Boys, Toys, and Tractors



There is something about a vehicle that attracts guys. It's true in my family. They all seem to love tractors, trucks and other vehicles from 4-wheelers to big rigs.


My nephew, Steven, especially loves John Deere tractors. His cousin's little boy is following in his steps. He loves tractors too. For his birthday, I went out to Countryside Farm and Lawn in Tontitown this morning to get the little guy the right kind of tractor toy … after all, noting runs like a Deere even when you have to push it to make it go.


We're having a birthday party this weekend. I hope the boys, both big and small, don't get to arguing about who gets to play with the toys!

Calendar and More


Wednesday evening usually means a church service at Trinity. Even though I was running late (nothing new there), I had to run home before I showed up. When I drove by my neighbor’s house, I heard a soft, musical tinkle and saw their fountain framed against a large, flowering shrub.


Having retrieved my “church bag,” I dug out my camera as well. On the way back up our road I stopped and took pictures of this inviting feature – wish you could hear as well as see!

Here are a few things on the calendar that might grab your interest:


Thursday, Friday, Saturday (April 29 – May 1)

Runt of the Litter at Walton Art Center


Saturday (May 1)

Farmers Market – Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville, and others listed in this directory by county 

6th Annual Heather Ridley-Fleeman Battle for Hope – Bentonville Tiger Stadium

Picken’ in the Park – Rogers Frisco Park
 

Tuesday through Sunday (May 4 - 9) 

Grease at Walton Art Center



Remember to check out some of the calendars listed below. There are lots of things going on even if they aren’t mega events.

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!

Downtown Beautification



Like other towns in the area, including Fayetteville and Bentonville, Rogers is beautifying its downtown. The city is taking up the century old brick at the intersections, repairing the infrastructure, and repaving with new materials. The old brick will be used to keep the rest of the brick streets in good repair for years to come. In addition each intersection will be given a unique landscaped look.


This is no small undertaking. A few weeks ago I took some pictures of the intersection of Poplar and Second to show how extensive this project really is! It was a fine Saturday afternoon and I got several good shots of the big hole in the street.

It won't be long before this intersection will be back in operation.  It will look a lot like this one only a block away.

Since so many beautification projects are underway, which downtown is your favorite?

Driving Therapy



I spent a good portion of Saturday afternoon pricing lawn mowers. My search took me far and wide. I went to Siloam Springs to visit Attwoods then took a big circle down to Fayetteville. I needed to check a place on the east side of town and ended up taking the long way back through Huntsville where I went to Wal-Mart (not a superstore). I saw a lot of beautiful country, rain and sunshine, and I even found several lawn mowers to check out.


I love driving by myself. Sure, sometimes it is tiring if I are on a long trip by myself, but there is something therapeutic in letting mile after mile slip by under my wheels. The only thing I regret is that I didn't take any pictures of the spectacular scenery spring in NWA offers. I couldn't seem to find the right combination of stopping place and view.


What do you do to “chill”?

Day Trip to the Middle Ages



Early in the week on the way home I saw a group of Medieval reinactors practicing with their weapons in Agri Park. Many years ago I first heard of the Society for Creative Anachronism. I don't know if these reinactors were members or not, but I mentally applied the title.


There are several events in the region for people interested in Medieval and Renaissance crafts, warfare, and traditions. If you have ever attended a Renaissance Fair, you know the lure of this hobby.


Even if you are not attracted to being an reinactor, you may find a visit to a castle a worthwhile undertaking. You can do so, and it's not far away. Just outside of Lead Hill in Boone County (AR) a 13th century keep is rising, stone upon stone. Some of the workman have come all the way from France to work on raising The Ozark Medieval Fortress. The project is 12 years into a 20 year building program and already includes a cedar walled keep, gardens, craft people's structures, and livestock.


Beginning May 1 visitors can visit the Fortress to experience the ambiance of the past, learn about the crafts and lifestyle of the middle ages, and watch the builders raise the hand quarried stone blocks to build the walls of the castle. You will find craftsmen at work but you will not find modern equipment; all is done by mussel power because this castle is being built the old fashioned way, by hand.


