Casual Country Magazine Feb/Mar 2024

February/March Happenings

February 2nd

Groundhog Day 3rd

Book Sale - Stone County Library 9:30am - 1pm lots of fiction, romance, mystery 10th

2nd Saturday Song Writers Circle Arkansas

School … 2pm 14th

Day 24th

Full Moon (Snow Moon)

March 2nd

Book Sale - Stone County Library 9:30am - 1pm lots

mystery 9th

2nd Saturday Song Writers Circle

Arkansas Craft School … 2pm 17th St. Patricks Day 19th Spring Equinox 25th

Full Moon ~ The Worm Moon 31st Easter

We start out this issue with a tasty looking pantry on the cover that Christina Bethalee shot. Sure doesn’t look like my pantry of canned goods or frozen packaged cranberries in the freezer. Guess I’ve gotten lazy over the years.

That’s OK….when you come to Candace Rae’s ‘Best Ever Healthy Brownies’ I’ll make them from scratch any day….the yummiest brownies I’ve ever eaten. At the bottom of page 11, under her recipe, are the brownies that I always thought were the absolute best. I’ve been making them for over 50 years and it’s what I served quite often in Joy’s Main Street Cafe years ago. Candace found her recipe on the internet, but has made a lot of changes to it…and I’ve eaten at least half of every batch…the way it’s written with her preferences listed is the BEST!

Marie & Bruce had a lot of fun with their comfort food article. Got news for them…everybody in my family loves my comfort food and my son’s girlfriend boo-hoo’d it til she took the first bite…..now she’s a convert too!

This issue is about the outdoors transition from winter to spring, food, our pets and don’t miss ‘Just Jammin’ (no-it’s not about music) on page 13 and Candace Rae’s folk art painting introducing it. I told Candace what the article was about, she got fascinated by the story, and came back with the canvas all sketched out. It’s kind of like a jigsaw puzzle, See if you can relate the story pieces to the right parts of the painting!!

Didn’t have room for a St. Patrick’s day salute so I’m bringing your attention to Aaron Gschwandegger’s pictorial…go to page 20 to see his mossy heart… not only Valentines, but it’s also our St. Patricks Day Heart. And Deb Jolly’s pictorial will have you taking walks to see if any of the colorful wildflowers have come up yet.

Winter Cheers, Joy

Email: casualcountrymagazine@gmail.com www.facebook.com/casualcountrymagazine/ Phone: 870-213-6135

P.O. Box 1777, Mountain View, AR 72560

This Months Contributors:

Aaron Gschwandegger, Candace Rae, Christina Bethalee, Deb Jolly, Joey Sciarra, Marie & Bruce, Sarah Struthers. Publisher & Editor Joy Harp

Marie & Bruce

Savory Wins in the Comfort Zone

It has been a long, frigid winter in Mountain View. The water pumps which supply Mountain View have frozen and broken and many in Stone County have been without water for over a week. Those that have water have a trickle and are under a boil order. Restaurants closed due to employees being unable to get to work on the treacherous roads and no water.

During the endless weeks of January, when the going has gotten tough, folks are shut in, everyone has a frozen and broken water line tale of woe. What do the resilient folks of Mountain View talk about on their phones from their beds piled with blankets? In a word, FOOD ~ Specifically….

“COMFORT FOOD”, “GUILTY PLEASURE FOOD”

What follows is a totally unscientific survey of local residents (people I know) to find out what they scrounge for in their pantries and fridge when the weather is just plain awful.

This started as a conversation with Joy, the amazing driving force behind this magazine. Joy’s go to food? CREAMED TUNA FISH ON TOAST. Yes, it sounds just plain awful. Joy figures this began when her folks received food rations during and after WWII and were given many cases of tuna.

Karen L: Shrimp and Grits

DRUM ROLL PLEASE

Christie and David R: Homemade chicken soup with bone broth, onions, garlic, lemon zest and juice, ginger, sage, thyme, carrots, celery, coconut milk. Topped with green onions.

