The towns of Yellville and Summit often are mentioned in the same breath, separated by a hyphen or a slash. Outsiders think of them as a single place, due perhaps to the consolidated Yellville-Summit school district, but they’re separate municipalities within Marion County, Arkansas.
Even though Google Maps will tell you that the towns are 1.8 miles apart, they border each other, with Yellville to the south. Summit is smaller, both in area and in population (544 residents, and shrinking), and it’s somewhat poorer (a poverty rate of 20.2%, vs. 17.7% for Yellville, vs. 11% nationally).
Deb and I have found two good reasons to go to Summit — voting (the county fairgrounds hosts a polling place) and shopping at Allen’s Grocery.
I’ve talked about Allen’s before on Ubi Libertas Blog, the tiny, homespun store at the intersection of State Routes 14 and 202. Over 70 years in business. Owned and operated by a fourth generation of the family that founded it. Still doin’ things the right way.
I enjoy every visit because the establishment is a genuine throwback, reminiscent of mom-and-pop stores of my Ohio childhood. Apparently, I’m not the only one who loves it.
In this drive-by, franchised, cheaper-online world, Allen’s was just voted “Best Grocery” and “Best Butcher Shop” in the Twin Lakes region. (That would be Bull Shoals Lake and Norfork Lake, an area that spans two counties.) The survey was conducted by the Baxter Bulletin newspaper.
There’s something very righteous about that recognition.
The Real America is out here, People, in the small towns. Look for it.
Today and tomorrow are the last in a string of pleasant days, and rain’s in the forecast for tomorrow afternoon. I figured I’d better make my lumber run sooner rather than later.
Mountain Milling is another small family operation, though a come-lately compared to Allen’s Grocery. It’s always a pleasure doing business there — smart, helpful, always upbeat.
The yard around the sawmill was a muddy mess today, owing to melting snow, but fortunately I’d worn my muck boots. I left with the red cedar I need to build our propane shed — two 4x4x8s, four 2x4x8s, and a 1x10x8.
When I got Home, I stowed it all under the cabin for now.
Pro tip: Always put away your ratchet straps as soon as you’re done using them. As in neatly. As in immediately.
Despite being tidy about damned near everything else, it took me years to figure that out. Whenever I needed a strap to secure a load, I’d find it tangled or mangled, forced to fuss with it mightily before I could use it.
These days, I remove all ratchet straps from a load first, and I coil each one up carefully and stow it before I even touch the cargo. It takes a lot less time than untangling, and it pays off in being able to secure the next load much faster.
Do that. Thank me later.
Yeah, it’s muddy comin’ up The Mountain, too.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB