A Surfeit of Good Things

‘Tis the Season … to be jolly, hurried, exhausted, and exhilarated. Thanksgiving, arguably the least high pressure day of the Holiday Season, has come and gone. My family enjoyed a fine dinner and good conversation. Of course the next day was Black Friday. Some of them slipped away early to get into position for wild times at the mall. 

Personally, I try to avoid going into a shop on the day after Thanksgiving whenever possible. Not everyone is of the same opinion. I was talking to a teller at a big box store recently who loved the rush and bustle of the day so much she would have volunteered to work if she hadn’t been assigned. To each her own!

I am caught up in the events of the season from going to the Lights of the Ozarks with my family to decorating my own front porch with lights. There is shopping, parties, church services, special projects, and presents in need of wrapping. There is much to delight and inspire be it the gentle flicker of the advent candles as week by week we count down the days to Christmas or the simple pleasure of a mug of hot chocolate at a favorite café as I watch the crowds go by.

All the bustle of Christmas makes finding time to blog more challenging. I haven’t forgotten you, and I hope you are enjoying all the excitement of the season. Have fun, and I’ll check in with you again soon!

Shoe Boxes and Bird Feeder

Each year my church participates in Operation Christmas Child. This program sends shoe boxes of toys, school supplies, and other gifts to children around the world as an expression of the spirit of Christmas and the truth of the Gospel. Monday morning I took our boxes to the local collection point at Calvary in the Ozarks where an enthusiastic crew unloaded them for me. I filled out the paperwork. A friend who coordinates the pick-up told me about her plans to go to Peru soon to do Vacation Bible School during their summer. Talk about reaching out to the world from our little corner North of the Tunnel!

Back in October my mom got a bird feeder as a birthday present. My sister dropped by a week or so later and asked if she had decided where to put it. With that motivation, Margo and I undertook the project. It took us a few weeks as we gathered all the things we would need.

I found a length of old pipe out behind a shed that was threaded on one end. We discussed its merits and short comings and decided it would do. Then I measured it and paid a visit to the hardware store. I found pieces that would work and carried them home. I took the tee fitting out to check that it would work, and it just slipped over the pipe with room to spare. I had measured the outside of the pipe rather than the inside diameter. So back I went. This time I found even better fittings. Soon I had all the parts assembled. When my sister came last Saturday we got out the tools and worked away until we finished the job. We were proud of ourselves, and the birds seem to like it too.

What adventures are you having this November?

Election Day

President Abraham Lincoln said in his well-loved Gettysburg Address, “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” No where is that equality more evident than in the polling place on Election Day. Each and every citizen, provided they meet the basic requirements, is entitled to cast a ballot if he or she chooses. No one will force you to vote; no one can compel you to vote one way or another. Much blood, much sweat, and many tears have been shed over enlarging and protecting this right of the citizenry of this nation to cast a free and secret ballet.

You may choose to be a well informed voter or not. You may vote a straight ticket or vote for as many different party candidates as there are represented on this year’s ballot. You may be satisfied with the range of choices you are offered or you may fervently wish that you had a better “choice.” It makes no difference to your right to vote this November Tuesday. Provided you are a registered voter, your only limitation is whether or not you want to exercise the equality of the ballot box.

If you do, you may even get a nifty little “I Voted” sticker. I did.

Just a few upcoming events:

November 6 and 7, Washington County Fair Grounds

Northwest Arkansas Fantasy Faire

November 6, 7 p.m., East Square Plaza, Fayetteville

Unzipped Fashion Show, benefit for Seven Hills Shelter's programs for Veterans.

November 6, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Little Flock Fire Station

Fire In The Flock Chili Cook-Off & Silent Auction

Halloween and Homecoming

This week North of the Tunnel ends in a popular holiday, Halloween, and the excitement of Homecoming at the U of A. There will be lots of entertaining events for both.

Here is a calendar of Homecoming  activities from the parade down Dickson Street on Friday to a series of Blood Drives across the state sponsored by the Alumni Association to the big game itself. There are all sorts of comfortable additions planned for fans such as Halloween Homecoming @ Brenda's Bigger Burger. Enjoy lunch in town or have a tailgate party before you go to the big game between the Razorbacks and Vanderbilt. The stadium is sold out, but it is on TV. There will be ample opportunity for you to watch if you enjoy college football in Fayetteville.

