Do South Magazine: Dilly – June 2014

DILLY

June 2014 DoSouthMagazine.com

CONTENTS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Catherine Frederick MANAGING EDITOR Marla Cantrell CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jeromy Price CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Brenda Baskin Marla Cantrell Marcus Coker Catherine Frederick Rusty Henderson, DVM Laurie Marshall Anita Paddock Tiffany Selvey Jessica Sowards Stoney Stamper PHOTOGRAPHY Catherine Frederick Jeromy Price

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PROOFREADER Charity Chambers PUBLISHER Read Chair Publishing, LLC

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WE BOUGHT A FARM A family living in the suburbs yearns for a life in the country. So, they packed up and bought a farm. But then what? Enter a parade of animals: a disappearing piglet, an abandoned dog, a kitten, even a chicken coop complete with chandelier.

THE CHEERLEADER Faith, like a blanket, covered Vilonia tornado survivor April Smith, after she awoke in a hospital room and learned her two young sons had not made it through.

Her testimony of unwavering faith is one you will never forget.

MR. PICKLE Ninety-two-year-old Scotty Wallace works in Alma, Arkansas, helping create some of the best pickled products on the market today. He grew up in the pickle business, knows scientific words we can barely pronounce, and even wrote a pickle polka!

DIP INTO SUMMER Dive right into recipes perfect for entertaining friends, or a party of one. We reveal a top secret recipe along with two new favorites: Watermelon Pico, and Smoky Mango Guacamole!

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ADVERTISING INFORMATION Catherine Frederick 479.782.1500 Catherine@DoSouthMagazine.com EDITORIAL INFORMATION Marla Cantrell 479.831.9116 Marla@DoSouthMagazine.com Š2014 Read Chair Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. The opinions contained in Do South are exclusively those of the writers and do not represent those of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. as a whole or its affiliates. Any correspondence to Do South or Read Chair Publishing, LLC., including photography becomes the property of Read Chair Publishing, LLC. Do South reserves the right to edit content and images.

FOLLOW US Subscribe to Do South! 12 issues per year for only $20, within the contiguous United States. Subscribe online at DoSouthMagazine.com, or mail check to 7030 Taylor Avenue, Suite 5, Fort Smith, AR 72916.

letter from Catherine In addition to entertaining, my family will be traveling some too.

Our annual beach trip is planned, but we’ve discovered some local attractions close to home. Did you know Arkansas has over eighteen craft breweries? Hubby and I will definitely be hitting the Ale Trail in Fayetteville, it’s a self-guided tour of several micro-breweries. Read all about it on page 58.

You won’t want to miss our heartfelt story of faith, hope, and love. April Smith is the mom who lost her two sons when a tornado ripped through their home in Vilonia, Arkansas. Her friend, Jessica Sowards, documented the events of that day and the days after with gripping emotion. She captured April’s steadfast love for God, her family, and her friends. But most of all, April’s determination to let everyone know that her faith in God is strong, and has never wavered.

You’ll also meet Scotty Wallace, a ninety-two-year-old wizard in the pickle industry, who’s still working and loving every minute In our house, we mark the beginning of summer by the last

of it. We take you out to Texas with Stoney Stamper, author of

day of school. And, as I write this, sleepy eyed and barely

the Daddy Diaries, for his story about moving from the suburbs,

functioning, we are officially ten days away from summer. A

finding happiness in the country, and giving in to his wife when

three month reprieve from homework, packing lunches, early

she had visions of a chicken coop complete with a chandelier.

bedtimes, and crabby mornings. Hallelujah!

I even have a great DIY for those of you looking for an Want to know a little summer secret? I’ll start arriving a bit late

inexpensive way to make some chic curtains, without sewing

to work each day. Yep, I sleep in. It’s a three month long gift to

a stitch! Looking for a great new read? Check out our review of

myself. I am not a morning person. Never have been. Never will

Shotgun Lovesongs. Wondering what to do to keep your garden

be. I love to wake up on my time. Enjoy my coffee. Unrushed. No

healthy and chemical free? See why we recommend you invite

one screaming for breakfast or clothes or backpacks. Summer is

a few bugs over.

my excuse to slow down. A lot.

All this and much more, including a look back at the notorious You see, summer is my favorite season. I love cooking with veggies

crime duo, Bonnie and Clyde, whose bad behavior and epic

straight from my garden, I get to read more, and enjoy long

love story has ties right here to Arkansas. So, pour yourself

weekends with close friends. I’ve got some great new recipes to

something cool to drink – I suggest the “Texas with a Twist”

share with my guests. I’ll be mixing up watermelon salsa, as well

cocktail on page 52. Then, find someplace quiet so you can start

as smoky mango guacamole. Check out those recipes, including

thinking about your own countdown to summer - it’s only a few

my almost famous guacamole, beginning on page 54.

days away.

To reserve this free space for your charitable non-profit organization, email: Editors@DoSouthMagazine.com

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I Have 300 Pairs of Shoes WORDS Marcus Coker

I have three hundred pairs of shoes of every shape and size.

I have so many pairs of shoes, you won’t believe your eyes.

I keep them in my closet, I keep them on the floor.

They’re even in my shower; they’re the reason that I’m poor.

I wear them when I’m feeling good, and when I’m feeling bad.

I wear them almost anytime because they make me glad.

They cost me lots of money, but I think they are neat.

And even if you hate my shoes, they are home to my two feet.

My shoes, they make me happy, but you’re my soul’s delight.

And I’d trade every shoe I have, if you’d marry me tonight.

My feet live in my shoes, but I live in your heart.

So grow old with me and tie my shoes; may we never be apart.

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Mary Bruce Adams

Owner

Olde Fashioned Foods

123 North 18th Street & 8434 Phoenix Avenue, Suite E Fort Smith, Arkansas 479.782.6183 or 479.649.8200 facebook.com/oldefashioned

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UPCLOSE&PERSONAL

There is guidance for each of us, and by lowly listening, we shall hear the right word.

Certainly there is a right for you that needs no choice on your part. Place yourself in the middle of the stream of power and wisdom which flows into your life.

Then, without effort, you are impelled to truth and to perfect contentment.

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

About Olde Fashioned Foods My parents, Bill and Louise Bruce, founded Olde Fashioned Foods in the garage at 3920 Free Ferry, in Fort Smith, fifty-five years ago. Our North 18th location was the home of my great-uncle. We have two locations to serve the River Valley area, and our staff are some of the best people you’ll find anywhere. They are friendly and knowledgeable, and their mission is to help our customers lead healthier and happier lives.

We carry herbs, vitamins, minerals, probiotics,

If you could go back in time to change one thing what would it be? I would have taken better care of myself.

What’s the longest you’ve gone without sleep, and why? While my sons were babies - I was sleep deprived.

If you had a year off, what would you want to do? Travel to holistic/spiritual retreats.

What three things do you think of most each day? Blessings, spiritual truths, and what I’m going to eat!

What was your first job? Hunt’s Department Store at Phoenix Village in Fort Smith.

What makes you nostalgic? Nature, music, beauty, movies, and faces around the dinner table.

Craziest thing you’ve ever done for someone? Cleaned their home while they were gone.

Nicest thing anyone’s ever done for you? All the gifts I’ve received from my niece.

Favorite food from your childhood? Homemade peach ice cream.

What’s your idea of a perfect meal? Black-eyed peas, mashed potatoes, fried okra, cornbread with sorghum molasses and butter, cole slaw, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, rhubarb compote, coconut vanilla ice cream.

Where was your last road trip? Yellowstone, and Rocky Mountain National Park.

Favorite song from your teen years? “Unchained Melody”.

Last movie you saw? In America.

Last book you read? When Crickets Cry. Favorite teacher? Mrs. Booth, from Bonneville Elementary in Fort Smith.

essential oils and products for all kinds of health conditions. We offer gluten-free, organic and

Best advice you’ve ever been given? Let go - let God.

natural foods such as chia seeds, hemp hearts, non-GMO foods, coconut oils, and fresh produce.

Garcinia Combogia, Kombucha drinks and raw Suja

Most sentimental thing you own? Goldilocks, a cloth copy of the book, that was my mother’s (she was born in 1912).

juices are some of our “hot” items at this time.

What’s the best part of your job? Helping people, and success stories.

3 things Mary can’t live without:

Her Sons, Family, & Friends

Favorite spot in Arkansas? The woods/waterfall behind my home.

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The Cheerleader words Jessica Sowards images courtesy Jessica Sowards, April Smith, and Steven Studler

The following is an account of the events that unfolded on the night of April 27, when a deadly tornado ripped through parts of Arkansas, and devastated Vilonia. Blogger Jessica Sowards was the town’s newest resident, moving in that very day, not far from her dear friend, April, who, along with her husband and two young sons, was in the direct path of the massive storm.

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people I’ve never really been afraid of tornadoes. You see, I’m an

Did it hit them?

Arkansas girl, born and raised. I remember the thrilling nights as a kid when my mother pulled us from our beds and we’d spend

Are they ok?

what seemed like all night giggling under a mattress in the hall with flashlights and teddy bears. It was fun.

Honey, are they ok?

And I’ve seen the aftermath, the piles of rubble and the death

Please tell me if it hit them.

counts on the news. But you see, I’m an optimist. Since I’ve seen all these things from an emotional distance, the prevailing theme

Please tell me they are ok.

to them all is the hope that humans are able to cling to, the stories of survival. So, I’ve never really been afraid of tornadoes.

Are they hurt?

On Sunday, April 27, when the weatherman said the forecast

Are they alive?

was a mix for disaster, we decided we’d go ahead with our move to Vilonia anyway. We already had the U-Haul. The house was in

Miah, please tell me they are alive.

boxes. The helping hands had signed up. Our new house has a concrete basement. We’ll be safe, we thought.

And then he responded:

We were.

I can’t.

While 20 people ate hot dogs and potato salad in the basement,

A blur. Calls to our pastor’s wife. Praying. Crying. And then

the wall cloud blew over our mountain to the valley beyond it.

another message:

The TV showed the eye of the storm directly over Cody Lane. I stood on the front porch and saw the sucking black sky twirl in

April and Daniel are alive right now, but the boys are gone, honey.

the distance. And for the first time that day, a fear swelled up because I knew that street. I’d traveled over the mountain just

I don’t know what else happened for a while. My face was on

days before to that street. I’d stood in a house with a red door

the floor and my sister was there hugging me. Stephanie and I,

with my precious friend April, while our sons played in the yard.

both mothers, both friends of April, wailed. And only one prayer,

I’d marveled at her garden patch and seedlings and thought how

a prayer more desperate than any I have ever prayed in my life,

much I loved her when she’d shown me her Hobby Lobby project,

left my lips. “God, please, not this for her.”

letters that spelled “Smith” above the doorjamb. “I spaced them It’s been a long couple of days. Little sleep. Lots of calls and

out,” she said, “because I didn’t want to copy you.”

messages. A group of men from the church went to the site and I couldn’t reach her. The storm had moved on, but she wasn’t

gathered what they could of the Smiths’ belongings. The house

answering. We prayed for them as the minutes passed. Five, then

is completely gone.

ten, then the rain stopped and the sky stilled. But she didn’t answer my calls. “Call Daniel,” I told Miah. But he grabbed the keys instead.

