Keeping You Posted From Arkansas

We had a nice surprise last night at sunset.  This was the view in front of our house.  It lasted about 4 minutes.  It was a reminder to jump on opportunities when they present themselves.  The other option is to wait around for someday.  All of the good things in life are fleeting, like life itself.  So, if you've always wanted to rent a bulldozer, today might be the day.  If you do, tell them that one guy from Bentonville sent you:)

On random and often times non-related everyday topics that just happen to pop into my aging mind....I'll, I'll, wait a minute, wait a minute....oh, yeah;  I'll keep you posted.

iCed Tea

Here's an example of the kind of picture you can take with an iPhone.  As a lad growing up in small-town America I would not have been able to fathom that one day you'd be able to carry a phone in your pocket that would also take high quality pictures.  That thought still nearly blows my mind!

I'm not a technical guru; not technically, but it still confounds me what you can do with a small device like an iPhone.  The downside to the iWorld we live in is that a lot of folks would have a difficult time functioning outside the home without their phone or preferred device in-hand, or at least in their pocket.  I don't have any idea what that means from a long term perspective, but I'll share an example of the iEverything affect:

This past couple of weeks I've had a fine young 19 year old lad working with me on a road repair project.  He's a smart, intuitive and insightful young man (and strong as an ox, which comes in handy when lifting and toting large rocks).  Yesterday, while we were eating lunch in the shade of a tree, a frog was croaking from the spring-fed pond just above our project. He asked, "What's making that noise?", referring to the frog.  I told him it was a frog and he seemed somewhat surprised.

A little later in the day he said, "Hey Mr. Russ, there's a lizard over here on this rock; do you want to see it!"  He seemed excited.  I asked him if it was a gray one or a purple one. He said "purple".  I  told him we were covered up with lizards and that I'd seen at least a million or so of each color in my lifetime, and that I was good.  He seemed surprised that I wouldn't want to see the lizard.

Point being, this millennial generation is missing out on most of the actual cool and fun stuff while hanging out inside, staring at their device in an effort to find out what's going on where they're not.  It seems a shame to this aging Boomer.  I suppose that perspective is a sign of getting old, but I'll take old over "missing out" nearly every single time.

I'll try to keep you posted on iCed tea and iOtherstuff as I move closer and closer to becoming irrelevant to youngsters...except my grandkids:  They think I'm cool:) 

Outside Breakfast Eating

Consideration:  Take advantage of those who sleep-in.

My bride and I were strolling past the 21C Museum and Hotel just off the Bentonville Square when I noticed there was no one eating breakfast in front of the hotel.  The day had yet to warm up to it's eventual 90 degrees and all the tables were positioned comfortably in the shade.  Had we not already eaten breakfast we likely would have sat down at one of the vacant tables and enjoyed a nice cup of John (formerly known as a cup of Joe) and perhaps some farm fresh sausage and eggs.

As I took this i-picture I wondered, "How many folks right now are waiting in line at iHop or Denny's?" (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)  Missed opportunity?  If only they would have known!

On the subject of outside-breakfast-eating...I'll try to keep you posted:)

Blacksmith

Many things get better with age:  An anvil is one of them.

Given the choice between a new anvil made in China and an old anvil made someplace other than China, I'd take the old one 100 times out of 100.  I don't have anything against the Chinese, but from my limited research it appears they did not invent the anvil and are not known as anvil experts.  Reportedly, the best anvils in existence today were made from the mid 19th century up to present time. Europeans, Middle-Easterners and Americans are widely credited with making the best anvils.

Fast forward to present time and BOOM I recently discovered this anvil on the Bentonville square.  The fella using it didn't know it's exact history but guesstimated it was made in the U.S. in the 1920's or 30's.  That sounds good to me.  

I think I'll start keeping my ear to the ground for an anvil like this one.  It would make a nice addition to my barn operation.  Once I have an anvil I'll of course need a forge and a blower.  It's difficult to become a county-class blacksmith without all the right equipment.

