Hey y’all,
My daughter and I went to the Versailles Apple Festival today. We found homemade ice cream, a Jesse James gang story, and somebody’s pet house goat.
That’s a pretty good day in Missouri. And we didn’t even have to get arrested.
My daughter was my camera girl and my editor. She filmed our adventures and put together the Along the Way video above. I did the talking. She made it worth watching.
The ice cream was churned by an old John Deere hit-and-miss engine brought down by folks from Palmyra. Now, I’ve been around plenty of machinery that made work. I’m considerably more interested in machinery that makes dessert.
We stopped at the Martin Hotel, home of the historical society, and heard a story about the Jesse James gang. I’ll have more to share from that visit, too. You can go looking for history around here and find yourself standing right in the middle of somebody’s good story.
Then we met the goat.
A house goat.
I’m still hung up on that part. Does it have its own bedroom? And if it eats the electric bill, does that count as paying it?
Come along with us in this week’s Along the Way video above. We got plenty more pictures and video today, so there are a few more stories coming your way.
That’s one of my favorite things about getting out to these festivals. You start talking to somebody, and pretty soon you’ve got a story you wouldn’t have found sitting at home.
Although apparently, at one particular home, you could’ve found a goat.
Next week in Coffman’s Landing
Mitchell and Dudley have their bicycles out, and that ought to be enough to make the adults nervous.
We’ve got a steep hill, wheelies, a flat tire, and a drainage ditch that two boys decide has recreational possibilities. By Friday, motorcycles roll onto Main Street, and Cecil Boone gets a chance to settle a story that’s been growing all week.
Monday, October 5 — No Hands: Two bicycles, one steep hill, and a cousin’s story that may be taller than either boy.
Tuesday, October 6 — One Wheel: The boys try to lift a front tire—and discover something else that needs fixing.
Wednesday, October 7 — Two Roads: Mitchell wins on pavement. Dudley chooses gravel. Then a flat tire ends the argument.
Thursday, October 8 — The Ditch: A drainage ditch gives the boys a place to ride—until Mitchell aims a little too high.
Friday, October 9 — Both Wheels: Motorcycles arrive on Main Street, and Cecil Boone finally settles the cousin’s bicycle story.
Each Five Minutes in America episode stands on its own, but these five belong together. The public episodes arrive one each weekday. Paid readers can hear the entire week tonight.
If you’d like to ride ahead with Mitchell and Dudley, become a paid member of The Coffman Chronicle. You’ll get all five episodes now, plus each coming week’s stories every Saturday before their weekday release.
Your membership helps me keep writing and recording them. I’d be glad to have you along.
And tell me: where did your bicycle take you when you were a kid? Hit reply. I’d love to hear your story.
Stay free,
Tony
Five Minutes in America is presented by YourPocketConstitution.com—because every citizen should own the instruction manual.
