Buffalo Bones

Never in my life, but most certainly never in the previous 30 years whenI lived in the metro NYC area, did I ever dream that I'd be asked, with a straight and serious face, where one could buy buffalo bones!  But today, thanks to my "new life"on the edge of the Great Plains, I was asked just that.  More amazingly, I almost had an answer.  "Almost" because at least I knew where to buy bulk buffalo meat and presumed they would also have bones. And why, I inquired of the gentleman, did he need buffalo bones?  To make sacred Indian jewelry, of course, he replied.  Right! I learn something new every single day.

I anticipated a quiet day after not having been at Afton Station since Sunday.  That was not to be so.  In fact, our first visitors arrived before I did, and thankfully Phil was there to open up and let them in.  I pulled up a few minutes later to see the two huge, fully loaded motorcycles out front belonging to those visitors, two thoroughly pleasant State Troopers from the motorcycle division of the Illinois Highway Patrol.  They were taking their Route 66 vacation on, of course, motorcycles!  They were loaded down and ready to go as far as possible in a week.  They talked about the possibility of opening a little drive-in soda shop somewhere on Route 66, so of course we talked up Afton.  On the way out, they gave me an Illinois Highway Patrol patch, and I told them to be safe and not to disobey any rules of the road!  :-)

Later in the day, four fun guys (three brothers from Arkansas and their friend from Nashville, TN) stopped in.  

One of the brothers is Terry Beck, the creator of "the world's smallest Route 66 book".  It's a mere 2" x 3" and is packed with Mother Road facts and photos. It was printed in 2004 so it's missing quite a few of the newer places (such as Afton Station) but it's cute and quirky and I might start selling a few here at the Station. It's not for the eyesight challenged,  however, unless you have a magnifying glass nearby!

Other visitors today hailed from Clear Lake IA, Honolulu HI, Parsons KS, and Miami OK.  With visits from Betty, Phil, and Marly I had a much more people-packed day than I'd anticipated.  That, and the 70-degree temperature outside, made it nearly perfect.  I hope tomorrow is the same, when Ron M. and I will be attending the dedication ceremony of the new statue at the Avery Bridge.  It's at 2 p.m..  Come if you can.  It should be fun and festive.