Someone spoke to me today about how some slights they experienced at the hands of others--some being the result of a failure to communicate, others of thoughtlessness-- had led them to choose to stop attending their church. I listened, telling them that unfortunately people are very human and they make mistakes and are sometimes thoughtless or ungracious; that sometimes, someone's personality may cause them to appear less friendly and welcoming. I pointed out that they had said they found most of the people friendly and that perhaps they should focus on the friendliness of the majority rather than the lack of friendliness and/or courtesy on the part of others. Finally, I suggested that in leaving a church, or any other community for that matter, they should not leave differences unresolved, and then urged them to seek out a faith community to be part of whether, it was the one they'd left, or another.
After some reflection, I realized that I would have liked to urge them to pray for those they felt had offended them in some way. I've often found that praying for those who've offended me, whether it proved to be real or perceived, helped me to gain perspective and to respond in a less reactive way. The challenge is taking the step to pray before too much time has elapsed.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Vacation, Day 7
This morning we broke camp which always takes longer than I think it will. We went back to War Eagle mill for a late breakfast. I had the biscuits and gravy, made with their own flour of course, and Lynn had a buckwheat waffle, and then we decided to try the cobbler. It was awesome! The biscuits and waffle were excellent and the cobbler warm and tasty with real vanilla ice cream to boot. After leaving War Eagle we headed toward Rogers and realizing we were too late for worship at a local church we had our own impromptu worship service in a park in downtown Rogers. We both read scripture, sang a hymn and then prayed together. It was wonderful! We left Rogers and made our way to Bentonville to the Crystal bridges museum which is now located on the square in the Massey building. (www.massey.crystalbridges.org). We arrived an hour early so we found a shady place to park and take a short nap, then explored the square. The square was a typical small town square surrounding a park. Lynn was quite amazed that everything was closed. I told her this was typical of most small towns in the region. We decided to check back after touring the museum to see if anything would be open, particularly the diner, since I had a hankering for some good home cooked food.
The museum was very nice. They had a traveling exhibit of fiber art on display as well as a model of the permanent facility being constructed nearby. The docent was very helpful, even giving us an explanation of the new facility using the model. She was surprised that a man actually wanted to come to the museum. I guess in the south, museums are not considered a manly pursuit. What can I say, I’m a renaissance man. Anyway, the exhibit was incredible. I would never have dreamed you could make such a variety of art, from quilts to sculptures, with a needle and thread. Lynn was particularly excited as she is learning to knit, crochet, and quilt with hopes of combining them to create artwork.
The new museum facility will be incredibly beautiful when completed. It will be situated in a wooded ravine and the museum building itself will dam a small spring fed stream to create two pools, which the museum will surround. There will be several galleries as well as outdoor areas and event space on the grounds. It probably won’t be finished for a couple of years, but when it is, Lynn and I plan to go back see it. We asked the docent about the diner and she told us it had good hamburgers and recommended a different restaurant for us to try.
We walked back over to the diner, only to discover that it was still closed. However, the Sam Walton/WalMart museum was open so we stepped inside. The museum is located in the five and dime store Walton bought in 1950, out of which the WalMart empire was born I suppose. The local history on display was interesting, as was the display of strange returns, including a thermos returned to a WalMart store that was manufactured well before WalMart opened its doors. I’m pretty sure their return policy is no longer so liberal. Lynn labeled the rest of the museum propaganda and I’m pretty sure she was right. As we walked back to the car we had a good discussion about the pros—lots of jobs, inexpensive prices—and cons—labor issues, wage discrimination, and effects on local businesses—of WalMart.
Upon reaching the car we set out to find the restaurant the docent had told us about. We arrived a little after 2 to discover that the restaurant closed at 2:30 and charged $15 a head, so we decided to look elsewhere for a meal. We headed north out of Bentonville with Lynn determined to find me a local diner where I could get a burger and fries. We got off the highway in Neosho, MO thinking it was a likely spot, but didn’t find anything. We headed north again, this time on the back roads and found ourselves in Seneca, MO where we got a little turned around and took a brief detour into Oklahoma. After finding nothing open in that area we continued north until we reached Joplin where we drove all the way through town before finding Babe’s, a local diner advertising burgers, shakes, and suzy q fries. By this time we had actually reached Airport Drive, MO which boasted a population in the 300’s. Babe’s was all I could have wished for, a great cheeseburger—not the Bubba Cheese which was their signature sandwich— a mountain of suzy q’s and a hand mixed chocolate shake. Lynn even enjoyed her burger, which is saying something, and a pineapple shake.
Having satisfied our hunger, we headed north and made our way back to 71 highway to head home. The rest of the trip was uneventful, except for a couple of swerves as Lynn go tired, so we pulled off in Irwin, MO and parked by the Irwin Community Church, so she could take a nap. After 20 minutes or so, we headed north again, arriving home about 6:30, unloaded the car and relaxed for the rest of the evening. Now all that remains is to unpack and develop the pictures, and hope some of them turn out ok. If they do, who knows, maybe I’ll post some here and on facebook.
The museum was very nice. They had a traveling exhibit of fiber art on display as well as a model of the permanent facility being constructed nearby. The docent was very helpful, even giving us an explanation of the new facility using the model. She was surprised that a man actually wanted to come to the museum. I guess in the south, museums are not considered a manly pursuit. What can I say, I’m a renaissance man. Anyway, the exhibit was incredible. I would never have dreamed you could make such a variety of art, from quilts to sculptures, with a needle and thread. Lynn was particularly excited as she is learning to knit, crochet, and quilt with hopes of combining them to create artwork.
