Diane and I have a dear friend in Little Rock, AR, Cheryl Hazel. Cheryl was a friend of Diane’s since she can remember from childhood. I met Cheryl in 9th grade at Hixon Jr High School in Webster Groves, MO. It was at a going away party for Cheryl in that same year at Jr High that I met Diane. It is a fact that I actually dreampt of the party and meeting Diane. I had told Cheryl about that Dream the day after it occurred. It was in October that I had the dream. The party happened in June…pretty much as I dreampt it. At least the part about meeting Diane was in the dream for sure. We have been together pretty much ever since and married now for 43 years and counting! Good dream, eh? I think so.
We dropped in on Cheryl and Narayan, Cheryl’s friend, as we came through Little Rock. We spent a great afternoon and evening with them. Their hospitality is as big as their hearts.
We moved on to one of the most beautiful little state parks I have ever seen...Petit Jean, in Arkansas. I had been to Petit jean before, in 2008, while I was working in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It sits atop a great mountain, and the legend that surrounds it is that Petit Jean, a stow away on a boat from France accompanied these French explorers to the area around Petit Jean. Meeting friendly natives they hunted and camped on top of the mountain. Petit Jean took ill, however, and was taken down the mountain to board the board on the Arkansas river. Knowing that she was not long for this world, she asked to be taken back to the top of the mountain where she died on a beautiful bluff overlooking the Arkansas River.
This gem of a park has outstanding hiking trails. They vary in length from ¼ mile to 5 miles, but each one of them has outstanding views and characteristics that are downright joyful. We spent two days and nights here and ended our stay by having a glorious breakfast in the main lodge. It is a tremendous lodge built from huge logs. It overlooks a great canyon. On the day we were here there was flumes of fog rolling up from the canyon that at times blocked the overall view. But then, it would clear and the views would return, seemingly more stunning each time.