I can get there from here

 Monday found me making the three hour trip to Sedalia.  Saw those REM worthy giant hay roll bale things.  Also drove around downtown Sedalia looking for a perfect mansard.  It was challenging.  There were plenty of buildings from the late 1800's but very few featuring my favorite roof.  But there was one- Charlotte's Antiques.  More like a mansard roof affixed to a warehouse.

Did you know I also love transoms?  Here's a great old-technology-meets-new-technology picture of a Pettis County Courthouse transom- in use!  But the flatscreen tv was turned off.

The Pettis County courthouse is one of the most nicely restored courthouses in the state.  Beautiful.  But you know what?  The original courthouse that burned down was a giant mansard.  Click here for more information.

Mansard storage hut

In the middle of a swath of grass is this utility mansard.  Thanks Richard for convincing your wife to take this picture on your way to Small and Solo Firm conference in Branson, Missouri.

I'm always driving around our fine state of Missouri for work.  Name the city- I've probably been there (or pretty close) or had a roommate from there (I had roomies from Carthage, Joplin, Windsor) . Whenever I'm on road trips in Missouri I always think of this song and video by REM.  Missouri has plenty of its own hay bales and peanuts and watermelon and weird motels:

Summer treat mansard

A mansard styled snow cone stand.  How about that.  Something about this picture screams hot steamy sticky smelly pavement.  I don't remember this stand from last summer.  Near Landsdowne and the Murdoch Cut-off.  Does it not crack you up there is a street named Murdoch Cut-off?

Miss Ohio!

Collecting more mansards around the country.  Thanks Richard S for these gems in Akron, Ohio!  Whenever I get a new mansard I imagine the state being read in the Miss USA parade of states.  Miss Ohio!

Let's kick it back to 1983with some vintage Miss USA and Bob Barker.  Back in 1983 I was 12, the same age as my oldest daughter. I look at the photo's of myself and think of how ugly my hair and clothes were.  Ugh; I think I feel a little better.  Check this out- if these ladies are the best styled in the USA it can be logically concluded it was a bad time for clothes and hair and everyone around me was ugly too.