Illinois, Kentucky

Jeannette made us her GREAT and, now famous because of this blog, homemade buttermilk biscuits with sausage gravy before she & Don sent us on our way this morning. Thanks!!!

Traveling across the lower part of Missouri we stopped at the one place the welcome center lady had recommended - Big Springs, part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways run by the National Park Service. She was right. It is beautiful and impressive - 288 million gallons of water bubble out of that baby each day. That = a LOT!

Crossed the Mississippi River, tried not to blink so we wouldn't miss Illinois, then crossed the Ohio River into Kentucky. Took their beautiful parkways diagonally across the state, luckily evading the tornados and have ended up for the night in Lexington, "The Horse Capital of the World" (although we've actually only seen 5 horses today in the whole state - they must be somewhere...).

So, since the parkway doesn't go through towns and I only got one photo to share, I'll tell you the best possum story I know as told to me in Missouri. And it's true.

Once upon a time there was a possum who decided to go "urban" and take up residence in a nice neighborhood on the outskirts of town. After all, what was there not to like? Green grass never higher than belly level; dogs were always fenced in and were fun to tease; tasty treats were left out for fat cats that were up for grabs; covered porches to sleep on if the weather turned nasty. One day a very select neighborhood committee decided the possum was the perfect candidate to participate in the possum relocation program. Even better, they would fully fund the project - have-a-heart carrier, cat food incentive trail, transportation. The very first night the possum decided it was an offer too good to refuse. Morning came and the aforementioned select committee transported the possum to his new home. Was the program successful? No one is sure. Apparently, rather than rolling over and playing dead as possums are expected to do, this one took off running when his feet touched the pavement. To this day folks wonder what happened to him and if releasing him in the parking lot of (the name is real) the "Second Chance Church" had anything to do with his quick departure.