A few weeks ago I purchased a 1960 Rambler American. I love these little cars and their simplicity. The car hadn't been driven for many years. After some repairs; a new fuel pump, tie rod and water pump I was ready to take a drive. My first trip out of town was to Cossatot River State Park, which is eighty miles round trip.
My wife attended a dutch oven cooking class at the park. She had a great time. The class was taught by Park Interpreter Shelley Flanary who we have known since she was a little girl.
After a cold week, the day was warm and inviting. The Cossatot River was beautiful. We hiked down to the river from the visitor's center.
From the visitors center we drove the unpaved roads to Cossatot Falls and on to Hwy 246. People were surprised to see the little Rambler driving out in these remote locations.
As I drove home through Hatfield, I stopped at the old Cities Service gas station to take a quick photo. The little Rambler seemed right at home there.
The Rambler's first trip was great with no problems at all. My only regret is that I never came across a Cadillac to race.
A few weeks ago some friends of ours took us to Pond Creek National Wildlife Refuge, an amazing natural area that I had never heard about before even though it is only about 50 miles from us.
The Pond Creek National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1994 and is located about 30 miles north of Texarkana, Arkansas and 10 miles southeast of De Queen, Arkansas. Pond Creek is made up of various oxbow lakes, sloughs, and bottomlands hardwood areas along the Little and Cossatot Rivers.
Pond Creek was created in order to protect the wetland and bottomland hardwood habitat and to serve as a habitat for neo-tropical migratory birds. It also serves as an important nesting habitat for wood ducks and wintering habitat for other migratory waterfowl. It is located where the Mississippi and Central Flyways intersect.
The forested wetlands of the refuge are used by migrating and wintering waterfowl during the fall, winter and spring. Mallards, gadwall, American wigeon and wood ducks are among the over 15 species of waterfowl that traditionally use the seasonally flooded wetland habitats of the refuge. Other species seen less often include northern shoveler; blue and green-winged teal.
The Pond Creek Refuge provide outstanding habitat for an abundance of birdlife, particularly neotropical migratory songbirds. Neotropical birds use the refuge as a rest stop during fall and spring migration to replenish energy reserves for the long journey to and from wintering areas in Central and South America. This habitat is also used for breeding and nesting during the spring and summer for many of these species.
We spotted a Cooper's Hawk, an American Kestrel, a Green Heron, and a number of Kinglets, but I couldn't tell if they were Golden-crowned or Ruby- crowned. Our friends had seen an alligator on a previous visit but we didn't see any on this trip.
This was our first visit to Pond Creek, but it definitely will not be our last. The day was cloudy, cool and a bit rainy. I want to return on a day that will be a bit better for photography.
If you love quiet secluded natural places, I highly recommend a visit to Pond Creek Natural Wildlife Refuge.
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Yesterday some friends of ours showed us Pond Creek National Wildlife Refuge, an amazing natural area that I had never heard about before even though it is only about 50 miles from us.
The Pond Creek National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1994 and is located about 30 miles north of Texarkana, Arkansas and 10 miles southeast of De Queen, Arkansas. Pond Creek is made up of various oxbow lakes, sloughs, and bottomlands hardwood areas along the Little and Cossatot Rivers.
Pond Creek was created in order to protect the wetland and bottomland hardwood habitat and to serve as a habitat for neo-tropical migratory birds. It also serves as an important nesting habitat for wood ducks and wintering habitat for other migratory waterfowl. It is located where the Mississippi and Central Flyways intersect.
The forested wetlands of the refuge are used by migrating and wintering waterfowl during the fall, winter and spring. Mallards, gadwall, American wigeon and wood ducks are among the over 15 species of waterfowl that traditionally use the seasonally flooded wetland habitats of the refuge. Other species seen less often include northern shoveler; blue and green-winged teal.
The Pond Creek Refuge provide outstanding habitat for an abundance of birdlife, particularly neotropical migratory songbirds. Neotropical birds use the refuge as a rest stop during fall and spring migration to replenish energy reserves for the long journey to and from wintering areas in Central and South America. This habitat is also used for breeding and nesting during the spring and summer for many of these species.
We spotted a Cooper's Hawk an American Kestrel, and a number of Kinglets, but I couldn't tell if they were Golden-crowned or Ruby- crowned. Our friends had seen an alligator on a previous visit but we didn't see any on this trip.
This was our first visit to Pond Creek, but it definitely will not be our last. The day was cloudy, cool and a bit rainy. I want to return on a day that will be a bit better for photography.
If you love quiet secluded natural places, I highly recommend a visit to Pond Creek Natural Wildlife Refuge.
I love driving on the back roads in western Arkansas. I love the scenery. I love the adventure. I love to just take off and explore new roads. When I see a road I always wonder where it goes. Just last weekend we had an adventure on the back roads of Arkansas.
