Illuminati-R-Us

Been porch sittin' all summer. My arms are the darkest tan I ever had. Getting my vitamin D.

Couple days ago, I am sitting on the bench out front, and a guy drives by, turns into our circle drive, and pulls up in front of me and rolls down a window. He asks, "Where do you get dragon milk?" What? Dragon milk. "I don't know what that is." He says. "It comes from cows with really short legs so it is draggin' on the ground." Then he rolls his window back up and drives away. Ah, draggin' milk. Caught me totally by surprise.

Today we were out running around, and I came home with a newspaper and a cold beer and sat out front. The wife continued inside. Yakking with my neighbors. We watch the street out front, and a truck went by pulling a large trainer emblazoned "Mason high school marching band". SO I said, "The band is here." I say that whenever I see someone toting an instrument. When I was touring with the rock bands, we'd arrive at a club and walk in with our instruments and someone there would always call out, "The band is here." SO now I do it. And I wondered where they were going. I finished my beer...

Turns out they were going right around the corner by our north side wall. It was the homecoming parade, mustering on our side street. . Saw several uniformed people walking back there. And when we looked there were at least a hundred uniformed teenagers with instruments. They were ratatatting and tuning up for a while. Sparkly little girls were twirling flags. I could see at the far end were several vehicles with the homecoming "royalty" sitting up on the rear decks of convertibles. And a whole passel of really young kids, in junior cheerleader suits or a bunch of kids in uniforms with numbers on then, presumably football teams of one sort or another. A really butch looking woman in a black suit conferred with the drum majors and then stood aside peering at her wrist watch. I assume she was the band teacher. Then at the moment the courthouse clock tower struck 6PM, she cued the band who started to play something and the escort police car ahead of them started up the street. Then the whole she-bang walked on up the street. One little cart of folks was tossing hands full of candy onto the street. Little kids scrambled, but then so did a number of adults. There were two drum majors. Well really, there was a drum major, a full size fellow in his white uniform and shiny baton. There was a second but he or she was a tiny person, so I decided she was a drum minor.

The parade was going up a block then turning right and a half mile or so down to the high school for the big game. Friday night is football night in middle America. The parade was not all that long, I had walked around the building a ways to watch. Upper 80s. gentle breeze, not too humid. Fine porch sittin' weather.

Driving down the road earlier we passed a sign that said "FOR LEASE". I started singing....doodle-doodle-doodle-dooo, doo-doo-do-doooo, doo-doo-do-doooo. Doodle-doodle-doodle-dooo. etc. The wife heaved a large sigh. Fur Elise, indeed...

There is a lot to be said for small town life.

Enzo wrote: The parade was not all that long, I had walked around the building a ways to watch.

It's Mason. No parade is all that long.

Enzo wrote:
Driving down the road earlier we passed a sign that said "FOR LEASE". I started singing....doodle-doodle-doodle-dooo, doo-doo-do-doooo, doo-doo-do-doooo. Doodle-doodle-doodle-dooo. etc. The wife heaved a large sigh. Fur Elise, indeed...

That was MY joke. You stole it. And didn't give me credit, even.

::hits wrong buzzer yet again::

What do you mean YOUR joke? I saw the sign and started singing the song.

Heid the Ba wrote:There is a lot to be said for small town life.

Absolutely, and I would love to visit the town, places and landscapes that Enzo has been describing to us these last few years.

Well today was Down Home Days in downtown Mason. No apparent connection to yesterday's homecoming.

Every year they have a festival. Little booths all around the perimeter of the courthouse lawn. There are crafters selling candles or jewelry or kitschy stuff for the lawn. Local author hawking her book. The Mason historical Society had a booth selling their books. I had no idea... There were some smaller pamphlets, but there was a large thick book of Mason in World War 2: 1942. There were fun things for kids, like a moon bounce. Some food trucks. One had a lot of customers, a grilled cheese truck. Not just for plain grilled cheese. (A fine sandwich right there) But also with pulled pork or bacon or a host of other additions. There was a basic hot dogs and fries truck and a popcorn truck. Chamber of Commerce was there somewhere.

There were booths (Maybe tents is a better term) for some businesses. One that cleans up, especially after a basement flooding or a fire, there were roofers. I stopped at a realtor table, and they had an array of swag to choose from. Key rings, cheap pens, and I was eyeing the magnetic chip clips. One of the ladies said, "Would you like something?" I said "Sure, a daiquiri." They liked that idea. But I wound up with the chip clip instead.

I left the Home about 10;30AM and sat in the sun briefly, then decided to walk downtown. A block away is a new breakfast restaurant and bakery, and I knew they were sorta half open. I decided I could walk that far and back. They are in the corner across from the courthouse, so I could check out the festival from there. I went in and they had very little ready, shelving covered up and only a few items for sale, as expected. Nice young couple putting this all together. I asked the guy if they would be baking bread, he assured me they would. I asked if he would be baking any salt rising bread, a personal favorite. He hadn't heard of it. Bummer. So I told him to google it. He said I was the second person that day to ask for it. I said then he will sell at least two of them. I welcomed them to the community and wished them luck.

I felt pretty good still so decided to walk around the courthouse. One of the first booths I encountered was a baker, and they had all manner of breads. I looked them over and way around to the side, there it was SALT RISING BREAD. I expressed my surprise, and the girl told me a lot of people don't make it because it isn't as simple as regular bread. "How many do you want?" I will wait until I walk all around, I don't want to carry anything. I bet she expected never to see me again, but a while later, there I was. I bought a loaf for me and some sourdough for the wife.

Sunny and breezy and not overly warm, a perfect day for walking around. Town businesses were hopping. The deli and the bookstore are somehow in cahoots (same ownership) so you can get food in the corner Deli and there are a bunch of tables in front of the bookstore, where you can eat and sit. They were full. OH and The Scoop - the local ice cream store had tons of business. Keans Store Company - a big version of an old 5&10 cent store had sidewalk deals. It is a large store with retro stuff but also cards and stationery, yard goods, yuppie toys for the kids, a candy counter, etc. Alas, it was not yet noon as I walked on home so the brewery was not yet open, or I would have hoisted a pint.

More walking than I have done in a while and I felt remarkably good afterward.

A short rest on the bench under the tree out front of the home and then decided to go to the store and get my paper and a cold beer. Which thing I did. Back on my bench and open the beer, take a taste and about then the wife emerges from the home and wants to go somewhere. But...but...but... I just opened my beer. SO I was allowed to consume my chilled Labatt's. Then hauled the old lady around. But that is a story for another time.

Lianachan wrote:

Heid the Ba wrote:There is a lot to be said for small town life.

Absolutely, and I would love to visit the town, places and landscapes that Enzo has been describing to us these last few years.

I will admit to Google street viewing Mason.

Heid the Ba wrote:I will admit to Google street viewing Mason.

Someone posted a photograph on the interwebs, and I recognised the location immediately - it was along the north coast of the main island here, right on the water, with a promenade along the beach and a fence keeping you from falling in.

Someone asked where it was, so I went to Google Street View to show it, and discovered the promenade and the fence seem to have been renovated in the eleven years since the Street View images were taken

Are you more correctly referred to as Masons, or Masonites? And what about the free part?

I might call us Masonites, but only if I am board. Any reasonable soul wood.

And free? I am free most evenings.

Enzo wrote:
And free? I am free most evenings.

I keep putting the sign on him and yet no takers.

I hope you enjoy things on the moon, dear. You are SO on your way.

Ol' Garrison Keillor couldn't describe Lake Weobegon any better.

He's taller, and less hairy. At least that is how I tell us apart...