Day FOUR |THTPWF (Missouri Mines and Johnson Shut-Ins)

With a full day of driving ahead of us, the seven a.m wakeup call didn't help at all.  At least we got to enjoy another breakfast at the wonderful Drury Inn.  Gee golly will we miss that twenty-four hour free pop and popcorn.  As we set sails for our next destination, The Johnson Shut-Ins, a grocery stop was necessary.  We arrived at a fantastical market called SCHNUCKS! What a unique name you might say?  Well the name was just fitting because they have an excellent track record and they give you the tools to be your own boss.  After purchasing enough chili to make our tents smell like a barn for a week...standard procedure...it was time to move on.  Thanks SCHNUCKS!

 

It was only a few hours later until we made our next stop.  As we approached a dilapidated structure in the middle of nowhere we questioned whether or not we were lost.  Little did we know, we had just reached Gary's favorite place, The Missouri Mines!!! Full of wonderment and bliss like a child on Christmas morning, Gary led us into this historic establishment.  Our large group astonished the lone worker who probably lived there.  The thirty-nine of us ventured into the deserted two-room museum to explore Missouri's mining history.  The kind man entertained the idea of a tour around the museum as well as an educational film.  Neal even happily volunteered to try out an old rail car!!!

After taking plenty of notes and exploring the whole museum, it was time to get creative! We were assigned to draw one watercolor and one colored pencil drawing of a structural element that appealed to us. A group of us chose to draw the mine from a different perspective.  We sat on top of the vans and completed our drawings and watercolors. At three fifteen we met up in front of the museum for a sketchbook lay down, where we received beneficial feedback. 

Back on the road, it took about an hour to get to the Johnson Shut-Ins campground where we began to eat the chili we love so much.  Our stomachs were satisfied, but the weather grew colder and colder.  Most of the students retreated to their tents, but we attempted to seek alternate ways of warmth.  We first decided that cartwheels and a variety of tumbling tricks was a great idea.  As Buh face-planted into the freezing cold loam, warmth was achieved but pain as well.  The real fun began when I(Luigi) enlightened the rest of the group with a game from my childhood, three hand touch power walking football (THTPWF for short).  It was a close game until Mason lost the approaching ball in the darkness, slipped on a tarp, and fell straight back on his buttocks.  This turned out to be a very pivotal moment in the game because Mason redeemed himself by great defensive play and many touchdowns that led his team to a 77-70 victory.  Our teams greeted each another with hugs and hand pounds after the game as we retired to our tents.  Little did we know, below freezing temperatures and frozen towels were in our future. 

-Danny Pritchard and Luigi Cuartero