Travels with Shadow
On November third I set out from Saint Paul, MN for Mountain View, AR stopping at Osceola, IA on the way.
The summer up north was good for working the bugs out the system and finding all the leaks in my new trailer, which only took two trips to the dealer to fix. On November third I set out for warmer weather. I drove straight though to Osceola, Iowa which is at the bottom of the state. The Lakeside Casino there provides a nice RV spot for ten bucks if you join their Captains Club which is free.
The next day I made it to Harrison, AR which meant crossing all of Missouri without over nighting. The day after I made it to a beautiful little village in the Ozarks called Mountain View. The mountain roads truly tested my new Ford Explorer and it performed flawlessly. With hairpin curves and roller coast like dips and rises, the Ozarks put the car through its paces.
Mountain View calls itself the Folk Music Capital of the World, and though they are small, I would have to agree. There is jamming on the village green in good weather and anybody is welcome to join in. They also have a state park here dedicated to Folk Arts and Folk Music. They have a Bluegrass Festival in March and November which is why I came here. They also have a folk festival in the summer and a Bean Fest in October which I wish I had made. About seven miles out of town is one of natures most beautiful sights. The Blanchard Spring Caverns National Park is a maze of beautiful caverns which can be seen with a hour long tour. Unfortunately my digital camera couldn't capture the beauty of the caverns. I am hoping my Nikon film camera will do better.
Of course I have no self control, I walked into Zekes Music Store on the square and spotted some beautiful fiddles made in Louisiana by a guy named Brooke Barksdale. The one I picked out was a "tap tone/top D" which means that you can tune the D string by taping the fiddle with your thumb. It had a nice feel and a nice tone, so I bought it. Now I know, this means I now have two fiddles but the other is a five string fretted electric, not exactly suited for jamming old time music. I will also admit that I have a long way to go before I can play either of them worth a damn. What the heck, If I don't spend it on myself, my kids will find a way to get it out of me.
Inside the fiddle is this inscription: "Delight Thyself in The Lord,and He shall give Thee the desires of thine heart."
Psalm 37-4
Jam at Ozark RV Park
I will be moving on this Monday which is too bad as I had just started to make friends with the locals. I was invited to Thanksgiving dinner by the people down the road and it turns out that he had once worked across the street at ABC in New York City when I was working at CBS. They told me that although they had lived here for years, they were still considered "OFF", which means you are from "FAR OFF". This place is a jewel and it ranks at the top of my list for a nice place to settle down if I ever decide to. The weather for now is getting colder and is dipping into the thirties at night. It is time to move on. I'll head to Louisiana next week.
On Monday, November 29th I headed for the Little Rock Air Force Base in driving rain. I was exhausted by the time I got there. There were two spots left and I grabbed the only pull through and set up. I ate and then crashed out. They get twelve bucks a night for a spot which is about half what I would have to pay to the commercial parks here. There is water and electricity with no sewer but that is ok as my unit is self contained. It is one of the perks of having served, although I am not convinced it is worth all those nights of guard duty in far off places. I intend to go explore Little Rock tomorrow and head to Memphis the next day.
On November 30th I went to Little Rock to see the Clinton Presidential Library which opened last week. It is an impressive building and the displays are well executed. I recommend it.
MEMPHIS, TN
The road from Little Rock to Memphis was unlike the road to Little Rock. No hair pin curves and no steep grades, only flat farmland as far as the eye could see. I arrived around noon and set up the trailer at the Elvis Presley Blvd RV Park. I didn't unhitch the car but leveled the trailer with a block under the front jack, and set out the two rear stabilizers. As I hope to get on the road early tomorrow for Jacksonville, MS, I will spare myself the tiring process of removing the heavy anti sway gear.
