Late Summer In the WildWoods

This will be the last walk we take in the WildWoods of Arkansas. the next time we go for a walk, it will be in the Urban WildWoods of Colorado.

August Update

A lot has and hasn't happened in the last month.
The weather is still hot and dry. I feel like someone stuck us in the oven, turned it to broil and forgot about us!  We had two brief rain showers the whole month of July. Not near enough.

Hubby went off to Denver and is now working. (I wrote a bit about that last week). He should get his first paycheck this week. Oh, Happy Days!!
We signed a lease on a house in the northern suburbs of Denver. It's not exactly my idea of a dream home, but we felt it was the best way  to get into a place up there and not have to deal with a landlord. Nothing against landlords (we may become some fairly soon) but when a person has animals, landlords aren't exactly the most desirable people to deal with. And believe me, I am making a mental note of that! I don't want to become a person that I wouldn't even want to deal with!

Our "New" House

Had a couple of showings of the house here in Arkansas. And we remain hopeful that it will sell before the end of summer.
I am still packing away. I have odds-n-ends in the house to pack. All that oddly shaped stuff that just doesn't quite fit into any normal size box. But I am spending most of my time packing up Hubby's garage and two shop buildings. He won't be able to find anything for a good while. Teach him for not packing it himself! And I have  a deadline to meet. We are leaving Arkansas the end of the month. I'm anxious to to rejoin the Family and to rejoin the Art Scene. I have dearly missed creating my Faeries and any and all sort of Halloween items.

And speaking of Halloween... We'll have two, possibly three yards to "Haunt" this year! WooHoo!!! We'll have to use what we have, so this year won't be all that creepy but it'll still be fun!

And don't forget, Gomez is having a Giveaway! You can read about it here!

Cat Tales ~ A Giveaway!!!

Hello Everyone! Gomez here. Mommy is letting me host a GiVeAwAy!!!  

Me is giving away the book, "The Enchanted Cat - Feline Fascinations, Spells & Magick" by Ellen Dugan AND Me is including some of Mes Catnip and a Quartz Crystal that came from right here in Arkansas. 

And I am giving away not one but TWO books! Each complete with Catnip and Crystal!
So there will be TWO Winners!

So, all you sweet little Kitties have to do is have your Human leave a comment on this blog post and I will announce the winners' names in two weeks (August 15) on my Monday post. 

Good Luck to everyone!
**This Giveaway is open to ALL Kitties in the USA and Canada!**

Living in the South ~ The WildWoods

When we relocated to Mena, we moved to a unique house located in a small woods a few miles outside of town. The property on which the house is located is as unique as the house. 
The house was built in the 1950s by a retired Military officer. He fell in love with the manor houses of Germany while he was there during WWII. When he came back to the states, he decided to build a house similar to those he saw. He built a 3800 sq ft cinder block house. All the walls are cinder block. Even the interior walls are cinder block. The layout is interesting and quite a few people have commented on how comfortable the house feels.  
(I even have a real Harry Potter under-the-stairs closet & Hubby is still looking for the hidden bunker that he just knows the original owner had installed.... )


The property is located next to a school which serves the small communities on the west side of the county. The original property encompassed several acres complete with an orchard, but as the school grew, they began to purchase some of the property for expansion. Eventually the school purchased everything - the house, the land and all out buildings. That's where we came in. The school was needing money for a paved track for track and field events. They put the house, outbuildings and two acres up for sale. And we bought it. The school kept 10 acres of the original property to keep in its natural state for an outdoor classroom. Our house is totally surrounded by that outdoor classroom. The kids of the school maintain the trails in the woods (outdoor classroom) and keep trash and dead-fall picked up. I have enjoyed seeing the kids ooh and aah over the things to be discovered in these woods. I can hear the band practice in the morning, and see the kids run laps through the woods (track practice) every weekday afternoon. And it gives me a good feeling to look at that track (I can see it from my backyard) and know that we helped with its installation. And the school has achieved a track championship every year since we moved here.


