Sometimes

we do something besides work. It was doctor day.  I enjoyed the flowers at their office.  We were in and out quickly.  Surprise.

We took a back way to a WalMart

and had an early lunch out. This unique salad bar was in a canoe!

From our table we viewed a boat dock and the great White River.

Hubby had fish.  I had mussels.

We were both pleased and full.

We crossed White River as we took Highway 9 home.

The roads were curvy.  The driver drove fast.

It felt good to see someone else's trees.

A Drive To White River and Guion

Eleven and a quarter inches of rain fell At The Farm in less than three days.  The valley was roaring. I did not get pictures.  I haven't checked for water damage away from the house.  I do know where the grass was gone, the top soil is too.  We were lucky.  The water falls almost as quickly as it rises.

That water is finding it's way to White River and on down the line to the Mississippi.  It was some serious rain.  Places not far from us had road closings and I'm sure when the water goes down there will  be damage. The good news I've heard of no one in our immediate area hurt by this monster rain.

Today we drove to the Guion Arkansas where Hubby grew up and where we lived for a while as a young married couple.  The waters are receding but are a long way from be normal.

My heart goes out to those down steam as the tributaries add to the volume along the way.

I will let the pictures tell the story.

May all life be safe down stream.

Scenic But Not Necessarily Safe...

Arkansas is famous for it's scenic highways.  Texting and driving is almost impossible as is taking pictures while driving.  Like a roller coaster ride.

White River is the destination and well worth the "scenic" route.

A Day Out Is Rare

but now and then we force ourselves to do something other than work.  Hubby had a mission and I went along for the ride.  We arrived at one of my favorite places, the Wolf House in Norfork, Arkansas.

I have shared visits to the Wolf House before but I never tire of seeing it and revisiting the history that people actively work to keep intact. If I were to build a dream home it would be much like the Wolf house only with modern amenities.  Other structures have been added to the compound, all part of our history with many buildings Jacob Wolf built himself.

There is an elevated walk way so you can have an overall look and/or you can visit each structure up close and personal. 

This is viewing the back or front actually since it faces White River from the walk way. The trees are fully leafed so the view was different form my last visit.  

Where the Norfork River(right) meets the White River was an advantageous location for a trading post.  The Wolfs were in the right spot for success.  They traded with new explorers and Native American Tribes that still lived in the area...before we got so greedy.

It was a successful day.  It was an enjoyable day.  Time out together was long overdue and appreciated.

I tried to get a new profile picture with Hubby behind the lens

Many of y'all will know this look.  I won't tell that Hubby was encouraging me to stick out my chest and suggested I grab some nuts off this pecan tree. 

Sadly the days are past that I look good naked but that's okay.  I don't allow naked viewing.  I try to pretend by choosing a Barbarian character on my video game and call her Buxom Babe but only in the video. When I play my beauty is timeless.  Sixty does something to you...not the age necessarily but the journey to reach sixty.

Playing peek-a-boo is always a fun game when a husband is making snide remarks. He forgot I was armed.

He's pushing his luck.  He soon will be sixty-three and I can still out run him.  And I'm a pretty good shot.
I guess I will let him get away with his ribbing because we are working on the next forty-two years together.

Rows...

boat docks on the lake,

green boards where we ate,

Hurry up, boys, we're running late.

Visit Pat for a variety of rows.

The Wolf House

Dalton and Andrew have been friends since early elementary school.  Dalton's family moved to Siloam Springs which is about four hours away.  Andrew and Dalton try to get together during spring break and the summer. The half way meeting point is Harrison.

The Norfork Dam was closed Monday so our route was changed.  On our return trip we explored the Wolf House in Norfork, Arkansas.

The buildings were works of art, all hand-hewn timbers and quite fancy for the times.  The Dogtrot is a feature I would be tempted to include if I ever build another house.

Located at the junction of two rivers, the view was breathtaking. 

The back of Wolf House is as amazing as the front.

Dalton and Andrew

I imagine Jacob Wolf in the lower right window,

waving goodbye.

It's The Journey...

I was driving, Andrew photographed.

Andrew photographed me

asking directions.

Need help, find a fireman.

The great Mississippi River

Leaving Arkansas,

Arrival in Mississippi, looking back.

We made it!

Preparing to see Mr BB King.

The Scenic Route To Torture

Highway Nine, the scenic route,

We all know what that means.

Beautiful vistas, crooked roads, few guard rails and wonderful photo opportunities...on the way to another doctor.  I remember when this road was gravel and I rode in the back of the truck with my sisters going to visit kin in Stone County.

Imagine this with no rail, rolling gravel,

 and meeting a vehicle.

Twenty-two miles of crooked and steep,

takes me to the beauty of White River.

Sylamore creek feeds into White River

with a mansion on the bluff.

I'm sure you're wondering where the torture comes in...We're there...another wonderful doctor.  Shakes my hand, I scream.  He pokes my wrist, I scream.  He leaves the room and returns with a needle, and I scream some more. Tendinitis, he says, as if it were nothing. Just a tiny prick here, he says. (Afterwards, I wondered if he were describing himself)  After hours (it seemed) of probing with a needle as big as my arm (if it had been bigger, I would have said it), pop! goes the needle into the tendon.  He said, well, that tendon was a little tight.  The king of understatement!

I am wrapped elbow to thumb tip so I cannot move my right arm nor my thumb...for  ten days...but he releases me to return to work!  I don't know about y'all but I have to have a thumb to work.  I need two hands.  If thumbs weren't important in working the mail then they could hire armadillos.

THEN they want to charge me $15 to complete the required paperwork!  I asked, do you charge for filing the insurance?  No, that is a customer courtesy...no ca-ca!  That is the money paperwork.

Disheartened, hurting like crazy and embarrassed that I cried more than the eight-year-old with a broken arm, I left to drive my STANDARD home.  I took the less scenic route this time.

Down the mountains and  up the mountains, across White River, through the small town of Guion (which only had twelve miles of  crooked and steep) back home...only to get in the car again to return to my doctor to have her do the paperwork.

That went well, she was appropriately sympathetic and said, I still have the F disease but fixing the arm will help.  I return home and  find out she didn't SIGN the paperwork.  I know, I know, stupid!  I didn't check.  I decided it can wait til Monday. I am officially, legally off until after Christmas and can't do anything!

I must say the day is brighter, the arm pain has lessened, and I am lucky to still own two arms.  How did I write this post???  Very  slowly, one handed...I couldn't leave y'all hangin'...Merry Christmas.