Recovered from the Wayback Machine.
You can tell when the gas prices are lower: the stations are filled with big SUVs and trucks. And today we find out that Missouri has the lowest gas prices in the country. For now, that is.
I used some of the lower gas prices to fuel a trip to see Johnson’s Shut-Ins before it closed this year. I’ll have pictures in a later posting, but for now, it was good to see the park, and good to see how much it has improved.
I’ve been critical of both Ameren and DNR (Department of Natural Resources) in the past, but they both did a good job cleaning up the shut-in area, and restoring the Fens. I’m looking forward to the full opening of the park next year, when we’ll be able to walk around the entire park. I’m also looking forward to a fully restored Ozark Trail.
The park is still fragile, though, and use is severely restricted. Rightfully so—such devastation won’t be cured overnight. Food and drink are strictly forbidden, as are dogs. I was therefore irritated to see a couple of ladies carrying their food hamper and McD’s soft drink cups to the shut-ins, and even more at the couple letting their dog piddle on some of the newly growing rare and endangered fens. How quickly people forget how close we came to losing a natural treasure.
I want to save the world, but can we save it for just some of the people?