Val Gets E-MOAT-IONAL

My best-laid plans went awry today. Which is not always a bad thing.

The power went off a couple of times last night. Don't you worry about Val. She was NOT held captive by her OPC (Old People Chair). I set it upright and switched to the local weather, keeping an eye on the storms.

This morning, with showers still in the area, my body clock didn't wake me at 9:30 as usual. It was going on 10:00 when I heard Hick thumping around. He seemed pretty refreshed after 13 hours of sleep. He also informed me that one of the ingredients he prefers for tacos is sour cream. So I had to make a stop at Save A Lot, even though I was just in there yesterday.

I got a late start to town. Most days, I'm in the gas station chicken store by 11:00 to get my soda. Today it was already after noon when I left home. Hick was behind me, too, having driven through the BARn field in his 1999 Ford F250 Long Bed Club Cab, and through the ditch to get right onto the gravel road. Maybe he was keeping tabs on me.

Hick said he was going to the auction. Huh. I never heard of any Sunday afternoon auction. But he said there was one out the road a bit. I could see his truck in my rearview mirror as I cruised up the county blacktop road. Hick has the nerve to say that I go a bit fast. Well. Then how does he keep up with me, huh, with all that sweaving making him travel a longer distance? At least I stay on my own side of the road.

I had planned to head to Orb K to cash in some winners and get more tickets. However, with Hick behind me, I went straight to Save A Lot. Same difference. They're across the road from each other. No need to hear Hick harping about, "I though you were going to Save A Lot for sour cream." After getting that item, and some extra salsa, I did indeed cross over to Orb K. From there it was to Country Mart for some chicken lunch meat to make my own pinwheels. I was counting on them having it, but they were no better than Save A Lot, so I got oven-roasted turkey instead. Same difference.

From there it was to the gas station chicken store. My rightful parking space closest to the door was empty, but there was a long van parked in the one next to it. The van wasn't too close, but it hadn't pulled all the way to the parking bumper concrete thingy. And it was one of those long white vans like the local prison uses to transport prisoners. So I just went on over to the side, to my spot by the moat that separates the gas station chicken store parking lot from Hick's pharmacy CeilingReds parking lot.

I don't think I've ever shared a view of the moat with you. For two days, the moat has been having a cleanout. There's the back road that I take across the moat to cut through CeilingReds back parking lot by their drive up window, over to the Casey's, which you can see the back of by that yellow curb. There's a flea market over there, but Hick says he's never been to it.

Running kind of behind, but at least missing the after-church chicken-buying crowd, I swiveled to step out of T-Hoe.

Wouldn't you know it! Abe Lincoln was waiting for me! He's kind of camouflaged in that blacktop with the chert rocks, but it's Abe all right. Every time I think I've found him in the picture above, I change my mind! Let the record show that the moat picture was taken when I came out, and was sitting in T-Hoe. But the wide shot and the penny were taken before I picked it up. Good luck, if you're the type to try and figure it out! You might end up like Mr. Pitt trying to see the spaceship in the 3D painting.

He was almost glowing in the gloom, or I never would have seen him. Not many people park over here. It's not like somebody just got back a handful of change and dropped it. One single cent. Waiting for me. A 1993 version. Not a special date to me.

That's one penny closer to making me a pennyillionaire! Found a penny. Two days in a row.