These 10 acres have come to be known as the WildWoods. They have been a source of amazement and enjoyment for me as well as the children at the school. I'm always up for a walk in the WildWoods to try and spy the first wild orchid of the season or watch as the grove of American Mandrake comes into bloom. These Wildwoods have also been a source of enlightenment. It is here that the trees taught me to listen. It is here that my spirit has run free and unfettered. 
The woods are a mixture of hardwoods and pine. A small creek is at the back edge of the WildWoods, separating it from pasture land. We've had a fox den up under a shed, a bat take up residence outside the backdoor, and even deer have been seen in the WildWoods (or was it possibly the Green Man?).  The trees speak to me with the rustle of their leaves on the wind and share their joy of Spring by bursting into bloom. I felt the trees pain one Spring when their branches were bent and broken from the weight of an unexpected wet heavy snow.


There is quite a variety of trees here in the WildWoods - Oak, Maple, Hickory, Walnut, Dogwood, Pine - to name just a few. They each have their unique personalities and rhythms. But the tree that has been a close friend, since the time we moved in, is a lovely Sweetgum tree that stands not too far outside our back door. She has provided us with shade in the scorching summer sun, glorious color in the Autumn, a buffet of seeds for the little birds in the winter months, and she is one of the first trees in the yard to show signs of Spring. I am going to miss these trees who have become members of the family.

Living in the South ~ Spirituality or lack there of...

Driving through the South a person will see a common theme - churches. There is a great abundance of churches in the Bible Belt as well as the occasional tent for the tent revival. Yes, there are still tent revivals. And there is a church or religion for every size, shape, or taste.  Almost.


I never realized how restrictive and biased religion really is until I moved here to Mena. Catholicism is the predominant religion in southern Louisiana and the parishioners are very adamant about their religion. But they are also very tolerant of those who do not share their faith. But in this section of the Bible Belt, religion is everything and everywhere. A common thread through conversations is, "what church do you go to?"  And here, like in most places where religion is a big part of people's lives, people are overweight and feel that going to church on Sunday absolves them of all the sins committed during the week. And people aren't as tolerant of those who do not share their beliefs.


About two years after we moved here, there were still quite a few 'progressive thinkers' around. And they were trying to make the community into a destination place for tourists rather than a stop-over place. One of these 'thinkers'  decided to start a non-denominational church - a place of worship for those of alternative faith. He openly advertised in the local newspaper for several weeks about an organizational meeting to be held at his house. This organizational meeting was going to be held just before Beltane and he openly stated that he was going to have a bonfire - he welcomed people to come celebrate Life with friends around the bonfire. Almost immediately there were flyers around town advertising meetings to be held at various churches about this new 'heathen' church. A few days before the 'thinker's' meeting was to be held, I stopped by the local Salvation Army store for a bit of junqueing and who did I find inside but several women who were holding an impromptu meeting regarding the devil's arrival in town. These women were encouraging the other shoppers to join in the protest they were going to stage in front of the guys house the night of the meeting. (can we say angry mob with pitchforks?)  I was aghast at what I was seeing and hearing. I mean, this is the 21st century, right?  The next week in the local newspaper, under the police report, I saw that several people were arrested for trespassing  at the residence of the 'progressive thinker'.

* Tolerance - Just another word in the dictionary *

And then there is the local church who requires some of the parishioners to stand on the street corner with signs which read about salvation and damnation. These people go so far as rushing cars stopped at the stoplight and shoving flyers about sins, death and damnation into open windows. Quite often those flyers land in the laps of children.


I've also heard that there are illicit activities that still take place deep in the woods of  Arkansas.........

