Rather behind 1 - Is Bill there

My eldest brother once asked for an album by the Ozark Mountain Daredevils - at age 11 I was really impressed. Never thought I'd end up in the place from whence they came. It was suggested to us that if we wanted to miss any state out in our quest for the 52 then Arkansas might be it. Given we only had 3 days for this trip then Arkansas was next closest - no choice.
I think it must have been people who don't like the outdoor life e.g. mountains, trees, walking. Everyone say aaaaah. I sat there slightly worried that I would witness hunting for pleasure and Bambi would become blam, blam strawberry jam.



We also desperately needed to see Bill who grew up in our base - Hot Springs. Not a right lot is said about where he was born and given we did stop off there as well to see it's not surprising. The only decent house near the centre of town or else it was spooksville. Bill Clinton was born here. Sorry it doesn't quite line up.

So Hot Springs....it is what it says the place where hot water spouts out of the ground at 100 degrees. And the local water company in its philanthropic wisdom has placed public fountains where the locals can fill up their bottles with the pure mineral water, the company having kindly cooled it down to about 75 degrees fahrenheit first. It takes you by surprise along with the old guy who had about 30 4 pint cartons strung on a piece of string to stop them blowing away while he filled them up! Arkansas was our first experience of rural poverty as opposed to urban street people.

What you see is not the worst, it was difficult to stop to take more when it is patently obvious you are not from "round these parts"..and it feels a tad voyeuristic. Anyway the church is there to bolster them in their days of trial....like every other mile tucked away in remote places and in every form imaginable, it made me wonder whether the Church of Steve (I kid you not) could be the next Waco (I wonder where that is then???). Economists would argue that Arkansas will never be one of the richer states when you can pay $79 for two nights in a motel, ok so it sounded like the road was in the bedroom and the handyman spent most of the time trying to regurgitate his left lung for medical inspection but it was clean.
We came home via Fred Clinton's or is it Bill Flintstone's former seat of power. And he was there launching educational funds. Walking round the state building we bumped
into one of his former aides when he was a local boy...she had seen him recently at a formal dinner and just managed to tell him who from his neighbourhood had died just before the federal gorillas waded in to protect him from her large hairdo and bright red lippy. .......Hilary was relieved....

Oh and did I mention the posse from the local PAC (Prehistoric Age Concern) which had managed to break out on their Harlies and were busy supping milk or sasparilly thru straws. Added to eating pasta in a german oompah style bar while darby and joan danced to the jazz band in their best bib and tucker all in all it was a weekend of
.....well I don't know really.

Next stop Texas State Fair.