Author: mchazen

Today is our anniversary.  17 miserable years.

Jeanne started the day with a massage at one of the local spas.  My morning was not so glamorous — I was assigned to washing the car and updating the computers.  After our in-town chores, we returned to the coach to spend a quiet afternoon reading and watching TV.

That evening, we went to a local Italian restaurant, Tony C’s.  We expected a quiet, romantic dinner but got something quite different.  On entering, we saw the owner’s wife playing a piano keyboard.  It was a bad omen.  Seated as far from the music as possible, it was still overpowering.  Most of the music was from Broadway plays, but there were a few hymnals randomly thrown in.  You get the idea.  To make matters worse, the group we were seated near was consuming large amounts of beverage alcohol while waiting for friends to show up.  Of course, they were shouting and squealing over the unrelenting music.  This was certainly not the quiet, romantic dinner we had in mind.

Eventually the music stopped (the arthritis must have flared up) and the next table quieted down when the food arrived.  After a while, the owner approached us to ask if there was anything we would like to hear.  We politely said no, but privately thought “The Sounds of Silence” would be best.  In the end, the food was good and about a quarter of the meal was enjoyed in relative calm.  Next time we’ll bring ear plugs.

The remainder of the evening was spent quietly at the coach.  Strange thing about being on the road, after a while you get mentally ready to move on.  We are at that point now and the last few days here are just a waiting game for us.  In the meantime, the weather is nice and we enjoy spending time with Faye and Don.

The past two days was spent looking at real estate in the morning and visiting with Faye and Don in the afternoon.

One trip took us south of Fayetteville near the small town of Hogeye.  One particular piece of land, about 38 acres, had merit and we walked most of it.  As she was crossing a small creek, Jeanne was surprised by a black snake slowly slithering in the water, its skin glistening in the sun.  To minimize the number of ticks, we kept to the cleared paths but despite our efforts, some of the blood sucking parasites hitched a ride on us.  We were able to get them off in time.  Ugh!  However, on reflection, the property would have been quite a challenge to clear and improve before building.  It was close, but no cigar.  We would try again before moving on.

We slept later than usual.  When we finally got out of bed, we found a beautiful clear day and a quiet campground.  There was little remaining evidence of the craziness that surrounded us over the holiday weekend.  Our life was back to normal, whatever that meant, and we settled in for a quiet day.

In the morning Jeanne cleaned the coach, which meant I had to make myself scarce.  I spent most of the morning visiting with guys in the campground.  Later in the afternoon we visited with Faye and Don before having dinner with them at a catfish place in Fayetteville.  It was an excellent meal and we ate way too much.  We returned to the coach around 9:00 PM and went to bed shortly thereafter.

This is a good time to prepare one of those meaning-of-life triplog entries.  What triggered it this time was the acquaintance of two guys I met at the campground.  I’ll withhold their names, but if they ever read this they will know who they are.  Readers of this triplog should know that these are both good men and guys you would be proud to have as friends.

The striking thing is the similarity of their stories to many others I have heard on the road.  The common elements are usually the same:  retirement, recent passing of someone close, watching the kids and grandkids make their way through life, reflection on the experiences of a long career, dealing with accumulating aches and pains and trying to decide what to do with the rest of their lives.  To be sure, most of these guys are smart, or smart enough to know they are lucky to have made it this far in life.  Mostly they all seem to have learned life’s lessons the hard way and are determined not to make the same mistakes.

After a while, the discussion usually turns to the careers they left behind.  Here again, I hear the same stories about bosses, co-workers, screw-ups, etc.  The common theme is “Despite the obstacles, I tried to do my job the best I could.”  They talk about their careers with a strange mixture of pride, bitterness and confusion as to what it all meant.  To a man, all are happy the working years behind them.

It is usually a hard thing to realize you are not so different than everyone else.  This is one of those moments.  Except for my age, I’m right in the middle of the demographic wrestling with the same issues, thinking about the same things and dealing with the same demons.  Like the two good men from the Beaver Lake Hide A Way campground, and many others I met, I think about what it all meant and wonder what the rest of my life will be like.  Deep down, my little voice says “Why are you wasting time thinking about this?  In the cosmic scheme of things, you life is insignificant!  Get over it and move on!”  My little voice is usually right, but I’ll keep thinking about it anyway.

I wonder if others have similar thoughts?

Oh, never mind.

The events of the past few days are hard to describe, but I’ll do my best.

