trees that is currently ready and suitable for picking by the "U-Pickers" (top right photo). If you would like information on additional attractions surrounding the Royal Oak Farm, check out this great website, www.visitmchenrycounty.com, for some very interesting suggestions.

In the produce stand area, they have containers of all the different kinds of apples they sell, chopped up for customers to taste, so you can decide which variety you want to purchase (upper left photo). They also have a well-stocked gift shop, with all kinds of gift items, or culinary items you might need for your own kitchen. When I am writing a blog post, I usually am trying to think of an appropriate Bible verse, to go along with the photos and the topic of the blog. The owners of the Royal Oak Farm & Fruit Orchard (http://www.royaloakfarmorchard.com/) made that really easy this time. The very top line on their brochure has this quote printed "He who abides in Me, and I in Him, bears much fruit." John 15:5a. Likewise, the entrance of their apple barn has a large cross above the door, and they put in their brochure that the farm was established in 1992 FOR GOD'S GLORY. The entire operation serves as their testimony to God's goodness, and it has definitely been successful at "bearing fruit"! If you are interested in visiting a farm this fall, but you are not going to be able to make it to Illinois, you may be able to find one closer to your home. You can find out more about a farm in north central Arkansas by visiting the website of http://www.mountainhomeberryfarm.com/ or in the Fayetteville area by visiting http://www.ozarkcornmaze.com/ or phoning Vanzant Fruit and Produce in Lowell, Arkansas, at 479-756-3152. So, repeating the invitation on the Royal Oak Farm brochure, I will end with this invitation: COME.....TASTE.....SEE..... It will give you miles of smiles! Tricia

Door County Autumn Expedition

I have been wanting to visit Door County, Wisconsin, for several years, ever since a photography instructor I had decades ago told me about the place. If you are as "geographically challenged" as I was, it may not instantly come to mind exactly where Door County is located. Maybe that is why the Wisconsin Highway Department puts the outline of the state of Wisconsin on their highway signs (upper left photo). Door County is represented by the tiny "thumb" of the mitten-shaped state, that sticks out into Lake Michigan, on the east side of the county, and the body of water called "Green Bay" on the west side of the county. I had read that the colors were pretty there in the fall and found that was indeed true, as shown by some of the remaining photos in this collage.

There are several ways you can do your exploration of Door County. As for me, I flew out of the new Branson, Missouri, airport via Frontier Airlines into Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There I rented a car---the Nissan "Cube" shown in upper left corner of this collage, which served my purposes just fine. The Rustic Roads system around the county provide great places for bicyclists (middle upper photo), as well as motorcyclists (middle lower photo) to tour the area. There are also numerous hiking trails, waterfront walkways, snowmobile trails, and horseback trails. I even saw a group doing a "Segway" tour (their red van is shown in collage). Since the county is surrounded by water, it is not surprising that kayaking and canoeing are popular, as well as water sports involving power boats and sail boats. The lower left photo shows another way to visit the islands of Door County---passenger and car ferries. In the photo, I am on the ferry that was taking folks across Lake Michigan to Washington Island. I did not take my car across on the ferry. Rather, when I arrived on Washington Island, I took the popular "Cherry Train Tour", that included the highlights of what the island has to offer.