The new museum facility will be incredibly beautiful when completed. It will be situated in a wooded ravine and the museum building itself will dam a small spring fed stream to create two pools, which the museum will surround. There will be several galleries as well as outdoor areas and event space on the grounds. It probably won’t be finished for a couple of years, but when it is, Lynn and I plan to go back see it. We asked the docent about the diner and she told us it had good hamburgers and recommended a different restaurant for us to try.
We walked back over to the diner, only to discover that it was still closed. However, the Sam Walton/WalMart museum was open so we stepped inside. The museum is located in the five and dime store Walton bought in 1950, out of which the WalMart empire was born I suppose. The local history on display was interesting, as was the display of strange returns, including a thermos returned to a WalMart store that was manufactured well before WalMart opened its doors. I’m pretty sure their return policy is no longer so liberal. Lynn labeled the rest of the museum propaganda and I’m pretty sure she was right. As we walked back to the car we had a good discussion about the pros—lots of jobs, inexpensive prices—and cons—labor issues, wage discrimination, and effects on local businesses—of WalMart.
Upon reaching the car we set out to find the restaurant the docent had told us about. We arrived a little after 2 to discover that the restaurant closed at 2:30 and charged $15 a head, so we decided to look elsewhere for a meal. We headed north out of Bentonville with Lynn determined to find me a local diner where I could get a burger and fries. We got off the highway in Neosho, MO thinking it was a likely spot, but didn’t find anything. We headed north again, this time on the back roads and found ourselves in Seneca, MO where we got a little turned around and took a brief detour into Oklahoma. After finding nothing open in that area we continued north until we reached Joplin where we drove all the way through town before finding Babe’s, a local diner advertising burgers, shakes, and suzy q fries. By this time we had actually reached Airport Drive, MO which boasted a population in the 300’s. Babe’s was all I could have wished for, a great cheeseburger—not the Bubba Cheese which was their signature sandwich— a mountain of suzy q’s and a hand mixed chocolate shake. Lynn even enjoyed her burger, which is saying something, and a pineapple shake.
Having satisfied our hunger, we headed north and made our way back to 71 highway to head home. The rest of the trip was uneventful, except for a couple of swerves as Lynn go tired, so we pulled off in Irwin, MO and parked by the Irwin Community Church, so she could take a nap. After 20 minutes or so, we headed north again, arriving home about 6:30, unloaded the car and relaxed for the rest of the evening. Now all that remains is to unpack and develop the pictures, and hope some of them turn out ok. If they do, who knows, maybe I’ll post some here and on facebook.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Vacation, Day 6
Today, after breakfast we headed to War Eagle Mill which is a grist mill that was originally built in 1848. It has been rebuilt 4 times, each of them true to the original design. The waterwheel for this mill is an undershot wheel, the only one in the US, which means that the water flows under the wheel to turn it rather than over the top. The mill has another distinction in that it’s wheel is made of cypress harvested right here in Arkansas. War Eagle Mill also contains a souvenir shop on the second level, and a restaurant, the Bean Palace, on the third. Lynn bought a bunch of flour, with a little input from me, some grits(yum!), and some muscadine jelly, muscadine being a type of grape. We checked out the numerous artifacts decorating the walls of the mill and read about its history before checking out the old wood and steel trestle bridge next to the mill. It was interesting that the bridge, though probably wide enough for two cars, only allowed one lane of traffic on treads down the center of its deck. I took some pictures and we decided to check out the Hobbs Conservation center. It was incredible, easily the best nature center I’ve ever visited. It feaured several interactive exhibits, including a walk through cave model and a beautiful setting. After looking over the abundance of maps and guide books available at the center, we decided to go to Fayetteville to see the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks.
An employee at the nature center gave us directions to Fayetteville and it was a beautiful drive on the back roads. The Botanical Garden of the Ozarks was gorgeous. It’s truly amazing what they’ve done in just two years since opening. The garden covers 8 acres of what will eventually be 90 and is set up around a central greenspace which was set up for a wedding in the evening. Themed gardens were set up around the greenspace in such a way that they seemed continuous at a distance, but were easily distinguished as you drew closer. The gardens were full of incredible sculptures that blended very well into the garden. My favorite was a giant grasshopper of wood and metal. Lynn enjoyed a bas relief of a dragon fly set into the walkway of the children’s garden. The children’s garden was our favorite garden with it’s hollow tree trunk, bridge and sculptures. The staff person on duty told us that there will eventually be a reading area reached by a tunnel in this garden. There was also a bat tower designed to provide a roosting place for an endangered species native to the region. Other gardens included a perennial & rose garden, a native garden, and a four seasons garden. There were places to sit and enjoy each garden, which were thoughtfully placed to provide shade as well as wonderful views. This garden is well worth a visit if you’re in the Fayetteville area.
After leaving the Botanical garden we drove through downtown Springdale and discovered the Pontiac, a coffee/sandwich/gift shop and event center with the Pontiac church worshipping there on Wednesday evenings. The Pontiac is a restored 1950’s Pontiac dealership complete with a ’54 Pontiac convertible sitting in the middle of the floor. We had some ice cream, took pictures in the ’54 convertible and then started back. Since we were both hungry by this time we decided to stop at Durango Mercado, a Salvadoran market and restaurant Lynn had spotted between the Botanical garden and Springdale. It was incredible! They were out of Pupusas, so we took the owner’s son’s suggestion and tried the gorditas. These were not what you order at Taco Bell which are closer to what is often called an Indian taco. Instead, these were made by taking fresh-think just pressed—tortillas. The filling was placed on the first tortilla and toped with the second. The edges were pressed together and then it was toasted on a griddle. The tortillas were only about 6” in diameter so it would take 3-4 to make a meal. The first one was so good we decided to try two more.
