We live our lives randomly, but this weekend we had tickets and an agenda!

The Beatles album -- Abbey Road -- was performed in its entirety, note for note, cut for cut, by the group, Classic Albums Live during its first set. Walton Arts Center was absolutely packed Saturday night, and we were amazed at the generations of Beatles fans who danced and sang along. No one wanted the night to end.

Megan accepted the band's invitation after intermission and sang along to Obladi-Oblada and other classic Beatles songs. 

"And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love (pause, pause) you make." This lyric is from the last song recorded collectively by all four Beatles, and is the final song of the Medley that comprises the majority of side two of Abbey Road.
The first set ended with the final song of the album, Her Majesty.

They will be back next year to perform another classic album, Led Zeppelin 2 is the early word.

For months, we had been anxiously looking forward to last week. We had tickets for two performances (Thursday night and Saturday night) at the Walton Arts Center, plus tickets Saturday afternoon to an Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball game.
That's a lot for us, and our kids say we're old. Ha.

We had a lucky window seat for Saturday lunch at Hammontree's Grilled Cheese just off Dickson Street and near the railroad tracks. Follow your nose, you'll find it.

We live our lives so randomly that rarely do we ever have anything planned ahead of time. All we knew for certain on Saturday was: We were going to eat two meals somewhere, park somewhere on Dickson Street, attend a Razorback basketball game and then go to the Walton Art Center. We had long ago pre-purchased tickets for those events.

A few minutes after noon, we located a pay-n-park across the street from the Walton Arts Center. That's when we started following our noses, literally, to find lunch.
Actually, We, I think we, had pretty much decided to eat lunch at the same place we had eaten on Thursday evening.  But Thursday evening, Hammontree, (specializing in grilled cheese sandwiches like you've never eaten in your entire life) was not jammed packed -- hey, sit anywhere you like, a family said; a booth or a table, anywhere will be fine.

The girl in the fishnet stockings under her shorts was doing a masterful job of directing traffic, keeping up with names, seating everyone, and always a smile. And some cranky people are in that line.

Saturday noon was like Game Day.  I think we were number 20 in line for an inside table.

But when you are looking forward to appetizers like these fried artichoke hearts and a grilled sandwich called East of Edom or Parmageddon, held together with a pepper speared through the bread (I thought at first it was a giant green olive) you will wait and you will not complain.

On the side was a deluxe dill pickle and silver cup of kettle chips.  We ate there twice. And we will go again. Oh, the bowl, it has crawfish bisque. We shared it. Overload! Too much food, no bisque on Saturday.

Of course, we had to walk off that food. We walked up and down Dickson Street, from the heart of the downtown entertainment district up to familiar sidewalks at the University of Arkansas, where Dwain pointed out engineering and English buildings where he attended classes, and past dorms and fraternity houses to Bud Walton Arena.

Well, looks like Megan has photobombed Dwain's picture for his friend Roy Ragland (second from right), and his brother, son and grandson. Roy used to mail us free season tickets to equine games of speed (Oaklawn), but entry is free now. It was sure good to see him in the flesh.

Officials dimmed the lights of Bud Walton Arena as the Razorbacks came out and asked fans to light up their cell phones as excitement crescendos rolled through the crowd. Of course, we stood and called the Hogs.

 

What would the basketball game be without the Hogwild band? Is the band worth 10 or 15 points? What would the cheerleaders and pompom girls do?

We have to throw in one action picture. The Razorbacks No. 3 (in white uniform near center court) was outstanding against his former Texas Tech teammates. He kept the Razorbacks in the game during the first half, scoring almost every one of the home team's points.

We didn't see a lot of texting going on around us, although people around us are always the most interesting. At least none of them were drunk or obnoxious. There was a lot of enthusiasm. And we didn't see any political shirts ... except for the one Megan was wearing. She's a cheerleader. Oh yeah, the Razorbacks won in overtime.

After a real hamburger and Greek salad for supper at Grub's Bar and Grille, we wandered to the other side of Dickson Street and found a coffee shop. We had a little time to kill before the show.
What's inside?

Don't you just love the décor of The Common Grounds Gourmet Espresso Bar? What's on the menu, and where do we order?

Late at night, they have lots of pie and cakes.

All kinds of fresh coffees and flavors and specialty syrups and (what's on the top shelf?)

And what have we here? Board games! Cranium. Parcheesi. Split Second. Connect 4.

Are those packs of Marlboros and Camels really for sale?

Yep, if you're willing to pay 40 cents a cigarette or $8.00 a pack. Expensive smoke, and you have to go outside.