Halloween has engaged the American imagination. It provides a chance to dress up (for kids and adults too), enjoy candy and snacks, and decorate with style. Many merchants, churches, and individuals will have parties this weekend. There are other activities for the holiday including this one for a good cause, Rebuilding Together Halloween 5K in Bella Vista.

Here is a listing of some Halloween Events from a local TV station in case you need help deciding how to celebrate.

Have fun this weekend, spooky or otherwise!

On the Way to Work

I hope everyone has enjoyed the recent string of beautiful days and great activities (last weekend was Crafts Fair Weekend). The last couple of days have provided some interesting sights and a few good pictures worth sharing.

Yesterday evening was especially fine with a nearly full moon visible around sunset. I caught it and the Central United Methodist Church spire in the same frame, just. None-the-less it makes a great picture.

 

 When I came to work that morning, I saw one of Dickson Street’s handsome light fixtures against the foliage of a maple tree. I got a good shot of it at the same time I captured the moon and spire.

On my way to work this morning, I stopped on a stretch of road that runs through the woods. There were so many great pictures it is hard to choose which one to share. This one gives you the feeling of the road through the forest though so I chose it.

As I passed the First Presbyterian Church of Rogers, I got a few pictures of their Pumpkin Patch fund raiser for mission efforts in Haiti.

Further down the Interstate, going up the hill to Springdale, I noticed smoke on the road. Now I didn’t get a picture of it, but a trash truck had plume of black smoke coming out of the trash bay. Sure hope the driver got that out without help from the Fire Department!

Across from the post office in Fayetteville, I got this shot of Jack-O-Lanterns on a porch. I can’t help but wonder if they get lit up each evening.

A television crew was doing interviews in front of the post office. It didn’t take long for them to find people willing to appear on TV.

Fayetteville has had lots of comments on the Block Street Improvement project. These workers were discussing it (?) with a bicyclist just across the street from my office.

You just never know what things you will see on a trip to work.

The First Signs of Autumn Glory

Fall came in on a string of warm days and cool nights, conditions just right to let the leaves change in a blaze of color. It’s still far too early to get the full impact of the brocade beauty of an Ozark autumn, but the colors are beginning to show. Right now, the best part of the changing season is the light that comes in long, honeyed rays searching far into woodland or garden depths. Evening is a lingering show of soft colors on the horizon and brilliant highlights on any wondering clouds.

Last week I took the back way to my favorite Starbucks and say clusters of berries glowing rich red in the sunlight. (They look like cherries although I am not sure exactly what they are.) I didn’t have time to stop, but I promised myself I’d come back and take some pictures. Yesterday I did. There proved to be even more photo worthy subjects about than the fruit I first saw. Here are a few of the pictures I took.

As usual, lots of things are going on this upcoming weekend North of the Tunnel. There will be art in Wilson Park (Fayetteville) at the 7th Annual Wilson Park Art Walk: "Saturday, October the 9th, from 9:30 AM ‘till 1:30 PM. Event is sponsored by Fayetteville Parks and Recreation and Artist of Northwest Arkansas. Fayetteville parks and recreation will provide hotdogs to the first 150 people. We will display, demonstrate and sell our fine art. FREE arts and crafts provided by ANA at the children’s tent. Contact: Victor Parkerson 479 449-6442."

Or, do you go for dinner theatre? Try this great fundraiser: "Join Sock Monkey Comedy Improv Troupe and World Garden (Bentonville) Saturday, October 9, 2010, for a fabulous four course dinner and family friendly comedy improv to benefit Inspired Girls Life and Leadership Camp. Tickets are $20 and must be purchased in advance. Contact Cari @ 479-372-3886 or email us at info@sockmonkeyimprov.com for more information."

What ever you do this weekend, enjoy the beauties and bounties of fall!

Bikes, Blues, and BBQ and More

It is party time in Fayetteville with one of the biggest motorcycle rallies in the country about to open. I cruised Dickson Street on my way to work today just to enjoy the bustle of preparation that has been underway all week. Bikes, Blues, and BBQ will officially start this evening, but the Street is already busy with vendors setting up, BBQ pits smoking, music stages being given a final check over, and people crowding the sidewalks. I saw a pair of bicycle police setting up “Motorcycle parking only after 6 p.m.” signs. Their rides may be driven by leg power rather than a noisy engine, but they were enjoying the find weather of a beautiful fall day as much as anyone. A stand on the terrace at Colliers was offering free lemonade. Inflatable “bottles” advertising different drinks topped several buildings. More and more motorbikes roar past.

