All Shook Up! (Branson Part IV)

Us at "the office"

Mo broke all kinds of heat records in late June

6-27-12:  The temps in MO (and most of the East and Midwest) is in the triple digits - breaking  records from the 1950's in SO MO!

Tigahhh!

yes! I made contact!

But this morning David and I got up to beat the heat and play some golf.

Vera & Darrell

Tonight we said "bye" to our Michigan friends, nextdoor neighbors, and fellow workampers Vera & Darrell. Until October...........

This bench is in memory of Gala's husband, Scott and is at the boat launch on the Lakeshore Trail

Pierce Arrow

Floyd the Flusher

Floyd as Elvis

6-28-12:  Walked 4.4 miles this morning before the heat and humidity set in too badly.  Then David and I went to see Pierce Arrow.  Good show!  They are a quartet that sing a mix of country and non-country.  Their comedian, Floyd the Flusher, was hilarious!

We saw our FIRST deer in the area this afternoon about 2:00.  A mom and 2 fawns.  They were looking at trying to cross 165 just down from where we stay.  I worried about them in the heat of the day and on the busy road.  But no dead deer when we returned, so it's all good. And there is a pretty good size lake behind them (Table Rock).

Mr. G's

Danielle, the server

me & Mr. G

"family" displays

Mr. Gilberti by Uncle Frankie's pic

Marshall, a family friend

Ernest Borgnine on the family wall

Dino's 24 Carrot Cake --- OMG

David and I went to Mr. Gilberti's Place for pizza tonite. Chicago Style pizza.  Know what that is?  I recommend it for the good food, cozy atmosphere, and interesting "family" history.  Mr. G has a wall full of VIP's he's met over the years as well as some of his kinfolk that supposedly had mob connections.  Uncle Frankie was actually questioned in the JFK assassination.  He was not involved.  And Mr. Gilberti and family loved their Uncle Frankie!

6-29-12:  David saw a family of skunks this morning on his Lakeshore Trail walk. He had to stop quite awhile to let them ease across the trail.  I guess they know that nobody is going to rush them.

Enjoying the sounds of the woods as I'm sitting outside this morning -- the locusts are going strong.  Love that sound!

lowest price we've seen since Jan 2011

bridge over Pruitt's landing on Buffalo River

Rocky drinking in the Buffalo

we were being watched!

Pruitt's Landing on the Buffalo

Buffalo Nat'l Park

at the Mt. Judea summit

Gaither Mtn -- we think

view from the Mt. Judea tower

on top of Mt. Judea

Mt. Judea tower

our little family on Mt. Judea

near Cliff House Inn and Cafe

AR Grand Canyon

Boxley Cabin info

Boxley cabin near Ponca, AR

interesting construction

me -- behind the camera

Elk pasture at Ponca -- can you see them?  Neither could we.

Buffalo at Ponca

6-30-12:  David and took the "Jasper Disaster" drive today down in AR.  Stopped at Pruitt's Landing in the Buffalo River National Park.  Beautiful and Rocky loved playing in the Buffalo.  We got off the route just a bit so we could check out the view on top of Mt. Judea and drive over to the Cliff House Inn and Cafe at the Arkansas Grand Canyon.  Been there before, but it's been a long time.  Beautiful views.  Hoping to see it again in the fall when maybe it'll be less hazy. Lots of Kudzu -- which is one of my fave southern things to see.

Crashing Amy's family pic at the Dewey Short VC

Jack, Amy, Jackson, and Hannah on the 3rd floor observation deck (and yes! it was bright out, Jackson!)

7-1-12:  Amy Vaughan Lemley and her beautiful family visited us today at the Visitor Center.  So good to see her, Jack, Jackson, and Hannah.  Amy and Laura Lee have been friends since 2nd grade.

Kathey Graves and me on their vacay

Cranford and Kathey at their bungalow near Harrison

so excited that they stayed near us

such a cute, restored bungalow

7-2-12:  Cranford and Kathey arrived today. This evening we visited their bungalow near Harrison.  What a great spot -- that I'd highly recommend staying!