This year, the 4th of July was on a Monday, so the holiday was a long weekend.  Most folks had the 1st through the 4th off, or Friday through Monday.  On the Friday, July 1 Triplog entry, I mentioned the campground was filling up.  By Saturday morning, the campground was full and you could see every conceivable camping tent, trailer, 5th wheel and motorhome.  There was even one guy who camped in his pontoon boat that was still on the trailer.  Not a bad idea, but not a good one either.  Every available spot was used for camping or the storage of vehicles and boats.  If you looked carefully, you could find every kind of camping gadget, water toy and human body type.

For some campers, the entire weekend was liberally lubricated with alcohol.  You could easily spot the Vodka or Tequila drinkers since they rarely showed themselves before 10:30 AM, and that was only to have a cigarette.  By the end of the festivities, the campground owners had collected a small fortune of empty beer cans.  Yep, these folks had four days of freedom and they were determined to make the most of it.

Pipes for city water are currently being installed and the campground will have access to city water sometime next year.  In the meantime, the campground has to rely on two wells located on the property.  For years the wells have provided an adequate water supply for the campground, but excess water use can run the wells dry.  If the wells run dry, you have to wait for the wells to recharge before pumping can resume.  Anyone who uses a water well knows this and is careful to conserve.

Two events triggered a water crisis.  First, Saturday afternoon, a toilet in one of the 5th wheels overflowed and flooded the 5th wheel and the entire surrounding area.  Water was pouring from every opening on the rig, including the front door.  Of course, the owners were away.  By the time someone noticed the “rig of a thousand rivulets”, thousands of gallons had already been returned to the northwest Arkansas aquifer.  The second event was more sinister.  Saturday night, some vandals (probably kids) got into the bathrooms, turned on all the showers and left them running.  By morning, both wells were dry.

Here’s the scenario:  People had been playing all day in the hot, humid weather.  After dinner, they had been up all night drinking and partying.  Now it is 9:30 AM in the morning, 82 degrees in the shade, 85% relative humidity and not a breath of wind.  A cloud of dust is kicked up by each passing vehicle.  There is no drinking water, the showers don’t work and the bathrooms don’t work.  There was not even enough water to brush your teeth or wash down an aspirin.

Of course, since we usually carry about 1/3 tank of water in reserve, about 30 gallons, we were o.k.  But, the mood of the masses was ugly.  The lake and pool became very popular spots.  When we headed for Faye and Don’s house around 1:00 PM, the water was still not on.  We were glad to get out of there.  As it turned out, the water didn’t come back on until 4:00 PM.  I asked the campground owner if there was anything I could do to help.  He said if he found the kids that turned on the showers, I could hold them down while he beat them.  No beatings ever took place, but I believe he was mad enough to do it.

Faye and Don live in secluded lakeshore neighborhood.  It had become a 4th of July tradition for the neighborhood to have a fireworks competition of sorts.  Participants vie to outdo each other and the prior year.  Money is not a consideration.

After a leisurely afternoon of playing pool, swimming in the lake and eating hot dogs and hamburgers for dinner, we set up lawn chairs on the front lawn to watch the fireworks.  Basically, three professional-quality displays intersected directly overhead.  The show was spectacular and lasted for 90 minutes.  We were showered with ashes and spent shells.  Occasionally we had to dodge some wayward missile.  When it was over, it took several minutes for the smoke to clear.  What a show!

That night we returned to the coach late.  We were asleep for only a few minutes when a violent thunderstorm woke us up.  The coach was buttoned up, so we were o.k., but the tent campers got hammered.  In the morning, sleeping bags were hanging everywhere.

The next two days we hid out with Faye and Don, spending lazy afternoons visiting, playing pool and helping them with some cleanup around the property.  We very much enjoyed their hospitality and the leftovers from the Saturday party.

Monday morning, disaster struck again at the campground when a thunderstorm knocked out power.  With no power to run the pumps, the campground was dry once again.  With almost every plug in the campground in use, I know it would be hard to restore power.  We unplugged the coach, shut off the water and waited.  I could have kicked on the generator, but the masses would have attacked.  Mercifully, services were restored within an hour.

By now most everyone was fed up with the camping experience and the place quickly emptied out.  I wonder how many sunburned and hung-over drivers were on the road that day.  By evening, things were back to normal.

So, we got through another 4th of July holiday.  Upon reflection, we never quite know where we will be.  Last year we were in Pennsylvania, this year was Arkansas.  We have no idea where we will be next year.  And there you have it.

Hard to believe half the year is already gone.

Except for yesterday, the weather has been oppressively hot and humid.  The days are in the mid-90s and you begin to melt after a few minutes in the sun.  At night, it never really cools off enough to open the coach.  Our campground neighbor said the weather reminded him of steaming clams.  I didn’t disagree.