Our stomachs filled we headed back towards Turpentine Creek, taking the back roads once more. We stopped a couple of times so I could take pictures of a log cabin and of a beautiful valley. When we arrived we discovered that we had another neighbor in an RV. It was hot and muggy and this seemed to move the cats to chorus again. Tomorrow, we plan to go back to the mill for breakfast, find a church to worship at if we can, and then visit the Crystal Bridges museum in Fayetteville. Lord, it’s been a good vacation. Thank you!
An employee at the nature center gave us directions to Fayetteville and it was a beautiful drive on the back roads. The Botanical Garden of the Ozarks was gorgeous. It’s truly amazing what they’ve done in just two years since opening. The garden covers 8 acres of what will eventually be 90 and is set up around a central greenspace which was set up for a wedding in the evening. Themed gardens were set up around the greenspace in such a way that they seemed continuous at a distance, but were easily distinguished as you drew closer. The gardens were full of incredible sculptures that blended very well into the garden. My favorite was a giant grasshopper of wood and metal. Lynn enjoyed a bas relief of a dragon fly set into the walkway of the children’s garden. The children’s garden was our favorite garden with it’s hollow tree trunk, bridge and sculptures. The staff person on duty told us that there will eventually be a reading area reached by a tunnel in this garden. There was also a bat tower designed to provide a roosting place for an endangered species native to the region. Other gardens included a perennial & rose garden, a native garden, and a four seasons garden. There were places to sit and enjoy each garden, which were thoughtfully placed to provide shade as well as wonderful views. This garden is well worth a visit if you’re in the Fayetteville area.
After leaving the Botanical garden we drove through downtown Springdale and discovered the Pontiac, a coffee/sandwich/gift shop and event center with the Pontiac church worshipping there on Wednesday evenings. The Pontiac is a restored 1950’s Pontiac dealership complete with a ’54 Pontiac convertible sitting in the middle of the floor. We had some ice cream, took pictures in the ’54 convertible and then started back. Since we were both hungry by this time we decided to stop at Durango Mercado, a Salvadoran market and restaurant Lynn had spotted between the Botanical garden and Springdale. It was incredible! They were out of Pupusas, so we took the owner’s son’s suggestion and tried the gorditas. These were not what you order at Taco Bell which are closer to what is often called an Indian taco. Instead, these were made by taking fresh-think just pressed—tortillas. The filling was placed on the first tortilla and toped with the second. The edges were pressed together and then it was toasted on a griddle. The tortillas were only about 6” in diameter so it would take 3-4 to make a meal. The first one was so good we decided to try two more.
Our stomachs filled we headed back towards Turpentine Creek, taking the back roads once more. We stopped a couple of times so I could take pictures of a log cabin and of a beautiful valley. When we arrived we discovered that we had another neighbor in an RV. It was hot and muggy and this seemed to move the cats to chorus again. Tomorrow, we plan to go back to the mill for breakfast, find a church to worship at if we can, and then visit the Crystal Bridges museum in Fayetteville. Lord, it’s been a good vacation. Thank you!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Vacation, Day 5
Vacations are awesome! Today, I got up early and took some more pictures of the cats. Loretta, the white tiger, was very cooperative, so I snapped several shots of her. Along the way, I met Tony, who lives in Gladstone, just north of the river from us in KC, MO. He and his family were staying in the blue room where Lynn and I stayed 3 nights ago. I thought it was great that they were here because he thought his daughter would enjoy it. We snapped some pictures together and shared our hopes for the upcoming Chiefs season before going our separate ways.
After a delicious breakfast we headed to Quigley’s castle. Quigley’s castle is the brainchild of one Elise Quigley, a focused woman who went so far as to tear down the house they were living in to force her husband to begin construction on the house he promised her. The most amazing feature of the house is that on three walls there is 4 feet of dirt around the inside of the house with plants growing up through the second floor. It’s really amazing! Secondly, Elise collected rocks, and when I say collected I mean it. She collected rocks from around the world through the mail as well as picking them up everywhere she went. These rocks are now on the outside of her amazing house, as well as throughout her garden in benches and numerous sculptures. The gardens were very beautiful. The house is now owned by Elise’s granddaughter. She and her husband live in the house which I found amazing as well. I wonder how it feels to have strangers traipsing through your house every day, to essentially live in a museum? Anyway I appreciate the opportunity to see this amazing home and would recommend seeing it if you’re in the area.
After Quigley’s we drove into Eureka Springs where we rode the trolley up to the top of the shopping district before making our way back down one side of the street, checking out the shops along the way before riding back up to do the other side of the street. Momma didn’t raise no fool, I wasn’t going to hike up that hill in 99 degree heat!
Along the way we found ourselves in some really interesting shops including Bone, which sells a hodgepodge of outdoor gear including a lightweight hammock intended for hikers and backpackers. We managed to escape without buying anything too touristy. As we boarded the trolley to go back up the hill, Lynn made a new friend—no surprise there—in a woman from New Mexico who is a spinner, she spins wool into thread and yarn. She was wearing a shirt that said, “From sheep to shawl” and that’s how the conversation started. Sheep to shawl is an event at which multiple spinners take wool freshly shorn from a sheep and spin it into thread for a weaver who weaves a shawl. The shawl is done in just over 3 hours from when they start spinning. Amazing! She’s been doing this event at the New Mexico state fair for years and was just as excited to tell Lynn about spinning as Lynn was to learn.
