Country Mart access is congested in Forsyth Missouri

As times get a little bit hectic the closer we get to the Thanksgiving Holidays and then Christmas, it pays to remember to be considerate to others. This point was driven home to me one afternoon when I found myself inadvertently blocking the parking access of a truck that was trying to unload in front of the Country Mart store in Forsyth, Missouri.

I was parked in a no parking zone while waiting for a relative to finish her shopping. She is disabled and has a hard time walking very far as a result of a hip replacement surgery some years ago. The thing is that there is evidently no loading dock for trucks to unload. They must park in front of the building. A process made that much more difficult when people like me are blocking the way. This is even more exacerbated considering the increased need to stock the stores during the holiday rush.

The fact that Country Mart has apparently made little effort to accommodate both needs is a subject for a later blog. Right now, the trucks should be given the right of access and I will make an effort in the future to make an allowance for them.

Sorry, Tracy, my bad.

Free speech in Europe

River Run November 2010 Update

Thanks to a 240K federally funded program, River Run Park located just east of the town of Forsyth Missouri, will look better than ever in spite of damage done by flooding over the last few seasons.

According to Brent VanOrder, superintendent of the Redstone Construction Group out of Little Rock Arkansas, over 1,160 tons of asphalt was laid to improve the roads that service campsites throughout the park. In addition, some 60 yards of concrete was poured to renovate the over pass that crosses Silver Creek. A site that was riddled with potholes and other flood related damage. They also leveled and eliminated potholes that encumbered access to the Powersite dam.

As I walked to park on this date, I was impressed. Even during difficult economic times, efforts are still being made to preserve and protect our park system.

December 2009 was actually a bitch!

I erroneously posted a graph that showed what a great and warm month December 2009 was. Actually last December was a real bitch, it you'll pardon my French.The correct graph is at right. The mean temperature for the month was 33F against a historical average of 35F. As you know, even a small shift in mean temperatures for a whole month mean big shifts in how warm or cold you feel.

According to my sources which include an aging psychic, an out of work meteorologist and a tarot card reader, this winter season should be on the mild side with lots of moisture and an occasional blizzard thrown in for some excitement.

Note: All data represented here was from readings taken in the Forsyth, Missouri area.

Local e-cigarette vendor thinks he can help!

If you are looking to quit cigarette smoking or even if you are trying to cut back, then e-cigarettes may be worth a look. When a user “smokes” one of these, there are white puffs coming out of their nostrils just like the real thing, but there is no second-hand smoke: just flavored water vapor. When the user draws a breath, a colored light glows on the end of the device. When the user stops drawing in a breath, there is no second-hand smoke: the device just stops. Nobody close at hand even smells anything. But best of all, these cigarettes don’t contain any tobacco. They do contain measured dosages of nicotine, however to help people quit the real thing. Nicotine doses in the cartridges are rated as low, medium, high, and zero nicotine. The high strength cartridge has the nicotine equivalent of a regular cigarette. The idea is to start there and then back off gradually until you are smoking nothing but water vapor.

I’ve personally seen these devices in action and, while there are some risks, they seem definitely better than the real thing. This is true especially in terms of second hand smoke, of which there is none when using these devices. Hurrah!

If you live in the Branson-Forsyth area, call Johnny Jones for a free demonstration. He’s got C.OP.D., has smoked for 54 years and has tried everything under the sun to quit. Nothing worked until he discovered e-cigarettes. Johnny can be reached at 417-849-4278 or emailed at Johnny147@Centurytel.net if you need additional information or would like to schedule an appointment.

Chico Vega’s World Famous Drifters

Will be appearing at a dinner and dance sponsored by the Rockaway Chamber of Commerce this coming November the 20^th. Advance sales only are $10 for adults and $5 for children.

The dinner will be served from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM and includes Turkey Tetrazzini, a Caesar Salad, biscuits, dessert and a beverage. The dance portion of the evening will begin at the end of the dining period at 7PM.

Call 417-561-4280 for information. Note: Pricing, date and time can be subject to change.

Coldest morning of the season, so far!

Forsyth Missouri - Shiver me timbers! Our first shot of really cold air of the fall season occurred on the morning of Friday, October the 29th when temperatures dropped to the mid twenties (27F) in some parts of southwest Missouri! A combination of high pressure, clear skies and calm winds all created a situation where radiational cooling could have maximum effect. Think about it. Temperatures in the twenties and it’s not even November yet. Wow!

The temperature fall overnight was an impressive one. All the way from the mid fifties in the late afternoon to a chilly 34F just after midnight. By 3AM, the mercury had fallen to thirty degrees and then after that things really got seriously cold with a 6AM reading in the mid twenties. Brrr! I can tell you that when it gets this cold, the old electric meter is really spinning that little metal disk! I’ve got my furnace turned on and set to 71F. I even have a couple of space heaters deployed in keys areas to supplement it.(See my article on heat conservation due later this winter). With some electric customers having suffered a recent 14% hike in their rates, a cold and long winter season could have a measurable impact. Just how cold can it get? Well, in 1905 in Warsaw Missouri on February the 13th the temperature plummeted to 40 below zero! If that wasn't bad enough, it can also get cold for a long time. The current record for our state was the winter of 1978-79 that posted an average temperature of only 24.1 degrees. I'd hate to see the electric bill from back then!