It sounds like a fun outing to put on your to-do list.  There are school programs as well as individual tours available.  You will need a reservation.

Good Sense and the Environment



I've been an ecologist since I was a child learning woods-craft from my father. But I do my best to be a common sense one. I try to balance the varied demands of nature and society in the positions I take. For example, I think recycling is a low investment way to help us and “the environment.”


A friend of mine turns up her nose at recycling. She is both disenchanted and disgusted with the extremist environmental movement with its hysterical calls to action. She has a point. Much of what passes as environmentalism is uncritical acceptance of pseudoscience, propaganda, and a strident naturalistic philosophy. Nonetheless, I think there are good reasons to take part in many of the currently popular ways to “save” the environment.


Anyone out there like heavy metals in their drinking water? I didn't think so. Well, one of the ways these contaminants get in our water supply is when we put old electronics in the land fill. There are lots of popular programs out there to help recycle these broken or obsolete items. So be good to yourself and the environment and recycle them, even if these programs are lauded by the environmental propagandists.


Here are a few places to drop off those old computers, cell phones, TV's, printer ink tanks or toner cartridges, and even your old CD's or DVD. They should be easy to use and might even earn you a gift card from the sponsoring merchant.  Check in your local store for where to drop of your recyclables:


Best Buy

Office Depot

Radio Shack

Staples

Fun Time Calendar


Here are a few things coming up in the next few days that caught my notice :


Thursday (Earth Day), April 22

AMP (Arkansas Music Pavilion) Season Opening Concert (NWA Mall, Fayetteville)



Friday, April 23

Benton County Garage Sale (Benton County Fair Grounds, Vaughn)



Saturday, April 24

Race for the Cure (Pinnacle Hills Promenade, Rogers)


RazorFest and Red-White Football Game (Rynolds Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville)


Garden Fest and Plant Sale (Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks, Fayetteville)


Benton County Garage Sale (Benton County Fair Grounds, Vaughn)



Be sure to check some of these local calendars for more fun things to do:

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!

A Foreshadowing of Summer


My nephew, Steven, showed up this morning to mow our lawn. The buzz of the mower was such a comforting summer sound. Here in April the sound foreshadow the hot, muggy days of a different season.

We are attuned to the sounds, scents, and sights of nature at such a basic level we seldom notice how we constantly “read” our environment. But all those natural things around us are always speaking to us.

The other morning I heard an interview with Camille T. Dungy, the editor of Black Nature, on NPR’s “Morning Edition.” The piece included several poetic examples. One that caught my attention is both short and unusual. Here it is quoted from the story:

Some of the poems selected don't immediately seem to be about nature. A poem titled "[#12]," from a collection by Evie Shockley called 31 words * prose poems, is written as if it were a classified ad in a newspaper:

highly visual rural winter image seeks lyric poem (14-30 lines) for mutual enrichment and long-term relationship. image offers frostbitten river and fog-covered fields where snow seems to rise toward its origins

What a little jewel of a poem. Nature poetry, like many other artistic renderings of our environment, helps us refocus on the constant stream of “nature checks” we continually process from the world around us. Art is a useful reminder that there is much to enjoy in the natural wonders we have North of the Tunnel.

What are some of your favorite sights, sounds, or odors of nature?

Watch Out for Ice and Fire



The good life in NWA has connections to the rest of the state, nation, and world. We may be insulated against some of the things going on in the big world “out there,” but we are not isolated. There is a story playing on the evening news about a group from Fayetteville stranded in Europe this past week due to the largest travel disruption ever outside of wartime. The cause is a volcano in Iceland spewing grit into the atmosphere.


I think there are a few useful observations we can make about this unusual event. Let me suggest a couple: Our technology is far more fragile than we like to think. As long as things work and no unexpected event takes place (be it a volcano far to the north or a winter ice storm right here), we have a robust technology that serves us well. Yet it can break down. This gives us a good reason to keep some of those old skills alive … it might be fun, as well as a good fall back skill, to know how to camp out or grow a garden.