Back in the fall, April and Daniel were still living in Sherwood.

He and Jud got in the truck and left. I don’t know…I think he knew

They received a thirty-day notice that they needed to move so

somehow. The way he was praying…it was different. He wasn’t

the owner of their home could sell it. She started to worry, but

asking for safety, but for peace, and I found it odd. I was afraid.

in true April-fashion, she said, “I know God will provide.” Just a week or so later, she told me about the house they had found

Time passed. He should have been there, but the phone kept

in Vilonia, about how perfect it was. The owners wanted to work

reaching his voicemail. She wasn’t answering and now he wasn’t

with them to get them in it. It was just. so. perfect. It even had

either. The group of guys that had been unloading our U-Haul

the red front door she had always wanted.

left to go help. My texts to him grew in desperation.

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So, you see, I was angry. Because I knew God put them in that

Isaiah 55:8-11

house. And it was no act of violence or human mistake that

8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.

took their sons’ lives. It was an EF4 tornado, a mile wide, and

“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

it sucked everything that seemed so perfect off the foundation 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways

that God had given. I was SO angry.

are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your I’ve always called her the cheerleader. Because she was one

thoughts.

once, in a pom poms and pyramids sense, but also because she still is now, in a Bible and faith sense. She is who I call when my

10 “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay

faith is stretched. And every time I hang up the phone, I’ve been

on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow,

reminded of how big and how good and how strong my God is.

producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.

I spent these angry couple of days questioning why God would take those boys and why he would take the best cheerleader

11 It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always

he had. Because who could still cheer for their God after this?

produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.

The thing is, though, my faith is not April’s faith. It never has been.

Jeremiah shared with her what a comfort it was for him to Last night, we walked into the hospital room to see her. While

think that everyone is here for a purpose, for God’s purpose,

Jeremiah and I held her hands and kissed her face, she wept. She

not for our own fulfillment. And when their purpose is reached,

had questions about that night. She had heard that Jeremiah

they GET to go home. He repeated Taylor’s words to her, “How

found the boys and she told him she was comforted it was him

incredible it was that Tyler and Cameron were able to serve

because she knew he would have prayed over them. We all

their purpose in such a short time, when it takes some people

cried. A wise, young friend of ours, Taylor, sent us a message of

100 years.” I told her how angry I had been, grappling with the

encouragement yesterday that we were able to share with April.

truth that this was allowed, arranged even.

She shared the following scriptures:

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people But I have supernatural peace. I don’t know what God has for me and my husband that our boys couldn’t be here for, but I do know that He is good. His plan is good.”

I don’t understand this kind of faith. Because I think every parent who has heard this story since Sunday has wondered, “How do you live through that?”

For those of you who have been worried about April and Daniel, worried that they would not be the same, that they could not carry on past this loss, please don’t worry any more. I have seen her hope. It is anchored in eternity. It is the kind of hope that saves people. And that’s not just the optimist in me talking. For those of you wondering how a mother could serve a God that might allow this, understand that Tyler and Cameron knew Jesus.

Just a couple of weeks ago, they led a friend to Christ. They aren’t over. Their story hasn’t reached the end. They aren’t even really gone. They’ve just moved for now. And we will miss them. Like April told Tyler on his last day on earth, we will miss them until we see them again, April and Daniel more than any of us.

While none of us understand it, we must take up her lead and know that, even still, God is good. And we must understand that, while we may love these boys, God loves them infinitely more.

He loves them perfectly. And with his knowledge of the lives Daniel, April, Tyler, and Cameron

and futures of the Smiths, God took them home.

And my beautiful friend, my cheerleader, laying in the hospital

But he left their mom and dad. Somehow, even though every bit

bed with her broken legs and battered, beautiful face, held my

of that house was ripped from the foundation, April and Daniel

hands and told me not to be angry because her God is good.

will live. They will tell this story and honor Tyler and Cameron’s

She knew that her sons had fulfilled their purpose in life and

lives. Masses of people will know Jesus because of this story.

that they were with the Father now. Tyler has always talked

Because we cannot fathom this strength.

about heaven. About how he can’t wait to get there. She said she thought it was because he heard them saying how wonderful

When I left the hospital last night, I just cried and thought,

it would be…someday. But he looked at her Sunday afternoon,

She is so strong. She is so faithful. She is so selfless. She is

before the storm, and told her he was ready to go to heaven.

so beautiful. And it hit me. April is all of these things because

“Will you miss me?” he asked her.

she allows herself, even in the midst of this tragedy, to be a reflection of our strong, faithful, selfless, beautiful Savior.

“Well, yes,” she said, “but let’s not talk like that now.”

They are greatly broken. But they will mend. They haven’t fulfilled what God has for them yet. But they will. Because,

“How long will you miss me?” he persisted.

while she could be angry, and she may be at some point, she is And she just smiled and said, “I guess until I see you again.”

holding tight to the only thing she has left:

“I have peace,” she told me last night through her tears, “I know I have more pain to go through than I probably can understand.

The truth that GOD IS GOOD. ALL THE TIME.

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people

April Smith

I asked her if I could take her photo, so she could have it later when she told her story. She told me to show you all now. And to tell you her God can overcome even this. My friend…who remains

To donate to the Smiths, visit www.thatchurch.com and

the most beautiful woman I know. April, the cheerleader.

search Smith Family Fund. You can also mail donations to: ThatChurch, 901 E. Kiehl Ave., Sherwood, AR 72120.

Donations should be earmarked “Smith Family”.

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D O S O U T H : J U NE 2 0 1 4 SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 Hot Springs Music See the Shinola Festival XIX 1st - 14th. watches at John Mays Jewelers for Father’s Help feed those in Day and enter their need: Sunday Supper contest! at First Presbyterian Church, Fort Smith.

Garven Woodlands Gardens “Mystical Magic Night” Gala, Hot Springs.

Reminder: enroll the kiddos in Academy of the Arts Summer Camps, Fort Smith.

66th Annual River Valley Invitational: Opening Reception Fort Smith Regional Art Museum.

Artosphere Festival Orchestra AFO Finale, Fayetteville.

Check out our favorite gifts for Dad, pages 30 - 31.

28th Cove Lake Kid’s Fishing Derby, Paris.

Fort Smith Vintage Flea Market at Kay Rodgers Park Expo, Fort Smith.

08 09 10 11 12 13 14 Make your own no-sew curtains, see page 32.

First Serve Tennis Camp at Creekmore Park 9th –13th, Fort Smith.

Family Recreation Day on the River by Janet Huckabee Nature Center, Fort Smith.

Wondering what can be recycled and where? Find out at EccoPartners.org.

Mercy Weight Loss Seminar 6pm, Fort Smith.

Euereka Springs Blues Weekend 12th – 15th.

14th Annual Art of Wine Festival, Fayetteville.

Campfire Fun Night at the Janet Huckabee Nature Center, Fort Smith.

Take a trip to the Walmart Museum, admission is free, Bentonville.

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Father’s Day

3rd Annual Father’s Day Blues Picnic, Eureka Springs.

First Serve Tennis Camp at Alma City Park 16th – 20th.

Cooper Clinic Weight Loss Seminar 6:30pm, Fort Smith.

Kiddie Camp: F is for Fish at Janet Huckabee Nature Center, Fort Smith.

Drop in and Draw at Fort Smith Regional Art Museum 12pm.

5K Color Vibe, Fayetteville.

20th Annual Riverfront Blues Festival 20th – 21st, Fort Smith.

3rd Annual True Grit Ride 100 at Ben Geren Park, Fort Smith.

Mt. Magazine Butterfly Festival, Paris.

Tri-Sport Kid’s Triathlon, Fayetteville.

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Ozark Valley Triathlon, Fayetteville.

First Serve Tennis Camp at Creekmore Park 23rd – 27th, Fort Smith.

Take a Family Tour of Crystal Bridges, Bentonville.

Control garden pests naturally! Find out how, page 36.

Fall in love with this month’s Do Gooder, Travis St. Amant, page 26.

17th Annual Buffalo River Elk Festival 27th – 28th, Jasper.

28th Annual Purple Hull Pea Festival and World Championship Rotary Tiller Race, Emmerson.

29 30 Dine out today at River City Deli, you’ve earned it.

Combat your pet’s allergies, page 25.

Submit your event to editors @dosouthmagazine.com

How to Choose: A Mango Don’t focus on color, judge by feel. Ripe mangos yield to gentle pressure. Ready to eat mangos have a fruity aroma at the stem.

An Avocado Select avocados dark in color – not bright green.

Ripe avocados yield to gentle pressure. Avoid fruit with large indentions, this indicates bruising.

See our recipes using mangos & avocados, page 54.

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entertainment Beth, have two children, and they are the anchor that keeps all the friends together.

While Hank stayed on the farm, his classmate Lee left town, became a rock star, and traveled the world, sending gifts from China or Africa back to his high school pals. He is the most famous of the group, and the entire town thrives on its connection to him and his music. It was his first album, Shotgun Lovesongs, which he wrote and produced in a modified chicken coop, that brought him his first success. Lee periodically returns to a farm he owns in Little Wing to rest from his tours. He drives his tractor around his land, and spends time with Hank and Beth’s family. He also supports Ronny, an alcoholic bull-rider and rodeo champion whose numerous head injuries have left him less the man he once was. Ronny still has his strong rodeo physique and kind spirit, and it is his character that I liked the most.

Another friend, Kip, made millions as a commodities trader in Chicago. He is the least liked and understood, and that plays a role in what happens when he returns to Little Wing for his wedding and extravagant reception.

As the pals gather for the wedding, they find it difficult to not let jealousy and old wounds fester. Before Hank and Beth were married, Lee and Beth were involved, and neither has quite gotten over it. In fact, on a night when the alcohol is flowing, Lee decides to tell Hank how he feels about Beth, a confession that threatens to tear the group apart.

Shotgun Lovesongs

And as we explore the friends’ lives, we’re also getting a good look

By Nickolas Butler St. Martin’s Press, 304 pages: $2590

at small town America, with its quirks and charm, and we start to understand what it means to be part of a community where

review Anita Paddock

everyone seems to know what’s going on in everyone else’s life.

S

hotgun Lovesongs is Nickolas Butler’s first novel. Set in

Butler uses Wisconsin, with its fertile soil and hard winters, as if

the fictional town of Little Wing, Wisconsin, it follows a

it’s another one of the book’s main characters. This is where the

group of friends in their early forties. All are tied to their

author grew up, and where he now lives.

hometown, and even those who left for bigger places and bigger lives, keep returning to the place where they grew up. The draw

Shotgun Lovesongs is a compelling story, filled with insight into

is not only the town they know so well, but each other. These

what makes our friendships last through good times and bad,

two things, their complicated friendships and the allure of small

what keeps us longing for home, and what makes us love the

town America, drive this remarkable story.

ones we do.

