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Maybe it is a chance to leave the cold Florida weather for the verdant
springtime of 2010 in Oquawka. The first thing I notice is the landscape is
much greener here as evidenced by a visit to Fred's house. On Schuyler
Street is the rock commemorating the visit to Oquawka by Barack Obama, just
down the way from the most interesting purple martin colony. |
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We had that issue about how long "novelty siding" has been around.
Doug found an article on the Internet dating it to the 1890's. We
estimate the barn was built sometime in the 1920's. Then a trip to the
Oquawka cemetery for Bill to verify the spelling and placement of Beth's
headstone. From the first trip to the lumber yard to the last screw on
the floor, the deck is refurbished in one week. |
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Saturday night it rained too hard to use the newly constructed deck. |
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It takes two people to clear the riverbank, one to run the chainsaw, the
other to call 911.
The river view has improved.
Dave asked about the history of the monolith in the yard; here's the story
as I remember it: When the Colonial Hotel in Monmouth was demolished,
Dad brought two of the four iron pillars from the front steps (see pictures
below) to Oquawka to anchor a pier for the boat. That worked fine
until Spring when ice
washed away the pier. Years later he was wading around and stubbed his
toe on one of the columns, which he winched up the hill and planted in the
yard. The other should still be on the bottom of the river if anyone
wants to salvage it.
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When John asked what was wrong
with the Old Door, I didn't have a good answer until I found several
gnawed-upon rodent bait packages and three mouse carcasses. Of course
I would have installed a New Door regardless. |
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Putting in the deck we find rot
in the window frame extending to the bottom of the wall. It's a
temporary fix, but ideally, the window should be removed, reframed and
reinstalled. Walking down the stairs, I see the Dell Butcher, the
pusher Dad and Jim took to Pigs Eye back (I think) in 1972. |
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Times change; possibly due to law
enforcement, there are now only four taverns in Oquawka. And one motel. |
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Heading home we stop in
Collinsville, Illinois to see the World's Largest Catsup Bottle. It's
a 70 foot tall riveted steel bottle, sitting on a 100 foot tower.
Sometime between building the bottle in 1949 and today, Birds Eye changed
the name from Catsup to Ketchup. |
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Our last stop is in Owensboro to
visit Uncle Virgil. As a bonus we visit Bruce, Bob, Teri and Bradford. |
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