On our way back down we visited “Hats, Hides, and Heirlooms” where Lynn decided I needed a hat. None of them fit so Lynn told the clerk that I have a big head. I told the clerk it had 2 meanings which caused her to crack up. (If you don’t get it, sit with it for a minute and it’ll come to you.) The clerk asked the store owner who said the only way they could get a hat to fit me was to special order it because they don’t get that many people with big heads coming through. LOL! Maybe you had to be there. After the hat failure we visited Gazebo, a bookstore with a wonderful selection of books on green living and and social respoonibility. Lynn picked up a book on urban gardening and one on growing strawberries while I made a Library/Amazon list before we moved on. There was nothing else particularly exciting before we boarded the trolley to head back to our car.
As it was about time for supper we headed back to Berryville for more of Lily’s awesome Papusas and tacos at La Luna. During dinner we listened as a local woman described how she had been up until late the night before cutting down a fence her neighbor had erected on her property and how she was going after him with a shotgun if he put it back up. I offered her some sympathy and a sincere prayer that it wouldn’t come to violence. After dinner we received an impromptu lesson in tortilla making before heading to 302 on the Square. 302 is a restaurant run by the same folks who sold the cinnamon ice cream. (See day 3). This couple is undertaking the awesome project of restoring a beautiful old hotel building in which their restaurant and ice cream shop occupy the ground floor.
At 302 on the Square we had a lite 2nd dinner. Well, Lynn had ice cream while I had a sandwich—and enjoyed the hootenanny which occurs there every Friday night. What’s a hootenanny? I’m glad you asked. A hootenanny is, in simple terms, a bluegrass and folk music jam session. Since Lynn and I both grew up listening to this kind of music, we loved it. There were about 15 musicians there playing banjos, acoustic guitar, steel guitar, bass, hammered dulcimer, and fiddle, as well as a young boy banging away on a drum. It was great! Not only was the music good, it was beautiful to watch how the musicians worked together. Any musician was welcome so long as they played acoustically. They took turns choosing the song and singing. Someone would start off and the others joined in, sometimes switching instruments to suit the song. They even gave the little guy his turn, playing along with him and turning his efforts into beautiful music. Wish I could see that kind of cooperation and communal teaching on a daily basis. We stayed long enough for a fellow Appalachian to play a Ralph Stanley song for Lynn and then headed back to Turpentine Creek where we have a new neighbor in their RV. Well, I’m off to bed. Hope you all are having as much fun as I am.
After a delicious breakfast we headed to Quigley’s castle. Quigley’s castle is the brainchild of one Elise Quigley, a focused woman who went so far as to tear down the house they were living in to force her husband to begin construction on the house he promised her. The most amazing feature of the house is that on three walls there is 4 feet of dirt around the inside of the house with plants growing up through the second floor. It’s really amazing! Secondly, Elise collected rocks, and when I say collected I mean it. She collected rocks from around the world through the mail as well as picking them up everywhere she went. These rocks are now on the outside of her amazing house, as well as throughout her garden in benches and numerous sculptures. The gardens were very beautiful. The house is now owned by Elise’s granddaughter. She and her husband live in the house which I found amazing as well. I wonder how it feels to have strangers traipsing through your house every day, to essentially live in a museum? Anyway I appreciate the opportunity to see this amazing home and would recommend seeing it if you’re in the area.
After Quigley’s we drove into Eureka Springs where we rode the trolley up to the top of the shopping district before making our way back down one side of the street, checking out the shops along the way before riding back up to do the other side of the street. Momma didn’t raise no fool, I wasn’t going to hike up that hill in 99 degree heat!
Along the way we found ourselves in some really interesting shops including Bone, which sells a hodgepodge of outdoor gear including a lightweight hammock intended for hikers and backpackers. We managed to escape without buying anything too touristy. As we boarded the trolley to go back up the hill, Lynn made a new friend—no surprise there—in a woman from New Mexico who is a spinner, she spins wool into thread and yarn. She was wearing a shirt that said, “From sheep to shawl” and that’s how the conversation started. Sheep to shawl is an event at which multiple spinners take wool freshly shorn from a sheep and spin it into thread for a weaver who weaves a shawl. The shawl is done in just over 3 hours from when they start spinning. Amazing! She’s been doing this event at the New Mexico state fair for years and was just as excited to tell Lynn about spinning as Lynn was to learn.
On our way back down we visited “Hats, Hides, and Heirlooms” where Lynn decided I needed a hat. None of them fit so Lynn told the clerk that I have a big head. I told the clerk it had 2 meanings which caused her to crack up. (If you don’t get it, sit with it for a minute and it’ll come to you.) The clerk asked the store owner who said the only way they could get a hat to fit me was to special order it because they don’t get that many people with big heads coming through. LOL! Maybe you had to be there. After the hat failure we visited Gazebo, a bookstore with a wonderful selection of books on green living and and social respoonibility. Lynn picked up a book on urban gardening and one on growing strawberries while I made a Library/Amazon list before we moved on. There was nothing else particularly exciting before we boarded the trolley to head back to our car.
As it was about time for supper we headed back to Berryville for more of Lily’s awesome Papusas and tacos at La Luna. During dinner we listened as a local woman described how she had been up until late the night before cutting down a fence her neighbor had erected on her property and how she was going after him with a shotgun if he put it back up. I offered her some sympathy and a sincere prayer that it wouldn’t come to violence. After dinner we received an impromptu lesson in tortilla making before heading to 302 on the Square. 302 is a restaurant run by the same folks who sold the cinnamon ice cream. (See day 3). This couple is undertaking the awesome project of restoring a beautiful old hotel building in which their restaurant and ice cream shop occupy the ground floor.
