THE SCARIEST HALLOWEEN

The night was chilly and misty.  But she had decided to  go out anyway.
She put on a rain cape and pulled the hood over her face.  She went out
and headed straight for the pumpkin patch. I know my way she thought.

Mist covered the ground. It was scary.  As she walked along, she thought
she saw a mob of people making their way toward her.  They were being
led by the tiniest bird. Then she began to see the people were all
very small children in single file like in a parade.

The leader had big floppy ears and was carrying a WWII flyer's helmet
 and wore a white scarf. The last child was waving what looked like a big letter.

All of sudden some one pulled at her coat.  She looked down and saw
a  round bald headed kid.  It was Charlie Brown!* He pulled her down
and whispered, "Want to know what's in the letter ?"

According to Charlie the kid was writing to the great Pumpkin.  The kid
asked the great Pumpkin if he could help the children understand a few
things like why people were losing their good senses.  Charlie continued talking.

Like asking the Great Pumpkin why people were
telling lies.  Like saying kids don't want to learn to read, or other things.
Like guns don't kill people or why moms and dads were called lazy
because they did not have a job or why people were so mean to each
other and other lies about a whole bunch of stuff to each other.

That's when Charlie paused.  He Looked up and then looked directly into her eyes
and asked "Do you know why?" and then he disappeared into the misty night.

                           *  *  *  *  *

*With apology to Charles M. Schulz. 1922 - 2000

 

VINEYARDS OF MISSOURI

On a recent beautiful, cold 40 degree day, I took the opportunity
to visit Missouri's wine country, even though I am no wine connoisseur.
We took highway 40 West to a small, two lane, hilly road to Augusta.

I wasn't disappointed.  The trees were beginning to show and
weeping willows gave us a royal bow as we passed them.

Our road followed the Missouri River and we were soon passing
rich farm land and historical markers. We passed quickly but
we passed one that marked Daniel Boone's home and
museum. Near by the Bush Wildlife Preserve which once housed an
ammunition center is said to have bomb shelters hidden in the ground.
Signs for gun and fishing clubs popped up every so often. 

Defiance, one of the towns we came through had small houses with
white picket fences and signs that the Katy Trail ran through it.
Bicyclists,  families and walkers were using the path.  As we came
close to our destination, Balducci Vineyards, we passed row after
row of the vineyards of other farms.

To my surprise I learned there are more than 120
wineries in Missouri located in nine different sections of the state.
 A brochure with all this information is available at the
Missouri Wine & Grape Board, missouriwine.org

Any one of the nine wine trails of Missouri is worth a day's trip for the
scenery alone.  I did taste a red and white and found them pleasant.