I dropped yesterday’s post earlier than usual. More than half the day unfolded after that — me alone (and without wheels) on The Mountain, Deb at work, and the two of us together again when she returned.
She confessed to being spoiled by the smooth comfort of driving my Silverado for a day. The Jeep, however, was ready to be picked up at the shop in Flippin, so we went back out and retrieved it — after business hours, sitting in the otherwise empty parking lot.
We’ll pay the bill for the work that was done “whenever.” The keys were in the ignition. I’m tellin’ you, things are different ’round here.
We drove into Yellville and had dinner at Carolyn’s Razorback Ribs, as much to visit with Felicia, the owners daughter, as for the food. She was back in town for a few days, pitching in by waiting tables.
Felicia was one of the first to make us feel welcome in this community. We’ve never forgotten that. It was important to us to spend time with her.
Well-fed and Home again afterward, we set up chairs in the driveway, facing west. The late-day sky was interesting from that angle but not especially stunning, and after a while Deb retired to the camper and put her feet up.
I stayed outside and played a hunch.
Looking back over my shoulder, I could see that the rocks and trees up by The Amphitheater had taken on a rosy glow. The source of the light shining on them, whether sun or sky, wasn’t visible to us down below in this green and leafy season. I suspected this sunset had more to show, so I climbed upslope to see if I was right.
I was right.
Not to be fatalistic or anything, but I don’t know how many sunsets I have left. That’s why I took the time and spent the energy at day’s end to put myself in a position to see the best of that one.
Savor this Life, my friends. Every sunset. Every moment.
I hadn’t finished my second cup of coffee this morning when I got a message via Facebook Marketplace. It was the third person in two days expressing interest in one or the other Blue Ox items we’d listed. This time, however, it came with an offer — for both.
It was a fair offer, I thought. I discussed it with Deb, and she agreed. The buyer would be traveling from central Missouri, so we settled on Harrison for the meetup.
We arrived in the area early, on purpose, so that we could stop by the KOA, the campground where we’d spent so many months, and visit with our friends. They’ve made amazing progress since the last time we were there — new cabins, a whole new section almost ready to open atop the hill, even a swimming pool.
It was a great visit. All the same, we’re glad to have moved on.
Around 11:30am at the Arkansas welcome center a few hundred yards from the KOA, we met the couple who wanted to buy our Blue Ox towing gear. Great chemistry, smooth transaction, cash.
Turns out these people are exactly where Deb and I were a little over three years ago. They’ve secured a 20-year-old motorhome like the one we took on our own journey. They’re putting the pieces in place that’ll allow them to undertake the adventure of a lifetime, full of that delicious combination of anticipation and apprehension.
They picked our brains. We told our stories. Their gratitude was evident.
Before we left town we had to have breakfast (at one in the afternoon) at Ranch House. Deb directed me to stop at several flea markets, antiques shops and secondhand stores. One of them yielded the first furniture for our cabin — a drop-leaf table and four chairs in excellent condition. The price was shockingly reasonable.
Oh, and we picked up a couple of decades-old Revere Ware saucepans, at the same shop, for 12 bucks each. Just silly.
We couldn’t drive away from the Harrison area without taking advantage of some of the cheapest gas in north-central Arkansas. The price at Harps in Bellefonte was $3.099, no discounts.
The drive back to The Mountain was wonderful. That familiar stretch of US Route 62 is among our favorite roads.
This was one of those days when we flexed to accommodate an opportunity that came to us, then along the way created opportunities of our own. It worked out because we were open to possibilities.
That’s how good stuff happens.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB