"Did you have fuel?"

My roots are in the convenience store industry, however not this long ago. Old vacant buildings intruige me as well, which I mention in my "About Me" bio at the right. This is one of my favorite of both, on old highway 96 near the KS/MO state line. I find it fascinating that at QuikTrip we could rarely go a month without the air hose getting cut off or stolen, but THIS one is STILL hanging there. Does anyone know any history of "The MOUND"? If you do, please add a comment.

TRUCKERS REPENT!

Ask any church or look at any vacant Wal-Mart lot and you will often see a semi tractor/trailer rig parked there, many times overnight. Considering the price of sealing, patching or resurfacing, any owner of a parking lot knows that they are usually not built for the abuse of a heavy truck rig or leaking deisel fuel, oil or other petroleum chemicals. Sometimes a truck driver will even put down the parking legs of a trailer without protecting the asphalt, causing sinking holes under the legs. This Galena, KS Baptist church took another approach. Park on this lot and you will be forgiven, just maybe not by the church. The truck in this photo decides to move on down the road.

Assisted Living....or...Assisted Dying?

Can you read the sign on the other side of the entrance road to this Senior Home in KS? If you can't quite make it out, click on the photo for a larger version. Do you think they have a waiting list?

GOD IS JUST A "PHONE-PRAYER" AWAY

Baptism of the Holy Sprint....?

THE CROSSROADS...in Joplin, MO

Is this what they mean by "meeting yourself coming and going?"

My Brush With A Celebrity - Tommy Cortez

Ray Charles (public domain photo)

A couple of years ago our youngest son had to choose between chorus and band, which sent us frantically searching for an affordable trumpet at flea markets, pawn shops and on ebay. After a futile effort to master the trumpet, we recently decided to list it on ebay (the horn is shown below) and got several interested responses. In fact, the gentleman who bought it mentioned that he was a professional trumpet player and signed his last email as follows:

Tommy Cortez, Trumpet

Ray Charles Orchestra

Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, etc.

Lionel Hampton Orchestra, Xavier Cugat Orchestra, etc.

I wrote him back for an explanation only to find that Mr. Cortez played trumpet with the Ray Charles Orchestra and several others, and he is still performing. Mr. Cortez writes:

"Ray was an extraordinary person and musician. Before joining his orchestra, I had already finished the Conservatory and had several years of 'Las Vegas'type of show band experience. Going into Ray Charles Orchestra was like going back to 'school'. Ray was the great teacher and I was the 'student'eager to absorb his very different concept of music and musicianship. I was already a 'Pro', but Ray Charles provided my career the greatest learning experience about musicianship. Anyone can eventually play "Flight of the Bumble Bee" or, with a extraordinary embouchure, scream high notes,but there is a whole world of musicianship in between those skills. Ray filled in that gap of awareness for me. It is a shame that many of the new generation players will never be able to be exposed personally to the great masters like Ray Charles. I can hear it in their playing and interpretation........

Ray Charles was also positively addicted to his music. He was totally dedicated to music excellence. He was truly a musical genius. He could hear anyone playing one bad note! .... or, also a very good note too. He could bring out the 'magic' and beauty in anything he and the orchestra played! I will always remember him with nostalgia and highest regards."

Thank you, Mr. Tommy Cortez for my "brush with a celebrity!" It's been so cool!

The trumpet...Buescher True Tone 

It's just Water under the Bridge

Rushing water no less....

Spotted in Humboldt, KS

WHEEL OF MIS-FORTUNE?

"I'd like to buy a vowel, please..."

Obviously, this little Mexican Diner in Humboldt, KS lost something in the translation...... If they just had that "E" they could spell "Eat at Runs"

Why DID the Chicken Cross the Road?

Chicken Litter in South West Missouri

Chicken Litter

Who would think that the primary commodity of a large Southwest City, MO chicken farm would be allowed to be seen "littering" the highways? I took these photos on the 17th of January, 2005 all within a 30-minute time frame and within 2 miles of the plant. So, when you encounter one of those transports with the gazillions of chicken feathers flying by you....WATCH OUT!...you could be splatted with an escaping carcass instead! For more information about chicken overkill follow this link: http://www.cok.net (Content of link not endorsed or approved by this author.)