Stay in Missouri

Stay in Missouri

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The next morning, March 30, 2002, I left Houston and headed for Missouri. I started out on Interstate 45 and took State Highway 75 where ever I could on the way to Dallas. On the entire trip to I mostly only saw pasture and timber (over grown pasture). In Missouri I learned that overgrown pasture (with brush and trees) now sells for more than pasture as hunters buy it up. Odd. It was spring in Houston area (grass and trees with new growth), but still winter (grass not growing) by the time I got to Missouri.
I had visited Dallas previously and so already have loads of pictures on other web pages. So I put references to other pages here rather than including the pictures again. When I got to Dallas I stopped by my child hood home and took new pictures and added to that the previous page. Then I stopped to get gas on the way to my brother's and saw Lamala. After visiting with my brother, Mike, for a bit (and him graciously giving me a haircut), we had a very pleasant visit with Lamala. Then we both headed up to my mom's where we both stayed the night. In the morning I took US 75 to US69 on into Oklahoma. Here is an abandoned farm house I noticed.
While the land remained most pasture, it got very flat and looked dry as the grass was not growing yet (still winter North of Dallas). Also, while I was able to keep off the interstates and take US highways most of the way it was still mostly divided highways with many overpasses instead traffic lights and such. I made good time, but at what price?
Once I got into Oklahoma, the landscape got more interesting with hills and such.
On the border to Kansas (just inside of Oklahoma) there were some pretty sand hills in the middle of a somewhat run down town. I saw a sign that said, 'Don't spread the lead, chad contains toxic elements' which lead me to believe that these were discards from mining.
In Kansas City I passed close by a Bally Sports Club, so stop and showered as it was so convenient.
I drove for another couple of hours and it was getting dark in Cameron, MO. I noticed a particularly nice sunset and took this picture of it. Then I stopped and got gas, used the bathroom, called family in New York, and stayed the night in a residential neighborhood with cars parked on the street. From Cameron I took US 63 over to State Highway 149 (just before Macon, MO).
On April 1, after a couple of hours driving I was just pulling into Goldsberry, MO. When I had visited as a boy they had a sign listing the population as 27 or so, but now the sign just says Goldsberry and the population seems to be about eight. I think that most such small farming towns have really suffered since WWII when most all the farmers got cars and trucks so that they can get to town much quicker than on horse back. Kirksville is about 30 minutes drive and has a Walmart Super Center and such. now there is no need for little general stores and such every five to ten miles.
This is the house where my grandma and grandpa Turner retired to and where we visited them when I was a boy. I have many fond memories of that house. It is one of the few houses in Goldsberry that is currently occupied (or was until the current resident moved to town temporarily for better medical care).
This is the now abandoned building where they used to have the black smith, post office, and general store. The post office was just a window at the general store. The gas station in town is completely gone.
About two and half miles northeast of Goldsberry is Martin's house. When we would visit Missouri when I was a boy, we would normally stay with Grandma and Grandpa Turner while often visiting Uncle Felix at this house. I have many fond memories of visiting here and riding horses and such.
Here is my cousin Martin relaxing after feeding the cows in the morning. He took over the farm when Felix retired and moved into the house after Felix died a year or so ago. Martin had been an engineer for G.E. and then an agricultural economist for the state, but is much happier now on the farm (though the money is not quite as good).
This is Martin's wife, Bev as she was fixing corn bread for dinner. Yumm! She had worked as a secretary when they lived in town and is also happier now helping out around the farm.
This is their son Nathan or Nate. He is in the eighth grade and really enjoys track. He also likes to visit with his friends on the phone and on the internet (chatting and such). I had gotten Diablo II so that I could play on line with my son Jay, but Nate is really enjoying it as well, making computer time a scarce commodity. This is Nate playing Diablo II.
For the weekend of April 5, Jenny, their older daughter, and her boyfriend, Mike, visited from the Job Corps facility they are getting training at in Kansas City, MO. They have each been there a couple of years and are planning on leaving and getting a place together in Columbia, MO. Here they are at dinner which was the traditional Saturday dinner of quiche (and it was scrumptious).