Tommy L: Double Cheeseburger with bacon and cheese

Anonymous: Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia. - the entire carton in one evening -

Wanda A: Pigs in a Blanket. Crescent rolls with a heaping portion of shredded cheddar cheese and smoked sausage links.

H:

Aaron G: pasta shells with real Velveta Cheese and Rotel tomatoes for an added kick.

Bob L: Buttermilk Pie with homemade crust of ground almonds and cream cheese.

AN: Fruit Loops with sugar milk

Robert L: Meatloaf

Deb J: Baked Potato with sour cream, butter, salt and pepper and sometimes grated cheese.

Guy C: Pumpkin pie…Use the directions on Libby’s pumpkin can and add 1 extra egg for creaminess. Eat 2 to 3 slices daily during the winter months.

Sardines packed in oil atop a dollop of sour cream atop a Wasa

Aaron G: Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies topped with chopped pecans.

Be glad that Spring is springing by the time you read this article and f olks attention will turn to gardening and fishing, not our pantries.

Bud T: Pinto Beans with wedge of onion and corn bread

Phyllis H: Pimento Cheese on white bread

FMB:

cracker.

Joy

Creamed Tuna on Toast

Deb Jolly

Think Native Spring Ephemerals

Looking out the window this cold 5 degrees January morning, mesmerized by the graceful falling snow, I started thinking of the Spring Equinox and immediately looked on my paper calendar counting the weeks until March 19th.

Hiking in the forest during winter is an exceptional time while there is no worry about snakes or bugs. There is a boost to one’s serotonin and dopamine levels in the brain while seeing colors emerge from the brown leaf littered forest floor.

Harbinger of Spring (above) is generally the first native ephemeral to bloom but oftentimes overlooked due to its small size. I was a happy camper the day I spied my first harbinger.

During January and February, avid gardeners feverishly look through seed catalogs at all the eye candy, trying to decide what will be planted in the garden. For me it's the anticipation of the native spring ephemerals that gets me all giddy and excited. I look back on my notes from previous years to compare blooming times and compare with field guides. For example, I have discovered ephemerals blooming in February that generally have bloomed in March and April. With that being noted, it is a good idea to plan weekly hikes in late February to begin the search of these short lived beauties.

In fact, the definition of ephemeral is lasting for a very short time. They need the sun for photosynthesis to grow, either from corms or rhizomes, to maturity before the tree leaves emerge shading the forest floor.The first signs of blooms are a promise that winter is almost over and Spring is near.

‘

The darling Spring Beauty, above, (Claytonia virginica) also known as fairy - spud is known to many as the true harbinger of Spring.These pinkish sometimes whitish fairy-spuds generally grow in masses and are easily noticed.This genus was named in honor of John Clayton (1695 -1773) one of Virginia”s first botanists.

Following are some of my favorites that are easy to identify, starting with Dutchman’s Breeches on the left.

On the next page is the Valentines wreath I made last year out of different colored violets.

Harbinger of Spring

Spring Beauty

Dutchman’s Breeches

‘ Trout lily is said to refer to the brown spots on the leaves that resemble a brook or brown trout. ’

‘ This unusual plant relies on the lowly ant as an agent of seed dispersal. The Lily ’ s seed has a coating that ants find irresistible. The ants will carry off the seeds, take them underground, devour the seed coating, and leave the rest of the seed to sprout. ’

Trout Lily

Trout Lily

Trillium

Rue Anenome

Rue Anenome

Trillium

Trillium

Here’s different hepatica (Liverwort) that grow in this part of the Ozarks - what beautiful colors!

hepatica (Liverwort)

Cut Leaf Toothwort

Bellwort

Bird’s Foot Violet

Bellwort

There are many more to add to my list, but this is a good beginning for folks.

