A TRIP DOWN MAIN STREET

A few months back, I made a trip back to my home town of Tazewell, Virginia. As I walked down Main Street, I got to thinking back to the days of my childhood and just how much things have changed. Most of the stores that I had visited in my youth have long closed and are now either vacant or used as office space.  Gone are the days when people came to Main street to shop and to visit.

As I made my way down the street I stopped in front of the building that once housed Jackson's Drug Store. Oh, what memories came flooding back as I looked in the window. I fondly remember the old soda fountain where you could get a cherry coke, and ice cream sundae or my favorite an ice cold Cherry Smash.

I remember on Saturday afternoon, you could walk by Jackson's and at one time of the other, see almost every kid in the community sitting, or as most would do, spinning on the round soda fountain stools, while their parents shopped on Main Street.

Jackson's was a place that where I could go as a child and buy a Christmas or Birthday gift for my mom and dad and simple ask Doc Fugate to charge it.  He would then simply write it down in the large file that he kept on the counter for everyone in the community. He would file it away until the next time my mom or dad came in to "settle up."

Jackson's was a place that we went to get you prescriptions filled by Doc Fugate, but it was a place where the community came to visit and catch up on what had gone on since the last time they were in town. You see, growing up in a small town your neighbors were also your friends. Jackson's was "the ole country store" on Main Street.

When I was growing up in the late sixties and early seventies, the rest of the nation was struggling with something called civil rights. I remember watching the news, seeing riots and fights between white and black people. People in other parts of the county would have probably been confused had they walked by Jackson's Drug Store on any Saturday afternoon. Had they stopped at Jackson's and took time to look in the window, they would have probably seen black kids and white kids sitting side by side spinning on those round soda fountain stools laughing and sharing the time while their parents shopped up and down Main Street.

One of the fixtures at Jackson's Drug Store was an kindly old black gentleman that I knew as "Mister Henry."  As I looked in the window some 40-years later I could see as if it was yesterday, Mister Henry sweeping, stocking shelves, and often mopping and cleaning up the mess us kids had made.  Mister Henry also delivered medicine to the sick "folks" who couldn't get out. He never charging them a dime and most of the time never got more than a "thank you" and a smile, which was always enough. Mister Henry always had a kind word and a smile for everyone who he met.

My dad was a truck driver and would often travel to Florida to pick up produce for Deskin's Supermarket. As a young boy I would always love to go with him. Seeing the country and spending time with my dad was always a treat.

It was on one of these trips that it had rained all week in Florida and the packing houses was short on produce because the pickers hadn't been able to pick in the field. For three day we sat in a motel before dad made the decision to get me back to Tazewell in time for me to go back to school. So early on a Saturday morning dad took me to the Orlando Bus Station and put me on bus bound for Bluefield.

Bluefield was a close as I could get to Tazewell, and my concern was how I would get from Bluefield to Tazewell.  Daddy reply was, "if I can get you to Bluefield you should be able to find a way to Tazewell." For the 18-hours it took for the bus to make the trip from Orlando to Bluefield, I worried about how I would travel those last 20-miles.

I arrived in Bluefield on a rainy Sunday morning, I got off the bus and made my way inside the station, the first person I saw was Mister Henry. Without hesitation I made my way over to him and ask him for a ride back to Tazewell. I climbed into the back seat of Mister Henry's car and 40-minutes later he delivered me to my front door.

As I got out of his car, I tried to pay him but but he refused to take the $10.00 that I offered, saying, "I don't want your money, that's what neighbors are for."

When my dad finally got back to Tazewell we took Mister Henry a 10-pound bag of orange down to Jackson's. Those oranges and my sincere thank you was the only pay that Mister Henry ever received for being a neighbor. You see our neighbors were also our friends. You see when I was growing up in our small town we were more concerned about being good neighbors and good friends. People like Doc Fugate, and Mister Henry were the rule rather than the exception.