Yesterday, mercifully, it rained and the weather cooled somewhat.  The rain also helped keep down the campground dust.

As usual, we spent the past few days looking at property.  Our most recent trip took us into southern Missouri.  The terrain there is generally rolling hills with pastures separated by wooded areas.  It was picturesque and land prices were reasonable — certainly an area for us to seriously consider.  By now we are getting a good idea of property values and locations.  However, driving around the countryside is getting tedious.  As I thought, looking for property would involve hard work.

We learned our chigger and tick lesson well.  On these most recent trips, we were much better protected with boots and long pants.  Alas, chiggers are persistent little devils and they would eventually find their way to unprotected skin.  We found that credit cards are efficient for chigger removal.

One night we were awakened by flashes of light and the rocking of the coach.  How come the weather always gets ugly at 1:30 AM?  A bad thunderstorm was approaching and we had to prepare.  The big awning was already up but the little ones were still out.  So once again, with lightening striking nearby I was running around with a steel rod in my hand trying to raise the small awnings.  On reflection it was not the smartest thing to do.

The campground is beginning to fill up for the the 4th of July holiday weekend.  Up to now we almost had the place to ourselves, but recently more rigs have shown up with families, kids, dogs and all the toys.  We know how they feel trying to cram as much enjoyment as possible into four days of freedom.  We also know they will be gone in a few days.  I hope the weather stays cool.

Today, Faye and Don returned from their vacation.

After taking care of the morning chores, we went to their house to wait for their return.  Assuming they would be ready for a home-cooked meal, Jeanne planned to prepare dinner for them.  They pulled in around noon.  For most of the day, we stayed out of their way and, for the first time in a long time, we set up and launched the kayaks.  We paddled around the lake, carefully avoiding the usual crowd Sunday boaters.  It was hot outside, but a quick dip in the lake cooled us off.

In the early evening, Jeanne fixed dinner.  We took our leave about 6:00 and headed back to the coach.

Tomorrow, the search for a place to live begins anew.

The past few days have been much the same.  After completing our morning chores, we head out to look at property.  For the most part, we are underwhelmed.

Yesterday was the most interesting of our property-hunting days.  It started with a trip to a 126 acre piece just across the Arkansas/Missouri border.  The roads got progressively smaller until we were on a narrow rocky path cut through some dense woods.  Putting the Jeep in 4WD, we finally got to the property.  The Jeep could have made it up the steep path onto the property, but we decided to walk instead.  The property was generally pie-shaped. The edges followed two ridge lines while the center of the piece dropped into a deep hollow.  The land showed promise for hunting, but building a home in such a remote and rugged location would be a major headache.  So, after an hour of walking through dense woods and thick brush in 90 degree heat, we returned to the Jeep and spent the next 30 minutes picking ticks and chiggers out of our clothes.  Our shoes and socks were covered with the blood-sucking creatures.  Fortunately, we got to them before they got to us.  We had the hee-bee gee-bees the rest of the day.

Our next stop was a 10 acre piece near the town of Siloam Springs on the Arkansas/Oklahoma border.  We never really made it to the property location.  In all directions, all we could see was chicken ranches.  There was no way we would live in the middle of chicken ranches, not to mention the surrounding alfalfa fields that were fertilized with chicken waste.  I’ll leave it to the reader’s imagination what the area would small like on a hot, humid summer day.  (I suppose to the chicken ranchers and alfalfa farmers, the malodorous combination of chicken droppings and heat smelled like money.)

We then made the long drive south to the small town of Muldrow, Oklahoma, which is about 20 miles west of Fort Smith.  The country was mostly picturesque rolling hills.  About half the land was cleared for grazing and the other half was dense woods.  Obviously, the area was not particularly prosperous and some of the properties were downright trashy.

The property in Muldrow as for sale by the owners and at 4:00 PM we met the son on the property.  It was a pretty 35 acre piece that gently sloped down towards a year-round creek before steeply rising to a ridgeline.  It was a nice piece, but here’s the problem: the owners had all kinds of ‘stuff’ scattered around the property.  Old cars, a broken down bus, farm equipment, etc.  The outbuildings were crammed full of more ‘stuff’.  Their plan was to sell off 35 acres, but keep 15 acres for themselves.  We had visions of them moving their 35 acres of junk onto the 15 acres they planned to keep.  And, of course, the 15 acres is on the approach to the property.  It was a really nice property, but we decided to take a pass.  We had a close-but-no-cigar experience.