According to information I found in Don Kurtz’s, Arkansas Wildflowers, The WhiteTrillium (Trillium flexipes) is very rare and only found in Stone County.

The Ozark wakerobin (Trillium pusillum var. ozarkanum) blooms start off a pure white, turning pink and finally light maroon as they age. In a clump it is not uncommon to see flowers of different ages displaying all three color variations.

So while you are staying inside, keeping warm, start thinking of Spring and plan a hike in search of the special Spring Ephemerals found in our beautiful Ozarks.

Maybe I will see you on the trail. - Deb Jolly

Cedar Waxwings, Swallows, Bluebirds, Robins, Chickadees, Finches and Cardinals will feast on the Holly Berry in winter. Holly plants are excellent bird shelters too!

(Although the berries are not good for humans)

—Photo by Sarah Struthers

Intersections 5, 9 & 14 Mountain View, AR

(870) 269-4000 eat-in or take-out

Blue Bells

Celandine Poppy

For Your Valentine

Candace’s Best Ever Healthy Brownies

¾ cup sweet potato puree: (note-you can use canned sweet potato) For brownies only use an 8 oz. sweet potato - For brownies with frosting use a 12 oz. sweet potato. Cut deep slices across the top (to allow steam to escape). Place on parchment paper in a cold oven. Turn the oven to 450 degrees and roast approximately 1 hour. Remove and scoop out all the potato.

1 cup smooth peanut butter or almond butter…I prefer Jiffy

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 Tbsp. flour (white or almond flour)…almond flour is gluten free.

½ cup chocolate chips…I use Hershey’s dark

⅔ cup sugar… I prefer Monk sugar

6 Tbsp. cocoa powder…I use Hershey’s dark)

1 ½ t. baking soda

⅛ t. salt

Brownie directions:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Line an eight inch baking pan with parchment paper, or grease it well. Unless it is already smooth and easily stir-able, gently warm up the nut butter to soften. Then whisk it together with the mashed sweet potato & vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until smooth. In a separate bowl, stir together all remaining ingredients, making sure that the baking soda and salt are evenly incorporated.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet & stir to form a brownie batter. Smooth into the prepared pan. You can use a second sheet of parchment paper to really smooth everything down. Remove that one before baking. Bake 20 minutes, no more. Leave plain or top with frosting.

Frosting: Carefully melt 6 oz. dark chocolate chips in microwave or double boiler. Mix with 4 oz. sweet potato and vanilla to taste. Frost the brownies and let cool completely. Can refrigerate. Keep covered.

Candace Rae

BROWNIES TO BE EATEN UNDER AN ASSUMED NAME

1 cup butter

1 cup water

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

4 tablespoons cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

TOPPING

1/2 cup butter

6 tablespoons milk

4 tablespoons cocoa

1lb. powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add water, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Mix sugar, flour, cocoa, soda and salt together. Add to butter mixture and beat well. Batter will be thin. Bake in a pammed 15x10x1 pan for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Ten minutes before done, prepare topping.

Melt butter slightly, add milk and cocoa. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Remove from heat and beat in sugar, vanilla and salt with beaters. Stir in nuts. Pour over cake while both are hot. Cool. (For a cake, bake at 350 degrees. 8x11 pan for 45 minutes or 9x12 for 40 minutes.)

1 cup chopped pecans Joy Harp

Folk Art Painting by Candace Rae

Marie & Bruce

Just Jammin’ ~ Random thoughts

by the Jam Queen ~

Hard to believe but Ozark Pantry is celebrating it’s 13th year in 2024. This little jam business was meant to be something to keep me occupied in retirement —- but not too occupied.

After moving to wonderful Mountain View I decided that I needed something to do other than hang around The Rainbow with the gang and eat Chicken Fried Steak every week.

Jam! Now that’s a good idea. Make jam, sell at the Farmers Market and a few Festivals. A great way to meet new folks and get off the sofa.