Their rumble is an ever-present reminder that this is BBB week. I can hear them clearly in my office as I write this. The excitement of such a big event is contagious, even if it is inconvenient at times. But it is hard to be too disgruntled over the various downsides of such a large and noisy gathering when you consider that it will help fund over 30 area charities, many of them benefiting children and youth, ranging from Horses for Healing to the Sheriff Ralph Baker Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Of course, Bikes, Blues, and BBQ is not the only thing going on this weekend.

September 30 – October 3 – The Rogers Little Theatre presents Nunsense (Winner of four Outer Critics Circle Awards including Best Off Broadway Musical in its original New York production, this show is a fund raiser put on by the Little Sisters of Hoboken to raise money to bury sisters accidentally poisoned by the convent cook, Sister Julia (Child of God).)

October 1-3 –Arkansas Apple Festival, Lincoln 

Saturday, October 2 – The Center for Non-Profits @ St. Mary’s Fall Festival, Rogers 

Here are just a few other activates from one of my favorite calendars. 

Friday, October 1, 2010

FPL Crimes and Clues Book Club – Fayetteville Public Library, Fayetteville

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Walk to Defeat ALS – Arvest Ballpark, Springdale

Lee Creek Clean-up – Devil's Den State Park, West Fork

Arkansas Gravestone Project –Newton County Library, Jasper

It is a busy week North of the Tunnel. Let me know if you see a biker with a bright orange Mohawk; I spotted him outside the Dickson Street Post Office Tuesday!

It’s All Fun and Games … in the Rogers Library Playspace

Rogers Public Library is one of my regular stops. It continues to astound me how busy the Library is. Not only are there many people using the Library for study and reading, there are lots and lots of programs for library fans of all ages. One particularly exciting one (in book terms anyway) is a “Conversation” with best selling author Carol Higgins Clark scheduled for October 9th. She will also do a Creative Writing Master Class for a select group of High School students and teachers the day before.

The Library has a vibrant children’s program. Thanks to KaBOOM, an organization that helps volunteers build playspaces for children, the small park across from the Library building now has a great play and activity space for their use – and for the rest of us as well.

I’ve enjoyed the park for some time. Recently there was some earth work underway that moved the lone picnic table into the middle of the park and I didn’t stop for several weeks. Then last Monday I drove by and saw delivery trucks, pavilions, other workplace amenities, and supplies appear on the spot. My curiosity was aroused. Thursday morning I drove by again (another trip to the drop box provided an excellent excuse). The street was reduced to one lane. People were busy all over the place. Excitement was as evident as the work underway. I did a little research on the project to improve the park, and that evening I went back to see the results of the day’s work. A lot had happened in a day!

Later I found that the new additions – play equipment, a stage, plenty of seating, lots of picnic tables – came from suggestions from kids! Who better to ask what to put there than the children the park is designed to please? What a good idea, and what a good addition to the Library and the city park system.

Have you seen good ideas in action lately?

Adventures Close-at-Hand

Some adventures are small, like getting this shot of the sunset on 540, some are large, and some are vicarious. Here are some not too threatening ones coming up in the next few days:

Do you enjoy the drama and excitement of the mountains or extreme sports? You can find stimulating adventure at the Banff Film Festival tour scheduled for this Friday (September 17) at the University of Arkansas Global Campus Auditorium located at 2 East Center Street in Fayetteville. This event is described thus: “From remote landscapes and mountain cultures to action sports, films in this year's world tour are sure to interest the explorer within.” Visit their WEBSITE For tickets or more information.

Maybe your tastes run more to things British. If you can’t book a flight to London this weekend, how about one of these events:

A Tea Tasting at The Trailside Café this Saturday

or

Brits in the Ozarks All British Car & Cycle Show, Agri Park, Fayetteville (on Hwy 112s, across from the University Farm and Whitaker Arena). It is sponsored by British Iron Touring Club of Northwest Arkansas.

