Best laid plans...

Our free Rural Electric monthly newspaper has a section advertising events around Missouri. 

Usually we read it and lament over events we missed.  We say to each other, "We could have gone to that!"  or "That would have been a lot of fun."

So we were pretty excited when, as we sat drinking our coffee, Saturday morning we looked through the events and saw there was a Bluegrass Festival going on in Dixon.  We're big bluegrass fans.  Dixon is a tiny town of around 1200 located 60 miles or so from us.  The scenic drive is along two lane, winding, hilly, blacktop highways.  As we topped hill after hill we'd gaze off into the distance in wonder. 

As we drove into Dixon we noticed the town seemed to be unusually quiet for a place hosting a Bluegrass Festival.  After driving around like lost souls for a bit, we finally stopped and asked.  .... Yes, we asked for directions!.  Some local group was hosting a BBQ in a parking lot and a kind lady told us the Festival Park was back the way we had come.  She had not been there before, but if there was a festival, that would be the place.

After we did a bit of backtracking, there it was - the bluegrass pickin' campground.  But it was empty.  Dead.  Nada.  Apparently our little free newspaper got the date wrong.  We now know the festival is held on labor day weekend.  From the looks of their website it is going to be a pretty big deal. 

Our reaction to the mis-information

So how does that saying go?  "When life gives you lemons, make...."  We made fried chicken out of it.  Defeated, we headed back the way we came.  But with some little side trips.  As we saw the road signs - this way to Crocker... this way to Meta... this way to Vienna..., Jim started reminescing about his childhood trips to extended family who lived in Meta.  He finally saw the gravel road that lead to their old home place.
Driving slowly down the road we watched red tail hawks soaring on the breeze.  A family of goats were open grazing in a farmer's garden.  I'll bet they were grounded when their extra curricular activities were discovered.



Yea, big guy, you are soooo busted...



We drove through the water of several low water bridge crossings.

View from low water bridge crossing.  Jim's childhood memory was just around the bend.

We finally stopped at Sugar Creek Restaurant in Meta.  My friend Patti had recommended it on her blog a few weeks ago.  The fried chicken dinner was really good.

A few years ago a friend and former co-worker told me she and her husband were refurbishing and opening a restaurant.  Since my friend lives in St. Thomas, I always assumed her restaurant was in St. Thomas.  But we had never visited her restaurant...    Imagine my surprise as we sat waiting for our food, in walks my friend, Tiffanie, ready to work.  Just by chance, we were in her restaurant.  It took me a bit to get the answer of 4 as I was putting together the fact that Patti's recommended resaurant and my friend's place were one in the same.  It was great fun catching up on families and happenings. 

Here's my thinking.  If the CoOp newspaper had not gotten their information wrong, we never would have taken the scenic drive.  We would not have gone down a gravel road of Jim's memory lane across low water creeks.  And we never would have happened into an old friendship at Sugar Creek Restaurant.  I'm thinking I'm glad a mistake that turned into a nice day was made.

Maybe I should also mention that one other time this same newspaper listed a community-wide flower garden event in the beautiful little town some distance from us, Ste. Genevieve.  We decide to take that drive, much like the drive of this past weekend, only to discover the flower show had been moved to another weekend. 

Maybe this litte paper isn't the most reliable source of event information... Just maybe....