Living in the South ~ The Buckle of the Bible Belt

       When we began to look for a new home, we decided to relocate closer to Hubby's Grandparents who lived in eastern Oklahoma. They were getting older and really needed someone around to help them out. We decided to settle in the Ouachita Mountains of western Arkansas. This area offered four seasons and the mountains that Hubby and I missed.  (I hadn't ever seen any place as flat as south Louisiana!) And yet, the Ouachita Mountains were close enough we could still help out the Grandparents. 
       We moved to the largest town in the Ouachita Mountains, Mena. A town with a whopping population of approx. 6,000.  Hubby affectionately calls Mena, The Buckle of the Bible Belt. 

Bible Belt is an informal term for an area of the United States in which socially conservative evangelical Protestantism is a significant part of the culture and Christian church attendance across the denominations is extremely high. (to quote Wikipedia)

      In other words, the Bible Belt has a population of conservative thinking church goers. The Bible Belt area stretches from Texas to the eastern seaboard and as far north as Missouri, Kentucky, and Virginia. Mena sits just about in the middle of this area - hence the name, Buckle of the Bible Belt.

       While the people in this part of the South are still quite friendly and helpful, the familiarity we had experienced in Louisiana was not in evidence here. Rugged country and great distances between communities serve to isolate many of the residents of these areas. This isolation causes a closed way of thinking and a wariness of strangers.  And you thought Deliverance was just a movie.....

       I quickly realized that the "Good Ol' Boy Network" is alive and well. It's not how good you are at what you do that matters but who you know and who you are related to. The difference between social classes is very apparent. The wealthy feel like they are doing the poor a favor by employing them. And the poor are quite happy to work for piddling wages. People are comfortable with this arrangement because that's the way it's always been. Change and progress are not always welcomed or accepted. 

       I noticed that women are not always treated on an equal basis with men. I think this is due in part to the religions of this part of the South, many of which place restrictions on women. Now I may play the 'Dumb Broad ' on occasion but please don't insult me by assuming I have a low IQ just because I'm a woman. Hubby has had to rein me (my temper and my mouth) in on several occasions.

       There is still the sense of family and community, though not as strong as in the Cajun country. And the people of these Arkansas mountain hamlets will definitely come together in case of emergency or disaster, disregarding their differences. In 2009 when the town of Mena was hit by a tornado, over 600 homes were damaged or destroyed. For a month after the tornado, various churches would distribute free lunches, bottled water, and other essential items to those affected as well as to the volunteers assisting in clean-up and rebuilding. The local Mennonite men volunteered their construction expertise and rebuilt several homes. This combined effort helped strengthen the feeling of community in Mena. Unfortunately, that bond weakens over time.


       Before the economy took a nose dive, Mena had a fairly diverse economic system. It wasn't necessarily thriving but a variety of industries called the Mena area home - a small electric motor assembly plant, Tyson chicken farms and processing plant, numerous aircraft refurbishing businesses at the local airport, and quite a few classic car restoration shops. All these industries, and a few more, brought in outside dollars to the community, something which is vital if a town is going to  be vibrant and thriving. But, alas, a lot of these businesses are what are called 'luxury industries' - businesses that are dependent on people having throw away income. When that excess income dried up, so did the businesses dependent on it. And in a small town, it doesn't take but a few businesses to close to create a lot of lay-offs. And it doesn't take but a few lay-offs to strike a hard blow to a community's sense of Hope in the future.

An "AA" Day

Last week was Spring Break for Hubby. Schoolwork has been keeping him busy but he is on the downhill stretch - graduation is in a little over a month. 

And I have been living with a paintbrush (or paint roller) in my hand. We both needed a break! Desperately!  

So we decided to take an AA {Attitude Adjustment} Day!  

It was a gorgeous day with clear blue skies, plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures. And Mother Nature beckoned to us to come out and play. So off we went for a day trip to the Cossatot River State Park. 

Cossatot River State Park-Natural Area is located in southwest Arkansas. This National Wild and Scenic River is a watershed basin with flow levels dependent on rainfall. After significant precipitation, the river level rises. It has been a dry winter following a dry summer and autumn so the water level in the river was low and the bottom could be seen in numerous places.

These underwater rocks look like cobblestones. Maybe this is a road from an ancient civilization....