If you want something that will feel more like a personal adventure, head for the Ozark Corn Maze in Cave Springs. Just don’t get lost, you might have to nibble your way out! If you can’t make it this weekend, it will be open through November 14, Thursdays through Sundays.

Have you had an adventure lately?

Visions of Ice Skaters and Sunsets

Labor Day weekend went like a flash. I did have several good experiences along the way. One was finding something to look forward to. Bentonville is building a Splash Park/Ice Skating Rink across from Compton Gardens. I remember noticing the construction when I last visited the Gardens, but I thought it was an addition to the branch bank facility across the street. How nice to be wrong! Instead we are getting something that will offer both summer and winter fun.

 Now we know the likely hood of me ever standing up on ice skates is about equal to my booking a trip to the International Space Station, but I can watch. I might even muster up the initiative to put on my swim suit and play in the water come next summer. At the very least, I have a new attraction to add to my list of places to go and things to do North of the Tunnel.

That list has to include natural phenomena. It won’t be long before we will see autumn shaking the folds of her multi-colored gown. And there is always the possibility of catching a dazzling sunset, like the one yesterday. It started out as pleasing and moved on to brilliant. The western sky simply glowed with molten color. I pulled off the road at the Bank of the Ozarks building at Pinnacle and took some very nice pictures, but they only hint at the grandeur of this heavenly bit of performance art.

What have you seen lately that took your breath away?

Washington County Fair: A Long Tradition

One of my Facebook Friends was lamenting the hot weather earlier in the week. It was too hot to take her brood to the fair on opening day! As she noted, the rest of the week should not present THAT problem, especially the lovely weekend the weather forecasters keep promising us.

I always enjoy fair week as I drive past the park and see the colorful rides on the midway against the sky. And, if I am late enough leaving town, they will be a twinkle with lights. While the exhibits, programs, food, and entertainment events are all part of the show, somehow nothing evokes a fair like the midway all alight and with the smell of popcorn and hot dogs in the air.

The Washington County Fair has been part of our community for a long time, 154 years to be exact. It began in 1857 (with a hiatus during World War II) and continues today in the tradition of excellence it has fostered over the years.

Are you ready for a cone of cotton candy and a ride on the Ferris wheel? 

Roaring River and the Run-Away Watermelon

I lead a young adult group at my church. We usually have something going on or being planned. Our latest adventure was a pre-school (college classes are about to start) party at Roaring River State Park, Cassville, Missouri. It was a great afternoon.

We met at the Buss Stop in Garfield. There was a reason for this location, besides getting everyone in the same place to caravan the rest of the way. The Buss Stop has the BIGGEST ice cream cones around! There was a line, but that was part of the charm, standing and talking about this and that while waiting for one of those cool cones (mine was a twist).

Roaring River is special in many ways. It is an easy drive and a beautiful spot. Not only are there nice facilities, but many are historic (Civilian Conservation Corps work) and handsome (both the new and the old). The stream is teaming with trout thanks to the hatchery built to take advantage of the big spring that is the source of Roaring River. There are plenty of diversions from fishing and swimming to hiking and camping. And, for me at least, there is nostalgia; my family has visited this park for as long as I can remember.

As well as the people, there was a watermelon included in the party. It was a nice, big, homegrown fruit, but it was hot.  So, to cool off, it went swimming along with the rest of us. Now there is a fact that should be obvious from the name; watermelons are very juicy (have high water content). That means watermelons float! Ours did its best to float away. With much splashing and laughter, it never made good its desire for adventure. Sadly, it never got to be the star of the feast either. We were too full after eating hotdogs and ready to leave after our walk up river to the spring to find out if it was as sweet and juicy to eat as it was fun to play with!

Have you had watermelon lately?

Summer

It’s been awhile since I last wrote for North of the Tunnel.  I’ve been busy with another writing project as well as trying to keep up with all the events of summer.  Some of the highlights of my summer so far:

 We went to one and hosted another 4^th of July party with fireworks, in spite of rain either falling or threatening,

Thanks to visiting family, we had a reunion.  It wasn’t as large as some past but lots of fun.

Summer ministry in Lake Atlanta Park, consisting of a simplified version of Vacation Bible School done one day a week for several weeks rather than as a solid week, started in July and will come to an end soon.  It is amazing how excited the kids get!

