Southwest Missouri Feeds My Camera Habits

My digital camera goes everywhere with me, as part of my "Realtor on-the-go" kit.  Here in fairly rural Southwest Missouri, I log a lot of miles.  When we moved here, I was impressed and frankly intimidated by the sheer number of miles the Realtor drove my husband and I to look at property.  Quite literally, hundreds of miles in a day.  It sure made my Florida showing drives look easy by comparison.  Well, now I'm the one doing the driving, and my well-traveled camera and I try to slip in a moment or two of fun each day.

Sure, I take listing pictures and send property condition photos to out-of-town buyers contemplating a move to the Carthage, Joplin or Springfield areas.  Plus I take what I call "memory helpers"...what color was the carpet in the third bedroom of my listing, or what was the exact condition of the back fencing on that farm out in Lawrence County?  It must be my advancing age that makes me need these reminders.

But when all those real-estate business pictures are done, I take photos of the things I enjoy about this area.  From 19th century classics, to Route 66, to beautiful rural views, there's plenty of work for a camera here!

One of my favorite spots in Carthage is the Jasper County Courthouse.  It was built of locally quarried stone around 1894, after an earlier courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1863.  I don't know if the fire was related to the Civil War or not.  There were certainly Civil War battles in the Carthage area, but that's a story for another day.

I was making a post office run late last week and shot these snaps.  It was a slightly cool early fall day with an absolutely clear blue sky.  Nice when nature cooperates to make my pictures better than they would otherwise be, hmm?

This building is so beautiful compared to today's government structures.  Can you image the outcry over the waste of taxpayers' money that would ensue if someone proposed a building today with this many ornamental details and bits of non-useful space?  Look at that tower, no office space there!

There are several classic county courthouses here in Southwest Missouri, and I'll try to grab more photos for future blog entries.  Most title companies are located right on the downtown square in the small towns around here, so there are plenty of chances for a Realtor to get a good view of the local courthouses.

I don't think this lovely building was a waste of anyone's money.  I hope you enjoy the pictures too.  Next time, a bit about some of the great homes in the Carthage Historic District.