Madeline (Giles) DeJournett is the Advance writer for the North Stoddard Countian. A retired high school English/history teacher, she spent 32 years teaching in 5 schools in Missouri and Alaska. These days, she lives quietly with a menagerie of wild and domestic animals on 52 secluded acres in the remote Tillman hills south of Advance. She graduated from Dexter High School in 1960 and Southeast Missouri State in 1964. She can be contacted at advancensc@sbcglobal.net.

"One man's trash.....

Posted Tuesday, May 29, 2012, at 5:42 PM

This old buggy was the most unusual item I saw for sale on the 100-Mile Yard Sale.

is another man's treasure!"

I had occasion to travel the length and breadth of MO State Highway 25 from Cape Girardeau to Dexter last week during the 100-Mile Yard Sale. Every day I watched the sale grow into larger proportions, as folks dragged out every conceivable item they thought would sell.

On the vacant stretch of highway between Aquilla and Advance, we even saw a lonely fella with his blanket stretched out on the grass, trying to sell a few tools. We imagined a conversation with him: "Hey, how much for this tire iron? Oops, sorry--that's a snake!"

Most of the action was focused around the "large" population centers of Arbor, Delta, Advance, Hill Top, Aquilla and Bloomfield. I wanted to find some stands at Toppertown and Zaddock, so I could include those names, but, unfortunately, those areas were deader'n a door nail...

The most unusual item we saw was an ancient buggy on a flatbed trailer at Aquilla. I'll post that picture later, since I can do only one at a time.

The most interesting people we met were a couple from Park Hills, MO., driving a truck with a very nice storage trailer labeled "Junk Yard Junkies"! We stopped behind them in Bloomfield and learned that their trailer is even equipped with a porta-potty! I have a picture of them, too, of course. It'll probably make the NSC this week.

The weather was gorgeous for this annual event, and if you TAKE YOUR TIME, you might not kill anyone or get yourself rear-ended. I hear that the sale is going to last through tomorrow.

I just hope that the yard sale mania holds on long enough for the sellers to CLEAN UP what's left of their priceless treasures that didn't sell!

From the still green hills of downtown Tillman, MO., this is your mobile reporter, Madeline, just trying to keep cool...

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I sincerely hope this route can remain accident free all weekend. Lots of folks were enjoying the weather,items for sale, and seeing old friends. I personally found a solid glass candy dish my wife would been proud of me for 5 cents. Oh the joy of finding a real bargain.

-- Posted by Dexterite1 on Sun, May 27, 2012, at 4:21 PM
I boldly travelled up 25 on Friday on my way to Cape. I usually bypass the mob and go up the Interstate ("Ben Stone") but I had a wild hair about me and away I went. I must admit I was looking for something...a recent episode of Pioneer Woman cooking show inspired me to get a Dutch oven, but I refuse to pay $60 at Wal-Mart. Surely someone has quit cooking and decided to forfeit their Dutch oven! No luck, but I enjoyed looking at the venues from the road, especially that area you all probably know as "the white house on the left hand side with the huge columns on the front." That whole area looked like something off a postcard. It was fun.

-- Posted by lovebooks on Tue, May 29, 2012, at 8:24 AM
Lovebooks, I would have expected you to find a Dutch oven at that Arbor location! I'll bet someone beat you to it!

I found some lovely glass candy dishes that I'm using for jewelry. I love that heavy glass, even though I don't know anything about what's valuable and what's not.

-- Posted by goat lady on Tue, May 29, 2012, at 5:36 PM
...And the great thing is that the leftovers are cleaned up--at least on the stretch between Advance and dexter. Nothing worse than a bunch of trash left out to deteriorate in the rain (if we ever get rain!)

-- Posted by Madeline1 on Wed, May 30, 2012, at 6:38 AM

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