At 302 on the Square we had a lite 2nd dinner. Well, Lynn had ice cream while I had a sandwich—and enjoyed the hootenanny which occurs there every Friday night. What’s a hootenanny? I’m glad you asked. A hootenanny is, in simple terms, a bluegrass and folk music jam session. Since Lynn and I both grew up listening to this kind of music, we loved it. There were about 15 musicians there playing banjos, acoustic guitar, steel guitar, bass, hammered dulcimer, and fiddle, as well as a young boy banging away on a drum. It was great! Not only was the music good, it was beautiful to watch how the musicians worked together. Any musician was welcome so long as they played acoustically. They took turns choosing the song and singing. Someone would start off and the others joined in, sometimes switching instruments to suit the song. They even gave the little guy his turn, playing along with him and turning his efforts into beautiful music. Wish I could see that kind of cooperation and communal teaching on a daily basis. We stayed long enough for a fellow Appalachian to play a Ralph Stanley song for Lynn and then headed back to Turpentine Creek where we have a new neighbor in their RV. Well, I’m off to bed. Hope you all are having as much fun as I am.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Vacation, Day 4
Today was great! No visits during the night from the resident wild animals and I discovered that they do have bears here at Turpentine Creek. So, lions and tigers and bears, oh my! I just couldn’t resist. Anyway, this morning Lynn headed out to the Eureka Springs farmer’s market while I caught an extra hour or so of sleep. It’s a great arrangement, one we faithfully follow most Saturday mornings at home. Lynn brought back dome great fresh produce, including green beans, fresh baked bread and some tasty mushrooms. Of course, Lynn made some new friends while she was there. We’ll never starve no matter where we are because Lynn will know or be able to find people who grow food. It’s amazing, and it is really awesome to know the people that grow a lot of your food. Breakfast today was a tasty mix of breakfast sausage from our friends at Hickory County Sausage in Lathrop, Missouri with potatoes, onions, and oyster mushrooms. This was followed up by a slice of bread with homemade butter and strawberry-banana jelly made by my wife. To wash it all down, a glass of chocolate milk. Hmm-mm good!
After breakfast, I washed dishes and then discovered that the Wildlife Refuge has wifi. I love this place more and more. After updating my facebook status and blog, I finally went on the official tour of the refuge. It was great and answered some questions I had such as whether all the animals were kept in the same type of pen that I’d seen. I’d been thinking that these pens were a little on the small side and they are completely floored with concrete, all in all, not the best environment for wild animals. Anyway, I learned on the tour that most of the animals on the refuge are kept in much larger pens behind the compound. The newest animals are kept in the compound where they are most visible to the public. The animals that are anti-social or have been here the longest get moved to the larger pens as pens become available. I took a lot of pics and I hope they come out. The funnest might be the one of a tiger poking its head above the edge of its water tank where it was playing with a ball. Another would be of a mountain lion playing with the raw egg it had just been given.
After my tour we had a quick lunch of PB&J’s and headed for Eureka Springs. We modified our plans a little and visited some shops and art galleries this afternoon. First up was the Amish Furniture store. I love the craftsmanship of wood furniture and always find it beautiful. Then we went by the Cherokee Mountain Gallery, still closed, and then went to the artists colony, an artists coop a little off the beaten path in Eureka Springs. We saw some interesting art and met some even more interesting people there. Our next stop was Eurekan Arts, a wonderful shop with some gorgeous pottery, wood turnings, and photographs. Lynn just loved some photos of peppers and other produce and I was enticed by some wood boxes, but we decided to move on without buying.
Our next stop was Mountain Eclectic Arts which was great for several reasons. First was the interesting collection of antiques, home décor and art in the shop. Second was the spring located inside the building. Third, was meeting Jack Bratt, one of the owners, and a former resident of our own Historic Northeast community in KC, MO. We had one of those do you know so and so…yeah, doesn’t she live … conversations and then got some advice on good places to visit. We bought a gift for Lynn’s mom and a tea light lantern for our place before heading out to a couple of the places Jack recommended. On the way, we tried to check out Thorncross Chapel, an internationally known building due ot its unique architecture. Then we found our way to Paradise Pottery, which is the cooperative venture of husband and wife artists, Lara and Jim. We fell in love with the unique handpainted glazes done by Lara, something she said reminds her of landscapes, particularly the White River, which was across the road from their workshop/gallery. The colors were incredibly vivid and almost seemed to be intertwined in places. We bought a small bowl to add to our collection and left talking of pieces we’d love to have down the road. Lynn had the idea that a commissioned fountain/font for a church would be awesome. I wholeheartedly agree!
After leaving paradise, we followed Lara’s advice and drove further down Blue Spring rode to where the White River curves around from one side of the road to the other. I took quite a few pictures of the river, and even talked Lynn into driving to a bridge where I got out to take some more. However, I had a camera malfunction and didn’t want to walk out on the bridge (no sidewalks) to try again once Lynn helped me get the camera working again. So we drove on to Beaver Dam and I took some pictures of the sunlight on the water that should be really nice. After that we returned to Turpentine Creek and had a late dinner of andouille sausage—also from our friends at Hickory County Sausage, fresh pepper, tomatoes, onions, corn and mushrooms from the farmer’s market seasoned with a beautiful sunset that left the sky painted in bands of color. After cleaning up, we settled in for the night to a symphony of frogs, crickets, and the wind through the trees. The cats have been pretty quiet tonight, a couple of coughs from one of the lions and nothing else. Thank you God, for the beauty of your creation, for my lovely wife, for new friends and old. Good night!
