Biking Through Arkansas

Just to give you an idea of what my plans are, this is map of all the national parks in the the country and a suggestion of a good route to take.   I followed it amazingly closely without even planning to.

Arkansas is one really pretty state. I thought that then and here 40 years later I am living here still thinking it’s a pretty state.  Most of the bottom half is relatively flat, but when you get north a bit, you run smack into the Ozark Mountains. Now they aren’t much in the way of mountains, not like the Rockies, the Cascades or even the Adirondacks. But they are beautiful.  

Arkansas has no national park, at least it didn’t in 1973. But it did have the Buffalo National River, now a national river, but not then.

http://www.nps.gov/buff/index.htm

It has many fine places to hike and most of all, for me, a great highway on which to put a Motorcycle through its paces. The idea when riding roads like this one are to make a turn and have your foot pegs scrape the road. That’s the mark of either an experienced biker or a dumb one, maybe both.

The Ozark Folk Center was opened for the first time in May 1973. It sure didn’t look like it does today, now that I am living within 15 minutes of it.  It has real biker days, featuring bike riders from all over the country who are welcomed to Mountain View, a far cry from folks who crossed the street to avoid us back in 1973.

And I had to go to Toad Suck, Arkansas because with a name like that, there had to be something there. There wasn't. Now there is a Toad Suck Days festival, but I have not been to it now that I live here.

As much as I love Arkansas, I need to go to Kansas because there’s no other way to get to Colorado.

Donna Speaks: Serendipity Too

I was visiting Jan in her Lakeview home shortly after we'd decided to ignore our usual "rules of engagement". I had initially thought Jan was full of shit, but made an exception in her case - considering all of her other wonderful qualities.  Jan had sworn never to be in a relationship with a social worker (They're all crazy!) or a woman with children (They're nothing but trouble!).  Considering all my other wonderful qualities, she also made an exception.

We we sitting next to each other on Jan's multicolored floral couch in her living room.  Jan was narrating her photo albums:  childhood photos, family, past encounters, friends.

As we traveled through her pictorial history, Jan casually pointed to a very young, smiling woman: slim with long brown curly hair.  "This is Tina," Jan casually said.  "I met her at her Dad's hardware store." 

"Hmmm," I thought and tilted my head like the RCA doggie.

"Tina?" I said. "Yes, Tina.  She lives in Arkansas now and has for many years. She takes care of the gardens at the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View," and Jan flipped the page.  I flipped it back.

I'd visited both Mt. View and Mt. Home, an hour+ north of Mt. View, many times.  My younger sister and her partner had moved there 20+ years ago, and continued to make it their home. And, my older sister and her family had lived there for several years.

My Mom and Dad also visited often.  Dad loved to fly fish on the White River.  My family had canoed and camped on the Buffalo River and explored its cliffs.  My boys loved Blanchard Springs Caverns and pontoon boat trips on Bull Shoals. 

One special night we were anchored out in the middle of this beautiful manmade lake, swimming and lying on our backs in the boat watching stars shoot all over the clear night sky.  

Mtn. Home and Mtn. View were special places.

On one trip, my younger sister had a gathering in her home and invited some of her friends.  Among her friends were Tina.  Yep, Tina Marie.  She was there just a' visiting and a'playing her gee-tar and a'singin'.

"I know Tina," I told Jan.  "Huh?  Whatcha mean you know Tina?"   And I told her my story.

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After selling our home in Slidell, LA, I made my last trip from our old to our new home in Mt. View.  Jan had already moved there a couple of years earlier to supervise renovations and commuted from Mountain View to Slidell every few months.  I brought grand children with me.

They loved Mt. View and Mt. Home.  They marveled at the many fossils we found around our home.  After their first trip to the Ozark Folk Center, during which they traipsed along with Tina Marie on her tour, they wanted to return the next day.  They were in awe of Blanchard Springs Caverns, and hiked up the mountain from the springs. 

They returned during Christmas vacation last year and were treated to the awesome view of the White River and Calico Rock from the cliffs by my younger sister and her partner. Afterwards, we all hiked along Livingston Creek and sat around a fire we'd made, just a'talking.

This past Christmas, Jan and I had the pleasure of Miss Tina Marie's company.  Her scrumptious greens were a great additional to our menu.  She brought her pup, Brinn, with her so she could socialize with our Bella and Sandy.

We all had a grand time. 

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May the circle be unbroken.

Have a good day, Miss Althea.

Wallowing Today

I rarely feel sorry that I no longer walk or do things that require legs.  Once in awhile I miss things I did without thinking when I was younger.   Now is one of those times.  We have houseguests arriving for a few days and everyone wants to go kayaking on the Buffalo River in Arkansas. So do I. 

Donna kayaking

But I can’t.

I grew up steps from a fantastic lake, Spring Lake, in Spring Lake, Michigan. It ran into the Grand River and then into Lake Michigan. The entire trip was less than ½ hour if you were going slow. I was as familiar with those waterways as I was with my backyard.  I was allowed to be out in a rowboat or a sailboat as soon as I could swim. We kids in the neighborhood lived in or on the water in summer and skated on it in the winter. I could not imagine not having water to play in or on.

Not ever.

After moving to New Orleans, I had an entire huge brackish water lake to play on. The infamous 13’ deep Lake Pontchartrain was always available and I sailed on it as often as I could. If I wanted to drive half an hour, I could be  playing in the Mississippi Sound in the Gulf of Mexico.  Boating and swimming have always been part of my life.

Water moves, Donna maneuvers through it

Friend kayaks

So, my friends are going to play on the Buffalo River. And I’m not.

So I am wallowing in self pity today.