This State Park-Natural Area stretches for 12 miles along the scenic Cossatot River, Arkansas's premier whitewater experience renowned as the best whitewater float stream in mid-America. 

Looking downriver over whitewater area.

Rock ledges at Cossatot Falls area

There are several camping and picnicking places along the river but we stopped at Cossatot Falls to explore. The Falls are located in a section of rugged and rocky canyon that challenges the most experienced canoeists and kayakers with its Class IV and V rapids, when the water is high. At Cossatot Falls, with its distinct ledges, the river drops 33 feet in elevation within 1/3 of a mile. Hence it's name Cossatot, which comes from the French cassé-tête which translates roughly to skull crusher.

Rock at Cossatot River. Actual colors of rock and lichen.

We wandered around the river and climbed on a lot of rocks. Took pictures of rocks and the river. And rocks under the river. And just had a fun time.

This is the beginning of the rapids area. But because the water was low, it wasn't very  rapid.

Amazing how smooth the rocks are from the water.

On the way back home we took in the sights and enjoyed seeing the wild cherry and redbud trees in full bloom. Just gorgeous! And we found a long stretch of mountainside where there was mile after mile of redbud trees blooming. Their pinkish lavender blooms were gorgeous against the green of the forest.

A visit to a bawdy-house

Every Family has them! You know, those relatives that some don't want mentioned?

Personally, I like those relatives! They add color and uniqueness to a Family Tree.

And while I wish I could say that the woman featured in today's post was a relative, at least she knew some of Hubby's relatives...... and maybe some of yours!

When we last left Fort Smith, Arkansas ( click here) it was a bustling and growing port town located on the Arkansas River as well as on the border of Indian Territory (Oklahoma). Soldiers, Adventurers, and Settlers created a demand for many services. Prostitution being one of them. Several bordellos were established just before the turn of the last century. These bawdy houses were all located along the river front in what was called "The Row". Prostitution was legal and the City of Fort Smith required that all 'working girls' receive a monthly health check. Those that passed received a certificate which was displayed. The cost of this certificate was $5.00.

     This is the health certificate I received when I last visited Miss Laura's. {giggle} Really! All female visitors receive one of these.   * See Juicy Tidbits below!

One of the houses in this red-light district was the Starr House, owned and operated by Pearl Starr, the daughter of Belle Starr. Belle Star, for those of you who don't recognize the name, was a famous woman 'outlaw' of the late 1800s. Click here to read about her.)

Belle Starr

Pearl Starr was born Rosie Lee Reed in 1868. She moved frequently until her father's death in 1874. Her mother then married a Cherokee Indian named Sam Starr and the family settled near the Canadian River in what was then Indian Territory (Oklahoma). After Belle Starr's death in 1889, numerous dime novels were written about her and the Starr name became famous. Rosie then changed her name to Pearl Starr.
In 1891, Pearl became a prostitute and capitalized on her new name. She soon purchased a bordello which was known as the Starr House. This house could be recognized by the bright red star which was surrounded by lighted pearls. She remained in business until the early 1920s when she moved to Arizona. She died in 1925.

Pearl Starr

And now for the family connection.....  Sam Starr, Pearl's step-father, was a first cousin to Hubby's Great, Great Grandmother. Sam Starr's father and Hubby's Great, Great, Great Grandmother were brother and sister.

Juicy Tidbits ~~


The City of Fort Smith outlawed prostitution in 1924 but one bawdy house remained in business into the 1940s. This was Miss Laura's Social Club. And it is the only bordello still standing today - the others were either burned to the ground in the fire of 1910 or fell into disrepair and later demolished. Miss Laura's now houses the Fort Smith Visitor Center.

Miss Laura's was the classiest house on The Row. The Gentlemen visitors would be entertained in the parlor with cigars and brandy and visit with the girls, who were fully dressed, before heading upstairs to the girl's room to take care of business. Miss Laura's also commanded top dollar for the special treatment - a whopping $3.00!

