Bring in the New Year at John's Frosted Mug!

Country Mart Norkotah Russet potatoes! A bargain!

ORIGIN: Selected from a cross made in North Dakota between ND9526-4 Russ x ND9687-5 Russ and tested as ND534-4 Russ. Released by North Dakota in 1987.

CHARACTERISTICS: Russet Norkotah is an early to medium maturity cultivar grown primarily for the fresh market. Yields are medium and tuber specific gravity is low to medium.

Plants are medium sized, slightly upright; stems are medium thick with non-pigmented nodes and internodes. Leaves are medium in size, open and slightly pubescent. Buds are slightly pigmented, corolla is white and anthers are yellow-orange. Tubers are long to oblong, smooth, russeted and have shallow, bright golden eyes. Tuber flesh is white, dormancy is medium and sprouts are white with some purple pigment at the tip.

STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES: Russet Norkotah has a very attractive general appearance with a high percentage of U.S. No. 1 tubers. Tuber shape and type are very desirable for the count-carton market. The variety is not well suited for processing. It is adaptable to many of the growing areas.

Russet Norkotah is susceptible to most viruses and late blight. It is very susceptible to Verticillium wilt and early blight. It is reported to have some tolerance to common scab and silver scurf.

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Above are the basics concerning the five pound bagged potatoes that are offered at the Country Mart store located in Forsyth Missouri. I like to buy these to take home as they are an excellent value. Following are some raw stats I came up with:

Count per bag: ~12 potatoes costing $2.99

Avg small found in bag: 185 grams

Avg large found in bag: 234 grams

Avg combined = ~210 grams or 7.4 ounces per potato (a medium size tater)

Avg cost per per potato = .28 cents

Avg calories per potato = 204 calories

The above numbers came from a bag I purchased and from figures gleaned off the net. I noted that the calories weren't bad at all. I guess it might be the stuff we like to add (like butter) that can balloon those numbers up a lot! This article appeared at www.taneyweather.com!

Frosted Mug meal offering!

Forsyth MO. - Every year, for a long time, John's Frosted Mug located at 15861 US-160 in Forsyth Missouri has offered a great tasting Christmas meal on Christmas Day! And if I remember correctly, the meal is offered for much of the day starting at 11AM! Inquiries can be made by calling 417-546-4149!

Post Office mangles envelope and fails to get it delivered!

Forsyth MO. - I've spent the better part of a long life never having to worry about the mail system. But, in just the past few years, I've had my mail misdirected, received other people's mail (bank statements) and most recently I got the pictured payment envelope returned 17 days after it was placed into the mailbox at the local Post Office!

Late payments not only can incur fees, but can also do damage to a person's credit history. And, the add insult to injury, the number that the Post Office supplied to discuss this event was always busy, even after trying to call them nine times!Post Office mangles envelope and fails to get it delivered!

I've elected to bypass this agency as much as possible in the future.

Lots of activity at the roundabout near Forsyth MO!

Forsyth MO. - Anyone who has driven past the Shadowrock Lodge located near Peggy's Park Place may notice two things; 1) that the roundabout is getting a lot closer to completion and 2) that there has been some increased activity over at the Lodge. here are a few personal notes;

The Roundabout
When completed in a few weeks, the new bridge and roundabout will be able to handle the expected increase in area traffic over the next decade or so. This will benefit everyone in the area as vacationers, campers and fishermen return this spring to enjoy both the River Run and Shadowrock Park areas!

The Shadowrock Bar and Cafe
I had a chance to talk with one of the owners, a day or so ago, and learned that everything is progressing towards the opening of a bar sometime in early January. On the day of my visit, construction and communications people were in evidence, and while the interior was a work in  progress, I could see that this venue was going to become a popular social meeting place as we got into 2019. As soon as I'm given permission, I plan to release more details on the approval of the current management.

Did someone buy Charlie's?

Forsyth MO. - There was a rumor going around town that the restaurant formerly know as Charlie's Steak, Ribs and Ale may have been sold. And not wanting to be the spreader of rumors, I promise to check this story out with the Real Estate agency that is representing the property. News to come shortly!

Update: I talked with the folks representing the property on Monday, Dec 3 and was told that though there had been some offers, none of those were accepted.

Ozark Firearms! A good place to shop!

Branson MO - Ozark Firearms is owned and operated by Mr. Grant Holcomb. I recently visited his home/store to make a purchase and would like to recommend his place to anyone looking for a firearm or ammunition.  Please give him a call!

 The store has a good selection of all types of handguns including Glock and Ruger, in addition to many types of rifles!

Bartenders! What's with them?

Forsyth MO. - I used to never give much thought to people involved in the service industry. They're self-employed and appear in my world as servers at restaurants, hair cutters at saloons and as bartenders at bars! So, what was the big deal?

Well, the big deal is that these hard working men and women generally are on their own in the business world. Their wages are often at or below minimum wage. Lots of times they get zero health benefits and no pensions. In other words, they are pretty much hung out to dry and depend heavily on tips to even survive.

Were I in a position of power, I'd change that paradigm in a heartbeat. As it is, I can only tip well and try to promote a few select and deserving souls. Jessi is one such very deserving woman. See her at John's Frosted Mug in Forsyth MO!

River Run Park open? No, it's flooded! WTF?