I had a great day out playing tourist with my cousin Glenda.  We went to Compton Gardens in Bentonville (only one of our many stops) and walked a little distance on the Crystal Bridges Trail.  A family of deer came out of the underbrush – a doe and three fawns.  They let me and my camera get within 20 feet before going off the trail.

One especially meaningful event was a 90 and ½ birthday party for a sweet lady who was critically ill on her 90^th birthday.  She was taken totally by surprise!

This summer has had many opportunities for entertainment and learning, and it is far from over.  Today is the first day of the Benton County Fair.  Frisco Festival will come along the end of the month in Rogers.  It is Restaurant Week in Fayetteville and the Headquarters House Ice Cream Social is scheduled for this Saturday. 

Labor Day is on the horizon marking the end of the Summer Season, but there are still quite a few sunny summer days ahead.  What do you have planned to enjoy them?

Consider the Lilies


It rained in Rogers yesterday afternoon. The pavement was wet and the air was cool. When I got home my sister was just leaving. She had brought us onions – fresh from the ground and redolent with robust fragrance. I rushed around to get out of the house for Wednesday evening services, but I couldn’t resist snapping a few pictures of our daylilies. They had raindrops still hanging from the blooms like tiny diamonds in the late afternoon sun.

Gardening has many rewards whether it is an onion with dirt still clinging to its skin or a daylily sparkling with raindrops.

What is your garden producing (or the neighbors if you lack a green thumb)?

Another Kind of Art


The Walton Art Center is a cultural hub for our entire area. It offers all sorts of art experiences and opportunities. This June marks one of its most popular offerings, a fund raiser that is in its 10th year, The Art of Wine Festival.

One of humankind’s earliest agricultural inventions, wine making has been around for 6,000 to 8,000 years. As one source put it, “The history of wine in many ways coincides with the history of the western world.”

Today, the subtleties of wine appreciation have become synonymous with sophistication. The popularity (most of the tickets are already sold out) of this event indicates that, while we are rural and southern, we are not without a touch of class North of the Tunnel.

What are some of your favorite indicators of sophistication to be found close at hand?

Goin’ to the Barn Dance


Kids and horses just seem to be a natural fit. For children with disabilities horses are more than a passing obsession, they can be powerfully therapeutic. The “track record” of the healing effect of riding for the mentally, physically, and emotionally challenged is amazing, especially to the parents of the children involved. One such father, Mark McWhorter, saw so big a change in his daughter that he became a member of the board of Hoses for Healing of Northwest Arkansas. He is this year’s co-chair of the Barn Dance, a major fundraiser for the organization, scheduled for this coming Saturday (June 12).

In a recent Arkansas Democrat-Gazette article, McWhorter encourages participation in this worthwhile cause. Describing the Barn Dance, the paper said, “The event will feature music by Jamie Wolfe and the Wranglers plus live and silent auctions and food by Smokin’ Joe’s Barbecue. Former Razorbacks head football Coach Ken Hatfield, now a staunch Horses for Healing volunteer, has agreed to serve as “honorary cowboy” for the second consecutive year. Tickets are $100.”

I know not everyone can afford to go to the Barn Dance. Still, an organization that makes as big an impact on children’s lives as this one apparently does is worthy of our support whether monetary or in spreading the word about the work they do.

Are there other great organizations North of the Tunnel we should know about?

Pet Groomer on the Go!


On my way to work this morning I caught a glimpse of a van in traffic. It carried the logo, “Pet Mobil.”

That caught my attention so I jotted it down to remind myself to look up the business when I had a minute. What I found was Aussie Pet Mobile of Northwest Arkansas. These folks will come right to your door and groom you dog or cat in their nifty van. They even have a de-skunking service.  That might prove very useful in case Fido gets over enthusiastic and chases the wrong kind of “kitty.”

The website also has links to businesses and organizations of interest to pet owners so check it out even if you pooch doesn’t need a bath or a clip.

Have you ever needed yourself (I hope not) or a pet de-skunked?

Get Out and Find …


There is lots going on North of the Tunnel this weekend. Just driving through Rogers this morning I saw the 7th Annual Rogers International Festival in full swing. Then, at the Rogers Library they were setting up "Chalk Walk," a promotion for their summer programs. Looked like fun, even the Chick-Fil-A cow came.

