Daycation

It's not uncommon for new words to be created using parts of old words. Take the word vacation. During the 2007 - 2010 financial crisis in the US many individuals couldn't afford the luxury of a vacation. Thus, their vacation became a staycation; a period where the family stayed at home, made day trips, and returned to sleep in their own beds at night. A new word was born. Mr. H and I rarely go on a vacation or a staycation. We only take a day now and then. We take daycations!

Vacations, staycations, daycations

Don't you just love words!

Desha County Courthouse

Arkansas City, AR

So anyway, Mr. H and I went on a daycation. I have a project that I began in July of 2011. I am attempting to take a picture of every county courthouse in Arkansas. Our first stop was in Arkansas City a small town of only 0.5 square miles and a population of 366. You can imagine my surprise when we drove into town and found this beautiful courthouse surrounded by large magnolia trees. Not only was the courthouse beautiful, but there was an old high school built in 1910, a small building that looked like it might have been a jail at one time, and an old church. Three things I love a lot very close together. I don't mean I love jails a lot, I just love old buildings a lot!

St. Clements Episcopal Church

Arkansas City, Arkansas

One of the reasons I love old buildings is their doors and windows. It doesn't matter to me if the doors are on an outhouse, a church, a historical building, or a rundown shack. They're all fascinating.

Windows can be beautiful and ornate or they can be worn and rusty. It doesn't matter, I love them all.

Sometimes I find windows or doors that I can peek into. I'm not a "Peeping Tom." I only peek in windows on public property and when the place is closed; like the old high school below which is now part of the court system.

Arkansas High School, 1910

Here's the view through looking through the front door. I love the tin ceiling tiles and all the gorgeous wood.

I was also able to peek into the window of this beautiful home which is now The Ashley County Museum.

Ashley County Museum - 1918

And when I peeked in, I fell in love with those interior doors between the parlor and the dining room. I'd love to go back and tour this gorgeous home.

It seems there's always something the intrigues me and makes me ask questions, such as this old church which is now the meeting place of the Hamburg Garden Club. I wonder why the windows of this church and the above church have been painted over. Wouldn't you want to have light flowing in, especially in this church where the club meets? It's a mystery. One that I will probably never know the answer to.

Hamburg Presbyterian Church, 1871

We had such a nice day, even if we did travel 301.7 miles and were gone nine hours. I'm making progress on my project. I have taken pictures of 56 courthouses. There are 85 county seats in Arkansas and before someone corrects me, I know there are only 75 counties. Ten of those counties have two county seats and two courthouses. That leaves me with only 29 more courthouses to go. It looks like we'll be going on a few more daycations to get this project done!