An Arkies Musings

My An Arkie's Faith column from the April 26, 2023, issue of The Polk County Pulse. I sat in the high school auditorium, waiting in anticipation for the play to begin. I had been hearing about the play for several weeks. My oldest granddaughter, a junior in high school, had written the play over the last month. She also directed the play, with fifteen of her fellow high school students performing all the roles.  When it was time to begin, my granddaughter made her way to the front of the auditorium and began to speak. "My name is Autumn Grant," she began. "I am the writer and director of The Unlikely Messenger. I am very nervous and excited to have you all watch the play that the drama class has worked hard on for so many hours for your enjoyment. I have a few little requests for you in the audience. Number one is, please silence your cell phones because this play takes place in the 1840s, so they did not have cell phones. It would add to the realism if no cell phone...

My An Arkie's Faith column from the April 19, 2023, issue of The Polk County Pulse. I struggled as I climbed over the rocks alongside the creek I was following. The trail had been evident initially as I meandered among tall thin trees that weren't fully leafed out this early spring. When the path became undefined, with only a jumble of rocks visible, I knew I needed to follow the small creek to my destination. My son-in-law told me about a beautiful waterfall a quarter mile off Highway 215. Because there were no signs marking the trailhead, he had given me instructions on how to find the waterfall. "When traveling on Hwy 215 past Byrd's Adventure Center," he explained, "you will come to a sign with an arrow pointing to the right that says High Bank Canoe Launch. Continue a short way to a small bridge. On the far side of the bridge, there will be a small, unmarked area to the right with enough room for two or three cars to park. After parking, cross over the h...

My An Arkie's Faith column from the April 12, 2023, issue of The Polk County Pulse. Over the past few years, one of the TV programs that I have enjoyed watching is "Who Do You Think You Are?" After a four-year hiatus, the documentary series returned last year. In each episode, a different celebrity searches to trace their family tree with the help of historians and experts, unlocking past mysteries and unbelievable real-life stories across the world and through time. Some of my favorite episodes have featured stories where celebrities find out things about their ancestors that they never knew before. Jason Sudakis learned the details of his grandfather's death and that his grandfather abandoned his grandmother on their wedding day. Kelly Clarkson investigated the life of her three times great grandfather, who fought in the Civil War, was a prisoner of war, and later became a Senator. And Annie Lennox discovered the sad story of her great-great-grandmother who became a...

My An Arkie's Faith column from the April 5, 2023, issue of The Polk County Pulse. My daughter's family loves to be on a river. They own rafts, kayaks, paddleboards, and canoes. Over the past few years, I have taken trips with them on the Caddo, Ouachita, and Buffalo Rivers in Arkansas. The river has a relaxing, hypnotic quality. You can see the beauty of nature while floating a river that you can't see any other way. I love the serene tranquility and peacefulness of a river float. It is like everyday life doesn't exist while floating on a river. I always look forward to our family river adventures. My son-in-law planned a spring break raft trip on the Mulberry River this year. I was excited to see the Mulberry as I had never been on it.  My wife and I have spent time in Eureka Springs most years for the past forty years. Our route to Eureka Springs would take us up Highway 23 and the Pig Trail Scenic Byway. The Pig Trail winds through the Ozark National Forest with alm...