Swan Song

My wife and I took off about an hour and a half north of Little Rock to a town called Heber Springs. It is a lake town known for Greers Ferry but we had our GPS locked in to another another lake on the outskirts of town. Lake Magness. It's a small private lake but something magical happened about 1993. Folks think a storm knocked a few Trumpeter Swans off course and they wintered at this lake. Now years later there can be as many as 195 swans as well as other water fowl enjoying the lake. I didn't expect to see so many cars as we pulled up. It was a beautiful Arkansas winter day with blue skies and the temperatures right about 60 degrees. We had been told to arrive about 4pm so we could see them coming in. It's not a real schedule but about. We only saw a few more ducks come gliding in as the swans were already there. I'm starting to like these exploring the state of Arkansas adventures. Enjoy the photos!






One thing that happened at sundown today in Arkansas... Duck season ended. Not the best season as it didn't get really cold up north to drive them down. Maybe next year...

Going through the door to another time

Today my wife and I were supposed to go to Heber Springs to shoot the trumpeter swans but the weather was not cooperating so instead I ran out to Scott and stepped back in time on the farm. There was thick fog all day long so I thought I would go shoot a barn in the fog or maybe a solidarity tree. Just as I got down the road the fog was gone. I knew of a couple places in Scott
(a wide spot in the road) that I could nab an image of.

To my surprise the door to this gin was open,
I walked around looking in all the opening I could find.
There were no keep out signs so I crawled up and in.
This is something I seem to be doing more and more to get a shot.

There were old remnants of gin machinery.
I love when I happen upon things like this because
my world stops for a moment and I go back in time.
I hear men talking and the machine running.
I smell the old oil and dirt. Feel the sticky humid air. I feel freedom.

There were a couple old window panes and as much as I would have loved
to taken them home, they were not mine to take. One thing I do is to leave
any place I visit the same or better when I leave.

Not a rocks throw away is an old store called Cothem's and it's one of those old dives that will have a waiting line outside on days they are open. Many promises and lies have been told around the tables as it is a popular gathering spot for business and politicians.

This is the backyard of Cothem's. The side yard has goats, a rooster and a calf.

Another rock's throw starts one of the most beautiful roads in Arkansas. Land's End and the pecan lined road. Even in the winter it is a beautiful place. These pecan trees and others some to go on for miles. It was a favorite spot for me to ride my bike. Flat, quite, and beautiful.

Billie's graveyard maintenance project

I planned to spend this beautiful central Arkansas Sunday afternoon driving a few back roads in search of on old barn or abandoned house. I saw some photos a touring cyclists had taken along his route and it inspired me to try the challenge. Little did I know what adventure I was really going to have. Nope, I didn't get taken by backwoods bandits but it was being watched.

I took Hwy 107 out of my home base of Sherwood and headed north. It's a beautiful drive of hills, ridge lines and valleys. I spotted a road to turn toward Cabot and I remembered there was a couple roads off of that. This is my wife's dad's family farmland back in there. If you are from around central Arkansas or know the area, where yo take the Cabot exit and the Wal-Mart on one side and whatever is on the other? Yep, that was all their farmland at one time.

Anyway, I turned onto Sumner Cemetery road because I remembered that that's where my wife's grandparents were buried and since I was close I would pay my respects. I also knew there were barns on that road as well.

I got out and had forgotten how fascinated I was over all the very old grave markers. 1908 is a young one out there well at least towards the front. There are many from the 1800's and some are just a worn down spot of cement to mark the burial.

I spot my wife's grandparents place and walk over to straighten their flowers and I hear something making it's way towards me. It would take a few steps and stop. Take a few steps and stop. I really thought it was someone else paying respects so I turned to acknowledge them and lo and behold it's a pregnant billie goat! My fist thought was, "Oh Lord, please don't let that goat charge me and chase me around the grave yard. Yes, Lord, it would be a funny story but let's wait for another day. Please." Come to find out it was a sweet pet goat and just as calm and gentle as could be. I thought it was funny, I mean a goat ... in a grave yard... Together we walked around and looked at a few more grave markers and discussed "Billies graveyard maintenance methods."

Yes, it was just another typical day.

Hidden treasure of Saline County

Growing up in Saline County, Arkansas in the 60's and 70's meant one thing in the summer. The Saline River and swimming. There were plenty of places to swim along it banks which snakes through the west side of town. You could swim up around Alum Fork, or may be did like we did and preferred Cecil Jones, a store on the bank of the river, since it was just down Highway 5 from my folks house. Nothing beat a day spent in the cool waters and then walking up the hill to the store and getting a coconut bar. Yes, those rainbow colored compressed coconut things. By the way, I treated myself to one from Cracker Barrel not long ago. I can say that I have outgrown them now. HA!

