Please read this...What once was lost, now is found...

This week, let's start with some words of wisdom...

...what once was lost, now is found...

...third time's a charm...

...seek, and ye shall find...

...and a thought or two from your intrepid scribe in response to the thoughts, including an explanation for the big ol' map you see this week...

What was lost, now is found. Except that it isn't. 

In this case, we're talking about some high-priced, fancy reading glasses.

In this case, two pair (pairs?) of said reading glasses were lost, and have yet to be found.

The first pair vanished during a Christmas Eve visit to the Trail of Tears State Forest a couple of years ago. 

As you may, or may not, recall, it has become kind of a tradition for us to make a visit to the state forest on Christmas Eve. We've been doing this for three years (I think), which makes it a tradition (I think).

The first time we went over the river and to the woods, it was C-O-L-D. As in smart people would have stayed inside with some wassail cold. 

The next year, the weather was warmer, and wetter, as in it was raining. During that visit, the aforementioned reading glasses vanished. I guess maybe they would have been a Christmas gift for a near-sighted raccoon. Fortunately, we were able to make a last-minute, before the place closed for the holiday visit to a local merchant so a replacement pair of reading glasses could be acquired.

Last year, during our third Christmas Eve visit to the state forest, Mother Nature once again was kind enough to offer a nice, cold setting. At least I didn't lose anything. As far as I know.

Another pair of reading glasses vanished one day last week. Somewhere. I do not know where. I looked and looked and looked for them. Maybe I couldn't find them because I could not see what I was looking for. 

Anyway, I needed to replace what was lost, and not yet found. The Other Half and I took an evening stroll to a local store, where I was able to buy what I thought would be a replacement pair of reading glasses. 

Wrong. They seemed OK in the store. Didn't work at home. So, I tried again. Same story. One more try. Third time was, indeed, a charm. 

I sought, and I found. Which brings us to the big ol' map.

The map, which details Union County in 1876, was shared with me recently by a couple of fellow travelers on The Journey Through Life. The map originally had been shared with them by another traveler, and they thought I might like to see it.

Truth be told, I like such things. I enjoy being able to get a sense of what life might had been like back in the day, so to speak. In this case, back in the day would have been 1876. And, no, I was not around in 1876. 

A close look at the map gives an interesting look at life here at home some 140 years ago. Check it out (I hope the map printed well). Seek, and ye shall find...

You'll find Preston and the Union Point P.O. near the Mississippi and Big Muddy rivers in northwestern Union County. (I'm going to make a rash assumption that "P.O." is an abbreviation for Post Office.) The Willard's Landing P.O., also along the Mighty Mississippi. Quetil. Alto Station. South Pass. Cobden Station and P.O. Kaolin Station. Springville. Bradshaw P.O. Mt. Pleasant P.O. Moscow P.O. The Cairo and St. Louis Railroad line. The Illinois Central Railroad line.  Sand Stone Quarry. Southern Illinois Insane Asylum. Cache River. Cotton Patch Bluff.

The names of Union County folks also were featured on the map, familiar names...Hartline...Cauble...Clutts...Kirkpatrick...Dillow...Hileman...

The names and places are like lyrical memories in the life, times and history of Union County. And to think, some folks don't even use maps anymore, cause there's an app for that. 

Seek, and ye shall find...indeed, unless you happen to be searching for a lost pair of reading glasses...

***

One last thing for this week: happy anniversary to my sweetheart and best friend for putting up with me for another year. The adventure is still fun...