Fiddlin’ Through the Ozarks

May 31, 2016 Linda Burton posting from Arkadelphia, Arkansas – The plan was to drive home from Jefferson City today through Mountain Home and Mountain View, Arkansas; after all, any place with “mountain” in its name has to have charm, right? The flaw in my plan was that I didn’t allow time enough to stay. The roads wind and twist in such a way as to force a leisure pace, on top of that, every turtle that had spring fever was ambling its way across the road. How many times did I swerve? It was already late when I got to the Ozark Folk Center General Store, where I met two of the sweetest (and costumed) ladies ever. We talked, and we talked. Before I knew it, I was headed up the steep hill towards the gift shop, where (they had talked me into this) I would find my own Squirrel Circus, handmade by a genuine Ozark craftsperson. Sure enough, the elaborate whirl-a-gig device was for sale in the Homespun Gift Shop, and sure enough, I bought one. It was clever, I thought, a truly ingenious invention. Now here I am, back home, with a Crafts Village Map in hand, an Ozark Folk Center State Park Calendar of Events, a Visitors Guide to the Stone County area for 2016, and, one new-wood smelling Squirrel Circus. What to do? » read more