
I'm passing horse drawn wagons, then along comes a huge tour bus. These people's everyday lives are a tourist attraction. Well, I stopped too.
GPS tells me I have arrived. I'm at a crossroads, got no clue where I am. I keep driving until I come to a main road. There is a farm store for tourists ahead, cars fill the parking lot. This is where the tour buses are coming from. I ask one of the bus drivers where I am and where is Mount Hope. She doesn't know where Mount Hope is but I find out where I am. Back in the van I get out the Atlas. It takes awhile but I find Mount Hope on the map, about 20 miles away.
I'm watching the numbers on the mail boxes as I approach Mount Hope. When I get to where Weaver Leather is supposed to be, it's a field. In Mount Hope itself the post office is closed. I ask where Weaver Leather is at the hardware store. The guy doesn't know, he isn't from here. I ask a lady in a bonnet, that looks like she is from here. Its back down the road... at a wider part of the road that they call something or other... take a right and it's up there. That reminds me of the European commedian doing a sketch about how Americans give directions. "You go down this street until you come to where Mikes Barber Shop used to be, then turn left...".
I'm going back up the road looking for a place it's wider. At a cross road there is a blinking light, this must be it. Ok, I found it, I go inside. Place is practically deserted, only a couple girls on the phone. I find out that the auction is farther up the road behind the building. They are setting up for it. The auction doesn't start until tomorrow but I want to check it out in advance. It seems I'm not the only one.

Lots of lots of leather. This auction is going to take all day. The leather is odd lots and batches of culls. I've been there done that... I'm not buying.
The next tent is the machinery.

An old fortuna splitter and a couple old USM clickers


Maybe some of this stuff can be made to work but I don't need it and don't need to wait two days until the machinery part of the auction.

All day the weather report has been for rain, large hail and maybe tornadoes. Time to head home. GPS says take a left onto a country road. I'm headed south on a road with double yellow lines on it. I stay headed south. She tells me to take a left on every side street I pass. I'm back at the tourist stop still headed south. GPS finally comes around to my way of thinking.
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