AR Part 5

Monday, February 28, 2000: Gurdon, Arkansas

Most of my walk to Camden was done on quiet roads through Arkansas State Forest land. Not a whole lot of human interaction took place, but walking down quiet roads and camping in the woods was very enjoyable nonetheless. This trip provides such a wonderful balance between social interaction and time spent alone with God and my thoughts.

I walked through the Poison Spring Battleground today. It is a State Park and picnic area now. For me it was a good place to stop awhile and read about the Civil War battle that took place there. I learned that the Federal Army was spending some time around here during their Red River Expedition back in 1864. As their encampment in Camden was running short on supplies, they sent out foraging parties to steal food and provisions from the Arkansas locals living in the area where I have been walking the past few days.

As word spread of these Yankee foragers out stealing food, clothing, jewelry, silverware, pots, pans and other household items from the nice people of Arkansas, the Confederates began wanting revenge. Near Poison Spring, they found a train of 198 overflowing wagons full of stolen goods. The Federal Army quickly reinforced the wagon train's escort to about 2,500 men, and thus when the Confederates moved in to take the wagons, a fairly good-sized battle took place. After a devastating barrage of Confederate artillery and some very smart infantry maneuvers, the Federals retreated back to Camden leaving the wagons behind. According to a Confederate Colonel named Charles De Morse, the wagons were "laden with corn, bacon, stolen bed quilts, women and children's clothing, hogs, geese, and all the et ceteras of unscrupulous plunder." Shortly after the battle, the rightful owners of the foraged goods were able to reclaim their possessions.

When I arrived back into civilization from out on the back roads, I came to Highway 24 and saw a sign that said, "Harvey's Grocery, Politics Spoken Here." The sign promised interesting human interaction, and it proved to do just that. I went inside for some food and a soda, and the guy running the store (Bobby) refused to charge me when I told him that I had walked to his store while thinking about a soda with ice for the past two days. He also fixed me a complimentary ham sandwich. I thanked him and went outside to eat, drink, and rest on one of the benches in front of the store.

As I sat down in front of Harvey's, a pickup truck pulled up, and an eighty-four year old man named Coy sat down next to me for some conversation. Coy and I talked for quite awhile this afternoon. He told me of days when it was standing room only out in front of Harvey's, and folks would gather to drink beer and "see who could tell the biggest lie." A constant flow of locals pulled up to Harvey's while I sat and talked to Coy. Everyone knew each other, and it seemed as if most of the people who stopped by Harvey's today weren't much interested in just a quick stop to buy groceries. I think they just wanted to see what was going on at Harvey's and to visit awhile with friends.

Tuesday, February 29, 2000: San Antonio, Texas

I started out on a Texas vacation with my new friend Bob today. Bob wanted to take a vacation to Texas, and when I met him last week, he asked me if I would like to ride along. We spent most of the day (about ten hours) driving to San Antonio. Bob, like myself, enjoys thinking and listening as much as (if not more than) talking, so we are getting along just fine.

Bob is retired now, but worked for Alcoa (the huge aluminum company) from his late twenties until just a few years ago. The man knows everything about the production of aluminum as well as many things about human nature and life. I have been enjoying very interesting conversations with Bob and feel fortunate to have walked into this Texas side-trip.

Friday, March 3, 2000: Gurdon, Arkansas

Yesterday we went to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. We rode on a tram tour, got to see "mission control" and where the astronauts train for Space Shuttle missions, walked around what would have been Apollo 18 if the Apollo program wouldn't have been canceled, saw another IMAX film, touched a moon rock, and had a good day. I wanted to include one of the pictures that I took of mission control on this page, but they didn't turn out very well. I decided to use this picture of the Space Shuttle's toilet instead, for anyone who ever wondered what it looks like. I hadn't given it much thought until today.

We headed back home to Arkansas yesterday afternoon, arriving here late last night. I had a really good time the past few days. It was good to be in places that I have never been and seeing things that I have never seen before. On the ride home, Bob and I probably talked more than we spent time going down the road deep in thought, and we really got to know each other quite well. It was a pleasure to spend a few days with Bob, and I am certain that we were both able to learn many things from each other.

Sunday, March 5, 2000: Gurdon, Arkansas

I spent the weekend here in Gurdon with Brother Bob and his family. I needed a few days in-between my vacation to Texas and returning to the business of walking south into Louisiana, and so that is what took place. Tomorrow, I will return to walking south from where I left off at Harvey's Grocery in Camden, Arkansas. I should be walking across the state line into Loisiana this coming week if things go as planned. Walking into a new state is always a very exciting time for me, and I am looking forward to it.

Before I leave the state of Arkansas, I would like to share with you a few things from the Arkansas dialect that I have learned while I have been here. Although these "Arkansas-isms" don't belong to Arkansas alone, they are just a few things that I had never heard until I walked through this state. As you probably know, speech becomes a little more relaxed and words become a little less articulated the farther you travel south in this great land of ours. In Gurdon, Arkansas, which lies approximately 34 degrees north of the equator, a fella like myself who was born and raised in Iowa can still understand the local dialect with a certain amount of careful listening. I learn new saying daily but still have to say, "Do what now?" every once in a while when I hear a new phrase or the speech is particularly relaxed. (Yes, as it was in Oklahoma, "Do what now?" is widely used in Arkansas as a substitute for "Pardon me, I did not hear what you said.")

Carryin' me ta can be used for "taking me to" as in, "My brother is carryin' me ta breakfast this mornin'." You can also use carried for the past tense (took) as in, "I just carried the kids ta Wal-Mart yesterday."

If someone invites you ta go frog giggin', they are inviting you to partake in the southern Arkansas sport which involves spearing bull frogs with a gig (or metal spear) to later fry and enjoy their tasty legs.

If someone offers you a Coke, it could mean any flavor of carbonated beverage, whereas a col'drank encompasses all carbonated beverages as well as iced tea, lemonade, fruit juice etc.

In Arkansas, the word oil is pronounced ol' and obviously said in one syllable. I practice this one by rhyming the word oil with coal (instead of coil like you would do up north).

If someone asks you, "How's your momanem?" do not be alarmed. They probably just haven't seen you in awhile and are asking about the well being of your family (or your kin). Translation: "How is your mom and them?"

As a general rule, you can usually substitute ta for to, ya for you, and when practicing your Arkansas-isms never pronounce the g sound at the end of any word endin' with ing. Always use the proper form-- in'.