If you are a garage sale or antique mall shopper, you might want to drop by the Little White Schoolhouse sale on 71B between Springdale and Fayetteville (1.5 miles north of the NWA Mall) and check out the big sale they are running today (until 8 p.m.). They have lots of venders participating and it should be fun.

Keep your eyes open for more interesting activities; what do you see worth passing on?

A Garage Sale Find


My niece had a Memorial Day cookout at her house. We enjoyed good food, pleasant company, and the simple pleasure of sitting on the front porch with a string of party lights providing a soft illumination as the sun went down.

One of the highlights of the evening was checking out her new fountain. She and her boyfriend love to go yard saleing. It is an inexpensive hobby, as long as you have space for all your purchases, and, occasionally, you score a real bargain. This weekend was one of those times. She hit a sale where a young woman was getting rid of some product samples that had found their way into her garage. Her find went for a fraction of the price it would have in a retail store. She put it up in her back yard, turned it on, and we all got to enjoy this charming addition, thanks to her bargain hunting coupe.

What was your last shopping bargin?

Do Moose Eat New Mown Hay?


As I was driving home yesterday evening my nose detected the sweet smell of new mown hay. I had just past through Lowell when the scent came through my open window bringing to mind the richness of June. It also reminded me of a recent "Otus the Head Cat" column in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, “Peripatetic moose Myron no threat to the public.”

This column, a “humorous fabrication,” contends that a moose, Myron, stopped traffic on Interstate 540 near Lowell after having wondered over 70 miles from the Buffalo River. Now the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has a great record for re-establishing wildlife populations, including an elk herd on the Buffalo, but they haven’t gone quite this far … yet. Maybe this story was the inspiration for the bumper sticker I saw this past weekend on an antique, bright yellow jeep, “I break for moose.”

In verifying that this was fiction, I found information about a couple of great Arkansas parks, first, Boxley Valley (pictures), then, Lost Valley, both part of the Buffalo National River Park. These are great outdoor locations worth visiting this summer, moose herd not withstanding!

My apologies if I told any of you this “moose story” as fact. Still, isn’t it a great story?

Memorial Day, A Time to Remember

It is now officially “Summer.”  I know, the real beginning of summer does not happen until June 21 when the longest day of the year marks the change of the season.  But Memorial Day marks the beginning of the Summer state of mind that will last all the way until Labor Day marks its conclusion.  It is convenient to bracket the idea of summer with holidays.  It gives us a feeling of place in the year to do so.

But Memorial Day is more than just a holiday to mark the beginning of vacation fun; it is also a time to remember.  This tradition reaches all the way back to the Civil War era when a time of remembrance for the honored, fallen dead of that great conflict became a tradition.  The Civil War is called the first “modern” war.  The loss of life on both sides is one indicator of the changes in warfare that earned it this appellation.  The entire country paid a great price in that conflict and the need to remember and recognize all those sacrifices, to mourn as a nation those losses, to reflect on the price of freedom came together as Decoration Day, the precursor of our modern holiday.

The same need remains.  Our nationhood, our freedom still is defended by the lives of those who give the “… last full measure of devotion.”

It makes the pleasures of summer all the sweeter to remember the cost of its enjoyment.  Those honored dead did not die in vane but that we all might live and enjoy the pleasures of an American Summer.

What are you planning for your Summer?

Calendar for 5-19-10


Friday 21

Butterfly Festival to Celebrate Mental Health Month at Ozark Guidance Main Campus, 2400 S 48th Street, Springdale, AR (12:00 to 2:00 p.m.))


Roger's Historic District Third Friday Twilight Walks 2010 (5:00 to 9:00 p.m.)


Friday and Saturday 21 and 22

Bikes, Blues and Hot Rods Too (Cars show, concerts (Blue Oyster Cult at the AMP) and much more), Pig Trail Harley-Davidson and Northwest Arkansas Mall/Arkansas Music Pavilion


Saturday 22

Humane Society of the Ozarks Dogwood Walk in front of Old Main on the U of A campus, Fayetteville (1:00-3:00 p.m.)

The Friends Of Washington Regional Hospice, 19th Annual Summer Garden Party, Springdale (Begins at 6:00 p.m.)


Sunday 23

First United Methodist Church of Rogers presents: Fire In The Streets! 1st Annual Block Party (5:00 p.m.)

