Saturday March 23, at 10:07 we leave Oklahoma City headed for Memphis and route 55 south… The radio crooned "The Okie from Muskogee, The Red Headed Stranger, Who’s gonna fill their shoes?" As we drove east leaving cowboy country behind, putting Oklahoma behind us, I wondered does anyone love the red headed stranger like I do… Been to the Grand Ole Oprey…? Remember George Jones? For some reason, I’ve always loved country music! And the music of the 60s too which will play tomorrow. Daffodils and pansies (I think they are pansies) greet us at the Arkansas welcome center. There were 2 rocking chairs in front of a log fire. Very inviting… If the road didn’t call, I’d still be there, rocking… Spring is springing in Arkansas. Green trees interspersed with "white trees" I’m sure they are fruit trees in bud. I remember one year when I worked for Eastern Air Lines, I traveled from airport to airport, southern cities to northern cities, following spring! I was lucky enough to work my way north as part of my job. In Pittsburgh, while visiting my mother and Aunt, I grabbed mom’s arm and said, "what is that yellow bush?" "Forsythia," Mom said! She loved daffodils and called them daffs or jonquils. I had never seen them, not forsythia, daffodils, iris. Amazing. If you grew up in Miami like I did you might be so spring starved as I was. On a trip to Hartford that spring, cousin Kenneth took Chuck and me to a field of "golden daffodils". We have photos of me out in that field!!! Makes me feel at peace. At the Arkansas welcome center, I measured out where Memphis was and it was 4 1/2 hours…. I looked at the Choice app and hotels were $30 less expensive about 25 miles back so I chose the tiny town of Forrest City. Next to our hotel is the Old Sawmill Cafe with country cookin! Our end of the day is at the Quality Inn at 430 pm. exit 241A. I’m watching EWTN. Mass at 6pm. Then Chuck will bring dinner! God bless you.
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