If you are a photographer, there is never a question of "what to do" in Door County. No matter where you point your camera, there is something scenic and interesting to photograph. There are fish boils, Norwegian-style houses with grass growing on their roofs (and goats up there eating the grass!), rocky shorelines, scenic sunsets, working boats, and lots of light houses! Door County has the most lighthouses, in addition to state parks, than any other county in the United States. I had signed up to take the "Fire Boat" cruise at Sturgeon Bay for the Sunday afternoon of October 2. The captain said he had to have eight customers for the boat to go out, and an hour before the start time, I was the only one signed up. As we chatted, waiting to see if anyone else was going to show up, he told me about a place to visit, in case the cruise did not go out. He said just "up the road a piece" was Cave Point County Park. He told me it was a rocky shoreline, with many interesting cave-like formations along the trails beside it. Well, it came time for the cruise to go, and I was still the only one signed up---even though it was an absolutely GORGEOUS day. HOWEVER, it was also an afternoon when their beloved Green Bay Packers football team had a home game, just a few hours south of there. So, I suppose anyone who was mobile, had gone to that game, causing the fire boat cruise to be canceled that afternoon. I teased the Captain of the boat, saying he didn't look too disappointed that he was not going to have to take the boat out, and instead could enjoy the Green Bay game in its entirety (the Packers won, by the way). But, thanks to his tip about visiting Cave Point County Park, the afternoon was not at all wasted. In fact, the time I spent at Cave Point was the highlight of my visit to Door County! That is because, I had such an enjoyable time hiking the trail beside the water, and photographing the numerous scenic locations there. So I am very grateful to that Fire Boat Captain for telling me about Cave Point County Park, and get this---it was completely free! There was no entry or parking fee! Plus it had clean rest rooms and picnic tables and nice parking spaces!

Since I was in Door County, it seemed appropriate to get some photographs of doors of the area, and this photo collage shows some of those doors. The pretty Victorian-style door in the upper left, was taken at the waterfront resort where I spent one night, in Ellison Bay. The greenery-framed door in the lower right leads to the famous Al Johnson Restaurant, where you can see goats grazing on the green grass growing on the roof of the building. That is the place where I had a combination platter I had never ordered before---Swedish pancakes with Lindon berry sauce, plus Swedish meatballs. It was all quite delicious! The name "Door County" also brings to mind the familiar verse in the Bible about doors, Revelation 3:20, that says "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any many hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Making that decision to open the door of my heart to Jesus, was the best decision I ever made. It has led to countless blessings---one of those blessings was being able to visit Door County, Wisconsin! You can learn more about the area at http://www.doorcounty.com/, where you will see that touring their lovely location will provide you MILES OF SMILES! So get out there and open the door! Tricia

Nashville Flood Recovery Expedition

I have a great deal of empathy for anyone who experiences a flood, mainly because of being a resident of a town that flooded in the 1960's. The raging waters that rushed through our community in the middle of the night, destroyed my parents' business, as well as the homes and businesses of countless other folks. I remember how much my parents appreciated the help of their customers and suppliers in making allowances for lost inventory and lost orders. I remember how much I looked forward each morning to the Red Cross truck coming by my parents' business after the flood, to serve us coffee and donuts, as we washed what seemed like endless piles of merchandise that was covered in mud. I remember the amazing attitude my parents had about the whole thing---never cursing their fate , or their God, but rather, determined to get through the ordeal even stronger than they had been before the flood. I remember the flood cleanup because it was the first time I had ever seen a dead body at a location other than a funeral home. (That is because one of the fatalities of the flood lived in a house across the street from my parents' business; I was nearby when the rescue workers pulled his body from the rubble, and loaded it into an open jeep vehicle to be taken to the morgue. His feet were sticking out from under the tarp that covered his lifeless body, and as it drove past me, I was stunned at the sad reality of what I saw.) I remember missing the last month of school that year because of flood damage to the area, and the need for every available student to be helping full time with flood clean-up. All these things I remembered about the flood I experienced, made me keenly aware of the heart-felt appeal from the mayor of Nashville, via a television show reporting on the flood, when he said one of the best ways the average TV viewer could help Nashville recover, was to come visit them in the near future as a tourist. I decided that was the least I could do for my neighbors to the east. Plus, it would probably be fun!! So, I signed up to take a trip with fifty other folks, who would travel via motor coach, to see the sights, and hear the sounds, of "Music City--USA". In the first photo collage, the top two pictures show the famous replica of the Greek Parthenon, that is in Nashville's beautiful Centennial Park. The bottom three photos show scenes from the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. Both parks are great places to not only learn lots of history, but also great spaces for getting in your 10,000 steps for your pedometer!