By this time we were hot, tired and hungry.  Unfortunately, we had to deal with a new load of chiggers and ticks before heading back.  Ugh!  The chiggers I can deal with, but the ticks give me the creeps.

For readers not familiar with chiggers, they are small, really small, insects that burrow into your skin.  They itch like crazy and cause oozing sores.  Their distinctive red color make them easy to spot again light clothing.  You generally pick them up while walking through brush or tall grass.

We decided to have dinner in town at one of the Chinese buffets.  Returning to the coach, the long, cool shower and change of clothes was very much appreciated.  We slept soundly.

Our dirty, vermin-infested clothes and shoes spent the night outside.  In the morning, the shoes were soaked in a five gallons of diluted Simple Green and the clothes were washed, bleached and dried on high heat for an hour.

So, what did we learn from this past week?  First of all, we suspected looking for a place to live would not be easy and our suspicions were confirmed.  Second, we’re beginning to rethink the idea of a large piece of property.  Finally, we need a better strategy to deal with chiggers and ticks.

However, we are undeterred and will keep looking.

Once again, I apologize for the long time between updates, but there hasn’t been much to report.

We have taken advantage of the good weather to explore the area and look for property.  After driving around a couple of days familiarizing ourselves with the area, we went to a Realtor to see what was on the market.  The Realtor, Betty, supplied us with several listings that kept us busy for about three days.  Yesterday, we got into two homes that showed promise.

So, our typical day goes something like this:  get up early to complete our workout, get cleaned up and have some breakfast, head out to look at property.  So far, we haven’t seen anything that gets us excited so we’ll keep looking.  Over the next few days, we plan to explore areas a little farther to the east and west of Rogers.

As you can imagine, there isn’t much to photograph.

Yesterday, we spent a special evening with our friends Hoss and Robin.  Readers may remember we met them last year at the campground outside of Rogers, Arkansas.  At the time, they were new to the area and just settling in.  Now, they are working and living in town.  We are happy to see they are successfully making a life for themselves here in northwest Arkansas.  We very much enjoyed seeing them again and wish them continued success.

No more excuses, it was back to the workout.  We woke early and got it out of the way just as the sun was peaking through the trees.  This is the perfect place to run.  The well-maintained roads are lightly used, the terrain is hilly and trees provide shade.  We also see lots of wildlife.  Jeanne scared some deer and I jumped over a snake making its way across the road.  It was like something you would see in a running magazine.  You know, smiling runners on a scenic stretch of road.  Only we weren’t smiling.

After cleaning up and a quick breakfast, we headed to Faye and Don’s house.  Readers may remember that we visited with Faye and Don last year.  Jeanne and Faye were co-workers in a previous life.

The big event of the day was attending the Feather Fest in Springdale, Arkansas.  Here’s the deal:  Several poultry processors, Tyson being the largest, are located in the area.  Each year they sponsor a Feather Fest street fair.  While vendors offer their wares and high school bands play, there is a cookoff using chicken donated by the processors.  For free, the public can munch on chicken wings cooked by contestants.  What was most impressive was the cookers designed and assembled by the locals.  These were some truly awesome cooking machines.  Sadly, I didn’t take any pictures.

After returning to the house, we played dominoes.  The outcome was never in doubt.

We returned to the coach around 9:30 and immediately headed for bed.

It would be a long drive, so we left the KOA around 6:30 AM.  We would take route 71 north along the western edge of Arkansas.

The divided highway was soon reduced to a two lane road that seemed to go through every small town in Western Arkansas.  Making good time was impossible.  Guessing that speeding tickets was a good source of revenue to the locals, we tiptoed through each town.  The quality of the highway, depending on which county we were in, ran from pot-holes to glassy smooth.

About mid-way, we began hearing ominous chatter on the CB about an overturned truck.  We then saw the ambulance.  Finally, we passed the accident scene where one of the logging trucks had run off the road and crashed into a ditch.  It was a big mess and the cleanup involved a crane to right the truck and gather up the logs.  With so much logging in the area, at least the cleanup equipment was close at hand.  We hope the driver wasn’t badly injured.

As we traveled north, the temperatures and humidity abated somewhat.  Also, the land opened up enough in places for farming.  To be sure, lumber was still the dominant industry and we shared the highway, such as it was, with lumber trucks.  In Fort Smith, we picked up the interstate and had a smooth trip to Rogers, Arkansas.  Our destination was the same campground we stayed in last September.  We pulled in around 1:30 and set up.  It was a relief knowing that we would be here a month.  Best of all, we are familiar with the area.

The rest of the day was spent resting and talking with our fellow-campers.  We went to bed early and slept soundly.