To read more about Liss Laura's, click here and click here.

Hell's Half Acre

Hell's Half Acre
This area of land (allegedly more around one to two acres) is a bit of a mystery to residents of nearby Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Despite being surrounded by forest and vegetation, this area is completely composed of sharp jagged rocks and no vegetation, aside from just a few trees. The place is reportedly feared by locals (and even their hunting dogs) and some believe that the devil lurks below. Geologists are said to be baffled and theories range from an extinct volcano (that warms the hot springs in the area) to a vortex that has trapped fallen angels who await their release on the final Day of Judgement.

In the same general area lies a deep black hole.  The legend has it as a bottomless hole where a demon has been trapped. Those that pass by at night report hearing groans and shrieks of profanity. People tend to stay away at night.

Hot Springs

About an hour and a half east of Mena is the town of Hot Springs, Arkansas. 

This area of the Ouachita Mountains is known for its thermal springs. About a million gallons of 143-degree water flow from the springs each day. The rate of flow is not affected by fluctuations in the rainfall in the area. Studies have determined through carbon dating that the water that reaches the surface fell as rainfall in an as-yet undetermined watershed 4,000 years earlier. The water percolates very slowly down through the earth’s surface until it reaches superheated areas deep in the crust and then rushes rapidly to the surface to emerge from the 47 hot springs in the area. 

The town of Hot Springs wasn't settled until 1807 even though Native Americans had been enjoying the healing properties of the springs for years. In 1832, the Hot Springs Reservation was created by the US Congress, granting federal protection of the thermal waters. The Reservation was renamed Hot Springs National Park in 1921. It is America's oldest Federally protected area.

Bath House Row

The Civil War left the town of Hot Springs nearly destroyed but with the rebuilding came growth. Bath houses (or spas), utilizing the thermal waters, were built along Central Avenue. This section of street would later be known as Bath House Row. Many of these Bath Houses were lavish with brocade, stained glass, and rooftop conservatories.

People would ride a train into Hot Springs to stay at one of the luxury hotels and soak in the healing waters. And because of these therapeutic properties, the early 1900's saw several Major League Baseball teams make their training camps in Hot Springs. 

The years following the Civil War brought many unsavory characters to Hot Springs. And gambling became firmly established. Political graft was rife. Hot Springs became a gambling mecca and many a gangster could be seen on the streets of Hot Springs. Al Capone's favorite spot was the Arlington Hotel. 

Arlington Hotel

Legal gambling came to a halt in 1948 but illegal casinos continued to operate until 1967 when a company of Arkansas State Troopers were sent to the town to close all casinos and destroy all gambling equipment. 

Oaklawn Park, a thoroughbred horse racing track south of downtown, is the only remaining gambling establishment.

Today, Hot Springs is still a mecca for those seeking the area's natural Beauty as well as the healing waters.

Ace of Clubs House

Located 100 miles to the south of Mena is the city of Texarkana. Texarkana straddles the Arkansas/Texas stateline. In fact there is a road named State Line Avenue and it follows approx. 11 miles of the actual Arkansas/Texas state line. 

Our story today is about a location in Texarkana, Texas ~ the Ace of Clubs House.

According to local legend, money to build the Ace of Clubs House came from the winnings of a poker game won with the draw of the ace of clubs.  Local lumberman, entrepreneur and Confederate Veteran, James H. Draughon, built the home in 1885 in a trefoil design resembling the shape of the ace of clubs playing card.

In 1887 Mr. Draughon sold the home to William Whitaker, another prominent local businessman.  Mr. Whitaker sold the home in 1894 to Henry Moore, Sr., a local attorney and planter.  For ninety-one years, three generations of the Moore family occupied the home.

In 1985 Olivia Smith Moore , the last occupant of the house, deeded it to the Texarkana Museums System.

