Tonight, as I write, the night sky is lighted from the east to west horizon with sheet lighting and the loud sounds of thunder, it has been years since I have experienced these sounds. It is almost as much fun sitting outside watching this spectacular show as watching the northern lights at home. Again tonight we are in Lakeview, Arkansas. Tomorrow,the journey begins again as we leave Arkansas to travel across the badlands of Oklahoma, panhandle of Texas and New Mexico to the high country of Colorado.

Today, we spent the day exploring the area, it some places it is like going back in time to the days of civil war,the old houses and dirt roads. We did drive to Everton, Arkansas today which is just 30 miles down the road a piece and in the hollow. The last and only time that I have been here was in October 1967 to visit my grandfather on my way back to Alaska. The town,what there was of it is now closed. The old general store sitting on the corner is now silent and closed, the first time I saw it there were three old men sitting on the porch, with a coon hound laying beside them, I stop to ask them directions to my grandfathers home. Today,I sat on the porch by myself and wondered about the thousands of stories that had been told on these benches.

The old home site is also gone now, jut a memory of when my grandparents and aunt lived there. In 1967, my grandfather drove Terry and I up to the cemetery to visit my grandmothers site. He thought it best since he did not think my new 1967 Plymouth Barracuda would get through on the roads. He was right, the roads have improved but I still glad I had a pick-up and four wheel drive, a couple of hollows had no bridge and the small springs just run over the bedrock of the road. A beautiful place of rest, rolling hills, green grass and towering oak trees. The trip is complete,I have visited the sites of each of my grandparents for the first time.

This area is expanding rapidly, but remains a beautiful location to live and it appears the home prices remain lower than most locations. Tonight, all of us'ans went out to dinner, a very nice restaurant with a great menu selection. I could not resist, having never done so I dined on a very good dinner of deep fried cat fish and frog legs. Having never seen them on a menu, they are referred to as a "saddle of frog legs". The legs are left connected on the upper part, consequently when you look at them, they resemble a saddle with each of the legs being the stirrup. Would I eat them again, an alert goes out tonight to Devyn and Kymber, gather more frogs next spring and feed them well - they are good! The meat the legs is similar to that of chicken, however, it is snow white! By the time you are all stirring around, we will be down the road a piece, headed west towards the setting sun, ya'all have a good un and talken to ya down the line. I have been in Arkansas to long.

P.S. Oh, before I forget, on our trek this morning, we got a little turned around, even our GPS was off the map. Saw a sheriff's office down off the road a short distance and what better place to ask directions. As we pulled up, there were two officers standing along side the building, I did not see the third man until I was out of the truck, he was taking a smoke break and being very carefully monitored by the officers. I do not know if it is because it is getting close to Halloween or what but he was dressed very strange, he had on a suit that looked like pajamas, but it had alternating black and white stripes the full length, the stripes were about two inches thick - strangest thing I ever did see, a man dressed up likde a zebra.