Each of the characters helps tell their story. There’s Hank, who struggles to keep the family farm in business. He and his wife,

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entertainment number about a woman who’s walking away from a relationship that would likely drag her down if she stayed.

The duet with Kenny Rogers, “You Can’t Make Old Friends,” is a beautiful, sentimental number. The two, best known for their earlier collaboration on “Islands In The Stream,” ask the question: “What will I do when you’re gone?/Who’s gonna tell me the truth?” Their voices work perfectly together, and the emotion rings true. The same can be said for “From Here To The Moon And Back,” the duet Dolly sings with Willie Nelson. There is something brilliant about long-lasting friendship, about loving people who finish your sentences, who have your back no matter what.

If there’s a misstep on this album it is “Lover Du Jour,” a fun little number Dolly wrote, with a few French lines in it, which

Blue Smoke

she butchers about like I would. Dolly, actress, amusement park owner, founder of the Imagination Library for kids, can do

Dolly Parton: $12

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whatever she wants, but there are some things she just shouldn’t.

review Marla Cantrell

olly Parton explores her ties to her Tennessee home in her forty-second studio album, Blue Smoke. The sixty-eightyear-old, pint-sized beauty (she’s not quite five feet tall),

has been recording since she was thirteen, and some of her best work is on this collection, with its mountain music, bluegrass, and traditional country. It doesn’t hurt that there are also two duets:

In a recent interview, Dolly talked about this album, and her intent to keep producing music as long as she can. She also spoke about her rags to riches story, and the home she left in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, just after she graduated from high school, when she headed to Nashville. Her mother told her she could always come home, and that was a great comfort to her.

one with Kenny Rogers and another with Willie Nelson.

But once she was there, she met a man named Carl Dean at the

One of the standout tracks is “Home,” a song about missing the

married today.

Wishy Washy Laundromat. They married in 1966, and are still

place she left at seventeen. She sings about longing for her old front porch swing, the old songs she grew up hearing, the old

As for her looks, she claims she had no idea what glamour was so

fishing hole that calls her back.

she started fixing herself up like the tramp from her hometown:

Another stellar selection is the title track, “Blue Smoke.” On it,

although it’s not her looks that make her one of the best country

tight skirts, big blonde hair. Whatever she did, it certainly worked,

she sings about leaving a man who did her wrong. “I left the station straight up midnight./Feelin’ lonely, lost and blue./In a trail of blue smoke with my heart broke I said good-bye to you.” The song is quintessential Dolly, the writing spectacular, the backup singers sounding like the four-part harmony sung in country churches every Sunday.

artists of all time. It’s her talent, pure and simple.

About ten years ago she told a reporter that she had to get rich to sing the songs she wanted to sing. She likely meant the bluegrass-infused music that features the kind of gospel harmony she grew up singing. This album is certainly that music.

And it’s incredibly good.

The most surprising number is “Don’t Think Twice,” written by Bob Dylan in 1962. When he sang it, it came off as a melancholy

D O SO U TH R AT I N G : 9 O U T O F 10

tune about a man leaving a woman who barely understands what went wrong. Dolly’s rendition turns the song into a triumphant DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

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people

Shine On, Shinola words Marla Cantrell images courtesy Shinola

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In midtown Detroit, on the fifth floor of the College for Creative

would be a fantastic city to establish our headquarters. There’s

Studies, employees at the Shinola Company are working with

not been a day that’s gone by that we haven’t felt that we made

concentrated effort. The place is meticulously clean, light

an incredibly good decision.”

streams through tall windows, and those putting together the company’s signature watches are decked out in white shoes,

One of the main things they wanted to build were watches, top

white lab coats, white hairnets. Watch-making on this scale in

quality, at a competitive price. They partnered with Ronda, a

this country - think Swiss standard - was thought to be extinct

Swiss watch movement manufacturer, so they were confident

until Shinola came along.

they would have the equipment and training they needed.

What they didn’t know was whether they could find the right

But it did come along, in 2011, to a city known for its geniuses.

workforce. Watch-making requires steady hands, concentration

Henry Ford, John and Horace Dodge, Ransom E. Olds, David

and accuracy, since many of the pieces are extremely small.

Dunbar Buick, Walter P. Chrysler, all have ties to Detroit, and

But they did, getting tons of applications, including those from

their work led to some of the world’s greatest automobile

former workers in the auto industry. After training, they found

manufacturing innovations. Because of them, Detroit became

these new employees were as excited as they were.

known as the Motor City, and gained recognition across the globe.

Another plus was Shinola’s location. “We’re probably the only Those grand successes are just part of a much more complex story.

manufacturing facility in a college, in the United States.” (The

The auto industry faltered in 2009 during the Great Recession.

building first belonged to General Motors, was built in the

Gas prices rose, and buyers, if they could afford a car at all,

1920s and ‘30s, and is where the automatic transmission was

bought mostly small, energy efficient models, and not the SUVs

developed.) Shinola has 60,000 square feet, and they’ve just

American carmakers had been promoting before the economy

started producing their own leather watchstraps. There are

tanked. This was just one more blow to a city that had been in

currently seventy employees in their watch division. One of

financial trouble for far too long. Today, Detroit is in bankruptcy,

them is a former patrolman for the college, who stopped by

the largest municipal filing in U.S. history. Abandoned factories

while the company was moving in, just to see what was going

sit idle, the population has been shrinking, and city-owned

on. He applied shortly after, began working on the line, and is

foreclosed houses are being auctioned at bargain basement

now one of the line leaders.

prices, with bids often starting as low as $1,000.

The handcrafted watches take nine to ten days to assemble. The Still, none of these facts worry Shinola. “It’s an iconic city,” CEO

back of each watch is engraved with a serial number, and the

Steve Bock says. “We felt it would be a wonderful place, given

words: “Built in Detroit.” As for distribution, it’s not widespread,

we want to build things in the United States and we felt Detroit

and that’s by design. You can buy a Shinola watch in their stores,

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people

one in Detroit and another in Tribeca, New York. A few high-

When Steve first talked about why he loved Detroit, he

end department stores carry the watches, as well as carefully

mentioned its rich history, its contributions not just to the

selected locations in other parts of the nation, including John

automobile industry but to music as well. It is worth noting that

Mays Jewelers in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

songwriter Berry Gordy, Jr., who founded Motown Records in Detroit in 1960, changed the course of music with his albums

Still, the word is spreading. “President Clinton, ten days ago, he

by artists like Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5, and

spent almost two hours in our factory and in our store in Detroit,

Dianna Ross. He bought a house on West Grand Boulevard,

meeting with everyone…I think Shinola piqued his interest. He

lived with his family on the upper level, and built his empire on

certainly seems to appreciate the quality and design of our

the first floor.

watches. We’ve seen pictures of him wearing our watches for several months now. Having him there was fantastic for

That was a long time ago, but not so long that we don’t

everyone at Shinola, and certainly a validation for everything

remember, that we aren’t glad Gordy took a chance, that he

we’re doing.”

believed America was ready for something new, and that he succeeded. In the decades to come, the same could be said

Last year, they made 50,000 watches and sold every one of

for Shinola, a company that believes in American ingenuity, so

them. They plan to produce three times as many this year. Steve

much so they went to one of its most vulnerable cities to build

says when he’s out and sees someone wearing a Shinola watch

something that could stand the test of time.

that it’s a “humbling and fulfilling moment.”

The company also carries other American built products including handcrafted bicycles and leather goods, and they’re

Shinola watches are available at John Mays Jewelers

looking into other products that fit their brand. Since its

at 1401 South Waldron Road, Suite 103, in Fort Smith,

inception, Shinola has created about 260 jobs, not enough to

Arkansas. 479.452.2140, JohnMaysJewelers.com.

move the needle in a slow growing economy, but more than enough to prove how much buyers want to invest in companies

For more on the Shinola Company, visit shinola.com.

that invest in the U.S. “If you can help by creating jobs and helping people build careers and start learning new processes, it becomes a very compelling story, and a very exciting one,” Steve says.

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The only time you can pick your friend and your family.

Adopt your furry soulmate.

AHIMSA’s mission is to place needy animals in responsible homes, provide humane education, and encourage spaying and neutering because there are not enough homes.

M

F

M

Elmore M

Contessa F

Mason M

Prosecco

Paige

Riley

AhimsaRescueFoundation.org Images Tessa Freeman

Ahimsa Rescue Foundation, Muldrow, OK Facebook.com/AhimsaRescueFoundation savingpaws@aol.com

Ahimsa Rescue Foundation is an all-volunteer team, founded in 2004, specializing in the rescue and placement of abused, unwanted and abandoned companion animals from eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas. All pets are spayed or neutered, micro-chipped and vet-checked before being adopted to carefully screened homes.

Ahimsa’s mission is to place needy animals in responsible homes, provide humane education, and encourage spaying and neutering because not enough homes are available. Contact: Savingpaws@aol.com

Each month, Do South donates this page to local and regional non-profit animal shelters. If you work with a shelter and would like to reserve this space, please email editors@dosouthmagazine.com.

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Dog Gone Crazy Allergies and Your Furry Friend Words Dr. Rusty Henderson, D.V.M. Eastside Animal Health Center, Fort Smith

Pollen is not only blowing around in the breeze, it’s also sticking to every surface it contacts. Has your fur child been driving you crazy with their scratching, licking and chewing? How about their sneezing and wheezing? Welcome to the land of atopic dermatitis — a close cousin to the human variety, otherwise known as hay fever.

Spring and summer bring on an abundance of allergy related issues. Some pets are so predictable that you can set your calendar by their clinical signs. So what is an allergy anyway? Basically, it’s a body’s overreaction (hypersensitivity) to some molecule (allergen) in its environment.

The body encounters a strange form of matter and the primary instinct is to go into turbo protection mode. Much like the overacting done on some soap operas, the immune system performs its job to the extreme.

When we get hay fever it’s usually due to some airborne substance like pollen. We get teary eyes and sneezing attacks. Left untreated, hay fever may develop into sinus issues that leave us miserable and cranky.

When your dog encounters allergens, the leading symptom is usually severe itching. Often it’s accompanied by licking their runny nose, rubbing their face on the carpet, sneezing, watery eyes, and chewing on their paws.

One characteristic of this type of allergy is brownish stains on their paws. The skin is red and warm to the touch. This is usually seen in dogs between the ages of one and three, rarely younger than six months of age. It’s believed heredity plays a huge role (This is commonly found in most terrier breeds, especially West Highland and Wirehaired fox terriers). Poodles, Pomeranians, Schnauzers, Boxers, and Pugs seem to be more susceptible to

this condition. The color of the dog’s fur plays a role as well.

White, blue, silver, tan, and gray coats are seen most often.

Typically, mild symptoms appear in August and September when ragweed season peaks. With spring, March through June, other pollens enter the picture, causing itching. Your dog may also react to other allergens like wool, house dust, molds, perfumes, etc. The problem, left unattended, can develop into a year-round event.