This unique Italianate Victorian style structure features a floor plan said to be inspired by James Draughon's lucky card.  One rectangular and three octagonal rooms are arranged around a central octagon, which serves as the rotunda of the home.  In the early 1900s, the Moore family added bath and kitchen wings.  The Moore family also replaced the original iron galleries with a Spanish Revival porch by 1920.

 Restoration of the house, which began in 1987, included returning the interior to the 1901 Edwardian appearance featuring gilt-trimmed ebonized woodwork and re-creations of original wall coverings where possible.  Exterior colors were matched as closely as possible to the 1900 vintage colors.

Ft. Smith and The Hanging Judge

A couple weeks back, I mentioned driving to our nearest (80 miles away!) "Big City" to do some school shopping. Yes, we live in a very rural area!

Fort Smith is located on the stateline between Arkansas and Oklahoma, at the confluence of the Poteau River and the Arkansas River between the Ouachita Mountains and the Ozark Mountains.

The city began as a U.S. Army outpost in 1817, its sole purpose being to "keep the peace" amongst the Native Americans who were being relocated to Indian Territory. Confederate troops occupied Fort Smith during the early years of the Civil War. But in 1863, Union troops took control of the fort and remained there until 1871, at which time the military left for the last time.

Fort Commissary 

But even though the troops were gone, Fort Smith continued to grow. A variety of people were settling in the area; Southern Unionists, Run-away Slaves, Orphans, Native Americans forced from their homelands, victims of the fierce guerrilla warfare that was taking place in many mid-western states. And Fort Smith had more than its share of saloons, gambling halls, and brothels (we will visit the red-light district of Fort Smith in November during ANCESTOR MONTH - might prove to be a bit 'colorful' ).

This was a tough and rugged locale as Fort Smith was located at the edge of  The Indian Territory (later to become Oklahoma). Many an outlaw, wanting to escape apprehension by the law, would flee across the Arkansas River to hide in Indian Territory. Law enforcement soon became a priority.

Judge Parker's Court

Judge Isaac Parker was appointed U.S. District Judge in 1875. He was nicknamed the "Hanging Judge" because in his first term after assuming his post he tried eighteen people for murder, convicted fifteen of them, sentenced eight of those to die, and hanged six of them on one day. Over the course of his career in Fort Smith, Parker sentenced 160 people to hang, of those 79 actually were executed on the gallows. Judge Parker and his court were the only real law that area saw for quite some time. Judge parker served until 1896.

Gallows

Today Judge Parker's courtroom and a reconstructed gallows sit on a National Historic Site along the Arkansas River. It is said that on some moonlit nights the screams of those who were condemned can still be heard in the gallows area........

September's Festivities....

There is a lot to celebrate this September ~ the Autumn Equinox, my 2 year Blog-o-versary, and the fact that I have reached over 200 Followers! WOW! And I'm sure there are other things that need to be celebrated ... like the coming of cooler weather, Halloween's on the way, and Dust Bunny Breeding Season is about over.

And I would like to Thank Sherry Byrum of Byrum Art for the recent Blog Award! Sherry is always there with kind words of encouragement! Not to mention some totally awesome Art! Stop by her blog & say HI!

So, Here's what you have to look forward to this coming month... 

• Because September is when LeaVeS reach their glory, we will visit different types of Leaf Art each Sunday.                                                                               
• Mondays will be DuMp DaY - Link Dump that is. I'll share with all you wonderful readers a list of links that I have found to be fun, informative, and some even useful!                                
• On Wednesday we will visit some of the Blogs that I Love to Haunt.                                                                                         
• On Fridays I will feature a post about the area in which I live.                                                 
• And mixed in with all this will be a GiVeAwAy! 

And speaking of Giveaways, be sure to stop by the Facebook page for the Society of Eclectic Halloween Artists & sign-up for their September Giveaway!  Click here!

So stay tuned!  

 Don't touch that dial!   

See you back here on Friday!

Until then....

Happy Haunting!

The WildWoods

I would like to share with you some photos I have taken of the WildWoods. I hope you enjoy.