Megan went with a medium latte, and Dwain tried the New York cheesecake, because he just wanted something sweet. The cheesecake had a little glob of chocolate and raspberry sauce on each side. No, we didn't share, although Megan did stick her spoon in the raspberry sauce, and Dwain didn't argue.

It was such a warm night, that the glass, garage-door had been shoved up, and we could feel a gentle breeze, or occasionally a gust of wind blow in. That was an amazing day for January. It felt like spring, and no one was complaining about the door being up.

This is the curtain call for Dracula on Thursday night. No intermission. No one went to the bathroom. No one talked. You could hear a pin drop. Everyone was riveted to their seats, as Dracula's reign of terror came alive in our imaginations. This was a live, radio performance with full costumes, sound effects, and dramatic lighting to change the moods. We've never seen or HEARD anything quite like it. We were in London. We were in Transylvania. We were transported in time to another era -- Victorian England. It was all so real. The cast was excellent.

Here's Dwain's former, little newspaper intern, Taylor Allison. She's got a smile bigger than her whole body and can meet any challenge. She can find her way by her own headlights. She was a self-starter, and now works at the Walton Art Center and Walmart Amp. No one has to direct Taylor.

This is us driving past 329 Washington Avenue, a block east of College Avenue in Fayetteville. We drive by the old Stringfellow House every time we visit Fayetteville. Will the homeowners every invite us in or will this house ever go up for sale? We might buy it. At the very least, we'd like to tour it.

Here's a link to why this old house holds such an attraction for us:
Study in Spiritualism
Driving past the Stringfellow House Saturday night, we started humming the lyrics of an old Irish song, Raglan Road:

"On a quiet street where old ghosts meet,
I see her walking now away from me,
So hurriedly. My reason must allow,
For I have wooed, not as I should

A creature made of clay.
When the angel woos the clay, he'll lose
His wings at the dawn of the day."

Megan and Dwain

The Game of Alice Ivy

Her name is Alice Ivy. This is her game.

Alice is proud and happy to show us that she has discovered a clue.  See the clue? Alice loves to play games, even if the games are random and last 30 seconds, tops.  And to think, I left my wax carton of Plaster of Paris sitting on the bar in the kitchen. I could have made a deer hoof mold. Thank you, Alice.

In the Game of Alice Ivy. Here are the rules: First nonchalantly go into the kitchen and as s-l-o-w-l-y and as quietly as possible, slide open the drawer on the far right of the bar -- uh, huh, that's the one. If you've gotten this far without Alice discovering your clue, you get 10 points. Good for you. If you can grab that red leash out of the drawer and thrust it either into your purse or any other hiding place without being discovered you earn the Spy-vs-Spy trophy and an additional five points. Way to go!!! Fist bump!

Next, very quietly open the hall closet door and scan the top shelf.  The dog halter is next to the whisk broom.  Ease you hand up there and see if you can snag it without dropping something on the floor, thus bringing Alice into the hallway in a sideways slide so slanted that she can barely stand upright on the wood floor -- she will have her mouth open pulling in so much air into her lungs that your brain is already filled with the knowledge of what will happen upon exhaled through her voice box. Should this happen, you automatically lose the game. O-U-T! If you actually do make it this far without being discovered (and so far, nobody has ever made it this far), you get 100 points and assorted really good snacks (like Cheddar Bunnies:) uuuummmmm!).

Finally, grab your backpack, snack pack, cell phone, camera, coats, hiking books, and other wraps and head down the stairs to the garage. IF you make it to the door without being seen YOU WIN!!!

What have we here? Snack Pack -- snacksize treats of granola, Cheddar Bunnies, peanuts, peanut butter & crackers, protein bars, soda, water, AND candy (Alice had her own treats in that bag, too).  Sturdy hiking boots, which are really sold as hunting boots.  We are only "hunting" a good hike, some miles to add to our Iron Ranger National Park Challenge, random wildlife and fun pictures.

So far, Alice Ivy is the Gold Metal Grand Champion winner of this game.

Alice likes Dwain's truck best because for one thing, it has a bench seat complete with ASPCA bed liner and her fuzzy blanket. And her water bowl, which we never forget because we always remember to put it back in there. And she can easily see out of three windows. AND best of all, if we forget to engage the child-proof locks, she can press the window down. That's always a kick! NOT!