Second, the people of NWA have a worldwide reach to help others. The people in the story featured on the evening news were in Europe on a mission trip to Sweden. Back in January when a huge earthquake event brought such havoc to Haiti, people were ready to help either in person or through donations. Our community has a great heart and open hands that reach all around the world.


What other “lessons” do you see from that Icelandic volcano blowing its top?

Being a Winner at Any Age



Have you been to the Rodeo of the Ozarks? If so, you may well have heard Dusty Richards announcing the action of this quintessential cowboy event. With that background, it is no wonder Dusty chose the Western as his literary specialty.


When Richards retired from his “day job” at Tysons back in 1996, he had already begun to publish western stories. He has been prolific in this late-life career (he did not publish until his mid-50‘s) with his 98th title coming out his fall. He has also been extremely successful, witnessed by the awards he has won for his story telling. The latest accolade, and the most prestigious, will be bestowed this Saturday, April 17, when the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City will give him the Western Heritage Award for this year’s Outstanding Western Novel (for The Sundown Chaser). Dusty will be in good company as such luminaries as Larry McMurtry, John Mitchner and Cormac McCarthy are recipients of this award.


As a child, Dusty Richards says, his favorite western author was Will James. (Having read it, who could forget Smokey?) I wouldn’t be surprised if he read Zane Gray as well, I know I did. What Westerns stand out in your memory?

Water, Water Everywhere and Plenty to Drink

I dropped by the Rogers Water Utilities office the other morning to pay our water bill. The recent addition to the facility is now open for business. It more than doubles the space previously available. We have come a long way from carrying water in buckets when the railroad founded our city as a water stop for its engines in the 1880’s.

Rogers Water Utilities was formed when the city purchased the Water Company from the Southwestern Power Company in 1945. Utilizing the output of several large, all weather springs (most notably Frisco and Diamond Springs), the city’s water supply was adequate until the 1960’s. With the burgeoning growth of our city, more water was needed and Rogers, along with other area communities, began utilizing Beaver Lake as a primary water source. As one of the largest public owned utilities in the state, The Rogers Waterworks and Sewer Commission is looking to the future needs of our community as it continues to grow in the 21st Century.

The fun part of Rogers Waterworks is the water … from Lake Atalanta, the City Pool, and Prairie Creek to the Blossom Way creek trail to the therapy pool at the Adult Wellness Center, water provides healthful recreation as well as being a necessity of life.

One of the good things about life North of the Tunnel is the abundance of our lakes and streams. Get out and enjoy them whenever you can!

Events for Your Weekend and More


There are lots and lots of activities planned for the next few days. I thought I’d give you a sampling of some that caught my eye as I searched for what was going on in our area. I also want to give you links to some good calendars I found online.

Thursday, April 15

Tax Day – be sure to file that extension if you can’t get your 1040 in the mail (or filed electronically)

Free coffee at Starbucks: Make a Difference – on April 15th, bring a reusable travel mug into your local Starbucks and get a free brewed coffee.


Friday, April 16

E-Waste Roundup – Arvest Ball Park

Old Fashioned Hay Ride, Hotdog Roast and Owl Prowl, Hobbs State Park Conservation Area; Cost: $6 adults, $3 children; For reservations call: 479-789-5000


Saturday, April 17

E-Waste Roundup – Arvest Ball Park

Garden Walk: The Magic of Spring Bulbs, Botanical Garden of the Ozarks , 10:00 am
A View from the Top, Kendrick Fincher Hydration Foundation, 6:30 to 11, Bentonville Plaza, Tickets: $60 single, $100 couple, Featuring Ultra Suede


Calendar Websites

To search for other activities from salsa dancing to opera performance to prescription drug collections, check these websites:


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!

