by Pa Rock
Happy Wanderer
Rosie and I just got back home following an overnight trip to Rogers, Arkansas - our first big adventure outside of Howl County since my hospitalization at the end of June. (I still don't have an exact diagnosis of what put me in the hospital, probably more the result of lackadaisical care in maintaining medical records and communicating with patients than the complexity of the medical issue. The doctor has assured me with 99% certainty that it was some type of "tick-born" infection, and the symptoms were like those of others in the area who have suffered from similar maladies.)
So Rosie and I have been on the road. We drove across northern Arkansas both going west and heading home. It's hot, but the lawns and trees were summery green nevertheless. The most consistent thing that we noticed were watermelons. We encountered several farm trucks loaded with watermelons out on the roads, and passed more than a few roadside fruit stands, most of which featured watermelons prominently. This is probably the ideal time of the year to buy a melon, put it on ice, and head to the creek!
We noticed only one Trump sticker along the way - on the back window of a nice-looking ;pickup truck - and no stickers for any other candidates. I have commented here previously about the scary right-wing billboards in and around Harrison, Arkansas, but for the past few trips through that community I hadn't noticed any. Well, one (at least) is back. There is a large billboard facing east on the main thoroughfare (Highway 62) promoting these local news outlets for like-minded people: "White Pride Radio" and "Alt.Right Television." Hillbilly culture at its most despicable!
Northwest Arkansas continues to be a warren of congested traffic, Walmart corporate facilities, and shopping malls. One afternoon struggling to get through that mess every six months or so is quite enough for me, thank you very much!
I overheard two old men talking in the butcher shop here in West Plains last week. One, who apparently has grandchildren over in that area, was telling the other how wonderful northwest Arkansas is and how he can't wait to move there. He said forty-three families a day were moving into the area, and yammered on about how great all of that growth is. He also wanted the other guy to know that there were plenty of golf courses there as well.
West Plains has two golf courses for a community of 12,000 - so that is probably "plenty" for our area. But to each his own. I hope that fellow still views rapid population growth as "wonderful" when he is sitting in stalled traffic while trying to visit those grandchildren!
Gail and Patti and I visited our good friend, Mertie Harmon, at the care facility where she lives in Rogers. Mert will be ninety-two next Wednesday. She seemed to enjoy the company. We also had a nice visit with two of the best school teachers in that area - my nephew, Reed Smith, and his wife, Jamie. It's always good to see those guys!
But that was yesterday, and today Rosie and I are home - and ready for our naps!
Happy Wanderer
Rosie and I just got back home following an overnight trip to Rogers, Arkansas - our first big adventure outside of Howl County since my hospitalization at the end of June. (I still don't have an exact diagnosis of what put me in the hospital, probably more the result of lackadaisical care in maintaining medical records and communicating with patients than the complexity of the medical issue. The doctor has assured me with 99% certainty that it was some type of "tick-born" infection, and the symptoms were like those of others in the area who have suffered from similar maladies.)
So Rosie and I have been on the road. We drove across northern Arkansas both going west and heading home. It's hot, but the lawns and trees were summery green nevertheless. The most consistent thing that we noticed were watermelons. We encountered several farm trucks loaded with watermelons out on the roads, and passed more than a few roadside fruit stands, most of which featured watermelons prominently. This is probably the ideal time of the year to buy a melon, put it on ice, and head to the creek!
We noticed only one Trump sticker along the way - on the back window of a nice-looking ;pickup truck - and no stickers for any other candidates. I have commented here previously about the scary right-wing billboards in and around Harrison, Arkansas, but for the past few trips through that community I hadn't noticed any. Well, one (at least) is back. There is a large billboard facing east on the main thoroughfare (Highway 62) promoting these local news outlets for like-minded people: "White Pride Radio" and "Alt.Right Television." Hillbilly culture at its most despicable!
Northwest Arkansas continues to be a warren of congested traffic, Walmart corporate facilities, and shopping malls. One afternoon struggling to get through that mess every six months or so is quite enough for me, thank you very much!
I overheard two old men talking in the butcher shop here in West Plains last week. One, who apparently has grandchildren over in that area, was telling the other how wonderful northwest Arkansas is and how he can't wait to move there. He said forty-three families a day were moving into the area, and yammered on about how great all of that growth is. He also wanted the other guy to know that there were plenty of golf courses there as well.
West Plains has two golf courses for a community of 12,000 - so that is probably "plenty" for our area. But to each his own. I hope that fellow still views rapid population growth as "wonderful" when he is sitting in stalled traffic while trying to visit those grandchildren!
Gail and Patti and I visited our good friend, Mertie Harmon, at the care facility where she lives in Rogers. Mert will be ninety-two next Wednesday. She seemed to enjoy the company. We also had a nice visit with two of the best school teachers in that area - my nephew, Reed Smith, and his wife, Jamie. It's always good to see those guys!
But that was yesterday, and today Rosie and I are home - and ready for our naps!
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