Wow,it took me longer than I thought it would to get back to my blog! After going to Texas to visit my family over Easter, we made 3 more trips to and from Oklahoma to finally finish moving to Missouri. I wasn't sure we were ever going to get it all done, but for better or worse, it's all here. The only thing that didn't make it to Missouri was our precious little dog, a sheltie named Ceilidh (pronounced Kaylee). After six years of doing "Ranch Security" on our 14 acres, she decided to venture out into the road and got run over. I suspect she was looking for her long time nemesis, the dreadful trashcan, which had disappeared since our last visit. My daughter always said that Ceilidh had OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), and I know that it was really, really bothering her that she couldn't bark at the trashcan because it wasn't where it belonged. Part of her job as head of ranch security was to give it a piece of her mind every single day, but since the waste management company had picked it up, there was nothing for her to do but go find it. If we had just kept her out of the road for two more hours, Ceilidh would be with us today. She was a great dog and is missed very much.
Since this is supposed to be a blog about Branson, I guess I should say something about Branson. We have been to a couple of shows in the last two weeks, but I'm not going to take the time tonight to write about them. I'll save that for my next post. All I'm going to talk about now is the glorious, glorious weather we are having right now. Yesterday and today could not have been more perfect. The temperature was in the mid-70s, there was no wind, the river was flowing, the sky was blue instead of the perpetual gray we've had the last two weeks, and the birds were singing in celebration. It was a wonderful day to be alive and a wonderful day to be outside. There seemed to be as many people walking along The Strip today as there were cars. The Ducks were out in full force and the miniature golf courses (there are at least five outdoor courses)had plenty of customers. There is a chance of rain the next two days, but then it is back to near perfect weather. I am going to spend as much time outside as possible, because it won't be long until it will be too hot to spend the afternoons outside doing much more than sitting under a tree with a big glass of iced tea. The evenings and the mornings are very comfortable all summer, but it can get a little oppressive in the afternoons.
Be sure to check back in a day or two, because my next blog will be about two very different shows that I saw last week.
Showing posts with label The Ducks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Ducks. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
They're B-a-a-ck!
The tourists are back, and, of course, they've brought their cars. Last weekend we went to the Legends show at the
Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater and noticed a difference in the amount of traffic. Tonight we went to our favorite Branson Mexican restaurant, Casa Fuentes, on the strip and watched the steady stream of traffic parading by the window. After two months of driving up and down the strip without even thinking about it, I will have to remember to leave my house a little earlier and to make use of the alternate routes again.
There is a new energy starting to build in Branson.The tourists are back. The weather is getting warmer. The shows, some of which are brand new and others which have changed venues, are gradually opening. A giant King Kong is being attached to the side of a building in the New York skyline atop the
Wax Museum. It's Irish month at the Titanic. Trout season is in full swing and the fishing camps and Lake Taneycomo are overrun with fishermen. This weekend the Ducks will once again make their continuous treks around town, out to Tablerock Lake and back, all the while entertaining their curious passengers with stories and trivia about the history of Branson and the surrounding area. I have also started noticing the distinct sound of the helicopter flying overhead. Silver Dollar City will be opening on March 20, just in time for spring break, plus the hotels and restaurants that closed for the months of January and February are accepting customers again.
Most exciting of all, though, is that people are going back to work. Anytime a show, a restaurant, or a hotel closed during the off -season, its employees were laid off and were forced to live off of savings and/or unemployment. Last Friday, while answering the phone at my church, I answered a call from a lady asking for gas money. She said she was finally getting to go back to work, but she wouldn't get paid until then next Friday and she didn't have enough money left to buy gas for the week.
Yes, the energy and the excitement are building, and I pray that it will be a good year for Branson. Last year, I was afraid that the economy would really hurt the tourist industry in Branson. While it wasn't as good as in previous years, it wasn't that bad, but we'll have to see how this year goes. Instead of going overseas, maybe more people will decided to stay closer to home and Branson is smack dab in the middle of the country. It will be interesting to see how this year will go.
Just for fun--A Branson Sunset. Unfortunately, the picture isn't nearly as beautiful as the actual sunset was. The sun was a bright, bright orange that just didn't translate in my picture, but I still think it is an interesting picture. Let me know what you think.
Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater and noticed a difference in the amount of traffic. Tonight we went to our favorite Branson Mexican restaurant, Casa Fuentes, on the strip and watched the steady stream of traffic parading by the window. After two months of driving up and down the strip without even thinking about it, I will have to remember to leave my house a little earlier and to make use of the alternate routes again.
There is a new energy starting to build in Branson.The tourists are back. The weather is getting warmer. The shows, some of which are brand new and others which have changed venues, are gradually opening. A giant King Kong is being attached to the side of a building in the New York skyline atop the
Wax Museum. It's Irish month at the Titanic. Trout season is in full swing and the fishing camps and Lake Taneycomo are overrun with fishermen. This weekend the Ducks will once again make their continuous treks around town, out to Tablerock Lake and back, all the while entertaining their curious passengers with stories and trivia about the history of Branson and the surrounding area. I have also started noticing the distinct sound of the helicopter flying overhead. Silver Dollar City will be opening on March 20, just in time for spring break, plus the hotels and restaurants that closed for the months of January and February are accepting customers again.
Most exciting of all, though, is that people are going back to work. Anytime a show, a restaurant, or a hotel closed during the off -season, its employees were laid off and were forced to live off of savings and/or unemployment. Last Friday, while answering the phone at my church, I answered a call from a lady asking for gas money. She said she was finally getting to go back to work, but she wouldn't get paid until then next Friday and she didn't have enough money left to buy gas for the week.
Yes, the energy and the excitement are building, and I pray that it will be a good year for Branson. Last year, I was afraid that the economy would really hurt the tourist industry in Branson. While it wasn't as good as in previous years, it wasn't that bad, but we'll have to see how this year goes. Instead of going overseas, maybe more people will decided to stay closer to home and Branson is smack dab in the middle of the country. It will be interesting to see how this year will go.
Just for fun--A Branson Sunset. Unfortunately, the picture isn't nearly as beautiful as the actual sunset was. The sun was a bright, bright orange that just didn't translate in my picture, but I still think it is an interesting picture. Let me know what you think.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
