Another Tradition … Friends, Camping, Hiking At the Buffalo National River.
Low Gap Cafe … before going to the Campground.
Archive for January, 2014
Buffalo National River … Camping and Whitaker Point …
Posted in Mayor Jim, tagged Buffalo National River ... Whitaker Point/Hawksbill Craig on January 26, 2014| 1 Comment »
Helena – West Helena and an Arkansas Parks Meeting
Posted in Mayor Jim, tagged culture and the Civil War., Helena - West Helena ... lessons of history on January 26, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Arkansas/Mississippi bridge at Helena-West Helena Arkansas.
The January 2014 Arkansas State Parks Travel and Tourism Commission Meeting was held in Helena-West Helena. This beautiful river city in Eastern Arkansas is steeped in Civil War history, Mississippi River commerce, Southern culture and Music. Thanks to Julia of the Convention Bureau we experienced a bit of each. Plus we were treated to a delicious Southern Dinner in the wonderfully restored Pillow Thompson House. Below are a few pictures of the tour. Thank you Julia and the City of Helena-West Helena.
The awesome new Arkansas Visitor Center … just as one comes across the bridge into Arkansas. Well done!!!
A poignant reminder of the role African American slaves played in the Civil War
One of several messages reminding us of the inhumanity of slavery. This one reads: “Half of all U.S. slave children grew up apart from their fathers. On rare occasions, men and women were allowed to attend dances, sometimes at neighboring plantations”.
Closing personal thought: Just as the 40th and 50th commemoration ceremonies regarding the 1957 Central High Integration Crisis in Little Rock, remind us of that which we do not wish to ever repeat, the museums, Civil War Fort Curtis and monuments in Helena remind us of the atrocities of slavery and the tragedies of friends and neighbors fighting each other in deadly combat.
May we find answers without war, without hate, without anger, without judging others … may we find our future in Love.
Knott’s Berry Farm Blackberry Preserves … My Favorite
Posted in Mayor Jim, tagged Blackberry Preserves Crisis. on January 26, 2014| 4 Comments »
For Over 40 Years Knott’s Has Been On My Breakfast Table …
I know this may seem a bit silly … featuring a jelly/preserves on my blog. However, when one considers the history of my relationship with Knott’s, it becomes more understandable.
I guess it actually began more than 40 years ago on a family vacation to California when my parents took us kids to The Actual Knott’s Berry Farm. Though the memory is vague I do recall a small village setting, a farm, some kiddie rides and lots of fruit stands. I’m certain we bought fruit … don’t remember any jelly purchases. This was probably in the Fifties.
Now Flash forward to the Seventies … Somewhere on a grocery shelf or in a restaurant or as a gift … in any event, somewhere or somehow Knott’s Berry Farm Wild Blackberry Preserves ended up on my table, on my toast, in my mouth and then into my personal history of favorites. Was then … still is!!!
Within the past decade or so, with ownership changes and business decisions by large corporations, it was becoming increasingly difficult to find any flavor of Knott’s Berry on grocery shelves and virtually impossible to find Blackberry. In order to survive, my wife and I and friends would buy any and all bottles that happened to appear on random grocery shelves. Folks it was getting to a crisis point … even to the point of buying other brands. What to do? Well my wife solved a household meltdown when she located Knott’s Online Marketplace … Now we order in case lots. Life is good once again.
I must mention one slight regret. Before the sale of the company to the big boys, Knott’s Farm offered “Wild” Blackberry Preserves … now it’s just “Blackberry” Preserves. None the less … I’m still smiling.
Family, Friends and a 40 year tennies tradition …
Posted in Mayor Jim on January 4, 2014| 1 Comment »
Traditions first …
Almost everyone has some sort of tradition … maybe it’s the family gathering at Christmas or Birthdays, maybe the annual trip to the ski slopes or the beach, maybe it’s certain beverages, decorations, songs, biblical/poetic readings on special occasions.
I have lots of traditions … my Charlie Brown Christmas Backpacking, my Friday lunch with a group of guys and our annual ski trip, my annual hike in a National Park, my yearly holiday celebrations with friends and relatives and Christmas Eve Mass in one of our beautiful downtown churches.
The Tradition profiled in this blog entry has centered for 40 years around this shoe … actually a pair of these shoes …
Some 40 years ago the Dailey and Goodin families were enjoying a summer canoe float trip on the Buffalo National River. Patti Dailey was having difficulty keeping her flip flops on while dragging the canoe through shallow water. Gwen Goodin was perfectly comfortable in her tennis shoes. The Goodins grew up around lakes, rivers and boats … the Daileys grew up around concrete swimming pools and indoor plumbing. With 10 miles remaining on the river there was no shoe solution to be found. Note the operative words … To Be Found. Yep, miracle of miracles … a pair of well worn Adidas materialized and have continued to materialize at special events for over 40 years.
There was another piece of humor at the time of the find … the shoes were too small for Patti, in fact too small for Gwen even with her very petite feet. What to do? No problem, Patti would wear Gwen’s shoes and Gwen would wear the newly found pair … simple, why didn’t I think of that? … now both ladies had shoes that were too small. Never underestimate the creativity of wives and mothers in a challenging situation.
Now Flash forward forty years to New Year’s Eve 2013 … this series of pictures should sum it all up. Gwen thought she was opening the boxes containing the glasses for our traditional New Year’s Champagne toast. Was she surprised or what?
Over the forty years, this pair of shoes has shown up at weddings, birthdays, anniversaries … always when least expected. Sometimes painted colors of the event, sometimes decorated for the season but always in the spirit of friendship and tradition … tradition being one of the ingredients that binds couples and families together whether near or far. We are blessed to have had this friendship for all these years … Happy New Year to All
Jim Dailey 