The first happy ending was at the Mid South Live Steamers on May 6 in Columbia, TN. It was unseasonably cool in Middle Tennessee, and one of John’s friends got a shot of friend Bob walking by his engine in the steaming bay. There had been so much rain that they didn’t ride very much. The ending might have been a relief, but they wouldn’t have voiced it. Even if they couldn’t be out on the rails, they enjoyed visiting with each other.

The second happy ending is a photo of Moon Pies. After writing about Moon Pie coffee, I looked for a real Moon Pie in two supermarkets. The largest grocery in the area is Ingles, a chain based in NC with stores in five states. I walked along the cookie aisle and looked up to find Moon Pies listed on a hanging sign. That was appropriate, since the original came from Chattanooga. It’s a Southern specialty and should be featured here. Oddly enough, there was not a single one on the shelf! There were only knock-offs by a different company. Heresy! Imagine my surprise when I spotted a box of minis in Aldi, the German grocery. House brands make up a huge percentage of their stock, yet they had this Southern specialty on the shelf. If you can see the photo, you can tell a Moon Pie is made of two cookies with a filling and a glaze. I haven’t eaten one in over fifty years. For the sake of research, I need to sample one again, but I’m holding out for a large one in its own wrapper. I have a feeling it won’t be especially appealing, and therefore I don’t want a whole box of mini-MPs.

Neighbors Connie and Dave had us over for lunch this week. We haven’t chatted with them all winter, so we really enjoyed a leisurely meal, followed by a long sit on their porch. It was wonderful to catch up on news.

The third ending in this series was spectacular. It tasted every bit as good as it looked.

The evening ended with John’s going to a baseball game in Asheville. It’s a tradition for the church choir to sing the national anthem for one home game of the Tourists, our local team. He was pleasantly surprised that the ballpark was in a residential neighborhood, and there was no charge for parking! The Tourists lost 2 to 1, but it had been a pleasant game, seen with friends.