The method for both diagnosis and treatment vary. In some cases, a simple antihistamine is all that’s needed. There are other cases where the dog might be allergic to everything in the environment. These dogs require extreme measures such as hypo-sensitization injections, and removal of the allergen from their environment. Steroids can be used with care, as can over the counter anti-allergen such as Claritin.

As always, be responsible and check with your veterinarian before giving any medication purchased over the counter to your pet.

There are many different causes of pet allergies. It’s important to note that atopic dermatitis can be confused with other allergies like flea allergy, contact dermatitis, and food allergies, just to mention a few.

If your pet is experiencing any of these symptoms, be sure to check with your veterinarian to provide them with seasonal allergy relief.

Have a question you’d like to see answered here?

Email it to editors@DoSouthMagazine.com.

Information contained in this article should not be construed as specific medical advice for your pet. If you have a concern about your pet, contact your veterinarian.

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people

Travis St. A mant words Marla Cantrell Image Jeromy Price

Travis was nominated as a Do South Do-Gooder by his brother, Aaron.

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people Travis St. Amant pulls up in his golf cart on a Friday morning

where he’s ridden as far as twenty-one miles in a day. He has a

bright with sun. He is stopping just long enough to tell his story,

deep sea fishing trip in Mexico coming up with his uncle soon,

and when he’s finished he’ll return to mowing the grounds of

and he’s been up in a glider. And then there’s the trip to Vegas.

the Fort Smith National Historic site. There are thirty-five acres

When he talks about it, he smiles wide, his eyes brighten, he

Travis helps tend, all of it surrounding Judge Isaac C. Parker’s

taps his work boots repeatedly.

courthouse, on land where the original fort was established, But none of that compares to another trip that’s fast

back in 1817.

approaching. He’s getting ready to go to Special Touch, a camp Today, schoolchildren scramble from rows of yellow buses. It is

in Colcord, Oklahoma. The website describes the camp as “a

a busy time, the end of the school year, and field trips invariably

premier retreat experience for people with disabilities.” Travis

involve this place, so beautifully maintained that several

was thirty-five the first year he attended. His pastor talked to

families have also shown up to have picnics here, in clear view

him about the camp, told him the church would handle the cost

of the Arkansas River where a mama goose and her five goslings

of sending him, and Travis remembers thinking that he didn’t

swim in a neat row near the grassy banks.

need to go; he didn’t have a disability. But his pastor persisted and he gave in.

Travis, who’s forty-one, looks sharp in his brown uniform. A white T-shirt shows at his neckline. His boots are sturdy. He

What he remembers about that first year is the great need he

stands five feet two inches tall, he’s slightly built, and he’s

saw in some of the other campers. Their ages ranged from about

wearing glasses. It is not until he steps away from the golf cart

six years old to seventy, and he came to understand that they

and speaks that you realize he struggles with certain things. “If I

could use someone like him, someone who saw life as a great

think about what I’m going to say, then it’s easier,” he confides,

adventure despite the hardships his body offered up each and

although it is not difficult to understand him, as long as you

every day.

pay attention. “And when I walk I have to remember to kick my heels out. I can remember my dad telling me, ‘Travis, kick your

The next year he went back, but as a helper and not a camper,

heels out.’ You don’t have to think about those things; they’re

and each year since he’s continued to do so. It is a great joy

automatic, but I do.”

to him, this ability to give back, and he’s developed strong friendships with those he meets at Special Touch. “I don’t need

The reason Travis has to consider the words he says and the way

to be served,” Travis says, and then shakes his head. “I need to

he walks is because he has cerebral palsy. The diagnosis came

be serving others.”

when he was two or three. But his journey started much earlier.

“I was born D.O.A.,” Travis says, “and I was brought back to life. It

One of the best things about Travis is his ease in making friends.

took me five minutes to breathe, and twenty minutes to breathe

He is so genuinely open, so outgoing, that it’s easy to see how

on my own without oxygen.”

it happens. He starts telling stories about his best buddies and the list keeps growing. He talks about his time in high school,

Travis describes what it was like growing up. “There were five

in Muldrow, Oklahoma. He couldn’t play football but his brother

kids, and when I was younger I played baseball and basketball.

Aaron did, and, oh, how Travis loved to watch. He kept showing

I was just Travis, just another one of the kids. I wasn’t any

up at football practice until the coach finally offered to make

different to them. I wasn’t picked on any more or any less. My

him the team manager. He describes the duties: washing

mom always said, ‘You can do anything you put your mind to.’”

uniforms, making sure the players had water, showing up for two-a-day practices in the heat of the Oklahoma summer. Each

One of the hindrances of cerebral palsy is that Travis’ muscles

year the team did well, making it at least to the first round of

hurt, more so as he gets older, he says. Sometimes, at the end of

state playoffs. Travis got to know a ton of people, and he became

a long week all he can think about is getting home, crawling into

part of something extraordinary. “I traveled all over Oklahoma

bed, and resting up. But he rarely does that. He loves mountain

on that yellow bus,” Travis says.

biking, and often he’ll show up at Chaffee Crossing in Fort Smith

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people

Eventually, he was helping the boys’ baseball and basketball

As he’s talking, he keeps mentioning people who make his life

teams as well. In a town the size of Muldrow, which is now about

better. “You wouldn’t believe how many friends I have,” Travis says,

3,500, a lot of the residents show up to urge on the Bulldogs,

and then he tells a story of his closest buddy. “My best friend Mike

and many of those fans fell in love with Travis, who was always

and I were talking in the car last week. I had taken some medicine

smiling, always trying to make life a little easier for the team.

for my muscles and Mike asked me why I was taking the pills, and I said, ‘Because I have CP,’ and he said, ‘Oh, I forgot you had that.’”

When he finished high school he attended college, both in

It is at this point Travis grows quiet. He moves his glasses off his

Arkansas and Oklahoma. What he loved more than anything,

face and wipes his eyes, and he shakes his head at the wonder of

though, was manual labor, and so he left school and found work,

people who see him the way he sees himself.

sometimes holding down two jobs at a time. When the position at the historic site came open, he couldn’t wait to apply.

The sun is hovering overhead now, and the wind is kicking across the grounds of the historic site. The buses are starting up

During his interview, they asked if he could operate a zero-

and schoolchildren rush to climb aboard. Travis looks across the

turn mower. He’d driven them only a few feet at a time when

thirty-five acres, so pristine they look like a postcard. His face

he worked at a home improvement store, but that was the

lights up again, and he climbs aboard the golf cart. There’s a

extent of his experience. Still, he assured them he could, and

mower waiting for him, and he’s ready to get back at it. He can’t

then he called one of his friends who sells mowers, who told

imagine a better way to spend an afternoon in May, the smell

him to come on over. He practiced like crazy, and he was ready

of cut grass rising through the air, the world made better by a

when the call came that he’d gotten the job. Travis is beaming

little order, a bit of tidying up, by a few more hours doing the

as he talks about his work here. This place, so full of history,

work he loves.

beautifully preserved, carefully maintained, fills him with pride.

The conversation then turns to a former Muldrow football player

When asked to describe his life, he calls it a full one, filled with

who is now a preacher in Morrilton. He recently asked Travis

friends and family, blessed by God. He has every reason, he

to share his testimony with his church and Travis accepted. He

says, to be happy, and so he tries to be, without fail, all the time.

stood at the pulpit and he talked about his incredible life. “With

It is a spectacular way to live, and holds so many lessons for the

God, all things are possible,” he told the congregation.

rest of us that they could fill an entire book.

Nominate a Do-Gooder!

Each month, Do South Magazine features the story of someone in our community who is making the world a better place. If you have someone you’d like to nominate, email editors@dosouthmagazine.com.

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Our Guide to

245

$

J&B Supply

$

58

The Home Brew

jandbsupply.com

etsy.com/shop/thehomebrew

20$to 90

$

150

$

Stiles Eye Group

Farmers COOP

stileseyegroup.com

farmercoop.com

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Our Guide to

7

350to $ 2,500

$ to $

$

330

Yeagers Hardware

John Mays Jewelers

yeagershardware.com

johnmaysjewelers.com

12 to $ 161

16$to 80

$

Jennifer’s Gift Shop at Sparks Health System sparkshealth.com

$

Kuk Sool Won of the River Valley

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kswoftherivervalley.com

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BEHIND the CURTAIN words & Images Catherine Frederick INSPIRATION Pinterest®

My house has twenty-two windows.

No curtains, just mini-blinds. Most days it’s like living in a fishbowl. I’ve searched for curtains that I love for various rooms in the house, but we’ve lived here for more than ten years and I still haven’t found any that I love, or that I’m willing to sell off an organ to pay for.

We recently remodeled my step-daughter’s room and hung white cotton curtains on her windows. Those curtains allow in every beam of light and in the morning her room lights up like Sun Base One. After searching Pinterest® for some design inspiration, I came across no-sew curtains. Since I don’t own a sewing machine, this was right up my alley — not to mention the fact they’re made with canvas drop cloths you can buy at any home improvement store!

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BEFORE »

AFTER »

METHOD »

M AT E R I A L S » 8oz Canvas Drop Cloth

1. Fold the cut vertical edge in 1” and iron to create a fold.

Acrylic Paint

2. Open the fold, apply fabric tape, peel off backing and press to create hem.

Foam Brush Blue Painters Tape

3. Measure sections for stripes. Apply painters tape to the canvas, press firmly to section off stripes as desired at the hemmed end of the canvas.

Permanent Fabric Tape (You can also use Stitch Witchery® or hot glue.)

Clip Rings

4. Use acrylic paint in colors of choice to fill in the stripes. Let dry completely.

Drop cloths come in varied lengths and widths. I bought a 6’ X 9’ so I could cut it in half lengthwise and have two, 9’ tall panels, each 3’ wide.

5. Carefully remove painters tape to reveal stripes.

Start with a washed and dried, ironed canvas drop cloth. Cut the cloth in half lengthwise – this will give you three prehemmed edges.

Determine the desired height of the curtains. Cut the top portion of the canvas 2” taller than the desired final length. Fold the top cut edge in 1”, then iron it to create a fold. Open the fold, apply fabric tape, peel off backing and press to create hem. Space clip rings equally on the top of each canvas panel. Clip on rings and slide rings into curtain rod and, Voilá! No sew, custom curtains.

If stripes aren’t your thing, you can also use stencils which come in a variety of designs at most hobby stores.

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garden

Beneficial Bugs Benefit Your Garden words Tiffany Selvey

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

garden

I

n common garden terms, we refer to dealing with garden

Lacewings:

pests as “pest control.” Let’s get this out of the way up front –

insect that love to feast on aphids. Lacewing larvae do most

Lacewings are another group of beneficial

there is no such thing as pest control. Trying to control pests

of the work, eating small

is much like trying to control other elements of nature, such as

insects like aphids and

rain and heat. We can be proactive and manage our response, but

mites, as well as the eggs

we cannot 100% control nature.

of many other pests, such as caterpillars and beetles.

In spite of the doom and gloom those words might imply, there is good news. Understanding that you can’t control much of what you cannot see allows you to be partners with your garden and with nature. When we stop trying to control, the fear of loss, and the frustration that goes along with it, is gone. Will you lose some crops? Yes. Count on it. Will you lose everything? Barring a biblical-type plague of locusts, probably not.