All the Little Beasties

Coming home a few nights ago I saw a pair of deer grazing in my driveway. I didn't want to startle them so I took this picture from inside my car with my camera's zoom feature. While it isn't very sharp, this was too good a shot to miss.

When I was a child, we never saw deer around Rogers. I recall clearly the first small herd I saw in the valley to the east of my house. I was out walking and there they were browsing in the creek bottom. In the 30 or so years since that first herd their numbers have grown to the point that they have become a bit of a nuisance. Gardeners find many flowering plants are like candy to them and motorists have to share the road with very unstreetworthy critters.

As I came home that evening, I stopped before I reached my gate and saw the deer to take a picture of my neighbor's cat. This fine beastie acts as though it owns all it surveys … including the high ground of the top of the trash can.

There are lots of other animals in our neighborhood both wild and domestic. As well as pets, I have several bird feeders that attract squirrels and raccoons in addition to lots of birds. I know several of my neighbors do the same. What kinds of critters do you see around your home?

"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may"


English poet Robert Herrick (1597-1674) gave us this floral line. While his poem was not about gardening, it has a ring of truth for everyone who plants. You better get too it when the opportunity is available for the season is always shorter than you think!

This Saturday provided me one of those opportune moments, and I went plant shopping at Westwood Gardens shop in Rogers for the majority of the plants to fill my containers for summer. This local garden center has a wide selection of fine plants as well as garden furniture and fixtures. It is always a treat to browse their isles for a quarter hour just to enjoy the abundance and beauty.

The folks at the shop are always helpful and knowledgeable. They will also let you just roam about if you prefer. I made a circuit through the store then got a cart. My selections took up most of the top basket before I was done.

When I got home, I managed to get most of my plants in their new pots. My niece and her boyfriend dropped in and gave me a hand; thanks Vicente for helping compose that big pot on the front porch. I always appreciate gardening together with family and friends.

When I was looking at Westwood Gardens website, I found a page of related links you might find as interesting as I did. They included this one to the U of A Master Gardener program if you really want to get your hands dirty and your mind filled with gardening lore.

Road Trips for Model-T's


Automobiles have come a long way in the century and more they have been around. Henry Ford changed the way we travel with his reasonably priced, rugged, assembly line made vehicles beginning in 1914. As strange at it may seem, some of those early Fords are still on the road as the traffic on West Walnut in Rogers showed this afternoon. The two I saw were no doubt part of the Show Me Tour of the Model T Ford Club of America taking place in Rogers this weekend. These Model T's no longer come in basic black (Ford was popularly quoted to have said you could have your car in any color you liked, as long as it was black); one of the antique cars I saw was a deep maroon.

Be sure to keep your eyes open for these beautifully restored cars as you do your own touring this weekend.

Europe, Here We Come


I have been reminded this week that we are connected to the wide world here in NWA. A friend who is working in Finland is home for a visit. It is great that she is able to fly back when she has the opportunity. Then this morning on KUAF (our local public radio station) I heard a story that connected to her workplace.

This was such a silly story that it immediately caught my attention: Teddy Bear vacations in Lapland. Yes, that’s right. You can send your favorite bear toy to Europe on vacation and get the pictures back to prove what a great time your furry friend had.

I did a Google search for the story, trying to track down the company (Teddy Tours Lapland) offering this service and got 5,000 hits! I ran thought several pages and they were all pertinent. With that much interest, this may well rival that long ago craze, the pet rock.

I wonder if we could offer Beaver Lake tours for rubber duckies? After all, tourism is a major business North of the Tunnel.

This Weeks Calendar

There is plenty to do North of the Tunnel this coming week. The following will give you a sampling of the variety of things available.

May 14 and 15

Walton Art Center: Momix – Botanica, (A unique dance troupe, called Avatar on stage!)

1st Annual Brumley MusicFest™, Bentonville High School auditorium


May 15

The 12th Annual Kendrick Fincher Youth Run and 2nd Annual Run/Walk, Pinnacle Hills Promenade.

NWA Roller Derby: Starlight Skatium, Fayetteville, 7 p.m.

Pickin’ in the Park, Frisco Park, Rogers (free evening of music in the open air)

5th Annual Ozark Demolition Derby Spring Challenge, Parsons Stadium, Springdale, 6-9 p.m.

ACO Chorale Sing, Sing, Sing Concert, Art Center of the Ozarks, Springdale, 7:30-9 p.m.