The festivals are fun. However, I soon discovered that every gal in the State of Arkansas makes jam —- and lots of it. They sell at the Festivals. Every gal has a jam repertoire, has a built up following with tried and true flavors: Blueberry, Strawberry, Peach, etc.

How, as a gal from Chicago, could I differentiate myself and get my own following? Well, praise be to Jeff Foxworthy. Jeff had a bit about Southern Phrases: Bless their Hearts, Heavens to Betsy, Well I Declare. Yes.... that’s the ticket!

I enjoy the solitude and creativity of making jam, the precision required to get the set correct, the fruit distributed, the sweetness balanced with the tart. And I love writing. So blatantly stealing from Jeff, incorporating snippets of overheard conversations, and things I have seen developed our look. (Build it and they will come....thank you Kevin Costner)

Our first product, which remains even after 13 years a best seller, is Possum Jam. With the tag line “So good you’ll be hanging by your tail”. Yes, stupid. But fun. This came about because a farmer dropped off a mound of jalapeños at my kitchen and at the same time I saw a fellow walking down Main Street with a baby possum hanging from his pinky.

Possum Jam is a type of candied jalapeño that really is more of a condiment than a jam. It is delicious on baked potatoes with sour cream, dolloped on steak, spread with butter on hot cornbread, stirred into a pot of pinto beans.

About the same time Ozark Folk Center and a number of State Parks heard about us and requested a more extensive line. Leading to the birth of Heavens to Betsy, Well I Declare, Toe Jam, Frog Jam, and on and on. We now have approximately 36 jams in our line and proudly make Chocolate Gravy, some Pancakes, Fry Breads, and most recently a Chocolate Beer Bread and Rosemary, Apple, Cheddar Beer Bread.

We private label for a number of customers such as Crater of Diamonds State Park. They sell our Gem Dandy Jam and sell a lot of it! Thank you COD.

90 percent of our products have been developed by us. We hear about a jam, look up 5 or 6 recipes and then start to tinker with the proportions and ingredients. Or we wake up in the middle of the night with a jam-mare. Grab a pencil or it will be lost. This led to the birth of “Rock Paper Scissors” which has soared to the top of the Best Seller list. This is raspberries, pineapple and strawberries. 10% are straight out of the Ball Book of Jams and magazine recipes, and have a small yet growing fan base.

Sometimes the jam comes first and we need to dream up a name and other times it is reversed. Hence “Grape Expectations”. I was torturing myself by revisiting some dreary Dickens novels and it just came to me. I love this name. It dates me though. Young folks do not get it. And I think it is absolutely hilarious.

Grape Expectations is a concord grape, pear-balsamic jelly…… it leaves Smuckers in the dust IMHO.

Names can trigger a tear as well. My friend Martha loved our Peach Ginger (Well I Declare). When she called to tell me she had pancreatic cancer I cried for days. From her passing came “Martha’s a Peach” with the tagline “Everyone needs a friend like Martha”. And that is so very true.

Not all the names are winners. Overheard 2 gals discussing a girlfriend who was looking for a Sugar Daddy. Wow! Now that is a great name. The jam was a simple apple pie type jam and quite tasty. But I changed the name to Apple Pie after deciding Sugar Daddy had a negative connotation. So it will remain in the dustbin despite the great way it rolls off the tongue. Also, “Dare to go Pear” has failed to catch on with my followers….. a pear butter…it sells well in the Memphis area and cannot give away in Stone County.

Our jams are multi-use —- toast and English muffins of course, and the pepper jellies for cream cheese. But breaking out of that box they can be used as glazes, sauces, ice cream toppers, marinades.

Pineapple Habanero came out so hot and I did not want to toss the case so I marketed it as an ice cream topper. The sweet of the ice cream and the heat of the habanero. It took off and remains a strong seller.

“Blame it on the Blues” is a jalapeno blueberry used by a local restaurant on beef tenderloin sandwiches and as a glaze on chicken. It is, naturally, cream cheese ready.

