We came over to Luke and LaVay’s on Saturday. We plan to head home in another two or three hours. Right now, I’m in town, at the Jefferson County Library. A very nice little library with WiFi Internet access for free. (I’ve even used it when they’re closed, just parked in the street.)
Anyway, I took a few pictures here in Madras this morning. But I’m not going to put them up right now (11:11 am). I don’t have time.
But I wanted to get this post started, so there you are. 🙄
My first stop in Madras was Safeway to buy some fuel. Before mine was pumped, I noticed that the guy at the other side of my pump started his car…even though the nozzle was still hitched to his car. Then I heard him put his car in gear and I noticed the car jump a bit.
“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” I shouted with generous gusto. (That was great fun!!) He stomped his brakes and I pointed at the fuel nozzle.
After the attendant took care of that customer, he came over to pump my fuel. And thanked me, “You saved me at least $750!”
From there I headed off to the other end of town to buy a few items at BiMart for LaVay. But I got sidetracked by a new bronze statue that had just been dedicated yesterday. It’s a tribute to and memorial of one of their native sons, killed in Iraq: Pfc. Thomas Tucker, a 1999 graduate of Madras High School.
Because Tom enjoyed working with Iraqi children during his Army service, the memorial depicts him helping an Iraqi girl out of a destroyed building:
This morning, the Oregonian reported:
Residents in the Central Oregon city of Madras unveiled a memorial to Army Pfc. Thomas Tucker, the hometown soldier kidnapped and killed in a checkpoint ambush in Iraq three years ago.
The bronze statue designed by sculptor Rip Caswell shows Tucker reaching up to help an Iraqi girl.
Tucker and two other 101st Airborne Division soldiers were ambushed south of Baghdad.
Anyway, from there, I made it to BiMart. As I sat in my van, I heard a loud roaring sound. Overhead, it seemed. So I got out, looked up, and there it was, taking off from the airport:
It banked around and came right over me:
The B-17 Flying Fortress Sentimental Journey was still in town for the just-concluded “Airshow of the Cascades”.
I went into BiMart to my business.
As I was exiting the BiMart parking lot a few minutes later, I stopped to snap this photo:
So long, Apple Peddler Restaurant! I certainly enjoyed eating breakfast there with my wife a while ago. (I include that info here since I recommended eating there way back when.)
After stopping at a thrift store, I went on to the library. It’s a very nice county library. Their Internet area has six computers for public use. They’ve also provided three nice-sized tables for those of who bring our own laptop and notebook computers to take advantage of their free wireless Internet access.
Nice little town, that Madras.
Please note: Most of the above was written yesterday (ie, Monday, August 24, 2009); the first part in the morning in Madras; the second, late at night here at home near Molalla, Oregon. It seems I was going to write more, but I don’t remember what.
Besides, this is long enough.
And I’ve lost interest. 😯
i love madras! 😀