After breakfast, I washed dishes and then discovered that the Wildlife Refuge has wifi. I love this place more and more. After updating my facebook status and blog, I finally went on the official tour of the refuge. It was great and answered some questions I had such as whether all the animals were kept in the same type of pen that I’d seen. I’d been thinking that these pens were a little on the small side and they are completely floored with concrete, all in all, not the best environment for wild animals. Anyway, I learned on the tour that most of the animals on the refuge are kept in much larger pens behind the compound. The newest animals are kept in the compound where they are most visible to the public. The animals that are anti-social or have been here the longest get moved to the larger pens as pens become available. I took a lot of pics and I hope they come out. The funnest might be the one of a tiger poking its head above the edge of its water tank where it was playing with a ball. Another would be of a mountain lion playing with the raw egg it had just been given.
After my tour we had a quick lunch of PB&J’s and headed for Eureka Springs. We modified our plans a little and visited some shops and art galleries this afternoon. First up was the Amish Furniture store. I love the craftsmanship of wood furniture and always find it beautiful. Then we went by the Cherokee Mountain Gallery, still closed, and then went to the artists colony, an artists coop a little off the beaten path in Eureka Springs. We saw some interesting art and met some even more interesting people there. Our next stop was Eurekan Arts, a wonderful shop with some gorgeous pottery, wood turnings, and photographs. Lynn just loved some photos of peppers and other produce and I was enticed by some wood boxes, but we decided to move on without buying.
Our next stop was Mountain Eclectic Arts which was great for several reasons. First was the interesting collection of antiques, home décor and art in the shop. Second was the spring located inside the building. Third, was meeting Jack Bratt, one of the owners, and a former resident of our own Historic Northeast community in KC, MO. We had one of those do you know so and so…yeah, doesn’t she live … conversations and then got some advice on good places to visit. We bought a gift for Lynn’s mom and a tea light lantern for our place before heading out to a couple of the places Jack recommended. On the way, we tried to check out Thorncross Chapel, an internationally known building due ot its unique architecture. Then we found our way to Paradise Pottery, which is the cooperative venture of husband and wife artists, Lara and Jim. We fell in love with the unique handpainted glazes done by Lara, something she said reminds her of landscapes, particularly the White River, which was across the road from their workshop/gallery. The colors were incredibly vivid and almost seemed to be intertwined in places. We bought a small bowl to add to our collection and left talking of pieces we’d love to have down the road. Lynn had the idea that a commissioned fountain/font for a church would be awesome. I wholeheartedly agree!
After leaving paradise, we followed Lara’s advice and drove further down Blue Spring rode to where the White River curves around from one side of the road to the other. I took quite a few pictures of the river, and even talked Lynn into driving to a bridge where I got out to take some more. However, I had a camera malfunction and didn’t want to walk out on the bridge (no sidewalks) to try again once Lynn helped me get the camera working again. So we drove on to Beaver Dam and I took some pictures of the sunlight on the water that should be really nice. After that we returned to Turpentine Creek and had a late dinner of andouille sausage—also from our friends at Hickory County Sausage, fresh pepper, tomatoes, onions, corn and mushrooms from the farmer’s market seasoned with a beautiful sunset that left the sky painted in bands of color. After cleaning up, we settled in for the night to a symphony of frogs, crickets, and the wind through the trees. The cats have been pretty quiet tonight, a couple of coughs from one of the lions and nothing else. Thank you God, for the beauty of your creation, for my lovely wife, for new friends and old. Good night!
Vacation, Day 3
What a day! Got a great nights sleep despite the Turpentine Creek Cat Chorus. We lazed around a bit this morning, then I went out ant took pictures of the cats while Lynn enjoyed a good soak in the oversized tub. As I approached the pen across from our room, I was reminded that these are wild animals as a tiger sprang up and charged at me. Believe me, you’re not really comforted by mere fences when a 450 pound cat with 3 inch canines and claws bigger than a pocket knife is charging at you. Awesome! It reminded me of my favorite depiction of God as a Lion in C.S. Lewis’ “The Chronicles of Narnia”. One of the Pevensie children asks if Aslan, the God figure, is a tame lion. The answer she receives is, “My heavens, no. He’s not a tame lion, but he’s good.” I think sometimes that we treat God like some of these animals were treated, as if we could make a housepet of God, and eventually we discover otherwise. She’s not tame, but she’s good. The feminine gender is just a little reminder that God isn’t contained by our human categories of male and female either.
As I continued around the compound, I watched as a young black leopard, stalked a little girl of 2-3 years. He circled around until his den—a concrete box—was between him and the girl, then he would raise up to peek at her over the top, then leap onto the den and lunge at her through the fence. He repeated this 4-5 times before being distracted by a ball floating in a tank of water in his pen. It was amusing to watch him play with the ball even to the point of dunking himself in the water, which he didn’t seem to mind at all, despite the fact that one of the staff said leopards usually don’t like water. I hope the pictures turn out.