Parasitic Wasps: Due to their sting, we typically want to avoid anything with “wasp” in the name. However, parasitic wasps are beneficial insects that don’t sting. These insects feed on the larvae and eggs of pests, like beetles and flies.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the parasitic wasp is that it lays its eggs inside the flesh of damaging caterpillars.

The eggs hatch and the larvae eat their way out of the pest,

Throughout history, mankind managed to garden without chemicals, and so can we, by attracting and making use of

killing it. This is particularly useful for tomato hornworms, which can do a lot of damage in a very short time.

beneficial insects.

{ Laws of Attraction } Blooming plants are the key to attracting beneficial insects. You

{ Beneficial Insects }

must provide a source of nectar, as well as unwanted pests to

I’m a big fan of beneficial insects, not only because they’re fun

keep beneficial insects happy. Plants with small blooms are

to watch, but because I’m a busy lady and they do a lot of my

preferred by beneficial insects and pollinators. Yarrow, cilantro

work for me. Using beneficial insects in the garden is referred to

(coriander), dill, fennel and lemon balm attract beneficials. For

as “biological control.” Here are a few of my favorites:

herbs that you will harvest, be sure to allow some of the plants to bloom. Plan on planting some for you, and some for them.

Ladybugs: Last year aphids attacked my gourds. Being a pesticide-free gardener, instead of killing them off, I let them devour the gourds, knowing ladybugs would arrive to feast on the aphids. A bit later in the season, I had an infestation of some kind of critter on my asparagus. Within a day of seeing the critters, tons of ladybug larvae moved in to do battle. It was the biggest, yet slowest battle ever. While those little larvae feasted on this mystery pest, they continued to develop into full grown ladybugs, so not only did they take care of my pest problem, I also got a front row seat to watch their daily growth and development. (If you think humans go through some awkward teenage years, you should see the inbetween stages of ladybug development.) How do you suppose I had so many ladybugs to help out with the critters on my asparagus? I made sure there was a food source for them. In this case, the aphids that had earlier destroyed my gourds brought in loads of ladybugs that stayed to lay eggs. One

Some beneficial insects can be purchased and released into the garden. Ladybugs, for example, can be bought and shipped, then released to feed on existing pest populations in the garden, saving time and damage.

We are also becoming more aware of declining bee populations.

While bees do not control unwanted pests, they are crucial to your garden. This is the primary reason I don’t use pesticides; getting rid of a few pests isn’t worth killing my most valuable pollinators.

Pesticides are indiscriminate; if it will kill a pest, it will kill a beneficial insect. Bees fertilize our blooming plants by moving pollen from the male blooms and depositing it on the female blooms as the bee moves between flowers to collect nectar.

failed crop was definitely worth it.

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garden

{ There’s a Fungus Among Us }

way around the stem of young plants, including tomatoes, corn and peppers, thus cutting and killing the plant. A good cultural control is keeping the stems protected for the first few weeks until the plant is too large to be susceptible. A drinking straw, slit lengthwise and placed around the tender seedling stem will prevent cutworms from snacking.

Beer: For slugs, death by beer is probably the easiest cultural control method. Place a shallow dish in the ground - the top even with the soil surface. Fill it with beer and the slugs will go in for a drink and drown.

By changing the way we think, moving from “pest control”

Mildew isn’t officially a pest, but I want to cover it, because it’s pretty darn pesky. The most common form of fungi in the garden is powdery mildew. It looks just like the name implies - like a thin powder on the leaves of plants. Most commonly, it appears

to “pest management”, we become partners, working in cooperation with nature. Chemical-free practices not only create a healthier garden, but a healthier environment, and ultimately, a healthier you!

when days and nights are warm and humid, and very often on the tops of larger leaves like those on squash and gourds, but can show up on just about any crop. There’s no need to buy a special fungicide for this minor problem. A simple mixture of 40% milk and 60% water in a spray bottle works if used at the first sign of mildew. Occasionally black mold will appear on malformed fruits. Remove those fruits and send them to compost (unless you also suspect a pest issue) to prevent rot from spreading to the rest of the plant.

{ Cultural Controls } Dealing with pests culturally means making changes to the

Master Gardener and writer, Tiffany Selvey, resides

environment where the pest resides in order to prevent damage

with her family and pets on a half-acre city plot in

to your plants. Here are a few examples:

Northwest Arkansas. She grows unconventional items, her family’s daily food, and enough to

Aluminum Foil: Squash vine borers are a type of moth. The moth bores a hole in the stem of the squash plant, laying its eggs inside. The larvae eat their way out, destroying the

preserve. Tiffany gardens outside the box with reckless abandon. Find her on Facebook at SongbirdGardensAR or at Songbird-gardens.com.

structure of the stem, killing the plant. Wrapping the stem of squash plants with aluminum foil makes that area of the plant inaccessible and the moth will find another place to lay her eggs. Planting borer resistant varieties is also a good cultural control. I’ve had good luck with Benning’s Green Tint summer squash and Tatume squash.

Drinking Straws: Cutworms can be a big problem when small plants are first transplanted outdoors. They eat all the

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people Seventy miles down the road is Alma, and there, just behind McDonald’s, is Bryant Preserving Company, a business that’s been operating in this town of 5,470 since 1947. The company is best known for its Old South brand of pickled products, which includes vegetables like

Scotty Wallace

baby corn, mushrooms, carrots, jalapeño slices, cocktail onions, and watermelon rind. One of their most unique products is Tomolives, a tiny tomato that’s used as a martini garnish.

Once a week Scotty shows up to work, something he’s been doing since 1986, after he retired as president of Atkins Pickle Company, where he’d spent thirtyfive years. He helps Bryant Preserving develop new products, from start to finish, and consults on things like pricing, quality control and processing. Where his genius lies is in the formulas, or in layman’s terms, the recipes. His success lies in the quality of spices he uses, but it’s also in his knowledge of what flavors work together. “Salt, pepper and garlic taste good together,” he says. “Clove, cinnamon and basil are good together.

There’s a bit of sugar in our asparagus, so it tastes dilly with a smooth background. words Marla Cantrell IMAGES Catherine Frederick and Jeromy Price

The asparagus is my favorite thing we produce here.”

It’s one of those bright spring mornings,

One of the things he likes best is that they

cool, mild, gorgeous. Wildflowers sprout

are as excited as he is about developing

near roadways, new leaves spring from the

new products. Some companies produce a

awakening trees, and Scotty Wallace, ninety-

line of products and stick to it, never veering

two years old, is heading to work.

too far off the beaten path. Scotty can’t abide that approach. “I’m a development

As he leaves his home in Russellville, Arkansas,

guy,” he says, “through and through.”

he passes the sign he installed years ago. Inside a wood and brick frame hangs a giant fiberglass

He’s also the Wikipedia of pickling, and

pickle, and on it is his family name. “People use

begins talking about “pure culture,” a

it as a landmark,” Scotty says. “They’ll say, ‘Go

process that allows producers to control

to the third house past the pickle.’”

the fermentation in the tank. And then he

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people begins using words that begin with lactobacillus and then trail

As Scotty kept growing, those in his field took notice. He

off into multi-syllable phrases you’d need a chemistry degree

was elected president of Pickle Packers International, the

to decipher.

organization Scotty calls the governing body of the pickling industry, which has been around since the 1800s, and has

He explains the process as easily as he can, though it’s still a tad

members in seventeen countries. He also served for years

complicated. He smiles, sees he’s losing his audience, and then

on the group’s research committee. They’d hold conventions,

says, “Here’s a fun fact for you. Pickle consumption in America is

and at one in Chicago, they decided to try something that had

nine pounds per person per year, which is a pretty high number.

not been done before. “They had some bombardiers [soldiers

In Germany, they eat only six pounds of sauerkraut per person

whose job was to release bombs] and they took them up to a

per year.”

tall, tall building, and they had them drop off pickles into pickle barrels below.”

It’s taken him seventy-three years in the business to acquire the kind of knowledge that mixes science with trivia. But even

Scotty laughs as he remembers. What they were trying to do,

before that, he was learning about pickling. “My dad was fifty

he says, was make pickles popular, to show they were a lot

years ahead of me,” he says, and then tells the story of the way

of fun. And the effort was paying off. Pickles were growing in

things were way back then. Schoolchildren earned a quarter

popularity, and companies producing them were popping up

an acre by picking cucumbers. They’d bring them to local

across the nation.

brining stations where the cucumbers would be put into tanks to be turned into pickles. Scotty’s dad got into the business, going from Michigan to Colorado to Wisconsin, and finally to Minnesota, where Scotty spent his early years.

So Scotty grew up around the business, but didn’t plan to make it his life’s work. World War II came along, and he became a flight instructor for the army. His only brother, also a pilot, was killed in Stuttgart, Germany. When Scotty came home, his father needed help in his sauerkraut plant. Scotty got to work, and did so well he was moved to the main pickling plant, finally becoming the vice president of the company. He eventually made it to General Mills in Dallas, and after that to Atkins Pickles.

At the same time, Scotty was starting to write academic papers, and lecturing. He traveled to Seville, Spain in the 1980s. “We

All along the way he was learning. In the early days, the lessons

weren’t within 3,500 miles of an olive tree over here but we still

came from his father, and later from the schooling he received

went over there to try to tell them how to pickle olives,” he says,

from the army, and finally from the decade he spent attending

and shakes his head. He’s traveled to Paris and Scotland and the

night school at the University of Minnesota. He took courses

Caribbean because of his job, and he’s worked with big names,

like Statistical Sampling, things he knew he needed to know.

like Burger King, on the flavoring of their pickles.

“I didn’t earn a degree, but I think I got the equivalent of one.”

At Bryant Preserving, he’s made a colossal impact. The products But not all of his success can be traced back to the classroom.

he’s helped develop make up two-thirds of their inventory. The

While in Minnesota he also joined Toastmasters International,

company employs thirty-eight full time workers year round, and

a non-profit club that promotes leadership skills, including

that number rises to sixty-five during their peak season. And each

public speaking. “We met every Friday for about twelve years. I

year they go through two and a half million pounds of produce.

learned to express myself in front of an audience, and I’ve given a lot of talks. To be able to think on your feet is vital. I thank

As he’s talking, he walking through the plant. Today they’re

Toastmasters for a great education.”

processing pickled okra, and the air smells of vinegar and spice,

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people The song is still played today, at pickle events, and has even been on the radio a few times. Scotty laughs, a sweet, deep sound, and then hands over a cassette tape that has the “Pickle Polka” on it.

It is growing close to the noon hour, and Scotty is finished for the day. He’s waiting for his daughter to pick him up. They’ll have lunch, they’ll head to a nearby casino for a little gambling, and then they’ll make their way home to Russellville. Scotty spends time cooking — he loves a good prime rib — and composing songs on his electric keyboard. He reads a lot, and does research online. Not so long ago he tended 2,000 orchids, something he loved but gave up when his health faltered for a time.