Apparently I have quite a bit of research to do.  Then again, sometimes a person can spend all their time researching without ever actually doing anything.  Kind of like a Phd who mostly knows only what they've read.  I'm not suggesting that all Phd's or even most of them know only what they've read.  It's no doubt, however, true some of the time.  And for the record, I have nothing against Phd's.  Some of my family members are Phd's and they're fine folks.  But as the saying goes, "I'm just sayin'".

I'll try to keep you posted regarding my blacksmith operation as it moves forward...  

Mid-South/Midwest Culture

When I was a kid growing up in Rolla, Missouri, I worked at Wal-Mart (now Walmart) with a guy named David Murphy.  I always admired David for several reasons.  For starters, he always treated me with respect even though he was a few years ahead of me in school.

I always felt like if David would have had a gang he might have let me in it.  Not that I ever wanted to be in a gang, I didn't.  But had I been in a gang back in the mid 70's, I would have been proud to be in David's gang.  

Another reason I admired David was he drove one of these.  It was red and white and relatively new in 1976.  He also had a cute little blond headed girlfriend that he hauled around town.  As I recall, she was always snuggled up next to Ol' Dave while he drove around.  He seemed to have it made in my young view and that's how I developed an affinity for the K5 Blazer.

One of these days when my wife's not paying close attention, I may go out and buy one of these darn rigs.  If she's nice, I might let her ride with me around town.  Of course she'd probably want to snuggle all up as we cruise the Bentonville strip.  Wait a minute;  I don't believe Bentonville has a strip.  I guess I could load 'er her up and head east on I-44 until I reach my hometown.  Then we could cruise the same strip my friends and I knew so well back in the 70's.  Maybe we'd run into my Ol' friend David.  If we did, I'd offer to buy him a pizza at Alex's or Priors: his choice.  I wonder if he still has his K5?

The Chevy K5 Blazer complete with power steering, power brakes, air and an AM/FM radio tuned to KCLU;  Much better than listening to a JZ concert on your phone while shopping for ear buds on Amazon:)

Thanks so much for tuning in.  Regarding mid-south and lower midwest culture related stuff, I'll try to keep you posted...  

Rattle Snakes Go Away!

If you're visiting from France and find yourself romping through the hills of Southwest Missouri this Summer or Fall, you should be careful regarding where you put your hand.  I happened to notice this Timber Rattler a few days ago lying between some rocks about 30 feet in front of our cabin.  I was in the process of clearing away brush, rocks and leaves in an effort to keep critters like lizards, frogs, field mice and insects away from our cabin and barn.  I figure if I get rid of the "free-roaming groceries" the snakes will be less likely to come around.  

We also have an occasional Pigmy Rattle Snake, which is proof of our overall inclusive snake policy at the Robertson Rock, Squirrel and Snake Ranch.  These two snake species can look similar, but the one in this picture was a Timber Rattler.  These guys are highly venomous and not to be taken lightly.  Their bite is more than capable of killing a full grown human being, which occurs from time to time.  The good news is, given a choice, they apparently don't want anything to do with human beings and typically will try to get away as quickly as they can once they sense your presence.  Based on my personal experience, however, they also aren't afraid to stand their ground.  They blend in amazingly well in our oak and hickory forest, which is to their advantage, not ours.  Our local forest floor is a paradise for snakes of all kinds considering it's strewn with leaves, sticks, fallen branches and dead trees as well as low growing brush at the forest edge and in open areas.  

Not to worry, though, if you're contemplating a day hike, mountain bike ride or even a picnic.  On real hot days like we're currently having, rattlesnakes are more likely to be hiding under rocks and fallen trees or down some random hole in the ground.  Plus, everything I've read says rattlesnakes are more active at night than they are during the daytime; at least in Summer months.  That may well be true, but considering I've encountered at least 8 Timber Rattlers during the day so far this Summer, I hate to even think about how many of them might be crawling around the place when it's dark-thirty.  As my Ol' Grandad would have said, "Now that's something to think about!"

I'll try to keep you posted in the likely event I run across more of these darn rattlesnakes...  

Gazing at the Roses

I took this picture yesterday on the Bentonville Square.  It's easy to walk by something like this and not really notice it.  The picture quality of the iPhone 7 is quite amazing.  I don't know that the average person (me) could take a flower picture of this quality with an $800 Nikon camera.  Now that I think about it, the stinking iphone cost $1000 USD.  With that thought in mind, the darn thing should take great pictures.