I will never forget the time that I spent a Jackson's, spinning on those soda fountain stood, but more important I have never forgotten the kindness that Mister Henry showed me on that rainy Sunday Morning many years ago.

GAME DAY IN DEATH VALLEY

WELCOME TO DEATH VALLEY

Death Valley is officially known as Memorial Stadium

There are just some places that every college football fan has to visit and see a game. For me those places include Notre Dame Stadium, The Big House at Michigan, The Cotton Bowl for a Red River Shootout between Oklahoma and Texas just to name a few.  This year I got to travel to Death Valley on the Campus of Clemson University. This is One of the Best game day atmospheres in all of College Football. The Tiger Walk, Howard's Rock, Tiger Rag and "Running down the Hill" makes for a game day environment that is impressive to any college football fan. When I attended the Tigers were ranked #3 in the country and expectations were high. As we were walking in from the parking lots in the colors of an opposing team we were greeted several time with "Welcome to Clemson," or "Glad You are Here." We found the Clemson fans Passionate and devoted but for the most part, polite and respectful. In the stadium, the 86,000+ fans were loud and definitely know how to give their Team a big home field advantage. My visit to Clemson's Memorial Stadium was a Bucket List trip for me and I am glad I was able to scratch it off of my list. Hats off to Clemson and the Tiger Nation.

ENTER THE TIGER'S

HOWARD'S ROCK

NEVER TRUST A GROUND HOG

I do care if your name is Punxsutawney Phil, Brooklyn Betty or Hagerstown Howard, when it comes to weather you can't trust a Ground Hog.  Since ole Phil predicted an "early spring" we have had two significant snows here in Southwest Virginia, got 9-inches of snow while on Vacation in Kansas City and now today, and today got about 5-inches on the ground in Christiansburg and it is still snowing. I guess Ground Hogs are a lot like some people I know, They tell you what you want to hear at the time.

APRIL SNOW

SOUTHWEST VA. SNOW

5-INCHES AND COUNTING

THIS WAS AN APRIL SURPRISE

April "SNOW" Showers

APRIL SURPRISE

SNOW, SNOW AND MORE SNOW

SNOW IS FOR THE BIRDS

ED T. RUSH - A CANCER ON THE PAC 12

On Monday CBS Sports reported that PAC-12 Supervisor of Officials had met with the referees who would be working the 2013 PAC-12 Tournament and offered any official $5,000 or a trip to Cancun if they "Ring up" or "Run" Arizona coach Shawn Miller. Later during the UCLA-Arizona Game Miller received his only Technical of the season when he complained about a suspicious double dribble that has been called on his guard.  I watch the game highlights and saw Miller complain, however unless her got into the officials family tree, or cursed then I did not think his actions warranted a technical. After all I have seen an heard a lot worse from coaches in the ACC. I have even heard Coach K and retired Coach Jim Calhoun drop a few F-Bombs on officials and not even get a hard look.

The fact of the matter is that joking or not, Ed T. Rush has lost all credibility with the fans and if Commissioner Larry Scott continues to stick with him then Mr. Scott's Credibility is in serious jeopardy. Scott and Rush both have said that the comments were inappropriate but that Rush was only joking and should not have been taken seriously.  Well, evidently at least one referee, Michael Irving, took Rush serious, as he is the referee that called the questionable technical during the UCLA-Arizona Game.  When that technical was called, Rush's comment we no longer a joke, those comments became a reality.  We will never know if Irving receives his $5,000, but I do doubt that we will see pictures of him vacationing in Cancun.

When Rush was hired by the PAC 12, he brought baggage from the NBA.  He was not well liked by Team administrators, owner, coaches and fellow officials.  Dallas Mavericks owner Mike Cuban was very critical of Rush, saying he wouldn't hire him to manage a Dairy Queen. Other have said that Rush doesn't have the best interest of the league or the game at heart, It's all about Ed Rush. He was abrasive, self-centered and not well like in the NBA and he has not been well regarded in the PAC-12.  Recently PAC-12 official Dick Cartmell submitted his resignation citing "personal differences with the direction of the officiating program."  Dick Cartmell, is not a rookie official, he is a veteran referee who has worked 5-Final Fours.