This name was granted to me by a good friend who is a rock and roll star up in Canada. He wrote this song and thought it would be a great name for jam.

TOE Jam and FROG Jam are acronyms and are Amish jams. (Did you know the Amish have a sense of humor?)

“Ginger Dipping Sauce” which falls into our Big Dipper Series has made friends from coast to coast. Pour some into a zip lock bag, throw in shrimp or a pork tenderloin and grill —-- yum.

Someone asked me about them and I had never heard of them. At the time there were no recipes to be found online. So, for TOE (tangerine, orange, elderberry) I ordered every jar available on the internet and set about making a better version. TOE is our number 2 best seller. I have recently changed up the recipe for the better in my opinion. Previously it was very citrusy flavored with a hint of medicinal elderberry as a finish. Now I have discovered a cache of wild elderberries and have changed up the proportions so that it is a soft purple color with the unusual elderberry flavor and a citrus finish —- marvelous. FROG is fig, raspberry, orange and ginger. Much the same sleuthing was involved in the development of our version of FROG. I tell folks that it tastes like a raspberry fig newton.

“Sweet Tea” is one of our creations and it is getting a following. It is a summer jam. English Breakfast tea steeped with lemon and sugar. That’s it. Tastes like a honey jam.

We have also created what I call The Chocolate Fantasy Suite. A group of 5 jams made with chocolate. Spoon licking good. And of course the Happy Hour Collection which is alcohol based. Strawberry Margarita, Blackberry Mojito, Peach Bellini, Skip and Go Naked, Shoot the Moon. Don’t worry about your kiddos or Uncle Fred getting a buzz. The alcohol burns off in the making and only the taste remains.

During the pandemic lockdown we tinkered with spice flavors and came up with 9 that we like. They are fun and have a small yet growing fan base.

That more or less brings us to the big event of 2024 —- The Solar Eclipse. Of course we need a jelly! At this point I have no idea what the flavor(s) will be. But something will come to me in the middle of the night.

This week I want to start tinkering and make an ombre jelly. A jelly that is two toned - light and dark - to represent the dark of the moon passing over the sun. What ever —- it is sure to be cosmic. Regards, Marie and Bruce

The Corner People, Places and Things

The Stone County Humane Society in Mountain View, Arkansas

It’s vision is to create a community where people value animals and treat them with respect and kindness.

Their Mission:

1) Finding homes for stray or unwanted animals

2) Promote spaying and neutering

3) Education the public about responsible pet ownership

4) Returning lost pets to their owners

5) Operating a No Kill Shelter

by Marie & Bruce

In fact, since it’s inception the lifesaving rate is 95%. No animal has ever been euthanized for lack of space, only for humane reasons.

SCHS (Stone County Humane Society) offers a low cost spay neuter program for Stone County residents only with the help of a local vet who provides this service at a discounted price to SCHS clients. The person with the animal pays $35.00 and the Humane Society pays $50. There are additional funds to subsidize pet owners who cannot afford this. Subsidizing is on the “Honor System”. Call the shelter for more info about dates and other important facts. 870-269-5200.

A new program has partnered with a terrific group “Spay Arkansas”. The primary goal is to reduce the number of unwanted and stray animals by offering high quality and affordable spay/neuter services to under-served folks, shelters and rescues. SpayAR holds these clinics in Mountain View and six surrounding counties. Between 2019 - 2021 the total animals receiving this positive service was 1479! A terrific number — but there is always room for improvement. At these clinics the cost is $15 per cat and $25 per dog. This low price also includes rabies shots, annual shots, flea and tick meds if needed and tick disease tests (Ehrlichia) for dogs. Pups who are positive are sent home with medication to treat the disease.

Sadly this event has been put on hold in Mountain View due to LACK OF VOLUNTEERS and RESOURCES. Though efforts are underway to renew this program.