Are you taking time to smell the roses and gaze at them too?

On flower related matters, I'll keep you posted....

Touring the U.S.

Gas in NW Arkansas is now less expensive than in 1975 when most of my old school mates started legally driving a motor car.  The price per gallon has gone down since I took this picture a few days ago and is now $1.85 a gallon at some locations.  That's the equivelent of about 41 cents in 1975 dollars.  Gas was around 58 cents a gallon back then in my Missouri home town and according to the US Inflation Calculator equates to $2.65 in todays dollars.  I find that somewhat amazing!

So, if you've been thinking about going on a driving tour of the U.S. there hasn't been a better time in the past 40 years or so to do that than right now.  I suggest you grab a couple pair of spare shorts, a toothbrush and maybe your favorite sunglasses, jump in the old Rambler and hit the asphalt.  And don't forget:  The gas is on the right and the brake is on the left (I'm guessing the opposite if you're tuning in from France or the U.K.)  I'll keep you posted as things develop...

French Campfire

I miss the fall and winter because it's not nearly as fun to do this when it's 90 degrees outside.  If it's been awhile since you've sat around a campfire you should try it.  I'm not sure if campfire-sit-arounds are as much a part of the French culture as they are the American rural culture but if not it may not be too late to make the adjustment. 

If you live in France, you should try setting up a nice campfire in your backyard (if you have a backyard), get a couple of bottles of your favorite wine (I hear it's plentiful over there) and invite a few of your favorite friends over for the evening.  You might even arrange to have some of those little sandwiches you're famous for on hand.  Or is it my Canadian friends who are famous for little sandwiches.  I get confused on who's famous for what food but I know the French are famous for good wine...just like Americans are known world-wide for our campfires.

I'll try to keep you posted regarding the first campfire of the upcoming fall in Southwest Missouri.

Oak Tree Table

The red oak log in the background of this picture is nearly ready to become a table in my barn.  I had it sawn into 2" thick planks about a year and a half ago and those planks have been air drying since.  I moved them into the barn last week so they can finish drying.  I'll check the moisture content soon.  It's been a lot of work just getting to this point.  We'll see if it pays off.  I'll keep you posted as this project moves along.

P.S. Regarding the post "Sucked In Like a Maniac", I decided to keep my Linkedin account open for business related purposes.  I closed out Facebook and Twitter in an attempt to continue "warding off the plug".  (If you're tuning in from Russia or France "warding off the plug" may not translate well.  In other words, I'm trying to avoid so-called "connectivity" as much as possible.  Nature is where I'd rather be connected.  I'll keep you posted on that too.  I suppose you could call this P.S. a little update on that issue.  Much better update-follow through, if I say so myself:)  

Political Opinion Not Wanted

We'd be well served to learn to laugh at ourselves now and then. Many of us simply take ourselves too seriously. (Especially celebrities and politicians: Which often times are the same person.) In reality, few people are interested in another person's opinion, unless of course it supports their own. When someone doesn't really have an opinion they'll often times look for ways to purvey someone else's. Not very original but none-the-less effective if your objective is to peeve off the other person. Some seem bent on offering-up their opinion to nearly anyone who'll listen in spite of knowing it really won't make much of a difference. Kind of like these chickens sharing their opinion about the state of the fast food "bidness". Their opinion about the boneless-skinless chicken breast probably won't stop very many people from heading down to Chic-fil-A the next time they have a hankerin' for a good Ol' chicken sandwich.

For what it's worth, the above is just my opinion. Anyway, the majority of folks are on Facebook reading opinions and not on Old and Ridiculous reading about random topics. One thing both venues have in common: Neither one really matters all that much in the grand scheme of things.
I'll keep you roasted...I mean posted.

Farmers & Markets

A Farmer's Market is a great place to exercise your legs while supporting the local folks.  You'll likely pay a little more for some of the things you buy there but it's hard to find this level of quality from a retailer who purchases tomatoes by the train car load and most of the other stuff from China or Taiwan.  You'll also meet a lot of down-to-earth regular folks who are happy making a living off the land or with their hands.