One of his greatest joys remains his weekly trip to Alma, where he always shows up at Bryant Preserving with snacks. This week it’s donuts, next week he may bring cookies. He’ll make his rounds, stopping to talk, asking after a co-worker’s daughter, checking on another who will ask him about a natural health remedy she’s sure he’s heard of. And then he’ll go to the lab, where gauges sit in neat rows, where everything he’s learned in the last seven decades comes into play. When asked who will take over if he ever decides to retire, he shakes his head and says, “Oh, I’m teaching everybody here,” though the statement sounds extremely underplayed. And then Scotty says this: “I’ve had a wonderful, diversified life. I’ve loved every day I’ve been in the pickle business. You talk about a man who loves his work, I do.”

Just as he says this, his daughter pulls into the parking lot. Once inside the car, he tips his cap, he smiles again and waves. And so strong it takes some getting used to. A forklift driver ambles

then he’s off, headed for adventure, absolutely certain his luck

by, and a dozen workers in hairnets work the assembly line, many

will hold.

of them in rubber aprons. Inside the lab, where he most often works, he goes straight to the apparatus that tests the salt level in their products, something that’s done every fifteen minutes.

Other instruments check acidity levels and sugar and pH levels.

For more on Bryant Preserving Company’s Old South pickled products, visit oldsouth.com.

Scotty is proud of the work he’s doing here. But then he adds that it’s not what he’s best known for. “I wrote the ‘Pickle Polka’

To hear the Pickle Polka, go to our homepage,

in 1985 or ‘86. That was my crowning glory,” he says, and then

DoSouthMagazine.com.

he begins to recite it. “Don’t be fickle, enjoy a pickle on each and every day. Be a smarty and have a party and chase the blues away. Oh, feel the power grasping a sour and make like old King Kong. Have a few beers, break out the dill spears and have a Pickle Polka time.”

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people

The Pickle Polka

By Scotty Wallace

Who likes pickles?

We like pickles!

Who likes pickles?

We like pickles!

Let’s all sing the pickle polka song!

Now don’t be fickle, enjoy a pickle on each and every day.

Or be a smarty and have a party and chase the blues away.

Oh feel the power, grasping a sour and make like old King Kong.

Just have a few beers, break out the dill spears and sing the Pickle Polka song.

There’s bread-and-butters made like your mudder’s to perk up every meal.

You can embellish your dogs with relish and that’s a darn good deal.

Now don’t be silly, swim with a dilly, with this you can’t go wrong.

So quit your jerkin’, reach for a gherkin and sing the Pickle Polka song.

There’s bread-and-butters made like your mudder’s to perk up every meal.

You can embellish your dogs with relish and that’s a darn good deal.

Now don’t be silly, swim with a dilly, with this you can’t go wrong. so quit your jerkin’ reach for a gherkin and sing the Pickle Polka song.

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people

Bonnie & Clyde: Outlaws in Arkansas WORDS Brenda Baskin IMAGES Public Domain

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people

I

n 1930, nineteen-year-old Bonnie Parker was working as

cars, held up strangers and kidnapped (then later released)

a waitress at Hargraves Café in Glass City, near Dallas. In

the occasional law enforcement official, just to prove they

her spare time, she read romance novels, wrote stories

could outsmart the men who were on their trail. When they

and poetry and dreamed of a far more glamorous life than

kidnapped ordinary citizens, it was usually to steal their cars

her Depression-era reality. A petite, pretty girl, she’d married

and get directions, and they’d often give their victims a little

Roy Thornton when she was only fifteen years old. From the

money for their time and trouble.

beginning, it was obvious that things weren’t going to be all hearts and roses. “I have a roaming husband with a roaming

Bonnie saw romance in it all, and wrote poetry to describe their

mind,” she confessed in her diary.

adventures. In the “Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde,” she seemed unrepentant of their crime spree, and described her man Clyde

After Roy was imprisoned for robbery, Bonnie tried to make ends

as a desperate, misunderstood sort with nothing left to lose.

meet while he served his five-year sentence. Although she’d given up on their marriage, she felt guilty about divorcing him while

They call them cold-blooded killers;

he was in the slammer. Hargraves Café had fallen on hard times,

They say they are heartless and mean;

and she began picking up extra money doing housework for a

But I say this with pride,

neighbor. That neighbor was dating Clyde Barrow, a petty thief

That I once knew Clyde

with a fifth-grade education, but their relationship ended when he

When he was honest and upright and clean.

met Bonnie. The two were instantly smitten with one another.

But the laws fooled around,

The youngest son of a sharecropper, Clyde also had big dreams.

And locking him up in a cell,

Like Bonnie, he yearned to escape his harsh, impoverished

Till he said to me,

life. He taught himself to play the saxophone, and at one time

“I’ll never be free,

considered a career in music. Aspiring to join the U.S. Navy, he’d

So I’ll meet a few of them in hell.”

Kept taking him down

even had “USN” tattooed on his arm. But he was rejected due to the aftereffects of a childhood illness, and instead continued

Both were small in stature (Clyde was five-feet, six and three-

the life of petty crime that had begun in his adolescence. By

quarters inches, Bonnie was four-foot-ten), but they left a

age eight, the court system deemed him “incorrigible.” His first

huge impression on the American public. During those tough,

formal arrest was for car theft at age seventeen. Shortly after

Depression-Era days, poor folks often rooted for the outlaws.

he and Bonnie met, he was jailed on an old burglary charge.

Tabloids published stories of gangsters’ exploits, and few were as

He escaped using a gun she smuggled in during a visit, but he

salacious as those of Bonnie and Clyde. Not only was the couple

was soon recaptured and sent to Eastham Prison Farm in Waldo,

“living in sin,” but Bonnie was still married to someone else.

Texas, where he was to begin serving a fourteen-year sentence.

The gang holed up in Joplin, Missouri for a while, and were His experience was so brutal that at one point, he cut off two

anything but low-key. They held loud, all-night card parties,

of his toes with an axe to avoid the hard labor prisoners had

and drank a case of beer a day. Neighbors reported them to

to endure. He was unaware that he was to be paroled six days

police after hearing gunfire. When officers decided to raid their

later, after having served two years of his sentence. When he

hideout, Clyde, Buck and another gang member killed two of

was released, Bonnie was waiting for him. She was still wearing

them and wounded one before escaping. Police discovered

Roy’s ring, but Clyde had won her heart.

some of Bonnie’s poetry, and a roll of film the couple had left behind. The flowery words and scandalous images were posted

The two immediately teamed up with various criminals, and

in newspapers across the country. There was little Bonnie,

after Clyde’s brother Buck was released from prison in 1933,

chewing a cigar and holding a gun, one foot propped up in a

he and his new wife Blanche joined them. For the next two

most unladylike fashion on the bumper of a car. Another image

years, the Barrow Gang traveled the country, robbing banks, gas

showed the lovebirds kissing; in another, Clyde hoisted Bonnie

stations and grocery stores from Texas to Minnesota. They stole

on his shoulder like a first-place trophy. The photos burned

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people the couple’s iconic image into the public’s mind. Bonnie never

it through town without incident, but coming over a hill, they

fired a shot during her years with Clyde, but from then on, she’d

crashed into the back of another car. Unaware of the crash

always be known as a gun-toting gangster moll.

victims’ identities, Humphrey and his deputy, A.M. Salyer, raced to the scene to help them. By the time they saw the Indiana

Clyde, determined to never again return to prison, killed anyone

tags, it was too late. Using one of their car doors as a shield,

he deemed a threat to his freedom. Thirteen people died during

Buck Barrow and W.D. Jones began shooting as the lawmen

the Barrow Gang’s crime spree, almost all of them law officers

approached. Marshal Humphrey, who had only been on the job

who cornered them. Bonnie and Clyde’s faces were now famous

for two months, was killed.

— they appeared in newspapers and on wanted posters.

Anonymity was impossible. The more people they killed, the

The outlaws fled in Salyer’s car. They abandoned it down the

more public sentiment turned against them. No longer able to

road and commandeered another, which they deserted near

rely on sympathetic citizens to help hide them, the gang often

Van Buren. Later accounts stated that they caught a ride into

traveled back roads and hid in the woods. But things changed

town with a farmer, hid out until nightfall, then crossed the

after Clyde crashed their car while speeding around a curve in

Frisco Railroad Bridge and walked back to the Dennis Tourist

Wellington, Texas in his stocking feet. The car rolled over several

Camp, at which point the entire Barrow Gang escaped.

times and landed on its side, pinning Bonnie underneath. Battery acid poured over her legs, burning her so badly that it appeared

By the end of their ten-day Arkansas stay, the Barrow Gang was

she’d die from her injuries. She refused to leave Clyde to go to

wanted for a number of offenses, including robbery, murder

the hospital. The Barrow Gang needed to find a place for her to

and assault. Albert Maxey, Van Buren’s sheriff, offered a $250

recuperate. They decided to head for Arkansas.

reward for the capture of either Clyde or Buck, but no one ever got the reward. Buck died of a gunshot wound the following

On June 15, 1933, Bonnie, Clyde, Buck, Blanche, and seventeen-

month, in Platte City, Missouri.

year-old gang member W.D. Jones checked into unit sixteen, a small cabin at the Dennis Tourist Camp, at the corner of Midland

On May 23, 1934, Bonnie and Clyde were killed in a police

and Waldron Avenues in Fort Smith. Bonnie and Clyde identified

ambush on a dusty rural road in Bienville Parish, Louisiana. Over

themselves to the proprietors as the “McCrays.” Before long, the

130 rounds of bullets were fired into their stolen car. Bonnie

gang had run low on cash. It was time for another crime spree.

was twenty-three years old; Clyde was twenty-five.

On the evening of June 22, Buck Barrow and W.D. Jones headed to Alma, while Clyde and Blanche stayed behind to tend to

Two weeks prior to their deaths, the fugitive sweethearts

Bonnie’s wounds.

secretly made one final visit to Texas, to see their families.

Bonnie handed her mother a poem, prophetically entitled “The

The two men tied up Henry Humphrey, Alma’s town marshal,

Trail’s End,” which ended with the lines:

as he patrolled the sidewalk in front of the Alma Commercial Bank. After stealing his flashlight and his gun, they tried

“Some day they’ll go down together

unsuccessfully to rob the bank’s safe.

they’ll bury them side by side.

To few it’ll be grief,

The following day, Buck and W.D. held up Nell Brown’s Grocery

to the law a relief

Store on Lafayette Street in Fayetteville, escaping with twenty

but it’s death for Bonnie and Clyde.”

dollars and a delivery truck, which they ditched a few blocks away. They decided to steal a less conspicuous vehicle instead,

Twenty-thousand people attended Bonnie’s funeral. Despite

a sedan with Indiana tags.

her daughter’s wishes, Mrs. Parker wouldn’t allow the couple to be buried together, and Clyde was interred at a cemetery

Police were alerted as the pair headed back toward Ft. Smith.

ten miles away, beside his brother Buck. Despite the distance,

This time, as they passed through Alma, Marshal Humphrey was

in the world’s imagination, Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde

on the lookout for them. Barrow and Jones would have made

Chestnut Barrow will forever remain inseparable.

