Leftovers Day 24 -- Go Fly a Kite

I remember the first time I saw a Gayla "Bat" kite in our local Ben Franklin.  I thought it was the coolest looking kite I'd ever seen, the home-built box kite our neighbor had notwithstanding. I was used to the standard homemade diamond kites my dad would make for me. I never could get one of those up in the air, no matter how long the tail.  I bought the kite and brought it home.  We had a large field behind our house and I ran there before my mom had the car in park.  After unwrapping, applying the eye stickers and attaching the string, I let it fly.  The wind was favorable and it went straight up. It was easiest kite flying I'd ever experienced.  I let more and more string out while watching gleefully as it climbed to new heights. Suddenly, it took a quick dive to the left and landed in the highest branches of a very tall oak tree.  I wound the string in quickly as I ran to the tree. Looking up and immediately recognizing I couldn't climb the tree, I thought, "Maybe I can pull it out with the string". I gave a few tugs and the string broke.  My new kite was hopelessly trapped, its wing pierced on branch. There was nothing I could do. I walked back to our house with a broken spirit. All summer long when I walked the field, I saw it flapping its wings helplessly in the wind, its black plastic disintegrating more with each visit.

While this isn't the exact kite I had, I was elated to find it at a garage sale for 50 cents, still in its original packaging.

Leftovers Day 23 -- Good for Life

I picked up this Dr. Pepper bottle opener at a garage sale in St. Louis City some years ago. The sellers had a number of vintage items all priced at $1 or less.

Leftovers Day 22 -- George Washington Bathed Here

Sometimes you find the strangest things at estate sales.  

Leftovers Day 21 -- Wallets over Mid-America

This wallet was somebody's souvenir from Six Flags Over Mid-America in Missouri.  It doesn't look like it got much use. The front features some of Six Flags' classic rides such as the Log Flume, the Moon Cars and the Mine Train.

Leftovers Day 20 -- Saludos Amigos!

Somebody chose to save this paper dinner place mat as a reminder of their stay at one of the Hacienda Motel or Hotels.  We'll never know which one. 

Leftovers Day 19 -- Popcorn Party

I'm a lifelong popcorn addict.  Home-popped, carnival-sold, store-bought, fake-butter-drenched-movie-style, it doesn't matter. I also have a soft spot for popcorn makers.

Most people are familiar with the West Bend brand Stir Crazy popper.  A some point, some genius at the West Bend company realized you could increase your popcorn production by introducing a sleeve to raise the elevation of the domed lid resulting in a literal Popcorn Party.  To him I say, God bless you sir.  But clowns? Why did it have to be clowns?

Leftovers Day 18 -- South St. Louis County Yesterday & Today

Today's post is one of those that will be interesting to only a few. Hey, that is NOT every post!

Anyway, I found these aerial photos of south St. Louis County (my stomping grounds) from when Interstate 55 was being developed near Lindbergh Boulevard.  You can see South County Mall with the famous Famous & Barr dome to the right.  It's parking lot is still under development. You can also see how much of the land was still farm land and residential at that time.  Interstate 55, still in development, dead ends South of Lindbergh.