My wife and I just celebrated our 45th anniversary. As in many of our anniversaries, I search for a book that has the number of years in the title, find an interesting quote or two, and mark it with a bookmark that also works with the years married. Usually at a dinner with friends or family, I break out the book, read from it in a speech, and then give another present, because if I didn’t…well, the wrath of a woman scorned.
This year’s book is “Talking to Youth Again: 40 Five-minute scripts for the Epilogue” by Leonard Barnett, published in 1960. I added a bookmark that held a sapphire stone-commemorating 45 years.
The book was printed in the same year that my wife was born. And this year (we have been married 45 years), so that with a little stretch, I pulled 45 from the title (40 Five). The author had many small scripts, or stories, for talking to youth about subjects that they would soon be exposed to as an adult.
At breakfast on our anniversary, we had an outdoor meal made by our friends. I first read from the chapter “Makers and Takers”. He discussed that teen-agers are usually first “Takers”, just taking what they want. I then quoted on:
“…Only there’s no joy in it, and no future. What’s more, there wouldn’t be any homes at all if mums and dads didn’t even things up. Mum’s the “maker”-and so is dad-in most homes. Mum makes everything from cakes to comfort, from beds to budgets. Dad makes the money; and he and mum together make each other happy…They married in order to be makers, not takers-to give their lives to each other, and to build a home on trust, and love, and to play fair, and generosity, and honour.”
I then stated that THAT is what Marylyn and I have been striving for the last 45 years-being “Makers” with each other. Next, I flipped to the chapter “Getting Fresh-And Keeping Fresh”. A young girl was asked her mother, “how can you tell when a boy-friend was the real thing?” Mom replied:
“Could you,” she says to her smitten chicken, “could you, do you think, use his toothbrush? It’s-well, it’s a decided personal feeling you’ve got that tooth-brushes are highly personal things; not to be lent or borrowed. It wouldn’t be quite nice to use somebody else’s toothbrush…as a rule. You like them fresh-fresh for your own use and nobody else’s. But, if you’re well and truly in love…it might be a test of true love as to whether or not ordinary feelings over toothbrushes just died on you.”
I then gave my wife a bouquet of candies from our youth, glued together to look like flowers. There were Mary Janes, Bit-o-Honeys, Cow Tails, Slow Pokes, wax bottles, Hubba Bubba gum, Starlight mints, Smarties, lots of candies. There were also two toothbrushes. I kissed Marylyn, and told her I am so happy that she was willing 45 years ago to go from two toothbrushes to one. My friends oowed and aahed at the speech. Marylyn just growled “You’ve been using my toothbrush?”
I then showed her the vase-a coffee cup that looked like just designs were written along the side. When you read the cup sideways, it was the phrase “f*** this shit” repeatedly written to look like a design. I then told Marylyn that I love her enough to never use her toothbrush. She looked relieved.
We were celebrating our anniversary with several friends, RV-ing our way on an eleven day adventure in Arkansas. Our first adventure in the state was at Crater of Diamonds State Park. We camped in a pine forest-Loblolly pines. It was a beautiful campground.
We also spend the afternoon actually digging, and sifting for diamonds. There were no diamonds found that day. We dug in three different fields with no luck. There was a 20 pound heart shaped boulder (?) that we smuggled out of the park, burying it under buckets, shovels, and sifters in our wagon. It is now on display at our friend’s koi pond.
We left Crater of Diamonds and drove to Hot Springs for several days.
The first stop was Garvan Woodland Gardens. It is a 200 acre botanical garden owned by the University of Arkansas. It was simply wonderful. We hiked only a few of the many miles of trails (featuring ponds, flowers, woods, and even several peacocks.) There was also the Anthony Wedding Chapel, in the middle of the woods.
We then left for Hot Springs: downtown and state park. After visiting the Fordyce Bathhouse, that is now the welcome center and museum, we took a 1.5 mile hike up Hot Springs Mountain. It had a 12.6 grade angle, that put it 400 feet altitude height to the top.
Once we climbed to the top, we then had the 216 foot Mountain Tower waiting for us. What a view! Then after our climb back down (we were at outdoor temps of about 90), we stopped at the Quapaw Bathhouse, and soaked in our choice of mineral springs pools. The coolest was 94 degrees, and the hottest was 104 degrees. The soak at the 105 year old bathhouse took all the pain away.
That night we went to the Gambling Casino in Hot Springs. We were definitely not as hot as the pools we soaked in earlier.
The next day we drove to Little Rock to see the Clinton Library and Museum. It was a nice presidential museum. Brought home some smashed pennies to add to that collection.
The last part of our trip in Arkansas was to spend several days in the Ozark National Forest. It was the most adventurous. We were going on a waterfall search trip. I used the book “Arkansas Waterfalls” by Tim Ernst. The author had written about 200 waterfalls found in Arkansas. He gave detailed instructions on how to find the waterfall, how difficult the hike is, and a picture of each waterfall. He included himself in each photo for size.
For note, the author also had a page explaining “visiting waterfalls may be hazardous to your health. It is understood that if you pick up and read this guidebook and use the information contained within to venture out into the wilderness to visit these waterfalls, that you do at your own risk, with full knowledge of your own limitations. You are responsible for your own actions.”
When we arrived at our campground, the owner also had us put on our phones, an app-Avenza maps, for Ozark National Forest. We could pin what we wanted to see, along with it having a dot marking where we were at, at any given moment. We did get lost one time. The app got us back on track.
Some waterfalls were small…
Some were tall…(Pam’s Grotto)
Some were wide…(Haw Creek Falls)
They were all wonderful to find.
Some waterfalls we could walk to. One was right on the road (Highway 123 Falls). Others had to walk for a while. The furthest was a 1.9 mile walk in. At King’s Bluff Falls (the tallest falls in Arkansas at 114 feet), I almost stepped on this guy.
I first thought this snake was a Coral snake-rather poisonous. It turned out to be a Scarlet snake, and a little safer to be around. I had to refresh my Boy Scout memory with the saying “Red touches Yellow-kill a fellow. Red touches Black-you’re OK, Jack”.
Other falls had to be driven to by Jeep. We broke in our friend’s new Jeep. We did turn around from this flooded river (called Big Piney Creek).
We did ford a few streams.
And we did take some trails to get closer to some waterfalls.
This was the last falls walked to (Longpool Falls). It was a 44 foot falls that I could walk behind. My smile was short lived.
On the return, scrambling over the rocks, I fell and landed on my back. It was hard to move. I had a sharp pain by my right kidney, whenever I twisted or turned my body. Painfully, I baby-stepped the half mile back to the Jeep. Luckily, I had some good pain pills at camp.
Also good, was that we had already planned on leaving for home, the next morning. Two days later, I was in emergency ward being treated for hyper-extended muscles in my back. They filled me with anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants, and few pain pills to boot. With the medicine and a little physical therapy, I am now back to normal.
I have a wonderful wife, that allows me to continue with my library purchases, and permits me to take part (and accompanies me!) in adventures like the one just discussed, even though I shouldn’t be chasing waterfalls. I also have some fine friends that are equally adventurous (and helped talk me through a painful hike after tumbling).
Thank you for reading about it all.
Librarytomes 