Every place our group went, the business owners thanked us profusely for visiting their town. The poster in the upper left corner of this collage is just one of many I saw with a similar message. Our hotel also had a large, framed poster in the lobby, from the mayor of Nashville, thanking us for visiting their city after the flood, and for bringing business to the hotels and restaurants there. The top right photo is a reminder that Nashville is also the state capitol of Tennessee, and their state capitol building sits on a tall hill overlooking the Bicentennial Park Mall. It is a very impressive sight. The flood did not change the skyline of Nashville, with the AT&T (aka, the "Batman Building") still dominating the scene (middle right photo). The distinctive architecture of Ryman Auditorium (lower right photo) is almost covered up by the buildings that surround it, yet it is instantly recognizable, as the birthplace of the original Grand Ole Opry.

A few years back, I had the great pleasure of going to a Grand Ole Opry performance when Harrison, Arkansas, native, Brian McComas, was performing. I was helping Brian's wife and mom look after their kiddies, as we sat near the main stage, and beamed with pride to see Brian perform. What was so astounding to me regarding that event, was seeing Brian off-state after his performance. Expecting that his first question to all of us might be "How did I do? What did you think of my performance?"; rather, his first question to me was "Did my kids behave?" I was impressed that he was more concerned about his success at being a father, than at his success at being a country music star. That performance I attended to see Brian was in the "new" location of the Grand Ole Opry, located in the Opryland Complex of Music Valley. However, the Opryland venue was flooded, hence the Grand Ole Opry performances were moved BACK to Ryman Auditorium after the floods, until repairs can be made to the new and larger Opryland Theater. Personally, I was glad to get to go to a show in Ryman Auditorium, as I have heard about it all my life, but had never visited it until last week. In this photo collage, there is a shot of the Diamond Rio group performing. Notice the Church-like windows and church pew seats of the Ryman. That is because it was originally built as a tabernacle to worship God, and only years later, was it converted for secular use. Of course, they pay tribute each night to the well-known "Minnie Pearl" character, with a simulated Minnie Pearl posing for photos and greeting the crowd. (top right photo)

The Country Music Hall of Fame was another place that I am "99.9% sure, I've never been here before"---to quote the chart-topping recording Brian McComas made famous. My favorite feature of the architecture of the building was the way the front was designed to look like a piano keyboard. Once inside, I was fascinated with the exhibits, and the variety of country music sounds one could listen to. Since I have put an old pair of Brian's shoes from his childhood in a glass-covered wooden box (for future inclusion in a museum exhibit somewhere!), I took photos of many of the shoes of famous country music stars that were on display in the Nashville Hall of Fame. My favorite was the pair of duct-tape covered cowboy boots that belonged to Hank Williams, III (lower left photo). All in all, it was a great trip, and I am glad that I had this opportunity to be a tourist in Nashville. There is a verse in the Bible (Roman 5:3) that says "suffering produces perseverance", so perhaps this suffering that Nashville has endured from their floods of last spring, will produce perseverance in their character as a city. There is also a different kind of verse the suffering may produce----verses to a hit country music song! Since we all know that country music songs love to tell a sad story of suffering, maybe someone on the famous "Music Row" will be inspired to come up with the next big award-winning song we hear on the radio, that is based on the 2010 spring floods in Nashville, Tennessee. If you would like to help the Nashville area recover from the floods, or perhaps have a suggestion for a flood-related country song, just log onto their official website http://www.visitmusiccity.com/ for help in planning your trip. Wishing you miles of musical smiles! Tricia

World Expedition---Without a Passport!!

