Triangles and Eagles

I'll get to HIS BOX blog post eventually.  I will!  No, I'm not procrastinating - I just haven't done it yet.  Should I add it to my goals?  If I haven't done it by Monday, I will.  So there.


My Christmas Post included a picture of Tessa, Julie, and Alicia with iron triangles.  Chicago Lady asked what the significance was of those triangles.  Here is the story.

We moved here in 1981.  Since we had a little acreage, our children tended to wander.  So did my husband.  I was constantly yelling at them when it was time to eat - to no avail.  One year, during one of our many trips to Branson and Silver Dollar City, we decided to buy one of their iron triangles.  The one we have was made by Shad Heller. 



Iron triangle made by Shad Heller at Silver Dollar City



If you read the story, you will see he was quite a personality.  We always enjoyed visiting with him during our many visits to Branson.  Once we got the iron triangle, everyone knew that when they heard the clanging, they'd better drop what they were doing and come running.



This year for Christmas we thought it would be fun to carry on the iron triangle tradition with our kids.  So we found another personality, Osage Bluff Blacksmith, through his wife, Osage Bluff Quilter and had a triangle Christmas!    We met The Blacksmith and Ms. Quilter through our blogs, but have since found our lives are very similar.  What great friends!



Daughters, Julie and Tessa, and Daughter-in-law, Alicia, opening presents of triangles



One of my goals is to take time to go Eagle Watching.   Cheryl of The Farmer's Daughter asked where we go eagle watching.  I'm probably not the best person to ask that question of since I have never spotted an eagle.  My daughter in law was telling me last weekend that one swooped down in the front of her car while she was driving to her brother's house.  Now that would have scared me to death.  But what a thrill!

Last year we went to the Lake of the Ozarks and happened onto Willmore Lodge.  You can read that post here.  We seriously talked about returning there within the next few weeks with big ol' thermoses of coffee and the camera and hanging out on the wrap around deck.  But we've decided to try someplace else.  By the way, it is Eagles Day at the Lake of the Ozark this weekend..  For more information on places to go for the best Eagle Watching opportunity, go to the Department of Conservation's web site.

Our plan is to head towards Hannibal, MO to the little town of Clarksville.  According to their official website,

Clarksville, MO is located on Missouri Highway 79 which is part of the Great River Road and is one of the most scenic highways along the Mississippi River.  It overlooks U.S. Lock and Dam 24, providing a close vantage point to
view all river boat and barge traffic.  This City, located in Pike County, is also
one of the largest winter migrating areas for the Bald Eagle.  Clarksville is filled with artists, potters, glass blowers, jewelry designers, antique dealers, furniture makers, and specialty craftsmen.

Clarksville is on a National Scenic Byway and lies halfway between Canada and the Gulf of Mexico, halfway between Hannibal and St. Louis, MO and is near the Clarence Cannon Dam and Mark Twain Lake.  It rests at the foot of Lookout Point/Sky Lift Hill, the top of which affords an 800 square mile view of the river and valley and is one of the highest points on the Mississippi  River.

I'm lookin forward to this road trip. Is there any doubt that there will be pictures? Maybe not of Eagles, although I hope so, but pictures never the less.

Ravenswood

We had noticed this house from the road years ago and hoped to someday get the chance to tour it.

So, last weekend when Jim was surfing the internet checking out interesting things to do, he noticed there was an annual Ice Cream Social and house tour at the Maclay House in Tipton.  We thought “This is perfect!  We’ve been wanting to see that house for ages!”
We headed up Highway 50, through Tipton, on to Highway 5, since we knew that is where the house is located.  But when we got there, we were the only ones there.  It didn’t take us more than two seconds (maybe only one) to figure out we had our homes mixed up and there really was a mansion IN Tipton, not north of Tipton, that really was giving tours and was having an ice cream social.  But, there was an OPEN sign on the gate of what we now knew is RAVENSWOOD.  What the heck.  We were there and this is the house we’d been wanting to see, so we walked around until someone came out.
I will have to tell you it was a little bit like stepping back in time.  The “tour guide” was apparently a caretaker who happened to give tours if someone showed up.  After we paid the $14 admission (we let him keep all $20… just because…), inside we headed.  I was occasionally put off by his wife-beater almost white t-shirt, and once white, very stained jeans.  We held our nose (seriously) and  pushed ahead. 
Ravenswood was built in 1880, and six generations later, remains in private ownership in the same family.  It and the 2000 acres that go with it is in a trust and cannot be sold.  We’ve heard that in many ways the family consider it a bit of an albatross around their necks. 
Over the years few changes have been made to the house.  Electricity and indoor toilets were added at some point.  My heart ached for the dismal state it was in.  Some rooms were kept in the “period”, others were mostly junk, and yet others were a mixture of the past and present.  It was all very confusing.
I think since we tipped George $6, he not only took us through the house, but also up the rickety stairs to the crows nest, and down into the moldy, damp, basement.
In the basement was a “gentleman’s room”, with a door only 18 to 20 inches wide.  This is where the men went when they wanted to drink or smoke, since neither were allowed on any other floor of the house.  The story is that the door was made narrow on purpose so that no woman in the full hooped dresses of that time period could get through the door into the men’s territory.   Supposedly the room was very elaborate at the time.  All we could see in the darkness was water/dirt covered floors and what looked like faded leather wallpaper.
 

Sometimes, mistakes are good.  This was one of those times.  But, next year we are going to try to make it to the annual Ice Cream Social at the Maclay house!