Run to Win … the Coupons


The Hogeye Marathon was a success this past Sunday with around a thousand runners participating. One of them was my friend, Mark. He finished and has the metal to prove it!

Collecting metals is one of the attractions of the sport, so I’m told. So are the “Goodie Bags” distributed to participants. These include lots of promotional materials, especially coupons. But what do you do with them? When I get one of those bags (not from a marathon, but they are standard at many events), I share. So does my friend.

It’s interesting to see what kinds of things turn up. The ones from Hogeye included coupons and promotions from Fayetteville businesses, runner related businesses, products and events and others from area merchants. Mark gave me a handful of these goodies, mainly those from Rogers’ Pinnacle Hills Promenade businesses. They are a good excuse to hang out at the mall sometime soon.


Anybody want to meet me for a Blizzard (buy one, get one free) at the Food Pavilion?

The Great Tradition of the Sunday Drive


This past Sunday was a perfect for an afternoon drive. The redbud and dogwood trees were in full flower. Even the lilacs were bursting into full bloom.

My mom and I went to Bentonville to enjoy the redbuds lining many of the downtown streets. They are especially beautiful on Central Street west of the square. We took a detour around street work near the square and drove through Compton Garden where the Crystal Bridges trail was busy with lots of strolling families out enjoying the lovely day.

Going west out of town we passed the Museum of Native American History with its large teepee in front of the building. We drove a big circle through Bella Vista back to Caverna on the Missouri line. The countryside was resplendent with flowering shrubs and gardens alive with spring bloom. A tapestry of woodland greens varied from lime to green-gold to one tinted with a soft red. Truly our hills were a oriental carpet of the finest hews of spring.

What a refreshing way to spend part of a leisurely Sunday afternoon!

Fun at the Library



Public libraries are an important part of our communities. They provide access to many kinds of information, from books to DVD to Internet access. I have been a library patron since I was a small child and Rogers Public Library was located on the top floor of the City Hall. Over the years, I have seen our library grow and improve in the breadth of service it offer to our community. The same may be said for the other communities in our area. In fact Fayettville Public was the American Library Association Library of the Year soon after the new facility opened a few years ago.


Check out some local public library websites:

Fayetteville Public Library

Springdale Public Library

Rogers Public Library

Bentonville Public Library

Siloam Springs Public Library


This post to North of the Tunnel brought to you courtesy of Rogers Public Library wireless Internet!

A New Computer In the House


Last fall my old laptop finally stopped working. This spring, thanks to a nice refund on my taxes, I decided it was time to replace it. So I spent a month obsessing over what I wanted. Finally, I decided that I needed to just order! So I did and my new Compaq Laptop arrived this week.


It is going to take awhile to get everything I want where I want it. Still, it will be fun getting it set up. New technology is always both a pleasure and a challenge. It is usually worth the effort, but not always. I used to have a PDA. I liked it a lot; still, the little device would sit in my purse until the battery ran down between uses. As much fun as technology can be, if it isn't used, it is just taking up space.


I gave away my PDA, but what to do with all the old electronics sitting around? How about loading them up and taking them to the Northwest Arkansas Electronics Recycling Event being held at Arvest Ball Park April 16th and 17th. And the best part, it is totally free to the public.

Calendar of Some Upcoming Events April 8 Through 11

Thursday, April 8 is opening day for the NWA Naturals at Arvest Ball Park

Thursday and Friday, April 8-9, Walton Art Center, Bearfoot Bluegrass quartet

Friday and Saturday, April 9-10, U of A Horse Festival

Saturday, April 10, Lake Fayetteville Cleanup

Saturday, April 10, Farmers Market on the Square, Fayetteville

Sunday, April 11, Hogeye Marathon

In Love with Our Horses

My niece Emily is developing into a good horsewoman. She’s been riding since she was a very small girl and her grandfather would boost her up on Rust, our aging quarter horse, as he grazed on a lead. Rusty is now a retiree well cared for by Emily and her mom (he’s over 30, a very senior horse citizen). Emily has two more horses, Boze and Baby, to keep her busy.