There was a new marketing campaign in Branson this year, with the theme that you could "See the world in Branson---no passport required!." If you have done any traveling outside the United States, or even applied for one of the new, higher priced passports recently, you can more fully appreciate the opportunity to sample various cultures outside our borders, WITHOUT having to go through the hassles of Customs Bureau Interrogations! Even though the slogan was new in 2010, the Silver Dollar City International Festival has been occurring every spring in Branson for over a decade. I was delighted to get to attend this year, as well as many past years, coming away amazed at the talent, artistry, and costuming that these performers from other countries bring with them during their short visit to the Ozarks each spring. Often I have stayed until closing time at Silver Dollar City, just to be able to participate in the closing ceremony for the International Festival each year. During that time, the park attendees and the foreign performers make a huge circle in the main street area of Silver Dollar City---it is done, so that the foreign performers are interspersed among the park attendees---and then an appropriate song is voiced by all present. It is a great feeling to be physically bonded with people from all over the world---sort of like the Coke TV commercial of the last century that showed people from all around the world holding hands! So get ready to launch your boat for the first bit of the journey!! My launch, on the ever-popular "Ride the Ducks" attraction charted a different course than previous Duck excursions I had been on which took the passengers out into Table Rock Lake. This time our "Duck" drove past Branson Landing, and directly into the chilly waters of Lake Taneycomo. This enabled me to see Branson Landing from its "waterfront" side, rather than its "street front" side. This ride would be especially scenic after dark, when the "Bellagio-style" fiery fountains of Branson landing, are doing their hourly shows.

Back in August, I was able to add some countries to my "passport", when I visited three venues that represented Great Britain. The first was the Titanic Museum. At this interactive museum you are given the boarding pass for someone who was really a passenger on the ill-fated Titanic voyage. You do not know until you get completely through the museum if the passenger you represent, lived or died the night the Titanic sank. One of the Titanic passengers had the same family name as my relatives---Parrish. So, of course, I was especially relieved when I found out that "Passenger Parrish did not perish", and in fact, went on to live a long and productive life following her rescue from the sinking ship. And who can think of the music of England, and not have that famous group, "The Beatles" come to mind? The sister of Beatles member, George Harrison, lives in Missouri, and developed a tribute show to the music of the Beatles, called "Louise Harrison's Liverpool Legends". It is a great romp through the history of their music, from their start in a Liverpool, England cellar, through their world tours, and later years. There are extensive video clips, costume and set changes by the four Beatles "look alikes", and plenty of opportunities to twist and shout, if you felt like it! The night I was there, Louise Harrison, actually came out on stage during intermission, and took questions from the audience, regarding her brother, and any other Beatle trivia that someone wanted to ask. I doubt that she is there every show, however, because she told the audience she was scheduled for a hip replacement the following week. One thing I found very interesting, since just this summer, I met a member of the Lambert family, after whom the St. Louis airport, Lambert Field, is named. One of the video clips tells that George Harrison actually came to the USA, years before the Beatles ever appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. The news reel says he flew into "Lambert Field" in St. Louis, to visit his sister, Louise, who lived near there! The third attraction, representative of Great Britain that I got to see, was the new exhibition of personal items and artifacts associated with Princess Diana. The exhibition takes you from her child hood home, her courtship, her royal wedding, and marriage. Several of her actual formal gowns are on display, along with the stories about when and where they were worn. I found the entire exhibition fascinating!

Moving eastward from Great Britain, my next stop was China. I had seen the Acrobats of China in Branson in previous years, so this time I wanted to see the "new kid in town" which is the show called "The Legend of Kung Fu". I have several friends and family members involved in martial arts, so I was intrigued by what the show would be like. Their advertisements said some of the performers had actually been part of that incredible opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, which I thought was totally awesome! In fact, the martial arts moves showcased in "The Legend of Kung Fu" were stunning, as was the artistry of the aerial performers. But be forewarned: There is a LIBERAL amount of Buddhist philosophy throughout the narrative parts of the show. It was quite the contrast to the respectful references to Jesus Christ, given during the The Baldknobbers show, that I had enjoyed the night before. You do not have to be concerned that one no longer can enjoy "American" music in Branson. In fact, it goes back to the native Americans, with the addition of "Brule", which is billed as a "native American rock opera", complete with authentic costumes, native American dances and drumming. My all-time favorite (non-floating) USA-style dinner show in Branson is the Dixie Stampeed. It goes through several eras of American history---much of it done on horseback in the big center arena---in such an entertaining way, you may forget that you are even getting a history lesson. I was especially interested in their portrayal of the Civil War, since there is a big promotion going on in my state for the Civil War Sesquicentennial, which will be 2011-2015 (http://www.arkansascivilwar150.com/). Of course, my favorite FLOATING dinner show is the Showboat Branson Belle, with its performers singing their hearts out telling about riverboat history of the 1800's. Another example of a non-USA country that I got to visit was the Butterfly Palace and Tropical Rainforest. There is even a coconut tree there for one to climb, if they felt so inclined to do so! Another representative of Europe, is the Stonehill Winery. The tasting rooms there are designed to look like German wine cellars, and the company, was indeed, started by German immigrants.

