Pig Roast Tradition

We had just had a big rain,

and "Flash Flood" warnings had been issued.

My husband and I were going down to the river

to see if it had risen very much

when I saw this sign:

We stopped by the little community church,
and found the Chris Wyatt family hard at work!

The storm had knocked out electricity at their home,
but it didn't keep them from coming down to the church
to prepare the annual feast which they do for the rural community
the third weekend of every September.

As soon as Cindy had the food prepared and packaged in foil,
their son carried it down to be put in the barbecue smoker
where it would cook for a few hours.

...And in it went!
Despite the protective gloves,
with each "offering" placed in the fire,
I think a little hair was singed off Chris's arms!

While the cooking process was under way,
my husband and I made our way on down
the beautiful tree-lined drive to the river.

The Buffalo River was definitely up at Woolum,
and some campfire sites were under water. 

Returning to the pig roast,
we asked if there was anything we could do to help.

"More ICE for the drinks," was the answer.

Stories were swapped
while waiting for the food to be done.

We hadn't been back long
when people started arriving,
bringing their food contributions and lawn chairs.

Logger Gary Dean,
 a "pillar" in the little community church,
 not only helped with the barbecuing,
but also brought some of his wife's cooking.

The church yard quickly began to fill,
with everyone finding a spot to sit...

...Entertainment was provided by a local group
from a neighboring county.

Did you think you were seeing turkey
 instead of pork in some of those photos?
Well, you did!
 Both were served.
Cindy said there were quite a few people
who preferred turkey, so they started fixing both.
Chris said that in previous years they had done
the whole pig on a "spit",
but due to so much waste and increased cost
they had improvised their method of cooking.

And then the food was ready for all to enjoy!
...Two long tables full of it!

Galatians 5:13 says

"...Through LOVE, SERVE one another"

What a contribution this tradition of service is to this small Ozark community!

Many thanks to the Wyatts for starting and carrying on this custom!

Have you checked out my other blog?

You can find it by clicking on Names of God on Rocks!

When you get there, just click on any photo to see that post.

Thanks for stopping by!

"Sukkot", Wagon Trains, and Thanksgiving!

Last weekend on a trip to the Buffalo National River,
we ran into some old friends from school days!
They were taking their mules down to the river for a drink,
and getting prepared for a covered wagon trip the next day.

They invited us to come watch them take off the next morning.
The sun was barely rising when we headed back to the river.

Some campers were still asleep,
and some had camp fires going, fixing breakfast.
The sun's rays were only beginning to hit the valley.
(Notice the hedge apples on the trees...
If one of them had fallen on their tent,
it probably would have awakened them!)

The crew we came to watch were not quite ready to leave...

...So we went on down to the river to wait,
and enjoyed watching the foggy mist in the early morning sun.

Finally, here they came!
We had been privileged to take a ride in that first wagon awhile back.
(The blog post on that can be found by clicking HERE.)

The wagons crossed at a shallow shoals upstream.
It looked like the trailing supply wagon stayed dry,
even though it had plastic to protect it if the water had been too deep.

The last wagon to come was the mule team...
"Dolly and Molly" were the names of the mules.
They appeared to be distracted,
and so did my husband.

Looking downstream,
I saw quite a little commotion!

The rider did a great job hanging on throughout the performance!

We detained the occupants of that last wagon a bit,
so they hurried to catch up with the group,
planning to camp together overnight before returning the next day.

I think this wagon camping trip has become a yearly tradition.

For some reason, it reminded me of how the Jewish people celebrate

"The Feast of Tabernacles", also called "The Feast of Booths",

or Sukkot, celebrated around this time of year.  

(Click on the colored letters for more information.)

The "Sukkot" was a hut built by the Israelis.

They would live in it for 7 or 8 days,

reminding themselves of when their people camped in the dessert

after their exodus from Egypt.

Moses gave instructions regarding this feast in Deuteronomy 16:14-15:

" You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, 

your male servant and your female servant,

 the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, 

and the widow who are within your towns. 

 For seven days you shall keep the feast to the Lord your God 

at the place that the Lord will choose,

 because the Lord your God will bless you

 in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, 

so that you will be altogether joyful.

This feast also sounds a bit like our Thanksgiving

which we Americans celebrate in November.

Canadians, however, celebrate it in October...

and I believe their holiday is coming up next Monday.

So, HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you Canadians!

I'm still pondering on a Rock4Today,

so give me a little time I'll have a new post!

The "River of Life"

What Grandparents do in their "spare" time!

Our grandson had been looking forward to a float trip
on the Buffalo National River.

It was evident that area businesses were gearing up for the floating season,
but my grandson and his buddies couldn't afford to rent canoes.

No problem!
"Grampa Gary" to the rescue,
providing a canoe and a kayak,
...and paddles, of course!

It was decided that Buffalo Point would be the place
from which the float trip would start.