Sunday, January 24th, promised to be an exceptionally pretty day.  Since we committed at the first of this year and took the Centennial Iron Ranger Challenge 2016 (and because Alice is part of the family, she sort of gets to take part in the challenge, too, by default), we drove west to Pea Ridge National Military Park to walk. According to the map, they have miles and miles of hiking/biking/horseback-riding trails. AND they welcome well-mannered pets. Megan was explaining to Alice, what exactly, well-mannered, meant in a park like this. As you can see, Alice was paying close attention.

After stopping at the Visitor's Center where we obtained our pass, evidently good for every National Park, yay!, we consulted the map they gave us and decided to drive to Stop #3, which was called Leetown (no visible evidence of a town any longer exists). From there we took off down a narrow, natural, leafy path, much like we often find along the well hiked trails of the Buffalo River.

Eventually, we found ourselves in a clearing where we felt it was safe to let Alice run off of her leash -- no one was around. Oh joy! Oh joy!

Alice has discovered the joy of leaping, unfettered, through tall prairie grass while Dwain explores that old oak tree with his walking stick and camera. Alice cares not one wit about standing still for picture taking sessions. That crippled and tired tree with an enormous wound in its side, a thousand secrets and Civil War stories, wouldn't object to a simple picture, even if it could audibly speak. There is simply too much to say that a picture is incapable of telling.  

We walked and walked and walked -- we were fascinated by the well-maintained paths and the miles and miles of split rail fence.

Every one had to jump them. Another game that Alice won by a landslide.

Suddenly, Alice decided to play another game. First you walk toward another split rail fence with a wreath dedicated to TX on it.

Then you growl a little growl down deep in your throat. Then you put your ears forward, turn suddenly, go into a crouch and run. What in the world?

The game continues... stick your nose into a deep hole and growl. Just once. Only once. If you growl more than once, you lose. Do not bark. Never bark.

Here is the winner's prize everyone. Congratulations to the winner. *no person/place/thing was hurt/damaged/killed during this game*

Game over. Everyone is headed back. It's been a superior day  of playing games and touring Pea Ridge Battlefield.

Dwain, Megan, Alice Ivy

We have to share the news: The Eagle has landed!

The Eagle has landed!

And he landed in this tree in our front yard about dawn this morning. Maybe he saw the red circle that Dwain drew in the air as a landing zone.

Megan hadn't even put the coffee on yet this morning, and her eyes were barely open when she sat down on the window seat facing the front yard and opened the curtains for AnnaBelle to look out.
Because AnnaBelle, not Megan, was whining to look out the window and watch her favorite show -- the Songbirds.
About that time, Megan saw an unusually big bird flap its long wings in the top of an oak tree.
What a spectacle, the bird looked too big for the tiny branches in the top of the tree to support it.
"What kind of bird is that?" she asked. "Is it a rare hawk?"
"It could be a buzzard," Dwain said of the black form in the dim morning light. That was the only thing that made sense.
Then we saw white tail feathers.
We both looked at each other and said, "That can't possibly be an American Bald Eagle ... can it?"
About that time, Dwain ran through the house searching for a camera, while Megan kept her eyes on the eagle. She was going to make sure it didn't fly off.
Dwain ran into the office to take a picture through a window with a better view. We were afraid to make a sound.

Here's what we saw as the sky brightened. Isn't he magnificent?

Seeing an eagle, every single time, is such a thrill, like the night we were driving back from Springfield and saw two falling stars. Neither of us could believe that either.

Look at that beak? Seriously, how did he stand on that little, bitty limb. He's so perfectly balanced. Such confidence.

And then he was gone. Just as fast as he had arrived. Like a magician.
After that, we just knew it was going to be a good day.

The sun came up, for what seems like the first time in a week, and exaggerated the sparkles given off by the little amounts of ice and snow we had this week.

Every season, Boat Mountain has a different look ... kind of like a painting. This was our view today of Boat Mountain from our house. Yes, that change in elevation can make a huge difference. While just a little snow and ice remained on the pastures, the mountain was glowing white-cold. Many pictures were taken of Boat Mountain today. I bet it feels important.

Here's another view of Boat Mountain this morning, courtesy of the Arkansas Forestry Commission. Such a pastoral scene.

By the time Megan started driving down Harrison Hill, the only signs of winter rested atop Pilot's Knob at Batavia. It makes quite a contrast. When Dwain first popped this image up on his computer, Megan didn't even recognize Harrison. That's West Central Avenue heading from the old junior high school into her old, familiar neighborhood.

We're ready for a warm up and resume our National Park hiking. We have 96 miles to go.
Megan and Dwain

R.H.Shumway, Burpee, The Rare Seed Catalog, Totally Tomatoes ...