7-3-12:   We did the town today with Cran and Kathey:  Titanic, lunch at the Landing (I do not recommend the fish place down there), Legends, Danna's for supper, and The Presley's.  Now it sounds like we just go hog wild in Branson.  But one of the perks of our volunteer job is that we get in to most shows and attractions free or very cheaply!  Wonderful day, though hot as heck!  Headaching!  I told David I felt like I'd been run over by a reindeer!  So now he can't get that song out of his head!

Titanic Museum

properness

Kathey and Cran w/a Titanic maid

Titanic was an excellent museum.  Very well laid out and wonderful history to soak up about the people involved with the ship.  As we entered we each rec'd cards with a passenger's name on the back.  As we traveled through the museum (takes about 2 hours) we learned whether or not our passenger survived or perished.  Some interesting people we learned about inside were:  Father Brown -- he took tons of pix and they are pretty much the only ones left of the historic event, Robert Spedden a child in one of Father Brown's photos who perished.  His stuffed polar bear was recovered and his mom wrote a children's book about them called, "Polar, the Titanic Bear".  Mr. LaRoche was the only black man on board.  He and his wife were an interacial couple that stayed in 2nd class.  They and their kids stayed very much to themselves because the public was not ready for interacial interactions at that time.  Sarah Gill did not ride the Titanic, but her brand new husband did and he perished.  Sarah was so grief-stricken she was unable to speak for 20 years.  She carried a whistle (which was in the museum) with which to communicate.  Suddenly, one day 20 years later, Sarah fell down some stairs and was able to speak again.  One wall near the end of the tour was a tribute to the sprititual heroes aboard the ship.  Most Catholic, one Baptist, one's denom not named, all perished except the 24 year old unnamed denom minister.

settling in for Legends

Blues Brothers

that's the ticket

Blues Sistas

Elvis, looking for me

Elvis jamming with his peeps

Kind of a spontaneous decision for us was going to Legends, Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater.  We saw "impersonators" for Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Blue's Brothers, Michael Jackson, and Elvis!  And they were all spectacular!  And we got to play a practical joke on Diane, my Stagecoach RV friend who manages the gift shop there. She's previously told me that New Yorkers and Bostonians will try to talk her down on gift shop prices repeatedly.  So I told her I was going to get some mileage outa that. Cranford to the rescue!  He picked something out that was around $15 and asked her if she'd knock $5 off of it.  She firmly said "no".  Then he asked if she'd take $5 for it then.  She looked like she was going to take him down!  So I came out of hiding and then she realized it was a joke. We all had a great laugh and she actually did give him a discount!  She made it clear it wasn't because he asked though.  LOL

Evening at the Presley's - no kin to El

Kathey & Cranford at the Presley's

the upstairs entertainment before the show

beautiful set and costumes

Cecil and Herkimer

this little Presley stepped out of the bass

great quartet

David's great photography

Tonite we went to see Kathey's fave, The Presley's!  Wow!  Talk about a talented family! Their costumes and sets were beautiful, too!  I could have listened to the guitars and the quartets all night.  And there is a Presley in-law named Ambrus Presley that sho could sang!  She had a Nora Jones voice and was totally unique in the Presley clan.

The Stache Girls

Sheila, the ORHF CEO -- every CEO should have a stache

Gala & Jean - uncanny family resemblence, right?

Kathey & me: things start changing as we grow older

Gala & her mom sporting the bibs I made 

Princess Tammy being hauled around by Alfred -- and studied by Barry.  

And they're off!

The boat lights are as pretty as the fireworks

David, Cranford, and Kathey watching the fireworks from the 3rd floor obsservation deck

7-4-12:  Crazy busy at work today.  Lots and lots and LOTS of folks like to come to Branson for the 4th!  We (the ORHF peeps) grilled out tonite at the VC and chowed down together.  Cranford and Kathey joined us for that as well as the fireworks show that the Chateau put on for us.  The Visitor Center is a wonderful place to watch them!  Even though it was miserably hot, it was a great show with great friends.

