Steam Bending at the Fort Smith Museum!

This is my new friend, Duane Heidelberg, recognized as one of the top traditional furniture makers in the country. He gave a demonstration at the FT Smith Museum of History on Windsor chair making. His techniques were fascinating and his steam box pictured here sure looks a lot like mine! Hmmm...maybe I'm ready to bend another banjo rim!!!

Baden Powell Invites You to Wood Badge S8-16-11-1

BP wants you to sign up for S8-16-11-1.  You have to do what he says you know!

Walnut Valley Festival - Winfield, KS 2010

We went to the Walnut Valley Festival better known as "Winfield" in Winfield, Kansas last weekend. This is my favorite performer, John McCutcheon, performing with Linda Tilton who is translating to sign language. This is the afternoon performance on one of the smaller stages. There are 4 stages going all the time makingit difficult to hear everything you want to. It is all high quality and lots of fun. The crafts festival on the grounds is wonderful as well.

Only 359 days til next year's festival!!!!

Norman Rockwell Puzzle for Bill

This is the latest puzzle cut for my brother-in-law, Bill, who is a complete puzzle nut. I am pretty sure he will enjoy putting this one together. It has an OSU cowboy figural and also a Razorback ofcourse!
Happy Birthday, Billy!!!!

The Marbles Champion-Norman Rockwell

This is the latest puzzzle cut as a birthday gift for Suzanne. It has 171 pieces and lots of line cutting...cutting exactly on the picture lines making it very difficult to put together. THis one is not for beginners!

2010 Jamboree Final Arena Show

If you missed the 2010 National Scout Jamboree you can still watch the big arena show. BYU-TV graciously telecast it and posted it on their website for viewing anytime. It is about 2 1/2 hours so you might skip around and find the parts that interest you the most. There are fireworks at the end, Mike Rowe from "Dirty Jobs" is the main speaker, a group called Sitchfoot plays and there are tons of videos and special guests...lots of fun!
You can watch it here!

Arena Show-2010 Jamboree

Old Soldier Gives Banjo Program at Old Fort

This is me dressed as aUnion soldier giving an interpretive program at the Old Fort in downtown Fort Smith. Although the crowd wasn't too large the ones who were there were really enthusiastic singers as well as spoon and washboard players. . We sang both Northern and Southern songs of course and just had a wonderful time. This program was indoors, in one of the old jail cells in the basement actually. It was miserably hot outside and I assure you the wool coat wasn't exactly the latest in hi-tech breathable clothing. They have graciously invited me back and we might just do it again in September!!!! FUN!!!

Rocket Boys Visit Wood Badge SR-1086

I had the honor of presenting the October Sky session for Wood Badge 1086 and got to meet and introduce one of the original Rocket Boys!!! Jimmie O'Dell Carroll (right) and his brother Jerry (left) came all the way from West Virginia to speak to our Wood Badge troop. These are two of the nicest people I have ever met and we just thoroughly enjoyed their visit. O'Dell loves to talk and tell stories and had some funny ones to share about his youth in Coalwood, West Virginia.

O'Dell, you get our vote as the best Rocket Boy ever! Homer may have written the stories but we all agree you are the most entertaining!

Looking forward to seeing you again. You made our weekend so special!!! Thank you so much for coming!!

Todd's Last Concert at UA

Todd plays last concert with the UA Symphony. They played a trumpet concerto and Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony which was just spectacular. I am really going to miss going to these concerts but hopefully he can continue to play with the Arkansas Philharmonic and maybe other groups.

Custom Puzzles for Birthdays

Both my wife and brother in law have come to expect custom puzzles for birthdays and Christmas and maybe an occasional extra. Suzanne's birthday is September 5th and Bill's is September 4th so usually we get together and they work their puzzles together. This year I had to mail Bill's but Suzanne worked them both anyway. Bill's is a Tim Ernst picture of some beautiful rocks in the Buffalo River. Suzanne's was a picture of a crazy quilt. Both were cut with extra figurals. Anyway, here are the pictures. These are HARD to put together...not for those who would give up easily.

Todd, "the Barefoot Cellist", Performs at Arvest Ballpark

Arvest Ballpark hosted the Arkansas Philharmonic on July 3rd complete with a great fireworks show. We were treated to some beautiful music, a tribute to Louis Armstrong, big bands and a lot of show tunes. Of course the Stars and Stripes Forever and other patriotic tunes were played before the fireworks got under way. The real attraction and star of the show was the cellist on the extreme right?..That's Todd Spain, "the Barefoot Cellist"! Known for years for being barefoot and wearing sandals even in the cold weather, he asked and got permission to take off his shoes for the concert. This is Arkansas after all and I'm sure that dirt felt good to the toes. I really doubt if anyone but his parents noticed because it's a long way out there to second base....but of course his parents noticed!!!

Purple Hull Pea Festival 2009

We were in Magnolia, Arkansas (Suzanne's home town) for the weekend and as "luck?" would have it caught the 20th annual Purple Hull Pea Festival in Emerson, about 15 miles South of Magnolia, almost to the Louisiana line. Yes, it was the biggest thing going on in Emerson (Pop 392). The heat was in excess of 100 degrees but everyone was having such a great time. The biggest event was the annual World Championship Rotary Tiller Race. These are no ordinary roto tillers. These had souped up motorcycle engines and covered the 200 foot track in under 6 seconds!!! Dust flies eevrywhere, everyone laughs and they do it again!

The festival also featured a genuine wedding (see pic). Don't ask me why they did this but it was the real thing and not "shotgun". The wedding was held while one of the tillers was being repaired. Since the tiller was supposed to be in the neext race the announcer decided "we'll move the weddin' up and do it now"! Yes it was weird but it was sort of fun.

The next big event or "highlight" was the anual Larry the Cable Guy Look-Alike" contest. Yep, he pretty much looked like him and could say "Git 'er Done" like the real guy.

There were more festivities including the purple hull pea dinners, pea shelling contests and recipe contests but the heat was getting to me so I had to leave. It was an afternoon of small town fun with wonderful people and I recommend it to anyone!