On our way back home from Dierks Lake, we took a "shortcut" over gravel mountain roads. Within just a few miles of the highway we came to the Cossatot River bridge that was impassable because there was three feet of water flowing over it. We had to turn around and go all the way back to Dierks Lake so we could take the paved roads. On our way back to the lake we followed our GPS and were stymied three different times by locked gates across the roads. After an hour we finally made our way back.
Sometimes exploring a new road can be quite an adventure. When you are traveling a rural Arkansas road you just don’t know where you will end up.
In the fall of 2006 America was transfixed with the story of James Kim. He was traveling home from Portland, Oregon to San Francisco, California with his wife and 2 children. They took a wrong turn onto a logging road in bad weather. The snow became too deep to travel, and they became stranded.
After several days Mr. Kim set out on foot to look for help. He believed the nearest town was located four miles away. The distance to the town was actually 13 miles. He promised his family that he would turn back at 1 p.m. if he failed to find anyone, but he did not. Kati Kim and her two children were found alive when a search helicopter was led to the scene after seeing human footprints in the snow. The three were then rescued, and airlifted out of the area.
Soon after the rescue of Kati Kim and her children, search and rescue teams followed James Kim's footprints back along the road for about 10 miles where his footprints left the road and led into the heavily wooded Big Windy Creek drainage area. James Kim's body was found in Big Windy Creek. He had walked 16 miles looking for help.
Although Mr. Kim had walked 16 miles, he was found about four miles from his vehicle, and about one mile from Black Bar Lodge, a boating outpost. Though it was vacant at the time, it was stocked with food items. What a tragic story!
In Proverbs 14:12 the Bible tells us “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death”. When the Kim family decided to go down that logging road, they had no idea that the road was impassable. Had they known about it, I’m sure they wouldn’t have taken that path. It was supposed be a short cut, but only led them to tragedy.
What about the road you are on in your life? Have you taken any wrong turns in your life? Have you been on any wrong roads? How do you know which road to take?
In Psalms 25:4,8-10 the Bible tells us” Show me the path where I should walk, O LORD; point out the right road for me to follow. The LORD is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in what is right, teaching them his way. The LORD leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all those who keep his covenant and obey his decrees.
God has promised to be our guide. He will point out the right road for us to follow. As I have discussed spiritual things with people I have heard the following analogy several times. “You see it your way I see it my way, but there are many roads all going to the same place.”
Jesus has an answer for that way of thinking. We find his words in Matthew 7:13,14. “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway that leads to destruction is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life is narrow, and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it”. You know from experience that all roads don’t lead to your destination. I’m sure that you have been on a road that didn’t take you where you thought it would. James Kim found out this truth in a tragic way.
GEORGE HARRISON VIDEO - ANY ROAD
One of the last songs that George Harrison recorded was a song titled “Any Road”. The chorus of the song says “If you don't know where you're going any road will take you there”. His words are very true. They describe the kind of roads that I like to explore. I like to drive on them because I don’t know where I’m going. I like to just take off and explore new roads. When I see a road I always wonder where it goes. A number of times I have been completely lost, but eventually I made it home. It can be fun not knowing where you are going.
While it can be fun to explore unknown roads on a Sunday afternoon drive, it’s not a good plan in our spiritual lives. We should know where we are going. We should all have the same destination in mind.
I hope that you know where you are going. Jesus told us that not just any road would take us there. Have you found the road that leads to life? Have you studied the map?
I hope that you and I will be able to say what David said in Psalms 73:23-26. “Yet I still belong to you; you are holding my right hand. You will keep on guiding me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. I have no one in heaven but you; I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever”.
Today we had a great time at the annual Arkansas-Louisiana Pathfinder and Adventurer Cardboard Boat Race held at Dierks Lake. My grand daughters and their cousins were participating. They spent the night before the race at our house and had an cookout and ice cream party followed by a slumber party.
To enter the boat race the kids had to build a boat with only cardboard, duct tape and paint. It was amazing how durable the girls boats were. After the race they spent quite some time just paddling around in the boats. They all had a really good time.
The girls were excited to win trophies and medals for their efforts.
Grandma and Papa had a lot of fun spending the day in such a beautiful place and seeing the girls have such a good time. After the race we had a picnic and then the kids spent the afternoon swimming.
On our way back home we took a "shortcut" over gravel mountain roads. Within just a few miles of the highway we came across a bridge that was impassable because there was three feet of water flowing over the bridge. We had to turn around and go all the way back to Dierks Lake so we could take the paved roads. On our way back to the lake we followed our GPS and were stymied three different times by locked gates across the roads. After an hour we finally made our way back.