When you have a Veteran referee say he would rather resign than be apart of the "new direction" this should raise some red flags in the PAC 12 Offices.  Then you have the Supervisor of Officials makes highly inappropriate remarks (joking or not) it's time to say enough is enough.

The continued employment of Ed T. Rush by the PAC-12 will tarnish not only the credibility of the Commissioner but the entire conference. The University Presidents and Conference Athletic Directors should demand the Rush be fired and the sooner the better. Ed Rush is a cancer and need to be removed.

A PRESIDENT & ANTIQUES

My next to the last day on the road starts in Iowa City, the home of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes.  The Carver-Hawkeye Arena is just down the street from my motel and I make the short trip down for some quick photos before heading west to West Branch.

Just 10-miles east of Iowa City is the small town of West Branch, Iowa. It was here that our 31st President, Herbert Clark Hoover was born on August 10, 1874. Upon arriving I discovered that the Museum was in the process of changing out the temporary exhibits and the only gallery that was open was the Hoover Gallery.  This gallery details the life of President Hoover from the time that he was born here, through the his aide and relief work in Europe and Belgium during World War I and his tenure as Secretary of Commerce. Hoover was President during the great stock market crash of 1929 which lead to his defeat during his re-election bid in 1932.  Following his re-election defeat in President Hoover retired to a suite at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York where he lived for the rest of his life.

President Hoover died in his Waldorf-Astoria Suite on October 20, 1964, some 31-years, 7-months and 16-days after leaving office.  Hoover was honored with a state funeral, the last of three such funerals in a span of 12-months. The death of President Hoover came less than a year after the death of President Kennedy and General Douglas MacArthur. All three state funeral were orchestrated by Major General Philip Wehle and the riderless horse was Black Jack who also served in that role during the state funeral of President Lyndon Johnson.

Following the state funeral in Washington, the body of President Hoover was returned to the tiny community of West Branch where he was buried next to his wife Lou Henry Hoover who had died in 1944.

After spending about 2-hours in West Branch it was time to head east toward the Mississippi River.  But before crossing the River I wanted to make one final stop in the Mississippi River Town of Le Claire, Iowa. 

Le Claire is the home to Antique Archeology the setting for the American Picker's TV show that features Mike Wolfe, and Frank Fritz.  The two rusty gold pickers are assisted by Danielle Colby-Cushman. So being a fan of the show I decided to stop by the Antique Archeology shop on the outside chance that any of the stars of the show were on site.

Looking around the cluttered shop I recognized a number of item that I saw them pick on the shows including the Laurel and Hardy heads and the Eastside Cycle Club sign that was actually picked in Virginia.

My gamble didn't pay off as neither Mike, Frank or Danielle was there. The people working in the shop told me and a couple of other visitors that the three wouldn't be back in the shop until after the first of April and that shooting new shows would begin some time this spring.

After snapping a few photos, It was time to hit the road and get some miles behind me. My nights lodging was in Indianapolis and I was still more than four and a half hours away.

There a was not much to see in central Illinois as I made my way east on I-74. I will say that Illinois must be leading the nation in wind energy. As I traveled along I-74 I past no less than four large wind farms. The tall giant wind turbines off on both sides of the interstate, spinning in the wind, and generating electric power.

As I crossed from Illinois into Indiana I also moved from the Central Time Zone back to the Eastern Time Zone.  About an hour and a half later I arrived back at the Comfort Inn - Pyramids north of Downtown Indianapolis. This is my second visit to this Comfort Inn as I stayed here for two night last week on the way to Kansas City.

Tonight will be my last night on the road, as tomorrow I will make the final 480 mile push home.  When all is said and done I will have put more than 2,600 miles on my little Honda, but more importantly had a great vacation.