Megan stepped out on the front porch this morning and almost did the splits, something she hasn't done voluntarily in 45 years. We had a dusting of snow last night, on top of a thin layer of ice.
The powers that be said, STAY HOME! And court was cancelled.
So, we had to recalibrate our brains. All the plans Megan had made for today, and all the plans Dwain had made went out the door. You can feel frustrated when you're all dressed up and no place to go.

So, then we got out our stack of 2016 seed catalogs -- that have been arriving in our mailbox since Thanksgiving -- and started dreaming.

It's kind of amazing to see the possibilities of vegetables and fruits -- the kind we never see in a grocery store -- but can grow here. For instance, Fairytale Pumpkin or Moon and Stars Watermelon.
It's amazing what you can learn from seed catalogs - histories, planting tips, books for sale, recipes, kitchen and gardening tools, critter control, how to plant by the signs, pickling mixes, and on and on.

First, we took an inventory of seeds left over from 2015. We found 3 types of cucumbers, parsley, different types of lettuce, two types of kale, zucchini squash, and a dozen others.

Then we have heirloom seed that Megan saved from last year's harvest. She saved seeds from 3 kinds of heirloom tomatoes - Cherokee Purple, Chocolate Stripe and Oxheart. We'll plant those seeds in little pots under a grow light in early March.

The top paper towel holds a variety of jalapeno pepper seeds. The next paper towel has yellow bell pepper seeds. They were lovely in the garden and tasted so good. Then we have seeds for a couple of herbs.

Time for a bird break on this wintry evening. We are equal opportunity birders. This is a female cardinal. Megan liked the picture of this puffed out girl.

The problem with ordering from a dozen seed catalogs is shipping cost. So today, we concentrated on The Rare Seed Catalog 2016 from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.
Here are some of the new plants you'll find in our garden this year.

We've never planted this bean before, but it comes with good reviews. If we don't like the beans, apparently, hummingbirds love the flowers. This only comes with 15 seeds, but that should be enough for our plans. We have a grape arbor that we hope its vines cover. We've never been fortunate to grow grapes on it, but maybe this will cover it in vines, give us some shade, attract hummingbirds and hopefully give us a few tasty beans. How can we lose? Don't ask.

We're always excited about something different, and we're going to do better with our tomatoes this year. Evidently, we weren't the only gardeners who struggled with tomatoes. Don't you love that color? How will it look canned?

Margie and Lynn Keener were picking fresh broccoli until this recent freeze, and for all we know, they're still picking broccoli. We'll plant some in the spring and more in the fall. Wouldn't fresh broccoli be great at Christmas? There's so much you can do with broccoli. Look at the reviews.

Size matters with melons, and we're just hoping this can rival the flavor of melons we bought at a roadside fruit stand in Rocky Ford, Colorado.  Dwain still has the T-shirt. And we ate that melon at a picnic table while driving up Pike's Peak. Oh, and color also matters with melons for Dwain. He doesn't want to eat a green cantaloupe. It's a psychological thing.

Time for a squirrel break. We felt like this squirrel today, rubbing our hands together and blowing warm air onto our fingers to stay warm. It was so cold.

The name sold us - Arctic King Lettuce. It will grow in cold conditions, and we're not known for babying our plants. They better be hardy.

Megan wants a tunnel of pole beans across our garden this summer. She may set up camp in the tunnel, that we'll build with an arched wire cattle panel, or two. She also likes purple beans, because they turn green when cooked. Actually, she wishes they would stay purple.

Time for another bird picture.

Are you lookin' at me? Are you lookin' at ME? Well, okay then. It's about time you were lookin' at me.

Glass Gem corn. Isn't this the prettiest? We have to at least try to grow it -- more for decoration and to say that we can, than anything else. In a review someone said that they made a pitiful attempt at popcorn with this stuff. Hey, at least we know what not to try.

This is Mr. Purple Finch. He's not quite as stunning at Mr. Cardinal, but still, isn't he something?

It is amazing to watch how the birds take turns at the feeders; they go grab a sunflower or thistle seed, and then fly back to the Star Magnolia tree so that another bird may have a trip to the food buffet.

Who knew that people with sensitive skin could be allergic to Four-O'Clock seed or flowers?

We learned that fun fact today (see above). Evidently all parts of the plant are toxic.  That means that we should not put the flowers into our soups or salads. Wonder what occurred that made Baker Seed include that statement? We ordered them anyway.

A few years ago, we drove to Mansfield, Missouri, home of Baker Creek Seed Company and home of Little House on the Prairie author, Laura Ingalls Wilder; where she penned the Little House Books. Both give tours. Totally worth it! You should go.
Megan and Dwain