That was refreshing . . .

Northern Mockingbird in attack mode in El Dorado, AR. I mush have been walking too close to its nest

Charcuterie Board hand made by Mike Makepeace.

I love to travel with Puppy's Pop. We went to El Dorado, Arkansas for a Control Line Flying Contest. It is located about 284 miles north of our home - about a 5 hour drive. The beauty of our travel is that neither of us listens to the radio or music as we drive. He is busy driving and I am busy marveling at the scenery. We don't even chitchat much except when I scare him saying, "Oh my goodness, that is fantastic" every time I see something interesting - birds, water ways, homes on waterways, corn fields for miles and miles, sugar cane fields for many, many miles, rice paddies, craw fish ponds with roseate spoonbills, their heads deep in the ponds, egrets, herons et al eating the craw fish before the harvesters get to them. We drive through many small old towns and a few cities with buildings going back to the 1930's and 40's. One of the best parts of the trip on I-49 is going through the telephone pole (southern pine) forests on both sides of the highway.Some of the villages are tiny and the few cities are not huge in comparison to New Orleans but everything is green and growing. There are  a few hills in Louisiana which always take me by surprise. Arkansas does not seem as watery as old home Louisiana. It is a beautiful state and surprisingly hilly. I don't even think about the politics of the places we pass through or stay. Man and his fiendish ways are far removed from my mind as I soak up the natural surroundings and the down to earth people we meet. It is relaxing for me but it may be nerve wracking for Puppy's Pop because when I am excited by whatever comes in our path  I exclaim my appreciation and he sometimes (ofttimes) thinks I am warning him about something about to cross our path or a vehicle is about to hit us. I don't mean to do that so I'm trying to learn how to be calm. You'd think I would know better after becoming friends with my husband in 1964 when I was working at Stardust in Moosup. I guess I'm incorrigible. 

At the end of the day on Saturday we were both exhausted. Puppy's Pop had flown 6 flights and garnered third place in Warbirds and in Profile. He also helped other flyers launch their planes. A friend from Denham Springs helped Puppy's Pop to launch because I was petrified of stooping down and not being  able to get back up. The contestants came from Kansas, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas; there were some super experienced pilots. They are always a challenge. It's fun. I spent the day running the score cards back to the ladies in charge. There were not as many runners as usual so I did a lot of walking.  The orthopedic doctor told me to walk, walk, walk. The shot I had gotten in my left hip for bursitis the day before we left on our short weekend trip helped.  That's a good thing.  I will start physical therapy this week.

 I was given the charcuterie board by the Model Aviators of South Arkansas. It is soft, smooth, warm and perfect. My photo does not do it justice. You have to hold it, feel it, pet it, put your cheek on it. I took the photo with the board placed on top of my Pépère Bonnin's big old pickle crock. Each of the women who helped keep the contest running smoothly chose a board to take home. 

There will not be many contests this year but we will certainly get to a few more.

Quote:  A man cannot leave a better legacy to the world than a well-educated family. ____Thomas Scott

Quote: It is a great evil, as well as a misfortune, to be unable to utter a prompt and decided "No."  ____C. Simmons