After attending the Moscow Circus performance, I can now say that it is my favorite (non-floating) "FOREIGN COUNTRY" dinner show. It was so much FUN!! Here's another warning, however: Watch out for flying beach balls overhead that start as the size of a cantaloupe, and progress to the size of a Volkswagen!! I had heard that they served a "boxed dinner", and I was having lots of trouble envisioning how that was going to be of much entertainment value---boy, was I wrong!! When it was meal time, the theater went totally black, then it went to "black light", so that some of your clothing glowed. Then these glow-in-the-dark, costumed GIANTS came down the aisles, pushing carts, with boxes on them that were also glowing in the dark. One color box was for grown-ups, and another color box for children. When you received your box, and opened it up, it was filled with individually packaged Russian-style foods, plus glow-in-the-dark eating utensils. It was really quite clever, the way it was done! The next day after the "glow in the dark" experience at the Moscow Circus, the Bible verse for my First Place 4 Health (http://www.firstplace4health.com/) lesson was from Isaiah 58:10. The Message paraphrase of the verse says that if we lived as God wanted us to live "Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness." I now have an image of that verse in my mind that I will never forget, thanks to the Moscow Circus!

Soooo, if you are ready to explore the world, you need go no further than Branson, Missouri!! Either of these websites will point you to everything you need to know for YOUR expedition: http://www.explorebranson.com/ or http://www.seetheworldinbranson.com/ Bon voyage, and miles of smiles!! Tricia

Little House on the Prairie Expedition

Last summer, after driving a full day to Palo Duro Canyon in Texas to see an outdoor drama, I got to feeling guilty that I had not taken advantage of the opportunity to see an outdoor dramatic presentation that has been going on nearly as long (this is its twentieth year!) and is only a little over an hour from my house. I am speaking of the production called "Laura's Memories" that is held in the small south central Missouri town of Mansfield. The musical is staged in recognition of Mansfield's most famous citizen---Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867 - 1957). On a previous visit to the town, I had toured the Wilder home (called Rocky Ridge Farm) that is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites, along with the adjacent museum (www.LauraIngallsWilderHome.com) It was during that tour that I learned that various area citizens put on a musical each summer that is based on the true stories that Laura wrote about her life. Since I am not a literary aficionado, nor a librarian (like Laura Bush, who visited the site during her husband's presidency), I knew about the TV series "Little House on the Prairie", starring Michael Landon, BEFORE I knew they were based on books by a Missouri woman named Laura Ingalls Wilder. While touring the historic home, I learned that Mrs. Wilder wrote the books, which were released around 1931, when she was SIXTY-FOUR years old! I found that inspirational, and is one of the reasons I became interested in blogging. She said the reason she wrote the books in the first place, was to preserve the stories of her childhood. Likewise, that is one of the reasons I started blogging---to preserve the memories of some of my experiences. (I figure this will be especially helpful if I ever get Alzheimer's Disease, and cannot remember anything about my past!) Of course, the other reason I started blogging was to help me remember various scripture passages. The one that is appropriate for all this talk about old people is this paraphrase of Psalm 73:26 from The Message: "When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, God is rock-firm and faithful." Isn't that a great promise! I want to also mention another thing about Laura Ingalls Wilder that inspired me: She attributed some of her skill at story telling to the fact that her sister had been blind, and Laura---at an early age---developed the habit of carefully describing in as descriptive words as possible, the various things and situations that were going on around her, to her blind sister. That way her sister could paint a mental picture of her surroundings. Since my mother was blind at the end of her life, I tried to develop that same quality, and vividly describe scenes to her that she was no longer able to see.

