Big Cedar Lodge A Missouri Jewel

Bob Barb On The Road Again

Big Cedar Lodge, A Missouri Jewel

Ever wonder where all that terrific copper, wood and iron works that you see gracing the many Bass Pro Shops around the country comes from? Well, Bass Pro Fabrication group located on 40-acres in the city of Nix, Missouri, not far from the flagship store in Springfield, custom makes them. They are one-of-kind items such as lighting fixtures as large as a ton in weight and 8-feet across, to huge, artfully crafted and themed fireplace screens as well as more diminutive light fixtures for lodge rooms, restaurants and cottages, to name but a few of the places that are part of the Bass Pro business group.
Lest one think that only Bass Pro Shops and their fabulous Big Cedar Lodge have been the only recipients of the fabrication artists talents, a few friends of Bass Pro, such as Coca Cola and Disney have had some significant items and decorations made for them at Bass Pro’s Fabrication Division.

Bagels Great Even with a Hole in One!

Gourmet Bagels Big Hit

Holy Bread Called Bagels

By Bob T. Epstein

BB’s Bagels and Breads located at 5866 Ballenger Creek Pike in Frederick, MD.

Every Sunday morning Milt Feinberg makes his way to BB’s Bagels and Bread for a robust cup of coffee and a “everything bagel” slathered with chive cream cheese made along with everything else on premises. He is not alone!

Mary Gervais, owner of BB’s bagel and breads background at first glance would not hint of her interest and qualifications for opening a bread and bagel emporium, but not everything at first glance is self evident.  “As a child my grandma baked and I helped her a bit. This memory and the aromas of the fresh baked bread and goodies never left me. I always enjoyed baking with my children and I am passionate about creating and experimenting with how bread rises and the way it is baked. After working 18-years in international business in sales and marketing taught me that I had enough traveling around. It was time for me to seek out a business of my own.” Her husband Bobby Rodriguez originally from Puerto Rico and whose family owns 10-bakeries there, was a big help according to Gervais. He helped & encouraged me all he could and today after 4-years in business at her Ballenger Creek Pike location, she proudly sees thousands of pounds of bagels and bread leave her store in the hands of her steady customers, weekly.

Two years ago, 22-year old Rolando Delgado from Venezuela was offered a chance to be the baker at BB’s after he told Gervais he had family experience in baking bread. “She needed a baker and I was at the right place at the right time”, said Delgado. Today he is very proud of his position making onion, garlic, plain and salt bagels to name but a few of his creations not to mention numerous bread types with an assortment of cheese, herbs and other ingredients as well as scrumptious breakfast muffins with berries and nuts. Delgado said that he makes hundreds of pounds of bagels and breads daily and loves handling the ingredients and dough he makes. This fine coffee shop, breakfast and lunch emporium offers wireless connect to patrons and has pastries and muffins many of her customers drive for miles to purchase. ”Weekends”, says Delgado, I make 1000 pounds of bagels in every flavor, with all sorts of delicious toppings.”

Bagels are made with gluten flower (from New York, yes, they do taste just like New York bagels)  which takes about 15-minutes to mix into a large slab of dough. Delgado cuts and fashions the dough into a long, arm thick slab which he runs through a bagel forming machine which runs them out on a constant belt driven conveyor and Delgado forms the final circle which bagels are so well known for. The bagel require 91-degrees of temperature for the yeast to work and this is done in a humidity proofing machine. Then they go into a computerized oven where they are steam cooked for 16-minutes. Toppings all go on before the proofing and right after the the bagel circle is formed. 4-5 thousand pounds of bagels are created weekly for the store and also for the catering and farmers markets where they are also served and sold. On Wednesday cakes and tarts are baked as well as fine pastries. BB’s bagels are big, no not just big they are large. One bagel is a meal with or without being filled with cream cheese and lox, or any other interesting ingredient you may like such as a scrambled egg and cheese or perhaps a warm ham and cheese or bacon and egg sandwich.

Antique & Collectible Tackle Great Hobby or Business

Antique Tackle Collecting, Enhances Love of The Sport

By Bob Epstein

Since Ponce De Leon first stepped ashore on a tiny section of Florida’s 8400 miles of shoreline in 1513, fishing has been and continues to be a top draw for visitors and residents of this state.

In the past 30 years, a popular new hobby has evolved that has many devotee’s of the 60- million people who fish in the U.S. and many more of those who visit Florida. That interest is collecting anything that pertains to anglings past. This includes rods, reels, lures, books and a thousand other types of early angling gear, art, and tackle shop merchandizing point of purchase props.

