Arkansas Journeys

I was lucky enough a couple of months ago to be given an opportunity to join the Tulsa Garden Club on one of their excursions.  This particular jaunt was to Arkansas to visit Marlsgate Plantation in Scott, Arkansas; Chris Olsen and his nursery in Little Rock called Plantopia.  Little did I realize but we also were to have dinner in his home.  Also on this trip was a stop at P. Allen Smith's, Moss Mountain Farm.  That place has been a mini-bucket list trip for me so I was YES!!!!!  It was just an overnight trip which was fine with me.  We met at 7:30 Wednesday morning and the bus arrived for us to climb aboard.  The bus driver alighted the steps, a very tall large white-bearded gentleman and I instantly remembered something.  A guy I went to high school with, graduated a year before me was a bus driver but I wasn't sure if it was Roger.  I got a bit closer to see what his name tag said but it was too small and this guy was so tall I just could not see it.  He looked at me and said, "Yes, you know me."  I laughed and said, "Roger!"  He was a really nice guy in high school and was in my father's boy scout troop and was around a lot.  It's funny I cannot place his young face in my memory so I will be looking at the yearbook soon.

Roger was a wonderful driver, especially through all the torrential rains we encountered right out of Tulsa and most of the morning.  

After a long drive with a short pit stop where most of us got drenched between the bathroom break and going back to the bus we arrived at Marlsgate Plantation.  What a beautiful old mansion and the antiques inside were awesome.  The owner, David Garner was a tiny wisp of a man all dressed to the nines.  White hair coiffed perfectly with gold and diamond bracelets, rings and watch he was a stitch.  Extremely southern in his tales, lingo and mannerisms he was a joy to listen to.  

We were served a sit down lunch in the lower rooms of the house and then the tour began.  We were to see the gardens too but he said it had rained almost 2 months solid and were under water and completely ruined.  

After we were done we loaded the bus yet again to make our way to downtown Little Rock to our hotel.  We checked in and after a 45 minute rest period yet again ascended the bus steps for a trip to Chris Olsen's Plantopia.  It's a greenhouse, like any other greenhouse but the ladies loved it and were buying plants and things left and right.  The bottom of the bus was full and I worried about the plants in the hot bus.  

Apparently I did not get any photos from his house that I can find but after the greenhouse we were off to Chris's house for dinner.  Amazing it was.  He built the house 22 years ago when he and two other people were there.  The other two neighbors sold off their land and a housing sprang up around his oasis.  It's funny, as we were driving around and winding through the neighborhood I thought this was wrong.  A regular housing addition how could it be but when we arrived and drove straight down into the culdesac to his house there it was.  FANTASTIC!  He also said that he was selling and moving to a Spanish style house, old, in Little Rock proper.  A new project!  Can't wait to see what he does with it.  His current house was only 2,100 sq.ft. but he throws parties for 350 people all the time.  AMAZING!  He was a terrific host and so funny.  He is supposed to be on television but I'm not sure where.  Have to look him up.

The next morning we packed it all up and hauled into the bus for the very long trip to Moss Mountain Farm, a good 45 minute drive winding in the back country of Arkansas.  Finally arriving we unloaded the bus, YET AGAIN to see this magnificent view.  Gardens everywhere.  Vegetables, roses, views, views, views!

The humidity though was about 100% and just stifling.  The walking was an issue for several of the elderly people who just could not walk down the paths or back up.  Today my quads are killing me but it was so worth it.

The Arkansas river!

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After the walking in which there was not a dry piece of clothing on my body it was time to tour his home.  He had it built new to look like it had been in place for 100 years.  Once you walked into the door the A/C was fantastic for us red-faced walkers.  Whew!  We all gathered in the living and were told to sit while the lady told us a bit about the house.  That home was so inviting I could definitely live there.  

After the house tour we adjourned to the barn for our lunch of kale salad topped with strawberries, feta cheese, and walnuts and a dessert of pecan buttermilk pie!

A trip well worth the time!