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WORDS Stoney Stamper IMAGES courtesy Stoney and April Stamper

I

n February of 2012, my job relocated our family (my wife April, and daughters Emma, Abby, and Gracee) from Northeast

Oklahoma to east Texas. We had always lived in the country, and always had animals.

Unfortunately, we had to make the move quickly, and a home in the area with any amount of land, not to mention barns, was near nonexistent, or at least WAY too expensive.

So, I found us a nice home in the suburbs. It was in a nice neighborhood, sat on a large acre lot – it was spacious, and beautiful. We

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people moved in, made it a home, and enjoyed it. But still, something

Now, the girls wanted a pig. Oh, but not your regular, everyday,

was missing. That country lifestyle we’d all grown up in just

run-of-the-mill pig. Nope, no way. Why spend $10 on a pig,

wasn’t there. We wanted to hear the horses whinny from the

when you can spend $175? We needed a black and white,

pasture, to smell the honeysuckle in the breeze, to look out

spotted, micro-mini, potbelly pig. And that’s exactly what we

the door and see the kids playing without a neighbor in sight.

got. Enter Maxwell. I’d had show pigs growing up, and frankly, I

And I for one wanted to be able to pee in the backyard without

was never crazy about them, but that’s what the girls wanted, so

anyone noticing.

I was begrudgingly on board.

I knew we had to get out of the ‘burbs. We found a place we

When we brought Maxwell home, the girls giggled and goo-

loved, so we packed our things, grabbed our

gooed all over him. “Oh, he’s so adorable! He’s

girls, and moved exactly four miles away to a

just the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!”

nice piece of ground: seven acres, an arena and two barns. The house wasn’t as nice as what

And it was true. He was adorable. His pink little

we’d been living in, more of a fixer-upper, but I

nose and fat round belly would soften the

was up for the challenge.

hardest of men. But, as it turned out, he was also an accomplished escape artist. No amount

Now that we had all this room, with land and

of fencing could keep his fat little physique in

barns, what were we going to do? It didn’t

the yard. Every time we turned around, he was

take long for my animal loving girls to conjure

gone. The first few times, he was easy to find,

up all kinds of ideas, and I wasn’t completely

but on the fifth day, he disappeared and didn’t

prepared. Every day — no, every hour, they had

come back.

a new animal they wanted me to buy them.

They spent hours looking online at every kind

We took to Facebook, texted and called

of dog, cat, pig, goat, cow and horse you could

friends and neighbors, drove up and down the

ever imagine.

road, screaming out the truck windows as we looked for him. And you know what? It worked!

I did my best to be somewhat open-minded.

Someone on Facebook saw him down the road

After all, that’s exactly why we chose to move

in one of our neighbor’s backyard — humping

out to the country in the first place. But at the

a basketball. When I got down there, I saw

same time, I wasn’t ready to buy every damned

him. Hiding under their deck. But there was a

animal on the East Texas Swap n’ Shop website.

problem. Maxwell didn’t want to be caught. And

“Stoney, look at this puppy!” “Stoney, look at this baby goat!”

even though he was little and fat, he was as fast as a freakin’

“Babe, look at this horse!” It was endless.

mongoose. Me, April, and the neighbor chased him around the deck, the pool, and the house for over an hour, and I said words

But, eventually, I decided to play along. First, we were adopted

that would’ve made a sailor blush. Let me tell you, you’ve never

by a male blue heeler dog who made himself very comfortable

really lived until you have chased a micro-mini potbelly all over

at our place. He was a handsome, polite fellow. He knew

God’s creation trying to capture him with a fishing net. Alas, we

basic commands, even how to shake. Since I’d lost my canine

got him and took his fat butt back to the Ponderosa.

companion several months back, I decided to give him a home. No one knew who he was and he had no collar. He was

Next up the girls wanted a goat. But, just like the pig before him,

lovingly referred to as “Dog.” We enjoyed having him around.

it couldn’t be just a good ole $20 goat. Oh, no. We needed a

Unfortunately, I don’t think he enjoyed us quite as much

pygmy FAINTING goat. You know those cute little goats that get

because after a week, he ran away, never to be seen again. We

startled by loud noises, and then faint? Yes, they’re cute. And

were a little bummed, but I guess he was just a rambler.

it is hilarious when you drive around the corner on the riding lawn mower and the goat gets scared and falls over, stiff as a

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people board. I mean, it’s super funny. But that little feller wasn’t very

But not just any coop. No way, José. April had a picture of a coop

friendly. The girls wanted something they could hug and love

with a chandelier in it. A CHANDELIER. Inside a chicken coop.

and squeeze and play with. He was pretty standoffish so we

You may be thinking to yourself, “That’s just crazy!” To that, I

started looking for yet something else. Something cuddly.

say, “AGREED!”

We settled on a kitty. He was an orphan, probably three months

I had to ask April if she was freakin’ serious. Did she really

old when we got him. He was so friendly and cuddly and happy

want me to build her a chicken coop with chandeliers and wall

to have a home. He was perfect. We named him

decorations inside of it?

Goliath, and he and Gracee became instant best friends. He tolerated her rough handling

Yep. She was serious, and that’s exactly what

and overzealous displays of affection. Not only

she wanted me to do. So, I did what I always

did he tolerate them, but he actually seemed

seem to do when my girls want something. I

to enjoy it. The kitty was happy, Gracee was

fuss and complain loudly about it for a while,

happy, heck, everyone was happy.

and then I figure out a way to make it happen.

We had an old tool shed on the property that

If everyone was happy, what more could

had seen better days. It leaked, the doors

we possibly need? Well, no farm is truly

were falling off the hinges, it had holes in the

complete without a horse, right? I already had

rotten floor, and there was mouse poop —

a quarter horse mare named Banjo that I’d

everywhere. Somehow, when April looked at

been boarding at a farm down the road, and

all of that, she saw a beautiful coop complete

she was pregnant. On April 15, she gave birth

with a chandelier. And so, construction began.

to a healthy, lively baby boy. We named him Shooter — a pretty sorrel colt with a white star

The shed was cleaned, shelves ripped out, and

on his forehead. Thanks to the overbearing

the inside painted a very girly turquoise color.

attention paid to him by all of my girls, he

I built the coop the way April had imagined,

quickly became a spoiled rotten brat, his every move, buck, kick

cut a hole in the wall, and built a pen outside. With every crazy

and whinny adored and laughed at on a daily basis.

suggestion she made, I’d sigh, mutter something under my breath, and roll my eyes, just like I’ve seen my teenager do a

I was beginning to think our farm was pretty much complete.

million times.

We’d had a dog, and added a cat, a pig, a goat and a horse. What more could we want? Evidently the answer was chickens. My

But I did exactly what she asked. Because that’s what I do. I’m the

wife informed me that a real farm wasn’t complete until you had

husband. I’m the dad. And even though I may think the things

some. My thought was, OK, I can handle a couple of chickens.

they want from me are silly, or even sometimes downright

But then she informed me we couldn’t just turn the chickens

ridiculous, if it makes them happy, at the end of my day, that’s

loose as I had planned to do. Oh, no. We needed to build a coop.

all that matters. Welcome to our farm.

Stoney Stamper

is the author of the popular parenting blog, The Daddy Diaries. He and his wife April have three daughters: Abby, Emma and Gracee. Originally from northeast Oklahoma, the Stampers now live in Tyler, Texas. For your daily dose of The Daddy Diaries, visit Stoney on Facebook or on his website, thedaddydiaries.net.

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taste

RECIPE Burford Distributing image Jeromy Price

2 oz Lone Elm Texas Wheat Vodka 2 oz Rose’s Sweetened Lime Juice Equal parts Club Soda and 7-Up® Lime Wedge for Garnish Fill highball glass with ice. Add vodka and lime juice. Fill glass with equal parts club soda and 7-Up®. Stir, garnish with lime wedge.

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taste

Dip into Summer WORDS Catherine Frederick IMAGES Jeromy Price

Fresh salsas and summertime. They go together quite nicely, don’t you think? Tomatoes, peppers, onions and jalapeños, fresh from the garden. When combined, they’re hard to beat.

There are few dishes my family loves more than my guacamole, and a couple years ago I discovered a shortcut to making it. The shortcut is starting with a simple Pico de Gallo.

By making a batch of Pico first, your guacamole will come together much quicker. Also, by not crushing the peppers and onions in a molcajete (mortar and pestle), the flavor of each ingredient is allowed to stand alone - exploding with each bite, instead of simply permeating the entire avocado mixture.

While we love my traditional recipe (featured below), we eat it so often I started searching out other recipes, looking for a twist on tradition. What I discovered was nothing short of delicious.

Smoky Mango Guacamole and Watermelon Pico. I put my spin on those recipes to meet our liking, and you can do the same. Who knew avocado and mango would pair well together? And Watermelon Pico – who thought of that? Who cares! I’m hooked, and I think you will be too.

Catherine’s Guacamole METHOD Make Pico. Combine 5 large, ripe, but firm avocados, halved & pitted; 1/2 large white onion, chopped; 2 green onions, chopped; 4 Roma tomatoes diced into 1/4-inch pieces; 1 jalapeño minced (2 for more heat); juice of 2 limes; and 1 cup chopped cilantro in large bowl. Scoop out avocado onto plate. Using a fork, chop & lightly mash avocados.

Add avocados to Pico mixture. Stir gently to combine. Add generous pinch of salt. Stir and taste. Add more salt & additional lime juice if needed. Serve with orange Mission chips.

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taste

S m o k y M a n g o G ua c a m o l e I n g r e di e n t s

MET H O D

3/4 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté shallots for 30

1 shallot, finely chopped

seconds, then add 1/2 cup of the cherry tomatoes and crushed

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

chipotle chili peppers (stems removed). Add a generous pinch

2 dried chipotle chili peppers

of salt and sauté until chili has softened – 5 to 8 minutes.

Kosher salt, to taste

Transfer mixture to a large bowl and allow to cool completely.

1 large, ripe but still firm avocado, pitted and chopped 1/2 white onion, chopped

Add avocado, onion, jalapeño, mango, remaining cherry

1 mango, chopped

tomatoes, lime juice and cilantro. Stir gently, then salt to

1/2 jalapeño, minced

taste. Garnish with whole cilantro leaves. Serve with chips,

Juice of 2 limes

sweet peppers and lime wedges.

3/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus whole leaves for garnish Chips and mini sweet peppers for serving

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taste

Watermelon P ico { ingredients } 1/2 whole small seedless watermelon, diced 1/2 whole red onion, diced 1 whole red bell pepper, seeded & diced 1 whole green bell pepper, seeded & diced 1 whole yellow bell pepper, seeded & diced 2 whole jalape単os, seeded & finely diced 1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped Juice of 2 limes 1/2 teaspoon salt Chips for serving

{ method } Add all ingredients to a large bowl. Stir gently to combine.

Taste and add more salt and lime if needed. Serve with chips.

Also tasty as a topping for fish and chicken.