The Stone Country Humane Society is always in need of dependable volunteers to spend time with the animals, assist at adoption events and foster pets. It is difficult for the employees to give shelter pets the individual attention they need. Volunteers are encouraged to walk the dogs and play with kitties.

Fostering a pet is another great way to help as it gives an animal the attention it needs as he or she awaits their permanent home and opens up the shelter for other animals in need. Fosters of furbabies are especially needed for kittens, puppies and senior pets.

PIP — Paws in Prison program

Additionally The Humane Society has a vibrant program sending shelter dogs to the North Central Unit prison in Calico Rock for 8 weeks of training. Operated by the Arkansas Department of Correction.

A professional dog trainer works weekly with inmate trainers teaching dogs basic commands and some tricks. One dog graduated with an amazing 41 tricks in it’s repertoire. This dog was way above sit, stay, come!

After 8 weeks there is a doggie graduation and the dogs go to their new furever homes. The dogs can be seen on the Stone County Humane Society website under PIP trained dogs. The adoption fee is $200. As a testimony to the success of this program, since its inception only 1 dog has been returned and that was due to a family medical crisis.

Lost & Found

Returning lost pets is an ongoing challenge in Stone County. Owners of lost pets may post photos of their animals on the SCHS Facebook page and a notice is placed in the local newspaper, “The Leader”.

It goes without saying that collars with ID tags help tremendously in reuniting pets to their homes. And MICROCHIP, please! (and be sure to keep your contact info up to date on the microchip website so the pet can be reunited). Yes, The SCHS can arrange this service as well.

Also the….

“Best Ever Bake Sale”

takes place the first week of October. Community animal lovers donate home baked goods which are sold on the sidewalk in front of the Second Chance Shop on Main Street. This annual event is always a hit. Always selling out of delicious pies, cakes, cookies & breads. The funds raised go to The Shelter.

Another exciting aspect to the shelter is it’s partnership with 2 pet placement services. Every few weeks dogs, puppies, cats and kittens are picked up and driven to other no kill shelters in Illinois and Rhode Island. These animals are always adopted! Folks see them on the website and know “this is the one”.

I was told that a lady from Mississippi had adopted a cat from the Stone County Humane Society and it was such a successful experience she returned from Mississippi to adopt another cat! Also, a pet owner from the State of Maine drove 2 days down to Mountain View and 2 day back to adopt a dog they had seen on the website. These joyous stories indicate that in-roads are being made in valuing our pets.

Dogs may be adopted for $150, Cats for $75, Paws in Prison adoptions for $200.

What’s the backstory to the Humane Society?

Back in 1990-2000 a group of local animal activists and a local vet encouraged and undertook spay/neuter in Mountain View. At the same time campaigns were run to raise money for a shelter.

It has always been a struggle but wonderful things began to happen. After much looking land was donated for the building and a visionary animal lover in Mountain View passed on and left seed money for this dream to come to fruition.

The Shelter became real! With space for 25 dogs and 25 cats and a wait list. One out one in. So Fostering is a valuable asset to the shelter.

What is the vision for 2025?

I asked an active participant of the Stone County Humane Society. Here is her list.

• 1) A bigger area for cats, a larger catico.

• 2) An area for parties and events. In fact there is going to be a birthday party for an 8 year old child at the Humane Society today as I write this. This is such a wonderful teaching lesson from the parents to this child.

• 3) Greater acceptance of spay and neuter. Currently more female animals are spayed over males.

• 4) A medical space to be built and a veterinarian that will come out to the shelter and provide onsite medical assistance and spay/neuter. Currently it takes so much time to take the animals from the shelter out to one of the vets for treatment, wait for the animal, then return to the shelter. This shows how dedicated the volunteers are and their deep love of animals.

• 5) Currently there are no veterinary schools in the State of Arkansas. There are rumors that Heifer International is selling their location for a new Vet School in Little Rock.

