An Arkies Musings

My An Arkie's Faith column from the October 28, 2020, issue of The Polk County Pulse. It was shortly before noon when we pulled up to the old armory building. Outside was a sandwich board sign with the words “vote here” written above a rippling American flag. When we walked into the large open room, a couple of people were in line ahead of us. I was thankful to be avoiding a large group by voting early. We stood on our circles that were placed on the floor to help us stay six feet apart. The people working the polls were friendly and helpful. Before long, both my wife and I were standing in front of our respective voting machines. After voting, I carefully reviewed the ballot before giving my final approval. I was now one of the more than fifty million voters who have cast early ballots. Most people are expecting an above-average turnout for this year’s elections. Political pundits on both sides consider this election crucial and try to convince those on their side to be sure and v...

My An Arkie's Faith column from the October 21, 2020, issue of The Polk County Pulse. I thought I heard the phone ringing over the sound of the grinder I was using. I stopped grinding and listened. Yes, the phone was ringing. I laid the grinder down and answered the phone. On the other end of the line was a long time customer. “We have had an accident in our Chevy Equinox, and we want you to repair it,” he said. He gave me the insurance information, and we made arrangements for the job. Repairing the Equinox was a big job. Finally, the day came when I called the customer and told them that the car was ready to be picked up. “We have a Mazda Miata that needs some work on it,” he said, “would you have time to do it? “What work do you want me to do to the car? I asked. “The door has a dent in it, and it needs a new mirror,” he replied. I told him that I would be able to do the job, and he decided to drop off the little Miata when he picked up the Equinox. When he and his wife dropped ...

My An Arkie's Faith column from the October 14, 2020, issue of The Polk County Pulse. John, Bob, and J.H. were among the prospectors who came to the Buffalo River Valley, searching for lost silver mines they had heard about in Indian legends. Near Rush Creek, they found shiny metallic flakes in the rocks that they believed to be silver. Before long, the news of the discovery spread like wildfire throughout the South. Farmers, unskilled laborers, miners, and former soldiers from Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, and the Carolinas, came to the area, looking for ways to get rich quick. Due to its rough terrain and isolation, Rush Valley had very few settlers before the prospectors came to the area.  John, Bob, and J.H. built a rock smelter near Rush Creek to extract the silver from the promising ore deposits on their claim. On a crisp cold day in January 1887, They fired up the smelter for the first time. The day started with high expectations, but no silver came out of...

The past weeks and months my Facebook feed has been filled with ugly, hateful, political posts. Most of the time is just a repost of someone else's memes or articles. I really wonder if anyone's mind has ever been changed by the hateful vitriol that they read on someone's Facebook feed.   I am not in the habit of posting things that others have written. The purpose of this blog is to post original writing. I am making an exception in this post. I did not write the following words, but I fully agree with them. They made such an impact on me that I wanted to share them with my readers. I want to give the original writer, Ginger Winters, credit. I first read it on her blog, Ramble Ramble. So here is a shout out to Ginger. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Friends, Family, Co-workers, and Anyone Else I Know; As we all know, there is a rather major election happening this year. I...

My An Arkie's Faith column from the October 7, 2020, issue of The Polk County Pulse. The warm evening sun shone on the towering and picturesque Roark Bluff. The Buffalo River rushed past the bluff, one of the most iconic and photographed places along the river. In an open grassy field at Steel Creek Campground, I was one of the over one thousand people gathered, waiting for the concert. The band, National Park Radio, would be playing a free outdoor show in this beautiful location for the fourth consecutive year. National Park Radio is a modern folk band from Harrison, Arkansas, known for its hopeful, heartfelt lyrics with themes about life, love, and difficult choices, all while echoing the enduring beauty of the band’s deep-seated roots in the Ozark Mountains. I first heard them when they headlined the 2018 Lum and Abner Days Festival. I became a big fan of National Park Radio and its music and made plans months ahead to attend the 2019 Steel Creek concert.  During the concert, th...