Reminiscing: Roads are better now

Have you had your green friend tomato yet? Cabin fever isn't limited to cold weather!

In 1971, the only decent dirt road out of Sugar Creek Valley was west to Arkansas Highway 94. That runs past the golf course now. Thankfully, the road department brought in loads of red clay to build a base and Harris Road is now a very good drive. It's still five miles to Pea Ridge. I have a feeling it will never grow any less! It winds up behind the old Rainbow Ranch and after I drive up out of the valley and get to level ground, I look over to see Pea Ridge mountain and Round Top. They are symbols to me of the new life we chose to live 45 years ago. But, it seems to me like they don't stand out on the sky line like they did then.

We don't use the term any more about "going down over the mountain" down U.S. Highway 71. That was before they built the new road that takes us south to Van Buren if we had to go down of a late morning or we always had to give thought of fog.

If it was a trip to Little Rock, we always had to give thought to going the night before or get over the mountain before daylight. Mount Gaylor was always in the plans. I had climbed the tower a couple of times with the kids and when we had time, he would wait while I went through the craft shop on the top of it. One time, we became stranded in Winslow because of weather. On the other side, we would pass Artist Point and we had friends from racing days that lived at Dora. We also could side trip to Rudy.

No longer do we have to give all that thought to the mountain, in fact, Kathy and Madonna don't think a thing about driving to Fort Smith for an afternoon now. How times have changed!

Not many people will realize that in bad weather, we used to have to give some thought about getting up Brightwater hill. That was before snow tires and four-wheel drives. But, the top of the hill has been shaved down and the slope lessened and, of course, now it has been reduced to a gradual curve onto the bridge.

Imogene Stanford turned 90 this month and felt well enough to make it to Sunday services.

A quote from Abraham Lincoln was in the Saturday Evening Post. "My dream is of a place and time when America will once again be seen as the last best hope of Earth."

Total cost of the Rio games is predicted to cost $11 billion.

An Arkansas expression: "I was so blue that I wanted to crawl under the porch with the dogs."

'Til next time.

•••

Editors note: Edith Lammey has been a resident of the area for nearly 40 years. The opinions expressed are those of the writer. She can be contacted through The TIMES at 451-1196 or [email protected].

Editorial on 08/03/2016