Several years ago her mother allowed her to begin taking riding lessons. It wasn’t long before she began competing in local shows with the NWA Hunter Jumper Association. The new show season is coming up fairly soon for all the area riding clubs; check this calendar of events.


Sunday she reminded me that one of the important events of the equine year in NWA is coming up in a few days, the U of A Horse Festival (April 9 and 10, Friday and Saturday). It will be held in the Pauline Whitaker Animal Science Arena.


For as long as I can remember driving past the University Farm (and that is quite a few years) there have always been a few horses grazing in their pastures. Today the school has a good size horse herd and a growing horse program. The Festival is a major fund raiser for the horses and horsemen and women of the U of A. This year they have a fine selection of entertainment, educational programs, and exhibits to suit any equine enthusiast’s taste.


If you go, keep a look out for Emily!

My Weekend Was a Winner


Sometimes we are so involved in the moment we don’t appreciate how good it is. This weekend was like that. I had a great time taking pictures (157 of them) and keeping up with all the events going on around me from chores to Easter egg hunts to a great family party. It is only in retrospect that I can appreciate its quality.

Here is one of my favorite pictures, my great-nephew, Jackson, exploring in my garden. I am glad to say the sundial is none-the-worse for repositioning!

What good moments are you appreciating?

Looking Out the Window … Good Friday Thoughts

My sheltie stuck his nose to the glass of the long window at the vet’s office intently watching traffic go by. We went out early yesterday morning to the walk-in clinic at All Dog’s Clinic (Rogers) to get Tipper’s annual check-up and rabies shot. We had to wait for a test to finish, and my dog found his on form of entertainment.



To get to the vet’s office, we drove past St. Vincent DePaul’s parochial school, but, unlike the public school up the street, there was no sign of the school day getting underway. It took only a moment’s thought to understand why, today was Good Friday!


It always seemed to me a bit of a contradiction in terms to call the day designated to commemorate a gruesome death as good. But, in orthodox Christian thought, it is: It is the heart of the Gospels (Good News) of the New Testament. That Good News tells us that the God of all creation used the events of that dreadful day to make peace with rebellious humanity. Good Friday makes it possible that all of us who want to may have a loving relationship with him through Christ Jesus. It is good because, while the events of that long ago day were repugnant, hard, painful, and deadly, the results were good, very good.


And there is a great big cherry on top of that good outcome! Easter – Resurrection morning is the supernatural proof that Good Friday is really good.

“And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain…” Saint Paul in I Corinthians 15:17

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter!

Dreaming Towers


I didn't leave Fayetteville until almost 6:30 yesterday evening. I'd stopped to take a few pictures after work. The late afternoon had a fine haze making distant buildings soft edged. From the top of Dickson Street, Old Main on the University campus was a distant, blue bulk of towers dreaming on the edge of the world. Closer to hand, the spire of Central United Methodist Church was sharply white against a blue sky. I took a picture of it through the flowering branches of a tree at the edge of our parking lot. Even such a mundane object as our dumpster was given a hint of grace by a flowering japonica bush.

Dickson Street was busy. People were gathering for mid-week services at the churches on this end of it. Many area churches are adding extra, Holy Week services as they prepare to celebrate the most joyous of Christian holidays, Easter. For a directory of area churches and faith groups, check this site: NWA Faith, Brought to you by The Morning News.

Farther down the street the sidewalks were filled with people enjoying the ambiance of fun and food in the entertainment district. The patios and outdoor seating areas at various restaurants were filling up. Small knots of people stopped to talk. Others had stopped to indulge in that old fashion sport of people watching. A crowd was gathering for the opening performance of South Pacific at the Walton Art Center. (Tickets may still be available.) Further up the street I turned to go around the University. I saw dog walkers, joggers, and students practicing a routine in front of a sorority. My drive home via Dickson was a pleasant way to spend a part of my evening.

How do you like to enjoy a fine spring evening?