With more than 30- thousand lakes, 100 large springs 32 now inhabited Islands known as the Keys and dozens of coastal rivers, it’s no wonder a lot of gear has been designed and used for Florida fishing. What’s the lure of collecting old fishing gear, pun intended? Why finding gold in them “thar” old tackle boxes in the form of nostalgia or just old fashioned dollars. Some old reels, rods, lures are worth big bucks. At an auction in Maine not long ago, an 1810 handmade reel made by George Snyder from Paris Kentucky fetched $20,300 dollars and an 1859 Haskell minnow lure brought a whopping $22,000. However most collectibles can be purchased in the $25 to $150 dollar range. But besides the money, tackle collecting can put people in touch with their youth as well. Owning one or more pieces of fishing tackle that may have been in the hands of grandpa 60 or more years ago or perhaps of the vintage of Zane Grey or Ernest Hemingway helps us capture a piece of those times. As we visualize the glory days of somehow being better, more relaxed and thought of in sort of a pastel haze of memory and memorial to that by gone era.

Tackle collecting is also an education in the history of the sport and angling as a pastime. You can learn how clock makers got into the reel making trade by crafting prized custom reels for themselves, family members and friends. And as these reels were seen and talked about the demand for them began to grow. Some of these former clock craftsmen of old, became manufacturers of fine simple fishing reels as more and more fisherman at heart became anglers in earnest.

Even before the turn of the last century, people were switching from a sun up to sundown agrarian farming existence to an industrial and more urban lifestyle. These were folks who now worked for an hourly wage and had a bit more time to enjoy recreative pursuits. Near the top of the list of vacation pastimes was and still is fishing. Fishing is one of the few sports an entire family no matter the age or physical condition can share in.

The following are some hints for successful trading, selling and buying old and collectable fishing memorabilia: Define what you want to collect. Some like Clyde Harbin of South Carolina, collect only old Heddon lures. Today he has 25,000 of these various model lures. Some collectors want only books and catalogues. Others like reels, rods, creels, bait traps, early fish spears-everything. However don’t pass up anything you may come across at the flea market, auction or yard sale. What you may not wish to collect can be traded to someone else who has an interest in what you have for what you collect. Arm yourself with knowledge. Read and read some more about tackle collecting. Always make an offer, no prices on antiques are hard and fast. Tackle collecting is a hobby so be brave there is nothing the matter with a bit of bargaining, most collectors and sellers expect and enjoy the bargaining. You can’t win them all, but always play fair. “Do unto others” should never be left out of any of your dealings. Join a collectors club and subscribe to tackle collectors newsletters and magazines. There are several available today. Reference books on early tackle will help you get started. The following clubs and magazines are recommended for your interests. Old Fishing Lures and Tackle by Carl F. Luckey, a 466 page identification and value guide to tackle collectibles available from Books Americana, Inc. P.O.Box 2326, Florence, Alabama 35630 the price is $22.95. Another great book is Karl T. White’s book named Tackle Antiques A Reference & Evaluation. Write to White at P.O.Box 169, Arcadia OK 73007 for a copy. Write the National Fishing Lure Collectors Club at P.O.Box 1791, Dearborn Michigan 48121 for membership information. The American Museum of Fly Fishing is another fine location to learn much about collecting tackle from. Write P.O.Box 42, Manchester Vermont 05254. The quarterly newsletter Antique Angler is put out by Paul J. Weber P.O. Box K. Stockton, New Jersey, 08559. Fishing Collectibles Magazine, 2005
Tree House Lane, Plano,Texas 75023 is an excellent magazine and should be ordered by any serious collector. For a very fine visit to a good museum displaying antique tackle in Florida stop by the offices of the International Game Fish Association at their new home in Pompano, Florida. IGFA’s address is 1301 E. Atlantic Blvd. Pompano Beach, FL 33060 call them for further information at
1(305)941 3474

Orange Beach, Alabama Vibrant and Very Much Alive

Spring is approaching quickly! Time for roadside stands, buddding flowers and weekend festivals. I wanted to share with you a great festival in Alabama Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Mark your calendars for the Annual Orange Beach Festival of Art on March 10 and 11, 2012. There will be food, music, children’s activities and art galore! Read below for more information about the event.

March 10th and 11th of 2012

Since the 1970s, the Festival of the Art has been the Gulf Coast’s first rite of spring. The Festival is a celebration of the visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, music and culinary arts. The Festival of the Art takes place on the second weekend of March at the Orange Beach Arts Center’s campus and the adjoining Waterfront Park. Festival admission is $1 for adults.

The Visual Arts includes 90 Artists from across the nation with live demonstrations of glass blowing, molten iron casting and raku pottery firing. The Culinary Arts brings the unique flavors of the Gulf Coast as local restaurateurs prepare specialties for festival guest. The Performing Arts includes two stages of non-stop music and entertainment with individual performers scattered about the Festival site. Plus the wonderful Kids’ Art Alley with amazing children’s art activities.

Join the anticipate 25,000 guests for this year’s exciting Festival. For more information call (251) 981-2787 or visit the website at http://www.obfoa.com/