Distraught and Heartbroken

I am utterly distraught and heartbroken.  Say it isn't so, PLEASE!  The local garden, Conrad's, that I have been going to since I was a child is selling!  They will sell out to local developers probably who will ruin the ground by developing a shopping mall or houses.  The 400+ acre farm has been growing and selling produce since the 1930's.  I used to go there with my Granny and Momma.  Before there, we went to a place called Bogg's but that has long gone too.  We even used to be able to pick our own produce.  Unfortunately the town has started closing in on the farm and so the land is highly coveted to destroy.  I'm am just beside myself with grief on losing history but understand that the Conrad's are tired and ready to let it go, to take a vacation once in awhile.  It's a very sad day when we lose precious farmland, especially good bottoms farmland.  My Momma and Granny would be as upset as I am if they were alive.  No more taking the kiddos to the gardens and bringing home bushels of corn, peas or tomatoes to freeze and can.  Life as we know and knew will be but fond memory.  I was actually going to head out there this week to get some purple hull peas and I will have to MAKE that happen!

Monday Morning Ramble

Monday morning...uh, yeah, Monday morning.  Another week, another day, another low cal meal! It's day-in-day-out of the same-o, same-o for me right now.  But, I am feeling good and we are going to continue the diet or food lifestyle that we have adopted as of late.  Granted this weekend we did indulge a few blue corn chips and a bowl of fresh strawberries and homemade ice cream but you have to live.  Last night for dinner I had three leftover ears of white corn from the weekend festivities and I decided to cut them off the ear and make a kind of corn tomato salsa to go with our grilled chicken.  We attended our 4 year old great-nephews little birthday party yesterday and went away with a sack full of fresh red tomatoes and jalapenos from their backyard so the idea popped into my head.  I cut the corn off, added chopped tomatoes and jalapeno, lemon juice (would prefer lime but did not have) and red onion.  Let it marinate a few hour and YUMMY!  Tonight we will have it over grilled tilapia.  Oh, and I picked, from my tiny garden, two zucchini and tons more cucumbers.  We ate the zucchini last night, but tonight will be cucumbers and onion in a little brine!  YUMMY, I so love summer veggies for the table.  I am hoping this afternoon to head out to the "gardens" in Bixby for purple hull peas, and hope my Daddy will shell them for me.  He loves to do that and I will oblige him the job, thank you! 

Hope all have a good day!

Tomatoes

See that blush back there.  

I've been watching two HUGE beefsteak tomatoes slowly grow and ripen.

I've lost so many to the dang squirrels and critters.  

But, I'm bound and determined to hang onto these two beauties.

One of them is as big around as my hand and bigger.

I've done everything from netting, blow up snakes and owls.  

Yesterday morning I could not stand the thought of going out to find them on the ground, eaten.  The last huge one was munched on a bit but I cut the eaten part and fried up a good green tomato.  I'm not going to wait...I picked them and now they sit on my kitchen counter to finish ripening.

The Orange Building

The Orange Building is back.  Wait, I think the last one was The Green Building, but they accomplish the same thing.  They let the many workmen have a place to go that is not in a corner of my backyard!

Construction is on going and little Clayton's yard is a rock mess.  Doesn't seem to stop him much from enjoying the sun when he can. 

It is truly a mess and as of today has a lot of very, very deep holes for the new footings.  Clayton took off like he does after rabbits and I was screaming at him because he was heading for one of the very deep holes.  My mind was seeing him falling and breaking a leg but he jumped and cleared it and was after that darned rabbit.  He's usually very clutzy. 

While enjoying what's left of our backyard Monday I decided to soak my feet while I finished that book. 

Today I did my own jumping a few holes to see what my little garden held.  Look what I have been overlooking, that HUGE cucumber.   There were more tomatoes and I stole a few potatoes for our dinner.

Some of the onions that just needed to be picked, hanging to dry. 

Adoption

Yes, I know I usually post in the mornings but I've been busy adopting...

I got up this morning and was on a mission to go to the nearby nursery to get mulch for the flowerbeds but when I arrived... 

all these pretty little faces were crying to be adopted.  They need to be taken to a new home and weak person that I am... 

they suddenly found themselves riding in my car, bouncing down the highway in the back seat.   

Do you think they will like their new home?  I will water them and feed them and keep the weeds at bay.  I think they be very happy in my little cottage garden!