Little Rock Getaway

Bridge across the Arkansas River, originally uploaded by gurdonark.

We hit the road Saturday morning to Little Rock. The Labor Day holiday traffic proved surprisingly light, and we made excellent time. The drive from Dallas to Little Rock is an attractive interstate ramble through fields of cows and forests of trees.

We arrived at the Doubletree Hotel, which is located directly adjacent to the place I went to law school. The place I went to law school is now a luxury condominium building, as the law school has moved over to the building which is the place where my father went to medical school.

Our hotel room looked out onto the Arkansas River. We saw people practicing crew rowing on the river. We walked a few blocks over to the presidential library for President William J. Clinton. This library was really well done. The architecture is very appealing. The exhibits provide just enough information to give one the context of the times,
but not so much trivia as to overwhelm the visitor. As the museum no doubt intends, one is left with a longing for a return to the policies of that administration.

The riverfront area is much more attractive now than it was when I was in law school some 25 years ago. Amenities ranging from an improved park walkway to a pedestrian bridge over the river to an impressive set of cafes, art shops, museums and markets, all added to the positive efffect.

On Saturday night we went to the party room for Juanita's Mexican restaurant, on Main and 13th. I am not good at this type of function, and no doubt through shyness miss out on all the opportunities for conversation presented. Yet I enjoyed seeing people I had not seen in decades, some of them people to whom I was close, others people I barely knew then or now. I enjoyed very much the reunion.

Sunday morning we rose and drove back to Little Rock, picking up a Waffle House waffle at Arkadelphia on the way. Everywhere we saw long haul diesel trucks and trucks of people ferrying horses and cows. There was less "tourist" traffic than I expected--perhaps a reflection of the economic times.

Today I go to pick up my young friend for a morning of can-jo play, and then perhaps a nice meal.

stories

Dangerous Blues, originally uploaded by gurdonark.

Overhead, purple clouds floated in rows which came from the south and seemed to head towards Oklahoma--they reminded us of the hurricane's landfall, so far away.

When the afternoon drew to an end, I drove to Russell Creek Park in Plano. I wanted to see if the small pond there might prove suitable for a fishing trip in the future. The pond had too much algae for this purpose.

I did see a lot of interest me at the pond. I took pictures of coreopsis flowers, which were in their last stages of bloom. I later photo-morphed them into different colors. I saw a group of wood ducks, a lovely heron,a woodpecker, a mature rabbit, a number of mockingbirds, swallows, and red clay.

I hit an ashtray with a mallet, and turned it into a song. I don't smoke.
Neither does the song.

Saturday one of the very kindest women I knew (too slightly) in high school and her husband told us the story of how they came to have a daughter. They were in their early '40s, with neither a natural child nor an application to adopt. They were contacted by a friend, who had been contacted by a mother who wished to place a child for adoption.
They made the decision to adopt on the spot, with two months remaining in the pregnancy term to get ready. The entire situation proved unexpected, and fortunate, and fulfilling. Everyone's life is filled with interesting stories.