Other spot along the river like Lyle Park, or maybe off the backside of Trout and Seiver streets. It was private property but there was a cool spill way that you could sit under as the waters cascaded over. It was just like a water tunnel.

The most daring went to none other than the Steel Bridge as seen in the photo above and below. Easy to find as you just took River Street in Benton and followed it until you got to the river. I had heard stories of folks jumping off the bridge and of all the years I lived in Benton I never ventured there, until today. What a beautiful place and I had it to myself until just as I was walking back to the car and met a family hiking that way. As I stood there I grinned as I could hear Fleetwood Mac "Rumors" album playing in the background and classmates laughing and enjoying a time less stressful. We still had some time before we had to grow up.

As I packed up my camera I caught myself humming... "Don't stop thinking about tomorrow..." Fleetwood Mac, Rumors album, the soundtrack of the summer of 1977. Somethings like the steel bridge just never get old.

A look back and a look forward

I spent time at lunch today looking at blogs of other photographers. Everyone had a "My favorite photos from 2011" page over the past few weeks. I started thinking and man I tell you I had so much fun this year I'm not sure I could pick just one. Although to some this would be like looking at 3 hours of uncle Bud's Jerusalem vacation slides from 1974, to me there is a story behind every photo. These are the scenes that shape my life.

I mean we started off 2011 at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. What a wacky fun town. The game wasn't so great but the fun and food certainly was. I love New Orleans.

Then in February we had a snow storm. and they
actually closed roads in the area which is really rare.

Spots in the neighborhood that are normally pretty
turned into postcard looking snow scenes

The beauty of an Arkansas spring quickly chased off the cold
and returned the south to it's splendid showcase

Soon couples could be found outside enjoying the afternoon.
Shoes were not required, nor have they ever been


Buckets of brightly colored prize filled eggs
are found at my folks house are guaranteed
to be some of the most sought after as any in Arkansas.


Late spring brings with it a fever called Hog Fever.
It just enough football to satisfy our souls for a few more months.



Then it all changed within a few seconds.
The day of the tornadoes.
This photo was taken just outside Birmingham, AL.
It was honestly more than I could ever imagine.

We were treated like VIP's and Coach Van Horn treated us
to a South Carolina Razorback baseball game.
This was the first time I had been stopped at a
sporting event and told I couldn't bring a
camera lens in due to the length.

We always go to these tourist attractions just for something to do
and sometimes we fall in love and stay for hours.


In the wilds of South Carolina we hiked and saw some
of the most spectacular wildlife up close and personal
with no one around and no protection.

The summer turned hot and the rain stopped.
The sun parched wildflowers

August found us visiting the in-laws and the beach.
Watching a full moon raise in the gulf of Mexico

Every morning my daughter and I would spend time together
walking on the beach laughing and cutting up.

A trip to the lake with the family.
There is nothing better than a cup of coffee
and laughter with my sisters

The hot muggy air was soon replaced by
the cool crispness of fall and all things football.

Sometimes you just need the trainer
to tell you how good you really are.

Protect your house men!

Coach Allen getting the D's ready to take on Ole Miss.

The fight against TN was much of a fight this year. Go Hogs!

As fall began to settle down my family had
a time of togetherness and reflection as my dad passed

As we closed the book on the year I look back with
wonderful memories, cherished memories and a sense of renewal and awakening.
I can only imagine what wonderful things I'm going to see through the
Glass of Photo Geo.

Fort Worth Stock Yards and Vaquero

The family and I spent the morning at the Fort Worth Stock Yards. Even one of the cowboys was supporting K-State or maybe the purple was for their native TCU campus there. We had a great time st the Stock Exchange and there is a light bulb that has been burning since 1908. They have a birthday party for it every year.




















I have always had a great respect for folks who farm and ranch. There is something about getting up before dawn (which I do anyway), getting in a pickup truck and driving out to the barn, starting a tractor and getting down to business. I would do this in a heartbeat. The fact that a WalMart or mall would be an hour's drive at least would not bother me at all. Now I would try and finish up a little early on Friday, clean up and take the family out to eat. Some things are expected to be within the woman folks wishes and demands. As I've heard in the past, "Happy wife, happy life".

We also got to take time to watch a little horse training and a cattle drive but with only about 10 head of longhorn that day. The cowboys were real and some were outgoing and others quite. A couple of the men really took time to tell us about the life of the cowboy and about their horse and the training. Preacher told us about his horse, "Vaquero" which means Cowboy in Spanish. It is a herding horse and was chosen for it's very gentle spirit and strength. The horse and the cowboy are trusting partners. There was so much history and stories behind all the structures that we want to go back when we can spend a lot longer.