May 16

Daniel Rodriguez in Concert, Arend Arts Center, Bentonville, 2 p.m.

Artosphere’s Trail Mix Concert Tour, Nature walk or bike to the strains of 6 bands on a 2.5 mile “stage” from Lake Fayetteville North Shore Park to the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks (1-3 p.m.)


May 17

Concert on the Lawn: Benefit for Habitat For Humanity of Washington County, The lawn at Inn at Carnell Hall, Fayetteville


May 18

Walton Art Center: Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver – tickets still available

State Primary Election, your local polling place

Remember to check out some of the calendars listed below.


Northwest Arkansas (you can search this site’s calendar by community)


Fayetteville Flyer Calendar Page (this site gives you lots of Dickson Street info.)


TV 40/29 Calendar (covers the region, not just our two county area)


KUAF Radio (this one will let you know about U of A cultural events as well as many others)


I’m always looking for more good sites to add to this list, so let me know if you have know of one or more that qualify!

Old Memories and New Pleasures



One of the pleasant memories of my undergraduate days at the University of Arkansas was an architectural survey class taught by James Lambath. Another was visiting my adviser’s office in Carnell Hall. Those two memories came to life when my friend, Rosa, took me to lunch yesterday at Ella’s Restaurant in the Inn at Carnell Hall to celebrate our completion of a major project.


The building housing the Inn began life as the first women’s dorm on the U of A campus completed in 1906. In the ensuing century, the building has also served as the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity house, academic offices and class rooms, and a set in the miniseries The Blue and the Gray back in the ‘80’s. (I remember watching them film a scene on the lawn in front of Old Main with Gregory Peck as Lincoln from the Graduate Education Building deck.) In 1982 it was listed on the National Register for Historic Places. It was saved from destruction in 2001 when the Board of Trustees approved renovating the old building as a hotel and restaurant. Professor Lambath was the architect in charge of the project. Today it serves as a learning laboratory for the University’s Hospitality and Restaurant Management program.

Trade was slow on this Monday after graduation. The dining room was not crowded and the wait staff was both attentive and helpful. The food was excellent; I had the day’s pasta special and Rosa had a hearty sandwich. We rounded off our meal with a delicious chocolate truffle and fruit plate.


What could be more pleasant for a celebratory lunch than a visit to an historic Inn and eating at one of the best fine dining restaurants in the area?

The Gourmet Touch



I stopped for lunch this weekend at White Oak Station just down the street from the Pinnacle Promenade Mall and close to the Interstate. This is not your ordinary convenience store although it has the usual range of things you can find there: gasoline, ready to go food, groceries, gift items, lottery tickets. What sets this location apart from most other such stores is the kind of upscale merchandise it carries. This is a gourmet food store with specialty products ranging from fine cheeses, to fresh sea food, to exotic bottled waters. In the deli section you can buy a dish of Italian inspired ice cream (galatto) or pizza by the slice or Chicago style hot dogs. To finish your meal selection, try one of the interesting bottled sodas available or chose a fountain drink. You can eat in their comfortable dining area, go out on the patio, or carry out if you are in a hurry.


This is one of those spots you might enjoy dropping by when you are in the area just to see what they have to offer. You'll enjoy it for the novelty, if for no other reason.


When was the last time you tried a sparkling fuji apple soda?

More Good Things - Artoshpere


Walton Art Center has a program called Artosphere that runs throughout the month of May and has events planned for our major towns. This weekend the “show” will be centered in Bentonville at their First Friday celebration and on Saturday the Farmers Market which will feature music by Trout Fishing in America at 9 a.m. and The Sauce Boss at 11 a.m. There will be a native plant sale at Compton Gardens in celebration of National Public Garden Days (7th and 8th) with music by Harmonious Wail on Saturday from 1-3. Crystal Bridges at the Massy has a special exhibit, Looking at Our Landscape, running this entire month as well.

Sunday, Artosphere will move to the Jones Center in Springdale with a showing of the film A Man Called Pearl. It will be shown later at Bentonville Library (May 10), Rogers Library (May 12), and Hobbs State Park Visitors Center (May 13).

Other events, including a Fayetteville Trail Mix Concert Tour on the 16th, are coming up all month long! The ones listed here are all free and open to the public.