• 6) With more vets and vet techs it would be wonderful if vet techs could be certified to perform spay/neuter as this is a very basic surgery on dogs and cats

Remember 870-269-5200 if you feel you can assist the Stone County Humane Society in any way so that it remains a vibrant service in our area.

Aaron Gschwandegger

Crystal Branche s to Bursting Blooms

February and March can be a roulette wheel of weather in our area. What seems like spring can quickly turn to a wintery mix of snow and ice. Then before you know it, the season switches back and then you are in spring again. It isn’t uncommon for early February to have at least one snow. The beautiful blue sky and and sparkling sun can make a unique effect contrasted with a fluffy white snow.

Lighter flurry showers are more common during early February and create a peaceful backdrop for viewing birds like these female cardinals. They really show off their subtle coloring against the grays of winter.

Aaron is a member of the Arkansas Craft Guild and some weekends you’ll find him volunteering in the Gallery in Mountain View. His photography takes many forms, including greeting card sets, wristlet bags, pillows, prints, miniature framed pictures, notecards, tapestries and more. The complimentary pillow backings are an art form as well. Aaron designs each geometric/abstract backing from the subject colors. Flip back to page 2 and you’ll see one of his beautiful butterfly pillows in the Craft Gallery ad. His company, Fallen Pine Design, can be found on Facebook or at www.fallenpine.com

Casual Country

When it’s not snowing in February, pops of green can be seen throughout the woods. This heart shaped moss mound seemed like the perfect find on a stroll through the woods on Feb. 14th! I titled this one “My Mossy Valentine”.

Later February often brings ice. This bluejay (right) doesn’t look too pleased to have sleet on top of his head, but he still looks pretty handsome.

The tufted titmouse (right) looks pretty fancy perched atop these sparkling branches of late February.

The ice encapsulated branches of this dogwood make this cardinal (left) look like it’s perched in a tree of crystal branches.

These two pictures (left & top of page 22) illustrate just how varied our weather can be during this transitional time. The picture of the cardinal was taken on March 11. You can barely see the apple tree’s newly formed leaves as they try to poke through the snow. The picture of the apple blossom is from that same tree and was taken on March 8th of a different year!

The Apple Blossom was designated the official state flower of Arkansas in 1901. At the time it was chosen, Arkansas was one of the largest apple producers in the United States.

In fact, some of our biggest snowfalls can happen in early March. This sparrow (left) can attest to that as it perches on the snow covered branches on a March 12th morning. You can see the early spring blue sky peaking through while the morning sun casts a warm glow.

Besides looking up, the color often times comes from above. Sunsets and Sunrises can be pretty vivid this time of year. This sunset (right) was taken during the middle of March.

‘

In warmer years, the sassafras trees (above) can be seen blooming in the middle of March. This dark eyed Junco hadn’t yet left to go north for the summer.

By late March, the Oak trees are starting to bud out. This fluffy Eastern Phoebe (right) sits patiently on an oak limb probably waiting for some yummy bugs to eat.

- Continued on the Back Cover -

While Dogwood tree bloom times vary from year to year, you might see them in bloom by late March like in this picture taken on March 22nd a few years ago .

The rollercoaster of weather happening during February and March may be unpredictable, but one thing is certain. There is always something beautiful to see!

- Aaron Gschwandegger

Are you ready?

Do you have the correct glasses for watching?

Do you have a plan for shopping early before anyone arrives so you can avoid all the congestion?

Best not to make appointments during this time.

Great time to just stay home and garden…get your veggies in!

Cook real meals at home instead of heading to the fast food places….maybe make fresh bread and soup.

Visitors will start arriving the week before.

Let’s leave the highways and roads to those that have. to go to work.

The day of the event plan a neighborhood picnic where everyone can just walk to it.

If you have any questions now, call the Chamber of Commerce.

Enjoy yourself, this will only happen once in your lifetime!

Total Solar Eclipse — Monday, April 8, 2024