Check out was at 11, so we packed up the car and ate an early lunch. On a whim, Lynn asked if we could camp at the refuge. We were told we could, for $25 a night. This might seem high, but the total amount of our lodging goes to caring for the cats, so we didn’t mind. However, we’d made reservations at Withrow Springs state park, so we headed south about 14 miles to set up camp. Imagine our surprise when we found that our campsite was right off the side of state highway 23. Seriously, I’ve seen interstate rest stops where you could get farther from the road. Call us picky, but when we think of camping, we generally imagine being surrounded by trees and, if necessary, fellow campers, without a highway, or even a main road in sight. After learning that the park didn’t have any sites further removed we called some campgrounds and finally decided to return to Turpentine creek, where we set up our dining fly to hold our spot—we had our choice of five of the seven sites—before heading out for the day. We stopped to ask if there was a camera shop around—the clerk didn’t know of one—and Lynn had the bright idea to call local photographers to ask where they bought their supplies. The only lead we got was a Radio Shack in Berryville—It seems that Eureka Springs consists largely of hotels, RV parks, and restaurants, aside from the historic business district and the Passion Play which are the main tourist attractions—so we were off to Berryville again. We found the Radio Shack, which was also an auto parts store and machine shop, and were excited to find the correct battery for our good camera, a Nikon 6006 which my wife purchased in college—she was an art major. After leaving Radio Shack, where we also learned the merits of Hex Bugs, we decided to check out the Berryville town squarewhich Lynn had read about in a tourist magazine. Wow, were we glad we did! On the square in Berryville we discovered two wonderful used book stores, one of which had an eccentric owner and Spanky, a terrier with a Mohawk, as it’s mascot. Best of all, we discovered Las Lunas, a hole in the wall restaurant with incredible food. We had authentic Guatemalan drinks, the best papusa we’d ever tasted, 2 tacos, beans and tortilla chips, all for less than $8. We’ve had more than a few Papusas, we promise! We also found an ice cream store with cinnamon ice cream that tasted like home made apple pie. Hmm-mm!
After leaving Berryville, we stopped to see the sites on the way back to Eureka which included Cherokee Mountain Gallery—closed, (bummer!), Onyx Cave—a lttle off the beaten path, but well worth it, and Sleepy’s Log Cabin Décor. On our way back through Eureka Springs, we stopped at the Natural Foods Market for some snacks, and decided to drive around a bit again. It was about 5:30 and the town was pretty much closed up, which was nice because we didn’t have to fight traffic. Our wanderings took us off the main shopping street to a nice little area at the top of the mountain, over the mountain past the magnificent Crescent hotel and numerous beautiful houses, to the Grotto Spring where we had an impromptu picnic dinner. On our way back through Eureka we stopped at a gallery… Well, to tell the truth, we stopped beyond the gallery and I backed up the street blocking traffic and creating a general snafu. Lynn—remember, she’s the art expert—declared this a wonderful gallery and the only one she’s seen that successfully mixed a wide range of styles. She also found an artist she really liked, a very rare occurrence; and, even more rare, I agreed with her. Sean Mitchell is a photographer with a unique way of seeing the world that comes through very clearly and engagingly in his work. Unfortunately, the price was well beyond our means, even with a 15% discount that the gallery owner mentioned repeatedly, somehow managing to do so without it being obnoxious. It helped that she obviously knew what she was talking about given her conversation with Lynn. Our daylight reconnaissance accomplished, we headed back to Turpentine Creek, set up our tent and retired for the night since it was about 10pm. My last thought of the day, with the concerto of cats in the background, was that there’s nothing like the idea of an escaped tiger visiting your tent at night to remind you of your mortality.
As I continued around the compound, I watched as a young black leopard, stalked a little girl of 2-3 years. He circled around until his den—a concrete box—was between him and the girl, then he would raise up to peek at her over the top, then leap onto the den and lunge at her through the fence. He repeated this 4-5 times before being distracted by a ball floating in a tank of water in his pen. It was amusing to watch him play with the ball even to the point of dunking himself in the water, which he didn’t seem to mind at all, despite the fact that one of the staff said leopards usually don’t like water. I hope the pictures turn out.
Check out was at 11, so we packed up the car and ate an early lunch. On a whim, Lynn asked if we could camp at the refuge. We were told we could, for $25 a night. This might seem high, but the total amount of our lodging goes to caring for the cats, so we didn’t mind. However, we’d made reservations at Withrow Springs state park, so we headed south about 14 miles to set up camp. Imagine our surprise when we found that our campsite was right off the side of state highway 23. Seriously, I’ve seen interstate rest stops where you could get farther from the road. Call us picky, but when we think of camping, we generally imagine being surrounded by trees and, if necessary, fellow campers, without a highway, or even a main road in sight. After learning that the park didn’t have any sites further removed we called some campgrounds and finally decided to return to Turpentine creek, where we set up our dining fly to hold our spot—we had our choice of five of the seven sites—before heading out for the day. We stopped to ask if there was a camera shop around—the clerk didn’t know of one—and Lynn had the bright idea to call local photographers to ask where they bought their supplies. The only lead we got was a Radio Shack in Berryville—It seems that Eureka Springs consists largely of hotels, RV parks, and restaurants, aside from the historic business district and the Passion Play which are the main tourist attractions—so we were off to Berryville again. We found the Radio Shack, which was also an auto parts store and machine shop, and were excited to find the correct battery for our good camera, a Nikon 6006 which my wife purchased in college—she was an art major. After leaving Radio Shack, where we also learned the merits of Hex Bugs, we decided to check out the Berryville town squarewhich Lynn had read about in a tourist magazine. Wow, were we glad we did! On the square in Berryville we discovered two wonderful used book stores, one of which had an eccentric owner and Spanky, a terrier with a Mohawk, as it’s mascot. Best of all, we discovered Las Lunas, a hole in the wall restaurant with incredible food. We had authentic Guatemalan drinks, the best papusa we’d ever tasted, 2 tacos, beans and tortilla chips, all for less than $8. We’ve had more than a few Papusas, we promise! We also found an ice cream store with cinnamon ice cream that tasted like home made apple pie. Hmm-mm!