Forsyth MO. - After being informed that the access road off Baker Street in Forsyth Missouri was open, I thought to drive by and maybe drive down into the River Run Park area, a location that had been shut off to the public for over a year.

As I approached the upper entrance to the Park, the gate was indeed open. I did notice the warning sign that the area was flooded. I thought that a bit strange as the Bull Shoals water level was at 655' MSL. That was actually very low as flood levels needed to exceed 670' or more to flood the Park. Well, being the devil may care person that I am, I proceeded bravely down the inclined road towards the Park area proper. But wait! Lo and behold, there was a second series of horse-style barricades all proclaiming the flooded state of the Park! I found that somewhat mystifying, as I could plainly see a semi-dry Park down below. Confounded and confused, I turned around and went back. Perhaps these sign had just been put up, I wondered.

As I motored on back to my home, I ruminated on what was going on with the Corps of Engineers, a group responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of River Run. I concluded that it was one of 4 possibilities; 1) the Park was actually flooded and what I was seeing was an illusion,  2) that the Corps was psychic and foresaw an impending flood yet to come, 3) that the Corps could not afford the proper signage and used what they had or 4) the some individuals in the Corps were perhaps a just a bit psycho.

McD's to honor the military on Veteran's Day!

Forsyth MO. In what I assume is a Nationwide promotion, McDonald's is offering a Free Egg McMuffin Extra Value meal to all active or retired military personnel who present an I.D. This event is set for Monday, November the 12th which coincides with Veterans Day!

I fully embrace this concept, but would also like to see others like it. How about honoring our Men and women in Blue, or our Fire fighters or EMT's. Perhaps a special Service Day could be set aside for them in the future.

INFO 2 KNOW : Home Electrical Safety

Taneyhills Community Library announces another great INFO 2 KNOW workshop free to the public. Tuesday, November 13 at 6:00 pm, Stephanie Barney, owner of Lightspeed Electrical and a regular on KRZK, will present “Home Electrical Safety.”

Stephanie says, “Keeping your home safe around electrical outlets is important. This is especially important for Baby Boomers and any empty-nesters as their children age out and leave, they stop checking many basic things like switches, wall outlets and extension cords.”

The workshop session is open to all ages and will be full of valuable information about the electrical aspects of your home. As the weather turns cooler, we spend more time indoors and in turn, use more electricity.

Be sure to reserve your place as space will be limited to 32 participants. Sign up at Taneyhills Library Front Desk or call 417-334-1418. KNFO 2 KNOW is an example of the services and community outreach the Library provides. Taneyhills Community Library is funded solely through donative and volunteer efforts.  The Library receives no local, State or Federal tax monies. 

Please place this event on your calendar if your organization maintains one.

Bull Shoals bridge blown!

Live video here!

Forsyth Mo. - At around 10:12 AM on a chilly Oct the 16th, the 65 year old Bull Shoals bridge superstructure was dynamited free of its supporting pillars. And it was a breathtaking event for hundreds of area residents, who gathered just to the west of the location, for a couple of reasons. For one thing, the blast was enormous as the entire structure came down in less that a second. For another, most of us were not prepared for it as the was not 'just before blast' warning given. So, everyone was shouting, 'did you get that'? Still, all in all, I was blessed to have witnessed something you just don't see every day!

In the field where I was located, I was surprised to see so many cars, this for an event that was word of mouth only. Yet, for all of that, emergency services were everywhere, both on land and water to make sure everyone was safe.

In this close up you can see how the blasts sheared the supports at the pillar hinge areas. The superstructure beams had been cut by acetylene torch beforehand. I understand that the remaining pillars will be removed once the steel superstructure and road bed is removed.
So it was, we locals bid a fond farewell to what had been a fixture in the Forsyth Missouri area for as long as many had been alive!

Demolition of Bull Shoals bridge getting near!

Forsyth MO. - Construction works and demolition experts were busy on Monday, October 15, 2018 getting the old bridge that spans Bull Shoals near Forsyth MO ready to be brought down. And while I'm not at liberty to disclose that actual date or time, I can state that it will be soon.

Sonic mini review! The All American Dog!

Forsyth MO. - Once in a while I develop a taste for a good old fashioned hot dog and when that happens I always think of the Sonic fast food venue located on the main Hwy 160 drag in Forsyth Missouri!

My only hesitation centered around the 'order box' where you can place an order in the drive thru lane. At times I've found it difficult to understand what was being said. On a few occasions, I just went ahead and repeated my order then drove forward, hoping for the best. Yes, it was that difficult to understand the little squeaky little voice coming out of that box! And yet, it was well worth the effort, as I could score an all American Hot dog and medium fries for only $4.31 including tax!

On this occasion, however, I breezed through the line, could clearly hear (see the short video) and was on my way in just a few short minutes!

Mintex Appliance Services!

Forsyth MO. - As my garbage disposal was making all sorts of noises, I looked around and heard about a company named Mintex that a few people had said performed excellent service. I gave them a call and was handled in a very professional manner. They also issued me a very complete quote. Technician/owner Chris Didlot arrived ahead of schedule and who was extremely courteous before getting right to work. Everything went smoothly and I was a very happy customer. Please, next time you need help with an appliance, give Mintex a call at 417-335-8308!