Good morning from Kauai

Meanwhile at McDonald’s…

Meanwhile at the beach…

This mid 1960s Chevy truck reminds me of my grandaddy. He drove one when he was still alive. The bed of the truck had rusted out so he put a wooden bed in. Anytime I see this model truck especially with this blue paint scheme it reminds me of him.

Be thankful!

On our way back from Moab to Glenwood Springs we drove through a ghost town of Cisco, Utah. Most of the buildings were falling down and spray painted with graffiti. There was a line general store which advertised ice cream. I wondered what happened to this community which would make many people leave. Maybe it was economic downfall.

One of America’s Greatest Natural Wonders

Monument Valley: Scene of many Western movies

Urban decay and revitalization. Growing up this strip mall near Shiloh in Hermitage, Tennessee, had some legitimate businesses – one of which was the first video rental store I knew about – Video Express. It was a great place to rent VHS tapes and from the early 80s, giving us an opportunity to discover great movies. Things changed in the late 90s when Video Express was forced to close when Blockbuster moved in a few blocks up. By the 2010s, things went downhill for the strip mall and some seedy businesses moved in… including Video xXxpress – an adult movie store, a Cash Express, and other shady businesses. I called it the strip mall with the seven deadly sins. Eventually the strip mall owner, who had refused to renovate, relented and currently the buildings are being torn down. The torn down walls reveal this tackle and bait shop obviously from before my time. It’s so interesting to view buildings from the past and wonder of its history. These buildings will be torn down and also the physical remains of the bait shop and Video Express. Only our memories will remain.