After leaving Berryville, we stopped to see the sites on the way back to Eureka which included Cherokee Mountain Gallery—closed, (bummer!), Onyx Cave—a lttle off the beaten path, but well worth it, and Sleepy’s Log Cabin Décor. On our way back through Eureka Springs, we stopped at the Natural Foods Market for some snacks, and decided to drive around a bit again. It was about 5:30 and the town was pretty much closed up, which was nice because we didn’t have to fight traffic. Our wanderings took us off the main shopping street to a nice little area at the top of the mountain, over the mountain past the magnificent Crescent hotel and numerous beautiful houses, to the Grotto Spring where we had an impromptu picnic dinner. On our way back through Eureka we stopped at a gallery… Well, to tell the truth, we stopped beyond the gallery and I backed up the street blocking traffic and creating a general snafu. Lynn—remember, she’s the art expert—declared this a wonderful gallery and the only one she’s seen that successfully mixed a wide range of styles. She also found an artist she really liked, a very rare occurrence; and, even more rare, I agreed with her. Sean Mitchell is a photographer with a unique way of seeing the world that comes through very clearly and engagingly in his work. Unfortunately, the price was well beyond our means, even with a 15% discount that the gallery owner mentioned repeatedly, somehow managing to do so without it being obnoxious. It helped that she obviously knew what she was talking about given her conversation with Lynn. Our daylight reconnaissance accomplished, we headed back to Turpentine Creek, set up our tent and retired for the night since it was about 10pm. My last thought of the day, with the concerto of cats in the background, was that there’s nothing like the idea of an escaped tiger visiting your tent at night to remind you of your mortality.
Vacation Day 2
We had a beautiful drive down today, particularly in the rolling hills and mountains of northern Arkansas. We passed through Eureka springs laughing at the names of a couple of establishments. It’s always fun to mess with Lynn by telling her I’d like to visit an establishment with a name like “The Rowdy Beaver”. We arrived at Turpentine Creek Wildlife refuge around five which isn’t bad for leaving around 12:30 and taking our time, courtesy of highway construction every few miles in Missouri. The refuge is beautiful. It’s invisible from the road and easy to miss, as I proved myself. The staff was very friendly and the accommodations were clean and neat if not luxurious. We stayed in the Blue room, one of two “quasi suites” flanked by tiger pens and just across from the main compound, as the staff referred to it. (More about that in a moment.) Our neighbors in the green room were Elroy and Louise, a couple who had visited the sanctuary before and decided to return to stay the night. Our neighbor on the other side, just outside our windows was Loretta, a beautiful white Siberian Tiger. Loretta didn’t emerge from her den until later in the evening, but it was worth the wait. I don’t have the words to describe the beauty, majesty and wildness of this creature. It was awe inspiring to look at her.
Included in the cost of our stay was the freedom to roam the compound, a group of pens holding lions, tigers, and … (no bears) a black panther, several bobcats, three leopards, a rhesus macaque and two macaws. I say we were free to roam, but we were safely separated from the animals by high fence which was set 8 feet or more from the pens which are full enclosed to a height of 10-12 feet. Directly across from our room was a pen holding two lions and two tigers who seemed to coexist amiably. I even watched a brief wrestling match between a lion and a tiger. It was really interesting and a little frustrating to read the stories of these animals, several of which had been kept as housepets by foolish people who eventually realized that they couldn’t keep them and asked the refuge to take them. The sad and frustrating stories were those in which the animals had been mistreated. All the animals appeared happy and well cared for here at Turpentine creek.
After a walk around the compound, we decided to make a late evening run into Eureka Springs for gas and camera batteries. Imagine our surprise when we discovered that Eureka Springs, despite its proximity to Bentonville, doesn’t have a WalMart. A friendly clerk at the gas station directed us to Berryville, about 10 miles East. Alas, Berryville did not have the correct battery, so we purchased disposable cameras and, after a reconnaissance of Eureka Springs—eerily beautiful by night, returned to Turpentine Creek and settled in for the night. What a night! We learned that the cats make three distinctly different sounds—coughing, caroling, and roaring—and they were in full chorus, joined by some delightful solos from the coyote, a Tiger singing tenor, and the occasional aria from the burros in an adjacent field. It was beautiful, and loud. I’d never actually heard a lion roar before and it is amazing. They open their mouths wider than you’d think possible and out would come this bass explosion that rattle your eardrums, and, I’m sure could be heard over a mile away.
Included in the cost of our stay was the freedom to roam the compound, a group of pens holding lions, tigers, and … (no bears) a black panther, several bobcats, three leopards, a rhesus macaque and two macaws. I say we were free to roam, but we were safely separated from the animals by high fence which was set 8 feet or more from the pens which are full enclosed to a height of 10-12 feet. Directly across from our room was a pen holding two lions and two tigers who seemed to coexist amiably. I even watched a brief wrestling match between a lion and a tiger. It was really interesting and a little frustrating to read the stories of these animals, several of which had been kept as housepets by foolish people who eventually realized that they couldn’t keep them and asked the refuge to take them. The sad and frustrating stories were those in which the animals had been mistreated. All the animals appeared happy and well cared for here at Turpentine creek.
After a walk around the compound, we decided to make a late evening run into Eureka Springs for gas and camera batteries. Imagine our surprise when we discovered that Eureka Springs, despite its proximity to Bentonville, doesn’t have a WalMart. A friendly clerk at the gas station directed us to Berryville, about 10 miles East. Alas, Berryville did not have the correct battery, so we purchased disposable cameras and, after a reconnaissance of Eureka Springs—eerily beautiful by night, returned to Turpentine Creek and settled in for the night. What a night! We learned that the cats make three distinctly different sounds—coughing, caroling, and roaring—and they were in full chorus, joined by some delightful solos from the coyote, a Tiger singing tenor, and the occasional aria from the burros in an adjacent field. It was beautiful, and loud. I’d never actually heard a lion roar before and it is amazing. They open their mouths wider than you’d think possible and out would come this bass explosion that rattle your eardrums, and, I’m sure could be heard over a mile away.
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