Midway Flea Market - check it out!

 Just had to put in a plug for this great flea market, just west of Columbia.  If you're driving anywhere nearby this summer, I recommend a stop.  It has alot of great stuff, basically any collecting specialty you have, you will find a booth for it here.  I liked the antique fishing stuff including lures and decoys of course.  Just off 70, link is below.  So big that there's always something new to see.  If you've got a favorite, let me know.
 
http://www.midwaytruckstopusa.com/truck-stop-travel-plaza/businesses/antique-mall

December-January shows

Just wanted to post a reminder that December and January are great months for collectors. There are alot more shows of all kinds around the holidays and the new year. For example, before Christmas I went to five different shows that were church benefits and had some great finds. Three were jumble sales where they have a real mix of things: home decor, outdoor goods, pins, caps, etc. I got a paperweight with a couple of preserved butterflies in it (don't know how they do that without crushing the butterflies.) The paperweight was still really clear, not cloudy so it looks great. I also picked up several miniature duck decoys, about 2-3 inches, kind of fun.

Hope everyone's new year is off to a good start!

Mushroom collecting

Went out hiking with a friend who knows alot about mushrooms, and we got a bunch to fry up with butter and salt. He said he'd had them alot of times before, so I had to trust him! I let him take the first bite though. Very tasty! We'll go out again, but I'm not allowed to post his favorite spots here.

Rock Bridge

Sure got hot fast! What happened to spring? I decided last weekend to hike somewhere cool and shady, so headed out to Rock Bridge park. I always enjoy this place. The hillsides and trees keep it cool and the trails aren't usually too crowded. If it gets too hot, you can always try a cave! Highly recommend this area.

Spring is here!

I'm ready for spring after all this snow and cold! I will probably still wait another two weeks before doing any new planting in the garden. Right now I'm just working on mulching and clearing. I've got alot of brush and some honeysuckle growth to cut back.

Hope to do some hiking this weekend; haven't decided what trails yet. I'll give an update on that. Meanwhile, happy spring everyone.

February thaw at last

Like everyone else here in this part of the state, we really got hit by the big snowstorm at the beginning of the month! Schools were closed and we had alot of digging out to do. Maybe it's time to think about buying a snowblower after all! Luckily we've now had our big thaw, so all we're left with is mud. I'm hoping to get out for a hike this weekend. We've had alot of birds and small animals getting more active again. I took the feeder down with all the snow and iced, but I will probably put that up again soon. Meanwhile, just glad to see some sun (though rain is on its way).

Back online

Haven't been able to post much for awhile! Too busy, and kind of let things slide. But I'm back now and looking forward to reporting on a few good trips and swap meets this fall. Went to a great flea market near Moberly last weekend. Bought some metal brackets that I think I can use to make more shelves. I hope to get out next weekend to take advantage of the good weather and see some fall color. More later!