His group was anxious to get started on their trip,
but I got them to pause long enough to capture
a few photos with my cell phone.

The river looked peaceful and quiet as they carried
the canoe and kayak down to the water's edge.

I wasn't sure how they were going to fit all their gear
into their small boats!

This placard by the place they put in the river proclaimed the Buffalo River to be
"The River of Life".
I found that very interesting,
because of what the Book of Revelation says about the
 River of Life in Revelation 22. 
It states that it flows from the Throne of God,
and only those whose names are written in the
Book of Life
will see this River of Life!


 



(Billy Graham has an excellent video available called "The Cross"

that shows how you can have your name written in the "Book of Life".

Click HERE to see it!)

 

 

My husband didn't sleep very well that night;

I often found him missing in our bed.

He was concerned about the kids out on the river,

and spent considerable time praying for their safety.

 

Consequently, the next morning we headed out earlier than planned to pick them up...

Gary was afraid they would over shoot the place where they were to land.

 

As we went, I couldn't help but notice businesses getting ready
for spring float trips and guided fishing tours.
 

We drove past the abandoned mining town of "Rush" on our way to the river.

The group was already there waiting for us,
although we were nearly 3 hours early!
They were relieved not to have to wait for us,
and Gary was extremely relieved that they were all okay
and had not gone past the selected landing!

Minutes after we arrived a ranger dropped by,
checking to see if all was okay.

The satisfied look on our grandson's face as they loaded up,
made it all worthwhile!

If you've followed many of my posts,

you know of my love for the Buffalo National River!

To see a related post, click HERE!

 

(To see any of these photos more clearly, just click on them to enlarge them!)

 

 



Trails Along the Buffalo

I have been so privileged to have a visit from my little sis from Canada.

She does not like the cruel Manitoba winters,

and loves to escape to the warmer climate we have in Arkansas.

She and her husband have done far more exploring of the area than I have,

and they are introducing me to one of their loves -

the walking trails along the Buffalo National River.

Since they are seasoned hikers who often cover 10 - 15 miles a day,
they weren't sure how much I could keep up with them,

...so they took me to the easier trails that were close by.

This trail at Gilbert, Arkansas made use of a former railroad track,
and runs quite flat alongside the river.

It has excellent views from bluff tops...

...and is great for horseback riders as well.

Spring wild flowers were beginning to bloom, ...

and the hillsides were a verdant green.
This was the only spot we covered in our three mile walk
where the railroad bridge had been taken out,
 and therefore involved hiking through a bit of a valley.

Our hike along one of the Tyler Bend trails was
 a bit more difficult,
and required more exertion to climb the steeper hills... 

...but the views at the top were worth it!
And in case you are wondering,
I was not as brave as my brother-in-law,
and did not get anywhere near this close to the edge!

We ended our hike at an old settlement.
This is my sis sitting on the cistern.

Thanks to the harsh Canadian winters,
I get to have time with my sis!
What a great way to spend it,
hiking the trails along the Buffalo National River!

As beautiful as the Buffalo River is,

there is a river that I know will be even more awesome!

It's the "River of Life" spoken of in Revelation 22.

(Click on the highlighted link to read about it!)

To see my most recent post of the Names of God on Rocks, click HERE!

The Importance of Stress Relief!

I was feeling a bit stressed this past week. 

For me, there's nothing like a day trip to the beautiful Buffalo National River

to put things back in perspective, help lighten my load of cares,

 and reduce my stress level!

Want to come along with me for a short tour?

To get a better look at any of the pictures,
just click on them to enlarge!

After crossing the River at Woolum,
we headed toward Richland.
 My husband says that as a boy he picked cotton there.

The cotton fields were located behind these vines
between Richland Creek and the Buffalo River.
(The field is the pale green color in the background,
and is now part of the Buffalo River National Park.)

Here we are at the bluffs by the lower base of  "The Narrows", ...or as the old-timers called it - "The Narrs".  (My husband always has his ice chest prepared with bottled water for such an occasion as this!)

We didn't go far before realizing different shoes were needed for making this climb!  My granddaughter borrowed a pair of her Papa's tennis shoes, and I decided it was in my best interests to stay below since I didn't bring mine.

This narrow ledge of rock gave the place its name of "The Narrows".
They didn't try to walk across the narrow rocky ledge, 
because they could have fallen several hundred feet if they would have slipped!
(Photo by Gary)

This is one of the views they had looking towards the river from the top.
(Photo by Gary) 

The sounds of their voices had indicated to me that they were safe,
but I was relieved to see them coming back down!
(Photo by Gary)

We headed back to the "River crossing" at Woolum,
 hurried to the farm to quickly change clothes, 
and barely made it on time for "Saturday Night Church".

It's so IMPORTANT to have a little stress relief from time to time!

It's amazing how God can use a little time in nature

and a visit to a very small country church

to refresh and renew my spirits!

Thank you, LORD!

Click HERE to see my most recent posting of Names of God on Rocks!