April Arkansas Happenings

A Beary Woody Welcome To You All..

Will talk about this later...

Texas and this strangely cool past winter of 2013-2014 are behind us. We went back to the Ozark mountains of Arkansas to prepare for a road trip to the east to visit friends in Virginia and, of course, our grandboys in Maryland.  That trip will be the topic of my next blog.

I normally start with a pic of Daisy so it's my turn

We are often asked what do we do when we stay in Arkansas. The answer is... it all depends!










We had been away for several months. The neighbors kept a vigilant eye on, the premises but there are standard spring-time house issues of care and maintenance that we must attend to prior to any major travel adventures for us this summer.  They had a long winter in AR too, and the vegetation was still very much behind in development. Trees were just budding and the spring thunderstorm storm season was just starting.

Magnified view of our house from the island

It is red bud and dogwood time here in the Arkansas Ozarks.

Sunset and new buds

Sunrise and new buds

Eastern panorama front yard view

The little white cottage with the red door

Vinca in full bloom

Daisy's new friend she picked up

Western panorama backyard view

Seasonal house cleaning, yard work, air conditioning maintenance, and preventive insect pest control were at the top of the busy list.  But we did play when given the opportunity. Normally we decide what we are doing, but often our friends invite us for last minute spontaneous activities.

Phyllis, Rick, Darlene, and Carol with Daisy and me

The above and following photos represent a gathering organized by our friend Carol. Daisy and I asked her to meet us at a local sports bar, and she called several people to come join us there for drinks and self entertaining music to follow.

Karaoke and darts. You can get hurt both ways.

We have also started to church shop for a spiritual congregation that meets both of our joint wants and beliefs as well as expressing a creed of inclusiveness and service for all believers.   With that in mind, we were here for Easter services. This gave Daisy a chance to dress finely from top to bottom.

Daisy on Easter Sunday in her Easter bonnet

Easter flowers for the dining table

Dennis and Kathy came from NC to visit

Daisy's friends from North Carolina were on their way to visit family in Missouri and spent several days as our house guests.  Holiday Island, despite its name, is not so much a destination vacation place. It is not on the way to anywhere . It is a place you must want to go to in order to be there.  We are midway in the country between my son in California, my daughter in Maryland, our winter place in south Texas, Daisy's family in Missouri, and her friends and my family in Virginia.

We like it here. It is a good place from which to base for our travels from spring to fall.

Of course we fed them comfort food

We signed up for a 2-hour commercial tour of the local Eureka Springs area. Our tour guide was a personal friend who at one time rented our house several times before he and his wife moved here.

They took us out for sweet treats.

Tour stops included:

Thorncrown Chapel

The Crescent Hotel

View of the Crescent Hotel from the east hills

Valley view of Eureka Springs

On another day we slept in and I made breakfast before we took them to experience another crafty activity that was being hosted here in Eureka Springs.

Gourmet breakfast of SOS with mimosas

There is nothing like woodcarving with a chainsaw...

Chainsaw art fair

Think this is a manly art?

Don't mess with this lady.  She carries a mean blade.

You can either look at it or sit on it!

All kinds of wood wear

Full size from the land

and the lakes

Afterward we went into the old town for shopping and and a light lunch in a historic structure.

Daisy would not leave me here while she shopped.

Basin Hotel balcony with musicians in background

Ozark Mountain Nachos

We also took a 50-mile journey to Fayetteville to attend a musical tribute to Nate King Cole with our friend Carol. An interesting side panel is that I declined to go with Carol to a Ramsey Lewis concert about 8 years ago and she never forgot it. She was our guest this time.  Daisy said it was the least I could do.

Carol's favorite bar/eatery near the arts center

avocado stuffed with crab

Mussels in garlic cilantro sauce

4 musician stations: bass, drums, piano, guitar

We did some work and had some fun. But then we packed to take the TC on the road again to Virginia and Maryland.

































That story next time...