Sunday Sundries - Edition 69

"Life is like a Ferris wheel.

One minute you’re on top,

the next you’re at the bottom.

Just stay in your seat,

enjoy the ride,

and hang on until you reach the top again."

- Susan Gale

It's time for me to end my Sunday Sundries posts. Instead of being enjoyable, it has become a chore. It's been a fun ride, but it's time to move on to another adventure.

Reed's Bridge

I was never very interested in history as a child. It seemed that history only consisted of memorizing names, dates, and places. I never was very good at memorizing and struggled through every history class I took. My interest in history peaked later in life. As I've grown older, I've taken the time to read about and visit historical places and I don't have to memorize a thing! One such place is a short drive from home near Jacksonville, Arkansas. Right outside of town is the Civil War Battlefield of Reed's Bridge. Reed's Bridge crossed the Bayou Meto which is a tributary of the Arkansas River. It is a low stream with a miry bed, abrupt banks, and a heavy growth of timber on the sides. 

On the battlefield site a small homestead has been reconstructed. The main log cabin has one room downstairs and an attic for sleeping. When my sister and I arrived the cabin doors were locked. I had been here several years ago and it was all open, but due to vandalism they are now locked. We were a little disappointed that we couldn't go inside. Much to our delight one of the battlefield preservation society members happened to drop by while we were there. He was so kind and opened the doors for us. The inside of the cabin was only lit by the sunshine coming in the two doors. In the attic, the only light was from our camera flash! Therefore, these pictures are really grainy.

The last time I was here I sat in one of two rocking chairs on the back porch and ate lunch. The chairs are no longer there. I wonder if they were destroyed or stolen. 

Behind the main cabin was the cookhouse. The preservation society really did a pretty job of decorating the cabins for autumn.

One of the cabins that had been there several years ago is gone. All that is left is the chimney.

Beside the cookhouse was the garden. 

A beautiful garden still producing vegetables. I've never seen such black, rich soil and I've never seen a garden so healthy in late October!  Someone spends a lot of time here!

 On the other side of the garden is the barn . . .

complete with an old red wagon.

We had a great time exploring the homestead and walking a nearby trail, but as we walked through the battlefield we became more and more quiet. Men were wounded here and lives were lost in the battle to keep the Federal Calvary from crossing the Bayou Meto on their march toward the capital city of Little Rock. At the end of the day the Confederate Army were able to hold the field and the Federal Calvary retreated. There is a feel to this place; a feeling of sadness and loss.

An Autumn Day

"On such a day each road is planned

To lead to some enchanted land;

Each turning meets expectancy.

The signs I read on every hand.

I know by autumn's wizardry

On such a day the world can be

Only a great glad dream for me --

Only a great glad dream for me!"

~ Eleanor Myers Jewett, An Autumn Day

Sunday Sundries - Edition 68

"How sweet to be a cloud

floating in the blue."

~ A. A. Milne

Walking and Talking

The trails of Pinnacle Mountain were calling my name. Oh, not the trail that leads up the to the mountain peak which is over 1,000 feet of strenuous and rocky climbing, but the Arboretum trail which wanders through acres of plants and trees. It's still a little early here for fall colors, so most of the paths were covered in browns with the occasional scattering of reds and yellows under the maples.

My sister and I are doing a series of tree photos and we knew the Arboretum trail would give us a good variety of trees. We were not disappointed. 

There was some color, but you had to look up, way up to see it. Walking and looking up don't go well together! I was thankful that the paths were smooth or I would have been stumbling all over the place. I'm not quite as stable as we used to be!

I know I'm rushing things, but it really should be fall weather here. We were in the 90's today which broke a record. This is just not right!  We should be wearing jackets. We need a good frost and a good rain or our fall will be dull and brown. 

One of the trails we followed led to the banks of the Little Maumelle River. There was some pretty fall color reflecting in the water.

We were amazed at the height of the trees. The tree tops were gorgeous with the sun shining through the leaves. My favorite was the Cyprus trees. Their needle-like leaves seem to glow in the sun. 

It has been so dry here that the water in the river where the Cyprus grow is very low. The Cyprus knees, which help stabilize the massive trees and are normally in the water, were on dry land. These trees have been here a very long time, hopefully this drought will not cause any damage. I imagine they've seen drought years many times.

Although we didn't see a lot of fall colors, we did take a lot of pictures for our tree series and we did have a wonderful day of walking and sister talk. 

Morning Walk

I learned a new word this week:

estivate

1. to spend the summer, at a specific place or in a certain activity

2. to spend a hot, dry season in an inactive, dormant state, as certain reptiles, snails, insects and small mammals

That's exactly how I've spent the last few weeks of this dry, hot summer . . . estivating! I slowed down and stayed indoors longing for cooler weather.

Finally the temperatures are starting to drop a little. The arrival of cooler mornings has me returning to my morning walks which are the most peaceful part of my day. That's the time I tune out the worries of life and simple enjoy the quiet.

I breathe deep, relax, hum a little, sing a little, and smile a lot. I even stop and do a little jig now and then.

As I walk down the country road I hear the cadence of my footsteps, the squirrels scampering through the trees, the birds singing their morning songs, and the leaves dancing across the pavement.

I watch the weeds sway in the wind.

I feel the sun on my shoulders . . .

and see it bring light to the dark forest.

What, may I ask, could be any better than this?

There's only one other place I find such peace and that's near water, but since on most mornings that's not an option, I treasure my peaceful morning walks along a country road.

Sunday Sundries - Edition 67

"At the close of a long hot summer,

the appearance of the pumpkin

heralds the welcome

arrival of fall."

~ Kari Spencer