I've gotten to know a real nice guy named Roger who crafts outdoor furniture from western red cedar he has shipped in from our friends to the North (Incidentally, Canada celebrated their 150 birthday yesterday: An important day for the Blickstead's, Chevigny's and Reids, as well as other great folks like Gary Crosina and his local crew of home grown Canadians). One of Roger's swinging adirondack chairs sits on our cabin deck and gets used every time I realize it's been too long since it's been sat in.  A hand-spun coffee cup crafted on a potters wheel by a gal named D. Little gets used by the author on almost a daily basis.  A huge jar of raw honey made by local Springdale bees sits on our kitchen counter and gets dipped into with frequency: sometimes just because it's there.

Yesterday, I bought these Hand-Made in America black iron hangers from a Bentonville man who had a working forge set up in his booth at the corner of 2nd & Main.  You won't find these at Lowe's or Home Depot.  The next time I'm out at the cabin the big hanger will have a 1930's era lantern swinging from it and I'll find a couple of old family trinkets to dangle from the 2 small hooks.   

Farmers markets: a great place to find cool stuff to use and healthy things to eat.  Regarding ways you can spend your hard-earned money, "You "Cain't go no better"!

Keeping you posted from NW Arkansas and SW Missouri...

Sucked In Like a Maniac!

I've been sucked in by Apple Computer, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin and cable news to name just a few.  I can hardly believe it and I don't like it!

I know folks who can barley do anything unless there's an APP to support their actions.  I have friends who keep track of their steps, where they ride their bike, how many calories they're consuming, how much water they're not drinking, how much weight their lifting, loosing or gaining and for all I know, how many times a day they're breaking wind (I haven't checked but I bet there's an APP for it).

Also, I've fallen into the rat-trap of feeling like I have to be constantly "connected" and available to anyone on the planet who wants to contact me about darn near anything.  Somehow, I've also convinced myself that there are a bunch of people just waiting around to hear what I have to say; as if there's a shortage of opinions, ideas and suggestions floating throughout cyber space.

The truth is, I can't think of one celebrity or TV personality who's opinions I need on anything that pertains to my life, with the possible exception of Stuart Varney, Charles Payne, Jim Cramer and most of the folks on CNBC's "Fast Money".  
 
So, effective Tuesday morning, July 4, 2017, I'll be conducting an experiment by unplugging from Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, most of cable news and all of network news.  For at least the forceable future I plan on getting most of my world updates from Mauricio; the proprietor of The 211 Cafe, just in back of the Bentonville Square.  He makes a great cup of Guatemalan coffee that's well worth the $3 it will cost you to acquire one.

For personal enjoyment and writing fulfillment, I plan to continue posting on this blog just for fun.  In the unlikely event your entertainment needs aren't fully satisfied through the nearly limitless sources vying for your attention, you can check out "Old and Ridiculous!" now and then...just for fun.  It's the one place you can find out what's been going on in my world, if you choose.

For my family and friends, my phone will be off most of the time, although I do plan on checking it  randomly and at various times throughout each day.  I never want to miss communication from my family and friends.  In the highly unlikely event of an emergency, you can contact my bride, my daughter or my Mom.

Regarding this "semi-unplugged plan"....I'll keep you posted.

Bentonville, Arkansas

Bentonville, Arkansas is a nice place to visit!  If you live in The Czech Republic, you'd probably like it here.  I'm not sure if I'd make the trip all the way from there just to visit our little town, but then again, people travel further than that to visit towns that aren't nearly as cool as Bentonville.  Now that I think about it, I'd recommend logging onto myoverpricedplaneticket.com and choose the least overpriced ticket available.  And if you're planning on staying a few nights, I highly recommend the 21c Museum Hotel, just off the Bentonville Square.  Once you get your first cup of coffee or pint of  locally brewed craft beer...you'll know what to do.
On these and similar travel related topics, I'll try to keep you posted on a more regular basis.

P.S. If you stay at the 21c, tell them "that one guy" recommended you stay there.  (There could be a free beer in it for me:)