Canton lured me back for an overnight, where I went to a free show at the college. A young comedian mesmerized the crowd with juggling and jokes, then the juggler asked the young lady sitting next to me to assist … Read More
Driving Wild
Cresting a hill we began our descent, curving and swerving downhill, face to face with vistas through the tall pines and hardwoods. Along this highway at the tips of its gravel spines, springs and waterfalls push to form their own … Read More
River Art
Sycamores mostly, some a hundred years old, peeled off the banks and sent like torpedoes downriver to collect together as Mother Nature’s art.
Interview with a Vulture
“Stay away,” she warned. Surprised she didn’t fly away from me, I asked what was wrong. “Ate too much,” she said. “Too heavy to fly.” I’d never been so close to a vulture. But it’s true: when they gorge themselves, … Read More
Burma Shavings
It was about as far back as my memory goes, back when I was practicing my phonics on Burma Shave signs. My family unit rolled out of Rolla, leaving Route 66 in our rearview mirror, headed for the springs. Our … Read More
A Roll of the Dice
Leaving Tuscumbia is still an adventure on the back roads. No less than five swinging bridges aid in connecting Miller County. Four can support your car, if you’re brave. The fifth supports your drinking habit. I knew about the good … Read More
The Pits and the Pinnacles
I drove a couple of miles north to a geologic marvel, a naturally sculpted breathtaker called the Pinnacles Youth Park. Like the name suggests, the featured attractions are the Pinnacles themselves, 80-foot limestone towers carved by water and wind, pointing … Read More
There’s a reason it’s called Blue Spring.
Many floaters miss the stunning blue water of Blue Spring, even though it’s only a quarter mile from the Current River, an easy hike beside the spring’s rushing stream. The water’s vivid color comes from dissolved limestone suspended in this … Read More