The "Laura's Memories" production is held on select weekends in the summer, in the town's city park. There is a modern amphitheater that seats 600, with seats that have backs to them, and an appropriate sound system and lighting system. Folks who do not want to sit on the amphitheater seats are more than welcome to bring lawn chairs or blankets, and get comfortable on the expansive green lawn surrounding the amphitheater. There is even an "orchestra pit" of sorts, in front of the stage, where the musical director/composer/pianist---Pat Allen---sits, along with other sound effects personnel. The photo on top shows that the price of admission is very reasonable---just $7.00 for adults and $3.00 for children. The bottom photo shows what a large cast of performers the show contains, as they gather behind the stage, shortly before the play begins. Also, those in attendance do not have to worry about the play being canceled due to rain. In the event of rain, everyone just moves to the gymnasium, which is adjacent to the park.

I got as much enjoyment out of "people watching", as I did the actual production. Although the roll call the master of ceremonies did before the show started indicated there were folks there from Minnesota, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, and Wisconsin, the family pictured in the top two photos of this collage were from nearby Norwood, Missouri. When I was driving to the city park, I got behind a gigantic blue tractor. As I continued to the city park, so did the gigantic blue tractor in front of me. Then it parked, and the family in the top photos climbed down from the seats, and headed for the amphitheater. I surmised that their presence there was a good sign that this was wholesome, family-friendly entertainment! Another family sitting beside me, said they were from Minnesota, and had visited the Laura Ingalls Wilder historic site in their state. It seems that Laura's husband, Almanzo Wilder, was quite the restless soul, and moved his family more than once! I noticed the little children in the audience seemed to pay more attention to the actors on stage than you would expect for their age, and I think it is because there were so many children on stage, doing an excellent job of singing and dancing to the lively tunes!

This collage shows a few of the scenes from the musical, with the lower right photo being the one that is depicting Laura as a senior citizen, living in Mansfield, and being active in various civic organizations. The musical, which lasts about one and one-half hours, has a fifteen minute intermission midway through. They even give away door prizes during the intermission, based on a random drawing from the numbers that were on audience admission tickets. There is also a food concession stand, restrooms, and souvenirs/C.D.'s for sale. If you are interested in seeing this production, there is still time this year, as they are scheduled for September 3-4, September 10-11, and September 17-18. All performances begin at 8 PM, but there is a brief pre-show on most evenings. For more information, phone 417-924-3525 or 417-924-3383. Since the amphitheater is so large, with adjacent areas for lawn chairs, if desired, there is no reason to get tickets in advance. In fact, tickets are for sale only on the evening of the event, when the gates open at 6:30 pm. Miles of outdoor summer musical smiles! Tricia

ALBUQUERQUE BALLOON FIESTA

The pages on the calendar show that it is time to start making your plans to attend one of the most colorful "feast for the eyes" that mankind has ever produced. It is the International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico (http://www.balloonfiesta.com/ or l-888-422-7277). Even if you are not a person that has a "bucket list" of what they want to see or do before they die, the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is an event that EVERYONE should try to see, if at all possible!! The dates for 2010 are October 2 - October 10. That is when thousands of hot air balloons from all over the world will be converging in the city and surrounding areas to put on a spectacle of Olympic proportions! Their website describes it as "the most spectacular display of sound and color in all of aviation", and I definitely concur with that statement.

