Month: January 2023

Caledonia, MO

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“The houses, streetscapes, and landscapes they constructed remain, in great measure unchanged, from the nineteenth century.”

Thomas Flanders in preparation for National Registry listing, 1992

Caledonia, Missouri, can be found in the Bellevue Valley in Washington County. A large part of this small town, 25 buildings, was declared a National Historic District. It is home to Tyro Masonic Lodge who holds the title of being the oldest continuously operating lodge in the state. The Craighead House has the pleasure of being the oldest house in the village still standing. The 2010 census reported a population of 130. The town was founded in 1819 by a Scotsman named Alexander Craighead and he named it Caledonia, Latin for Scotland.

Several shops and boutiques can be found in Caledonia. Brushed, Caledonia Vintage and Gifts, Katie’s Place, Old Village Mercantile and Miss Molly’s Shabby Chic are a few of the businesses operating in town. Once you have taken a tour around town and if you love the outdoors there are many attractions that can be found near Caledonia. Whatever your desire, hiking, swimming, fishing or just exploring, you won’t have a problem finding a place to accommodate you. To name a few, Hughes Mountain Natural Area, Buford Mountain Conservation Area, Elephant Rocks State Park, Johnson Shut-Ins, or Taum Sauk Mountain, highest point in Missouri. One item I found interesting was that 20 years ago, the town was abandoned, and the buildings were empty. Apparently, the town is made up of some very determined citizens. They hold many events over the year. Their most known event is the Pumpkin Fest. You can find out more by visiting http://www.caledoniamo.org and look at their calendar.

I am lucky enough to live 2 miles from Caledonia. I love visiting the quaint little town. There are so many things to do you won’t be bored.

Remember to be kind to one another and to spread the love.

True Story!!!

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You just can’t make this stuff up. The above skeleton was placed in the water a day before a Halloween party. Folks walk on the bridge at night and shine flashlights into the water. It is made out of concrete and looks nothing like a skeleton. The party went on and was a success. No one tried jumping into the water to safe the skeleton.

Well, it all started a couple days after the party. One afternoon the Madison County Sheriff showed up. She had also brought the coroner. She explained to us what they were there for. They are looking for a dead body. It seems while the mock skeleton was in the water someone walked upon the bridge, saw the head and hands, so immediately took a picture. They then posted the photo on FB, where someone circled the skeleton and said they needed to contact authorities immediately.

Meanwhile three days have transpired from the time the picture was taken to contacting the authorities. Problem number one, someone had already stolen the head. Then problem number 2, there was heavy rain that caused the river to rise, and you couldn’t see the hands. They got someone to wade in and look for the hands. “Mission Accomplished.” They were now in possession of two concrete hands, remember someone had already stolen the head.

Before they left, we had great conversation and the case of the dead body, had been solved. All of this over something that looked nothing like a real skeleton, or so I thought, but someone thought differently. As far as the case of the missing head, it still has not been found.

Thanks for reading. Be kind to one another and spread the love!

Snow: You Either Hate It or Love It

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I happen to be one who loves the snow; however, the snow fall here in southeast Missouri doesn’t stay around real long. If I had to deal with it all winter long, like those in the deep north, I may be on the other side of the fence. Even if you are a hater of snow, you have to admit; it is quite beautiful.

NOTICE: All pictures are the property of Double D Acres LLC and cannot be used, reproduced or copied without written permission from Double D Acres LLC.

The Love of Flyfishing

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My friend David Tripp an avid flyfisherman.: The Love of Flyfishing

“If you’ve got short, stubby fingers and wear reading glasses, any relaxation you would normally derive from flyfishing is completely eliminated when you try to tie on a fly.”

Jack Ohman – Fear of Flyishing 1988

I can relate to what Jack Ohman is saying. I wear reading glasses, and have short stubby fingers riddled with arthritis. Bending over and picking up the fly, that I thought I had passed the line through the eyelet on the fly only to find I wasn’t even close, however is good exercise.

Another favorite of mine is when you have spent 20 minutes tieing the line onto the fly, and you tighten the knot down snug. Now you grab your clippers and snip off the extra line on the tag and you also snip the line to the fly! Arghh! Time to sit down, calm your mind and start all over again.

Now one of my favorites. It’s 100 degrees and you have sweat rolling into your eyes and you are attempting to tie on a fly. You work diligently tieing on your fly and with one setback after another, to your amazement you have finally accomplished your mission. You walk to the water and begin to make your cast. In your excitement of finally succeeding, you failed to survey your surroundings to make sure you could make your cast without any interference. Whoop, whoop, BAMB!!! Your fly manages to wrap itself around a limb. To free it you are going to have to break the line and lose your favorite fly (Note: When you lose a fly it is always your favorite). I have seen this happen several times, to the point I have thought about just showing up with a step ladder and for a fee, retrieve their fly. Then I could buy more flies . Awww, the joys of flyfishing and I didn’t even touch on the subject of tieing a tippet to the leader.

Thanks for stopping by and remember to be kind to one another and spread the love.

Don Robinson State Park

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My fiancé and I decided to check out Don Robinson State Park on New Year’s Eve. We arrived around 9 a.m. and it appeared that it was going to be an unusually warm day in January. The park opened January 26,2017 and this was our first visit to the park. Recent rains had left the trail pretty muddy in spots and we found that the trails weren’t marked very well but we didn’t get lost. It turned out to be a very nice day. Good hike.

There are 3 trails located within the park. 1) Sandstone Canyon Trail: Rated – Moderate/ 3.9 miles – Estimated time 1 hour 39 minutes 2) Sandstone Canyon Western Loop: Rated – Easy – length 2.3 miles – Estimated time 56 minutes 3) LaBarque Hills Trail: Rated – Moderate – Length 2.9 miles – Estimated time 1 hour 16 minutes.

Each trail has its own unique views. You can walk along a trail atop a sandstone canyon overlooking the LaBarque Creek. You walk past caves, cliffs and glades, through dry woodlands with oak.

Don Robertson State Park is a public recreation area that consists of a little over 800 acres located in Jefferson County Missouri. The entrance gate opens at 7 a.m. and closes one-half hour after sunset. There are 42 species of fish found in LaBarque Creek. There are nearly 650 species of plants and numerous songbirds can be seen within the park. There is a public bathroom.