"A Memorial Day to Remember"

We stay home on Memorial Day and the holiday weekend that goes along with it; and yet, we travel back in time or so it seems.

A small group of us got started on Saturday morning by placing flags on all the soldiers graves in our biggest cemetery which is a couple miles out in the country. Instead of rushing, we stroll along and take time to remember those who have served as protectors of our freedom. We have fallen soldiers from WWI, WWII, Korean Conflict, Vietnam, and more recent Middle East wars. This simple act of placing a flag in a holder transforms an otherwise plain country resting place into a colorful and patriotic symbol of honor. These soldiers would like it this way.

After that, we go to 4 more local cemeteries within a 10 mile radius and do the same for those soldiers. They are rural and small but are peaceful and nice places to be laid to rest.

And then otherwise we have a normal weekend like most folks do. 

But on Monday (which is the actual Memorial Day observance) we host a party at our home each year. By then most of our friends are ready to get together and visit. Mrs PF and her sister love to cook and entertain and have good organizational skills which doesn't hurt anything. It doesn't take long before the sandy street alongside our home is transformed into an antique car show since alot of our friends are into that hobby like we are.

Not too many years ago, the Catholic Church across the street from us built a new parish hall that we often use for events like this. Having a big room with kitchen and restrooms and climate control is a real luxury in our little town of 400 friendly folks and we appreciate it. 

Things got started at noon or so with a "happy hour" where liquid refreshments and appetizers were enjoyed. Some of us rode my motorized bikes and acted like kids. Or at least, I did...

And right as planned we went inside the Parish Hall for a grand meal of roasted pork loins with and without sauerkraut. There were a great assortment of side dishes that many of the guests had brought with them. Everything tasted good and we were hungry. The good attitudes and happy faces made for good conversation and easy visiting.

And while the guests were eating, I stepped outside to take some car photos. Imagine going to a car show without leaving home---I am lucky.

After we ate, it was time to saddle up and cruise up Main St. and fall in line for the annual PF Memorial Day parade. I call it the ghost parade. Just us folks on an empty downtown street with no spectators except for a handful of passersby wondering what is going on...,

The "Grand Marshalls" this year were my friends "the Ecks" from Beloit, KS which is about 1.5 hours away from here. We also had guests from Texas, Missouri, and Nebraska as well as Kansas.

After this long parade of 3-4 blocks, it was time to eat dessert. The girls did not disappoint us and had homemade ice cream of vanilla, strawberry, root beer, coconut, and rum raisen varieties.

There was cake, brownies, cookies, and pies as well.

 This sure was a good way to help us "keep our strength up" and was enjoyed by all.

And afterwards, I had made a "key to the city" which our mayor Gary (my friend and neighbor across the street) presented to my friends from Nebraska (Lincoln and Omaha) to welcome them here. He (on the left) was assisted by Mrs. PF who is shown here on the right. He told them this key would unlock the doors of happiness and I hope it did.

I posed with one of the Nebraska gals in front of the iconic PF limo which sadly was used for display only this time as it awaits a new engine transplant that will happen soon.

This is Donita who I refer to as former "Miss Nebraska"

and not to be left out was her pretty sister-in-law Marilyn who I later awarded "Best Pie Baker" in reference to the scrumptious rhubarb pie she had brought us.

 After this, most of the guests stayed and enjoyed the nice weather on our lawn drinking cold liquid refreshments and telling stories. Here is a photo of the men but I must have not taken one of the women.

And somewhere along about 7 pm or so we realized we hadn't had anything to eat for a few hours so the girls whipped up some pork sandwiches and leftover side salads and it was good. Amazingly we were hungry still...

By this time, most folks were leaving and a few of us locals went back to the 5 cemeteries to pick up the flags we had left on Saturday. By 9 pm the day was done and we were relaxing and thinking what a good day it had been.

So, that wraps up this year's event and I think we should do it again next year. Thanks for coming along for this report of the antic of Poverty Flats where the fun is simple, the food is good, and the smiles are plenty....

"The Ghost Garage"

I have driven by it many times for many years....and I always thought it was an old lumberyard or something like that. I'm a car guy and I look for old gas stations or garages in small or ghost towns.
Normally I can spot them a mile away but this one was different.
I had parked along side it for the first time ever today and opened my cooler to retrieve my lunch and cold water. And for the first time I saw the service bay or pit that was wide open to the great outdoors. The doors must have rotted away. And of course, I had to have a closer look.

I saw where an old sign post had once stood advertising the brand of gasoline for sale.

And I found the island where the pumps would have stood in the tall grass and weeds in front of this old 56 International wheat truck was parked...

I looked closer at the building and did not see any "no trespassing" or "keep out" signs so I went in for a look around.

I entered thru the pit area and it still had some grease equipment in place ready for lube jobs and oil changes...

A mop still hung on the wall to clean up the nearby restrooms...

and some old pop bottles told me that a machine selling cold drinks would have served many thirsty travelers a long time ago...

As I walked inside I looked up at the decorative tin ceiling made by some tin smith craftsman...

And there were old car parts to look at and it was nice to see the place had not been plundered by thieves even though it is wide open to the great outdoors...

I even found a primitive old early lawn mower with cast magnesium deck and missing it's motor...

And even a couple of complete engines were still there too including a desirable Mercury flathead V8...

and more parts...

This is the view of the big garage door in the front from the inside...

Also near the front was this old chalkboard that indicated the building may have been a feed store at some point in it's past life...
I noticed they sold pig feed but there are no hogs for miles around this area now....another sign of the past...
And I wondered to myself if whoever had written on the board knew his handiwork would endure for many decades like it had...

And then I found a real treasure in the very back of the building...
A 38 Ford one ton truck in really good shape...
These used to be considered ugly ducklings but now are seen as cool and rare...
I could not get a good photo in the dark and cramped space I had to work in...

Realizing my lunch break was over and time to get back on the road, I looked over the IH truck outside one more time...

And took a photo of the back door where the Ford was parked...

And I noticed an abandoned house next to it that sat further back from the street painted to match this building and my guess is the owner had lived there while operating this business.
It is clear to me that someone still owns this property and uses it for storage. I was glad to discover it even though it wasn't ever lost. After all, it was hiding in plain sight from me for several years....and perhaps the rest of the world too.
Thanks for joining me on another adventure of the backroads of the Mid West where time stands still in a few places.