American Giant Sunflower

Trying a new version of the Sunflower this year.  This one promises to reach 16 ft.  It is planted now.  We shall see.

Barn Movie Season

It is barn movie season!  The first flick of the year was The Flintstones, which we had never bothered to watch before now.  

Arkansas and the Eclipse

Wandering down to Arkansas to take a look at the total solar eclipse offered up a few new opportunities, a chance to catch up with the usual haunts, and generally enjoy some time with family.

The first day in residence looked in on Mossy Bluff National Nature Trail, which found local holly berries, soft blue monkshood, bright red buckeye, and a multitude of dogwoods all glowing brightly from the forest floor and the understory, a recurring theme on all of the trails.  However, water flow seemed minimal, considering the time of year.   The tenant cascade splashed along with less enthusiasm than usual.

A trek around the Sugar Loaf showcased much of the same, to include bright yellow cowpea and purple phlox fringing clear views of the mountain from the waterfowl pond.  Likely the most interesting point on this visit proved to be a sublime new stone map and accompanying trailhead markers.

The day ended with a bit of bingo up in Mountain View.  It was not the most interesting experience for me.  Usually, the ladies go have their fun with all that and I go find something more intriguing for myself, like wandering the woods.

After wandering about woods again on Sunday morning, a trip down to Little Rock to take in the Symphony ensued.  Some in the party were a little disappointed that there were no visuals, in spite of the fact that plenty appeared on the backside of my eyelids.

The following day brought the eclipse, and the lack of turnout for the event in our little neck of the woods. The highway patrol and Department of Transportation were ready for it, as well as many other organizations.  The crowds never materialized, but I did get a few good shots.  There is this one of the moment of totality, and another of the diamond ring.  More wandering about the woods completed the evening, along with some tasty treats prepared by one of our hosts.

The journey home on the following date offered little time for distraction.  The beautifully warm, clear day had a few agenda items and the rare timetable.  Arriving in Warsaw on scheduled, a pause to look in on some land in Warsaw proved enlightening, though a rare opportunity to reconnect with a long-lost friend failed completely.  A little further up the road, a few amusements in Clinton posed for their close-up while we surfed around for a bit of sustenance.

None could be found, worth having, until we began to edge out of town.  The realization hit us that we had yet to try Mallard's Roadhouse though and, after a quick search for their hours, we discovered we were lucky ducks.  What had been Graffiti's for untold years, then Mallard's for the last 10, we were pleasantly surprised to have found a new roadside haunt for our non-franchise appetite that proved itself worth every cent.  Satisfied, the remainder of the journey included nothing but music, sunshine and relatively empty roads.

Colorado Visits

Stumbled on this interesting little piece of related history sitting all lonesome by itself out in Orrick.  We met up with the Colorado folks there this evening and enjoyed a full night of conversation.

Karen, Tennessee, and the Opry

The dot on the map tradition continued again this year, this time in the highlands west of Nashville.  Looking forward to visiting "The Home of Country Music" and an assortment of other random places in the city, we ultimately decided exploring the surrounding hills would be more interesting than battling throngs of people and excessive entrance fees.

We only paused for a couple of minor distractions along the way.  Some ancestors left a fort unattended in O'Fallon.  It had had been taken over by Christmas on the last visit, but this reconnaissance found it accessible with only minor foot traffic wandering about.  The only other distractions involved gas and grub.  When attempting 1000 kilometers in one day, it is best to stick to the interstate and not dawdle too much.

The last 80 km twisted and turned along back roads, making for slow progress in the dark. While not particularly engaging, our patience was rewarded the following morning with a contrasting bright and quiet view from atop a ridge.  Humans could not be seen or heard.

Down the hill, Harpeth River Narrows waited to enable a minor adventure for the day.  The spot stands recognized today as an engineering masterpiece and historical landmark.  Almost 100 years ago, Montgomery Bell initiated a project that excavated a tunnel 2.5 x 4.5 meters wide, 88 meters through a limestone bluff, successfully diverting water from the stream back into itself in order to maintain the stock of mermaids.

 

His namesake state park is just down the road a bit, promising a showcase of artifacts from the nearby mound excavations, as well as construction by the Civil Conservation Corp.  It seemed reasonable enough to investigate and we also discovered a restaurant in the park, which fueled the afternoon perfectly. 

After spending the day in the peacefulness of the surrounding countryside, arrival in eastern Nashville proved a bit of a culture shock.  The hoards promised by others that had been before were on full display and accessing the area of our intended destination for the evening proved quite the task.  The mall associated with that region helped pass the time before the show though, offering up a culture twist of its own, with delicious snacks and music.

The Grand Ole Opry was the real prize of the day though, and this first-time visit left a strong desire to do it again, in spite of the challenges in getting to the show. It lived up to its own relative fame, cycling through a solid mix of old and new, gospel, traditional, and popular country and folk demonstrations.  The only downside to the situation was getting out of that area again.

Successfully returning to our roost just west of the city, peacefulness surrounded us again and another morning equal to the one before greeted us.  The trip home was generally uneventful, starting off under bright, sunny skies and spirits.  The former held its ground, while the latter turned dark. One of the drivers fell to gastrointestinal assault, which complicated the effort to make the return trip in one day.  It did not deter success.  It was not worth repeating, though everything else was awesome.

. . .

A few related links ...

Harpeth River State Park — Tennessee State Parks (tnstateparks.com)

Montgomery Bell State Park — Tennessee State Parks (tnstateparks.com)

Country Music's Biggest Stage | The Grande Ole Opry