Hillary on Top

We drove down to Conway, Arkansas, to return son to Hendrix College for the second semester. Classes start today. He switched a couple of classes to get different professors, got out of the semester-long temporary dorm room, bought over $400 worth of books and is happy to be back fresh from a month of sleeping.

I’ve written about this three to four-hour drive through the beautiful Ozarks before, and I absolutely love the wide expanses of trees, mountains and farmland. It is what renews my spirit. And husband and I even talked about returning in a few weeks when the weather warms for a canoe trip on the Buffalo River. I’ll have to get over my fear though. The last time I went canoeing in Missouri was over 20 years ago when we hit a submerged log and capsized. I still remember the murky light above my head as I headed toward it.

Sorry for the digression, but as many bloggers do, I carried the camera along and stopped just outside of Conway for this topical photo. See, my mind is so politically focused that I can’t forget about the 2008 presidential race even if I want. This particular business has concrete statues ranging from Greek gods to chickens. Need a lawn jockey or gnome? They have them. But the Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama jackasses immediately captured my attention and I thought the resulting photo was blog-worthy. Only later did I notice the fallen “Proud to be an American” sign.


© 2008 by Sheila Noblitt

Ozarks Road Trip

Last weekend was Parents Weekend at Hendrix College, which regular readers may recall is where College Boy is right now. I’m never one to turn down a road trip, especially one through the Ozarks. We passed lots of cows and horses, and I suspect deer, but they weren’t out. It’s a good thing too, because deer and cars don’t mix very well. Ditto for elk, which this part of Arkansas also has.

Conway is about a three to four hour drive depending on how much stopping you do. We do a lot. I have already found a good lunch spot, Neighbor’s Mill Café in Harrison, Arkansas. On the return trip, we stopped off and took a peek at the Buffalo River, a National River, and one of the few rivers in the Lower 48 without dams along its 135-mile course, which makes for remarkably fine canoeing.

College Boy himself seemed to be happy to see us and let us treat him to dinner Friday night before he was off to spend time with friends. However, he gave his whole Saturday to us—minus time for sleeping late and a nap. While he slept, we hit the breakfast spread put on to meet faculty where we met one of CB’s professors. She and the rest of the faculty seemed pretty neat. The campus is small, compact and lovely but getting bigger. Former Sen. Bill Bradley had just visited earlier in the week to dedicate the new Wellness Center. Complete with a rock climbing wall, wood-paneled hallways and shiny marble floors, this place is a tremendous asset, and CB has a wonderful place to work out. Oh, and CB got to meet Sen. Bradley and ask him a question when the former senator spoke to CB's class, Issues in Politics: Terrorism.


CB showed us some of his world—the library, the tiny radio station where he has a weekly show—and Dad saw his room (I decided it was better that I skip this part of the tour and trusted husband’s report, which is classified). We lunched on lasagna and met the cafeteria ladies who CB says remember to ask how he did on tests and notice when he looks tired. Thank you dear ladies.

It seems for CB now the rather small enclave of the campus is his world. And yet, I feel as if he has had thrown open wide the doors to the whole world.