Bill, Pam, and 9 of their family arrived in Branson today, too!  They were out there for the fireworks, too.  They spread out on the beach just below the VC for their view and a little water play for the kiddos. And Rocky!  They let him hang out with them and play in the water.  Rocky posted a thank-you note to Jakeb on FB.  He loved the attention!

While it did not cool down at all for us on the 3rd floor observation deck, Bill Boy said they had a nice breeze down by the water when the sun set. We will know next year!

Taking a walk with Bill and Pam and kids on Lakeshore Trail

Bill Boy leading Marlee Kay in a parade -- remember this for later in the post

Rocky could get used to this

Becky, Bill, Pam, James, Ethan, and Laci

Our little James Madison Goff

Marlee Kay Goff and Mimi (Pam)

7-5-12: Bill Boy's 60th Birthday!  Where does the time go?  It does not seem at all like any of us are in this age group.  Bill, Pam, Laci, Marlee Kay, Ethan, and James came over this morning and we walked the Lakeshore Trail on the shadiest part.  Rocky hitched a ride in James' stroller on the way back.

this guy was on America's Got Talent

you can see the mouthpiece under his chin - no harm to the doggies

Ethan enjoying the show

Pepaw and Marlee Kay

Todd and friends

Uncle David having a James moment

This afternoon we went to the Todd Oliver, ventriloquist, show.  He uses dogs with a harmless contraption hooked to their chin so it looks like they are talking.  Soooo funny.  He also uses dummies,  When we arrived, we were nearly late.  So as we walked in the comedian who opened for them, asked where we are from and told a joke about Texarkana.  It was totally not funny but the audience cracked up.  Obvious that he'd prepped them before we came in.  Love stuff like that.

One of the funniest parts of the show was when he brought a couple of audience members up and talked for them!  He'd squeeze the back of their neck and they'd know to open their mouth at that time.  So cute -- would be a great skit!

Miller, Jakeb, James, and Lacey

Ethan:  this is a pirate ship!

Manning, Miller, Mimi, Marlee Kay, and Macie

Bill Boy & me on his 60th

sparkling!

We all met Jakeb, Lacey, Macie, Miller, and Manning at Cantina Laredo tonite at the Landing to celebrate Bill's 60th!

Parade hat David found for Bill

And there ya go!

Goff's at the Landing

My big brother and me

James and Aunt B

Jakeb's and Lacey's tats

crazy kids

most of the Goff Family

Bill has a tradition of marching the grandkids around in a "parade", complelte with parade music.  David found a drum major's hat the other day at a flea market and that's what we gave him for his bday.  Can't wait to see pix of it in action!

7-6-12:  While I went out to do laundry, David and Rocky went down to the lake.  Rocky actually swam for the first time!  He was so excited and big time devil dog when I got home!  Oh, and while at the laundry I met a man, last name Gordon, who was a former rodeo champ.  He's in his 70's now, but wants to ride once more.  He rode the bucking bulls and horses.  He and I have decided to run for President in Nov.  I think we'll get it.

7-7-12:  We had a glorious afternoon storm this afternoon.  Complete with lightning, rain, and wind!  In fact, David experienced a bizarre spectacle of a thing in the wind.  He was one of the dam tour tails.  They storm hit just about the time the trolley full of people were going across the dam.  David was at the back of the trolley, dam guide Sherryl was at the front.  At the same time a gust came up and blew each of their glasses off their faces!  And off the trolley.  Of course once a tour starts, there is no stopping it. And the weather was so bad they couldn't get off of it anyway.  So they did the tour without their glasses and returned to the VC.  Meanwhile, when the storm subsided, young Sara and Eli drove out to the dam and got out to look for the spectacles. Lo and behold they found them!!  Sherryl's were in perfect condition.  David's not so much, but wearable til we can get some more!  Eli and Sara are our heroes!

Supper with Bill and Pam tonight at Danna's before they headed off to see Joseph. Tomorrow they head back home.

This week has been full of blessings with family and friends!



Elvis and The Presley's --- and the Houndog