It is not surprising that Kodak is a major sponsor of the event, considering it is a photographer's dream. The excitement a photographer feels while trying to capture all the colors, shapes, and activity that are going on during the Mass Ascension is beyond belief! And when I say "Mass Ascension", I am not referring to a Catholic religious service. Rather, the Balloon Mass Ascension is when hundreds of balloons are in the process of being filled with hot air just as the sun begins to rise over the New Mexico landscape. But leading up to this "uplifting event" the first day at 5:45am, is the "Dawn Patrol". That is when a group of about 12 balloons do an ascension that has been carefully choreographed to music. This group of balloons known as the dawn patrol are the "scouts" that judge the flying conditions, and the data from their flights is valuable to the other pilots who have yet to ascend. After the Dawn Patrol has reported their findings, then the first balloon of the Mass Ascension takes off, flying the flag of the USA, while the Star Spangled Banner is played over the loudspeakers, located throughout the balloon park. The balloons are divided into "waves" of ascent, such that the second wave cannot go until the first wave has lifted off, etc., etc. If you are thinking to yourself that 5:45 am is WAY too early for you to have your eyes open, don't worry, as you can still have an opportunity to see a fantastic hot air balloon event, called the "Balloon Glow". This activity occurs in the evenings, after dark, and is made possible by the bright flames from the gas burners used to heat the air, for the inside of the balloons. The flames give a warm glow to the inflated balloons and makes for even more photo opportunities, of a different sort. The first-ever Balloon Glow was held in Albuquerque in 1979, and has grown to be a major part of the ten day festival, followed up by a huge fireworks display.

Another day of the fiesta is designated as the "Shapes Rodeo". That is when balloons of every imaginable configuration come together to begin the process of being filled with hot air, so they can take to the skies and promote whatever product their special shape resembles. For example, the "Michelin Man" balloon and "Canadian Mountie" balloon in the first photograph, as well as this gigantic grouping of red chili peppers in this photograph, would be part of the Shapes Rodeo event. The first year I went to the Balloon Fiesta, I actually got to ride in one of the special shapes balloon, and it was the balloon designed to look like Mickey Mouse, and owned by the Disney folks. It was a great ride, that was made even more special by the place where we landed. Our very slow and gentle landing took place on the streets of a residential area, full of little children. You can imagine the screams of delight from the excited kiddies, as they exclaimed to their parents that "Mickey Mouse" has just landed in our neighborhood!!! Anyone who gets a ride in the Mickey Mouse balloon receives a special Disney Collector.s pin that resembles the Mickey Mouse balloon, and I still have mine, to remind me of that fun experience. Albuquerque educators have taken advantage of the fascination that children have with hot air balloons, and have started a program called "Aloft" that takes places at area schools on the first Friday before the balloon fiesta starts. Pilots take their balloons to designated schools and teach the kids about aviation, answer their questions, and if conditions permit, may even offer tethered (i.e. "tied down") balloon rides. Also, the balloon park operates a "Balloon Discovery Center" throughout the event, that is aimed at interactive displays and activities for children. It is no wonder that ballooning is such a part of the culture of that part of New Mexico. I remember that even the taxi driver we had that took us from our hotel to the airport, was a licensed hot air balloon pilot. He said he drove the taxi to support his ballooning hobby!

The great thing about getting to actually ride in a balloon during the Mass Ascension, is the bird's eye view you get of the entire park as you are drifting ever higher above it. This photo was taken from inside the basket of the balloon, on a different year that I attended the balloon fiesta, and I was able to ride in one of the first wave of balloons going up that day. Usually, only 3-4 people (depending on their weight) can ride in a standard size balloon basket, although a few balloons have been designed to accommodate larger groups. But even if you don't get to actually ride in a balloon, EVERYONE can be a part of the excitement by helping hold the balloon open while it is being filled, unwrapping it from its carrying bag, or otherwise helping the small crews that usually travel with a balloon. One of the postcards I purchased at the fiesta, had this "Balloonist Prayer", which seems an appropriate way to end this post: "May the winds welcome you with softness, May the sun bless you with his warm hands, May you fly so high and so well that God joins you in laughter and sets you gently back into the loving arms of Mother Earth." Miles of smiles----Up, Up, and AWAY!! Tricia