Tourist mode.
This town has so much to offer.
History, friendship, friendly people, shop keepers that actually want your business, who will talk to you and listen to you.
Craig got the bulk of the conversations done on this day.
We passed a couple of shops and saw things, pretty things.
Quilting is not my thing, but I certainly get it and was glad to see it is still alive here.
Beats walking into a shop and buying new clothes and soft furnishings.
The fabrics and their colour vibrancy caught me eye.
Next shop we walked into was small, cluttered, filled with the most random of stuff, but would offer most people something interesting to look at, touch or buy.
While Craig and I were discussing the little bat, above, a lady overheard our double accents and enquired about origins etc.
So started another 30 minute conversation with a stranger, after a bit Craig moved on to look at the shop content, a mix of real antiques and tourist niknaks.
I carried on speaking with Lee, our new friend and Craig made an interesting discovery when he saw a newspaper article dated 2014
With Lee, whose identity will be further protected. Lovely, intelligent and friendly St Louis lady.
The newspaper article quoted “Shop Owner celebrates 95th Birthday”
And below it a write up and photo of a lady.
Craig realised that the lady who was behind the counter, was Ila May Dimmitt, owner of Show me Antiques and Gifts. And so ensued another long conversation.
She was now 99 years old and still ran the shop single handedly.
Seems pretty much everyone around her had passed since losing her husband in 1974.
For her the shop was not making money as it used to, but it certainly beat seeing doctors, psychiatrists or various other costly therapies of old age.
Work is what keeps,her alive.
What an awesome young lady she turned out to be, and absolutely charming.in the most Southern of ways.
Her business card, which people do not throw away.
Back on the street, the next shop had another very interesting widow shopkeeper who owns two Toyota Prius cars, but told us all about her wild driving life and being caught many times for speeding over the years and walking away from every event, free.
Fun safety.
Pic taken for Craig’s daughter Elli.
Provisions.
Randomness abounds.
Remember the Strawberry Depression Glass?
Well, here is a much much rarer variation.
Green.
Studebaker truck, clearly 100% working truck.
Back,to tourist stuff.
We carried on
Poking at shops, cars, architecture, all the usual,stuff, then walked down a side street toward the railway lines.
Another antique shop mall where loads of sellers have stalls.
Outside on a bench was seated the counter girl, having a cigarette, chatting to a guy.
So we asked if the shop was open, yes it was, just finishing my cigarette, where are you from?
Many conversations had started thus.
So we started to,chat to her and Male companion who was just passing by, but knew her.
Next thing he disappears into the carpark over the street and comes back from a new Camaro (I think it was) with two Indianapolis Speedway stickers, one each for Craig and me.
Of course you accept, carry on chatting, show photos of our cars, trucks etc, and he shows his stuff, looks like his l60 years had been spent on the NASCAR roadshow, knows a lot of people, built some cars etc.
“How Long you still going to be here?” He asked next, so we said no more than an hour.
OK he says, it takes me 20 minutes to get home and back in that there car, I have something to give you both.
We tried to protest, but it is also rude to do that.
So we agreed to come back before heading out.
Came back later and he was there with the bag of goodies for us, that Craig was carrying below, from Allen Vince.
Random Acts of Kindness.
Unpacked the bag, only when we got back at Dennis’ place.
This is crazy, we all give gifts, but some of the stuff in the bag is limited edition, collectors grade stuff.
From a complete stranger, who likes cars and the same stuff we like.
LIFE IS GOOD.
Really random, this show was an artists shop, and had awesome stuff.
Mermaid anyone?
Geo-Caching is big across the USA as well.
Seen on our way back to the truck.
The reference is to the local Hannibal Tourist board.
Once we started to get out of town, we passed this guy, he also had been in town and was now bombing along the motorway.
Perfect.
Advertising is big.
The rest of the trip back to Dennis and Debbie’s place was uneventful.
We had lunch on the run, sodas from the cooler box and a party sized pack of Cheetos.
Perfect.
When we got home, the dogs and Debbie’s mum were all equally pleased to see us.
The unpacking done, Craig in typically organised style pulled the Challenger out, that he still needed to take for a drive, so as to tick that rather awesome box.
In its place though, inside the garage.....
The party pooper that he is, he laid out all our purchases from the last two weeks, that till now we had just tossed on an ever growing pile in the garage.
Thank you for that mate.
This created a feeling of dread, mixed with panic as I realised we were both potentially in trouble
More later.
Time for a walk.