sign of the times

BSG and I are finally getting our schedules to mesh so that we actually have some days off together! Last week we traveled up the road a ways to St. Joseph, MO to look around a bit.  This Midwest town is steeped in history from Jesse James to the Pony Express with incredible architecture everywhere you turn.  I was loving the vintage signage...

A true 'sign of the times' is the boarded business fronts and for sale/lease signs.  It was obvious to me that at one time this was a bustling city, a last stop for provisions before heading to new western frontiers, a place of pride.  Now?  Not so much.  Like so many cities the businesses have moved out and decay has moved in.  No jobs = no money = urban decay.  I felt sadness and worry for the state of our country and the direction we are headed. 

*steps off soap box*