The Missouri Journal by Mark Chenail PAGE 65 of 65  <BACK

It’s been nine years since Jon and I first made the trip across southern Missouri from the River to Laclede County.  Then it was all two-lane blacktop, much of it in bad shape and the trip was grueling and took hours.  Now Route 60 is almost all 4 lane divided highway, brand new, the grass barely coming up on the Parkway.  In less than 3 hours, we had gone from Sikeston to Mansfield with a stop at Willow Springs.  That quiet little town now has 3 exits to the highway and a Snappy Mart with an in-house McDonalds.  On a Saturday night it was jumping, full of cruising teens and hunters on the way home after a day in the fields.  At Mansfield, we headed north up Route 5, our old stomping ground and we finally managed to find a good bluegrass gospel station, KTTK, 90.7 FM, in Lebanon. 

But there was one last adventure in store.  As we drove past the Courthouse in Hartville, the radio playing a lively song in praise of Jesus, Dan noticed the flashing lights of a police car behind us.  We pulled over and dug out our paperwork,  while the officer took his time coming to the window.

“Were we speeding officer?” we asked innocently.

“No sir, no.  You have a headlight out.  Did you know that?”

Dan got out to take a look and I could hear him telling the Officer about where we lived (he knew exactly where Grace’s Market was located) and how we were coming back from my Mama’s funeral.  The officer came back to the car and leaned in.

“Sorry to hear about your Mama.  You all take care and go straight home. But get that headlight fixed tomorrow.  Take care, now.”

And with a jaunty salute, he took off into the night.  Wouldn’t you know a journey of nearly 3000 miles round trip and the only car trouble and interaction with the Law takes place virtually in our own back yard.  I think it was the Gospel Music that saved us from a ticket.  We got safely home to Origanna Woods.  The lights were still on, glowing through the trees and finally coming home was just as I’d imagined it would be nine years ago when I first bought the land and started to build the house.  Tomorrow we will rest and start a new chapter here at Origanna.  They are predicting cold weather later this week and there’s plenty left to do before snow flies.  But it will all wait for a good nights rest and so to bed.

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