Peaches, Again...

 If it seems like I talk about peaches a lot, feel free to tell me about it.  If God made anything better than peaches He kept it for Himself.  If not for peaches, Earthly Sojourn might be dull indeed.

There are two huge peaches that I know of in America.  There could be more but since I don't know about them they probably do not exist.  Imagine how I felt upon leaving home for the greater world only to discover that peaches grow in other counties and states.  I thought we invented them and owned them.

So many are grown in Spartanburg County, South Carolina that one of the water tanks actually looks like a peach.  How did that happen?  The other large peach stands beside Interstate 65 near Clanton, Alabama.  It turns out that sandy soil, plenty of water and warm weather with a minimum of late spring cold snaps is what really counts.  I am glad it turned out that way.



Peach beside Interstate 85 near Gaffney, SC

The Spam Museum

It always amazes me at how much content there really is off any given interstate exit.

For years we rode through Austin, Minnesota, sticking to Interstate 90 because that is what we do.  Little did we know that only a short distance to the south of exit 178b, in the refurbished remains of an old K-Mart building was one of the truly interesting museums of middle America.

Whether or not Spam is a part of your diet is very much beside the point, as the museum, sponsored by Hormel, explains it history, tracks its success, shows its content and even pokes a little fun at itself.

Next time through Austin, it will be well worth the hour it takes to discover a product that became an American icon.

Nice Ride...

Every now and then, you see a car that just looks so fine, even though you know it's not your style. The boys would like this one, especially if it came with neon lights that reflected off the road at night.

Seeing an automobile like this brings up a larger question: How great is it to live in a nation that not only produces the original, but has the imagination and capacity to upgrade all the improvements?

Is this a great country or what?

Everywhere Signs

There are any number of places in America where major roads cross. It's not too easy to get lost, if you just stay close to the big road and watch the signs.

In Mt Vernon, Illinois, somebody took a sampling of signs and put them all together in one spot. Hopefully, travelers will remember how to get back to the highway.

As we all know, signs can be confusing, especially in Mt Vernon.

End of the peaches

As I said earlier, South Carolina grows far more peaches than Georgia, the self-proclaimed "peach state". Any trip near the small town of McBee, SC is incomplete without a purchase of the delicious fruit from McLeod's Peach Farm. Otherwise, you just feel like something is unfinished.

In previous trips, we have tried transporting two(2) or more cases back home to the Rocky Mountains. We look pretty funny hauling a couple of boxes of peaches into motel rooms every night. No matter how hard we try the peaches always give up before we can get them to our house. Inevitably, we end up eating way too many in an attempt to waste not.

So, when we left South Carolina for the last time this year, as always, we stopped by the Peach Shed on the way out. Knowing that we had that two thousand miles to go, mostly in September when the weather is still warm, we opted to buy only one(1) case of Mac's Pride #1's this time instead of the usual two(2). Good thing.

Nine(9) days later, in Colorado and still two(2) days from home, only three(3) peaches are left, not a one thrown away. I am tempted to declare victory, but not until these last ones are gone.

Mobility is everything, these days

Like I said earlier, small businesses have to find a way to get noticed. And, if you can get seen in more than one place that is even better.

Up in Wisconsin, a place noted for its cheese, this pizza delivery arrangement not only brings dinner but confirms the well being of the American entrepreneurial spirit.

At first, I couldn't tell whether the moose was accidental, a hired hand, a freeloader or just in love. Nevertheless, there he rides, a monument to free enterprise and the great northern woods.

Environmentally sensitive

If you look closely, you can see a mother goose and goslings, crossing a road. It happened as we were madly dashing for Canada, so we could turn around and madly dash back. We turned a corner along with dozens of other travelers who were hurriedly on their way to wherever, and there they were.

I suppose it could be argued that ravelled up in their DNA was the information that deeded that particular piece of real estate to them from their ancestors and so they had a right to be there, no matter that Big Box and several smaller Boxes had built right there on their property without their permission.

Someone got out of a car and yelled "stop" and we all did while they ambled across the dangerous byway to safety. Just for that still moment everyone at that exit understood what was really important in our mad dash world.