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Your passport to craft brew in Northwest Arkansas WORDS Laurie Marshall IMAGES Laurie Marshall and Jessica Leonard

L

ast August, Fayetteville Visitors Bureau launched Arkansas’ first craft beer tasting experience to capitalize on the boom of microbreweries in the area.

Of the eighteen craft breweries operating in the state, eight are located in

Benton and Washington counties.

Jessica Leonard, the Communications Manager for the Fayetteville Visitors Bureau, describes the idea behind the program: “We noticed more and more visitors asking about craft beer, so it was a natural fit for our next tourism initiative.” In the first eight months of the program, Leonard reports that 10,000 passports have been distributed. “We’ve had visitors come from all over the country, and it has become a popular activity for groups planning events like bachelor parties and family reunions.”

The self-guided tour encourages participants to experience the growing brewery scene in Northwest Arkansas and engage directly with the individual brewmasters crafting the brew. Participants can pick up “passports” for the tour at the Visitors Center in Fayetteville, or at any of the participating breweries. Each brewery will add their own stamp when presented with a passport, and once completed, they can then be returned to the Visitors Center for a free ‘I completed the Fayetteville Ale Trail’ decal. For more information about the Fayetteville Ale Trail, visit ExperienceFayettevillestore.com.

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travel

OZARK BEER COMPANY Owners: Andy Coates and Lacie Bray Brewmaster: Andy Coates

APPLE BLOSSOM BREWING COMPANY

Address: 1700 S. First Street, Rogers Website: www.ozarkbeercompany.com Phone: 479-636-2337

Address: 1550 East Zion Road, Fayetteville

Food Available (Y/N): N

Website: www.appleblossombrewing.com

Brewery Hours: Monday-Friday: 10 am – 5:30 pm

Phone: 479-287-4344

Saturday: 1 pm — 7 pm, Sunday: 2 pm – 6 pm

Owner: Ching Mong Brewmaster: Nathan Traw Food Available (Y/N): Y Brewery Hours: Daily 11am – 10pm *subject to change, please call ahead Fate seemed to have a hand in the naming of Apple Blossom Brewing Company. Although the name was chosen to honor the official flower of the state of Arkansas, once the bar was constructed, it was discovered that the etched mirror behind it featured an apple blossom design. The bar and hostess station, as well as other décor elements in the restaurant, were pieced together from a collection of components made in Ireland and salvaged from a pub in Cincinnati, Ohio almost a decade ago.

The ambiance the woodwork creates in the bar and restaurant harkens back to a European pub, but industrial touches are present in the high ceiling with exposed ductwork. A wall of windows allows patrons to see where the magic happens in the brewery.

Patron Brenda Bohannan first spotted Apple Blossom driving home down Zion Road. She and her husband, Mike, have become regulars, visiting for a drink or dinner at least once a week. Apple Blossom is one of the only breweries on the Ale Trail that serves a full lunch and dinner menu. When asked why they prefer it over other breweries, Mike explains, “It’s laid back and has a good mix of people. I feel at home here.”

When Andy Coates and Lacie Bray met as river guides on the banks of the Arkansas River in Colorado, they never imagined they would end up living in Lacie’s home state and running a brewery. After four years on the river, the couple relocated to Denver where Andy answered an ad for a job with Great Divide Brewing Company. He was paid in low wages and free beer, but he also discovered the passion for creating a product that made people happy. He knew he had found his calling. “No one is disappointed by coming to a brewery.”

Ozark Beer Company is the newest brewery in Northwest Arkansas, opening in 2013. Growler* fills and tastings are available seven days a week, making them the only business in Benton County to offer takehome beer on Sunday. It’s a kid-friendly place where you’re welcome to bring a picnic and stay a while. Production is set to begin on cans this month, with each of their four brews to be represented by artwork depicting different native Arkansas wildlife.

Andy is especially proud of their commitment to buy American, saying, “It’s hard for us to ask customers to support us and pay a bit more for this beer if we’re not willing to put our money where our mouth is and do the same. That’s a big part of what we’re doing and why we’re here.” * A growler is a half-gallon jug or bottle typically used to hold beer that is poured straight from a tap in a pub or craft brewery.

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travel

Core Brewing & Distillery Address: 2470 Lowell Rd, A3 Springdale Website: www.corebeer.com Phone: 479-879-2469 Owner: Jesse Core Brewmaster: Jesse Core Food Available (Y/N): N Brewery Hours: Daily 3pm – 9pm

Fossil Cove Brewing Company Address: 1946 N. Birch Avenue, Fayetteville Website: www.facebook.com/fossilcovebrewing Phone: 479-445-6050 Owner: Benjamin Mills Brewmaster: Benjamin Mills Food Available (Y/N): Nomad’s Natural Plate on Wednesday, occasionally other days.

Brewery Hours: Mon – Thur: 4pm – 10pm, Fri: 4pm – 11pm Sat: 2pm – 11pm, Sun: 2pm – 10pm

SADDLEBOCK BREWERY Owner: Steve Rehbock

Hog Haus Brewing Company

Brewmaster: Steve Rehbock Address: 18244 Habberton Road, Springdale

Address: 430 W. Dickson Street, Fayetteville Website: www.hoghaus.com Phone: 479-521-BREW Owners: Julie Sill and Kari Larson Brewmaster: Steve Rehbock Food Available (Y/N): Y Brewery Hours: Sunday – Thursday 11am-10pm Friday & Saturday 11am-11pm, Sunday Brunch 11am-2pm

Website: www.saddlebock.com Phone: 479-422-1797 Food Available (Y/N): N Brewery Hours: Monday-Friday: 3 pm – 9 pm Saturday: 12 pm – 9 pm, Sunday: 1 pm – 8 pm When Steve Rehbock moved to Northwest Arkansas from Chicago eight years ago, he had never brewed beer before. After taking up a home-brew hobby and entering contests for a few years, he decided to open Northwest Arkansas’ first production brewery in 2012. The first taps poured only three brews, but they have grown quickly, now serving eighteen.

Saddlebock is located on the shores of the White River, and Steve has taken full advantage of the country views his property offers by building decks on the sides of the red barn-shaped building. With a third deck being planned, it is a perfect spot to take in a peaceful Ozark sunset.

Owing in part to their unique location, Saddlebock was named one of five “Coolest Craft Beer Tours in America” by Yahoo Travel in 2013. Steve says that that notoriety has helped bring people into the brewery who are on road-trip vacations. “They don’t just visit us, they visit all the breweries.

It brings people to Northwest Arkansas.” An additional sixteen acres have been purchased across the road from the brewery, and Steve has plans for bed and breakfast facilities and live music to bring even more goodness to what has already been a successful venture.

Tanglewood Branch Address: 1431 South School Avenue, Fayetteville Website: www.tanglewoodbranch.com Phone: 479-856-6500 Owners: J.T. Wampler Brewmaster: J.T. Wampler Food Available (Y/N): Y Brewery Hours: Open Mon-Sat at 11am, Sunday at 5pm

West Mountain Brewery Address: 21 West Mountain Street, Fayetteville Website: www.facebook.com/tinytimspizza Phone: 479-442-9090 Owner: John Schmuecker Brewmaster: John Schmuecker Food Available (Y/N): Y Brewery Hours: Mon – Sat: 10am – 12am, Sun: 10am – 10pm

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southern lit

As Long As You Remember fiction Marla Cantrell

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

southern lit

He came up from Texas, in a Dodge Ram

about it. A drunk, mean daddy who cuts off part of his son’s ear,

that blew a gasket on the outskirts of Big Town, and that stalled

and still the boy loves the old cuss, deep down he loves him,

him for a time, but still he came. It didn’t matter that the Dodge

which is an abomination when you come right down to it, the

was not his, that it belonged to a blonde he met in a dive called

way the daddy acts, the way the boy aches, all that hurt leaving

Lonesome Somewhere, where the drinks were watered down

scars wider than any two-lane highway.

and the juke box played nothing but Waylon. The blonde, sitting on his lap by then, was near about passed out when he

In Shreveport, the Dodge with the dirty clothes caught fire while

fished her jangly keys out of her jacket pocket and planned

Chick slept nearby on a park bench at a roadside rest stop. He

his getaway. “Give Chick a little sugar, Sugar,” he said, and she

woke to see it, the flames orange and blue and jumping, the

turned her face to him, and her eyes looked right into his soul,

windshield booming apart, glass everywhere, he said.

which at that moment was a waxy thing, he said, something a He walked after that, straight down the road, his belly empty as

flame could whittle down to nothing.

a cave, his thumb stuck out. He had two dollars then, and sixtyThe cab was a mess, filled with McDonald’s cups and beer cans

six cents, and a picture of me, and my phone number written in

and trash sacks of dirty laundry. A dream catcher swung from

red on the corner of a Valentine I’d got him once, all inside the

the rearview mirror, fast as a schoolyard swing, when Chick tore

wallet he made in Leatherworks when he was in county lockup

out of the parking lot. There was a picture of a cotton-topped

six months back.

boy glued to the dash, no more than three, Chick said, and an ID badge in the ashtray from the casino where the blonde worked.

The second guy who picked him up, Chick said, was a squatty businessman who had an answer for everything, even when

Sorrow is what he felt in that truck, but still he kept going.

there wasn’t no questions asked. “There is nothing new under

Sorrow, Chick said, was everywhere, in the pearl-colored moon,

the sun,” he said to Chick, when they passed a subdivision going

in the spiky arguments rattling the windows of the houses

up, trees getting knocked down, men scrambling up scaffolding

he passed on the way out of town, in the bellyaching of the

to lay down bricks on new houses that would all look the same,

ambulance that caused him to pull the Dodge off the road as it

cement trucks churning out concrete like giant ants with the

passed, its lights blood red on that navy blue night.

stomach flu.

That’s why he kept singing like he did, to ward off the sorrow.

“I come alive,” Chick said, “brand new. Every morning,” and

Mostly, he sang Johnny Cash songs, he said, the sorrow and the

the guy seemed to puzzle the thought, stroked his chin where

stolen truck with the picture of the boy the things that seemed

a pink scar cut across just under his bottom lip, and then he

to push in on him, that seemed loud as hornets on stretch after

adjusted the rearview mirror on the Buick.

stretch of highway. He didn’t travel the interstate. He didn’t trust big roads with big signs that made big promises about motels

“But every day you’re older.” the guy finally said, “And every

that felt like home, or diners with meals like your mama made,

day you fall into your old, hard ways,” and then he switched

or churches where the good Lord welcomed you no matter how

on the radio to an Oldies station that played Steppenwolf

junky you dressed, no matter if you didn’t know when to rise

like it was 1972. “And I must say, I feel like I’ve known you, or

and when to set back down again.

someone like you, in my past, and that we’ve had this exact conversation before.”

How he got to Louisiana he couldn’t quite say. It wasn’t how he intended to go. What he intended was a straight shot, crossing

“I get that a lot,” Chick said, not because it was true but because

over in Texarkana, cutting through the guts of Arkansas, and

it hurt his head to talk to people who didn’t know how to live.

ending up at Good Samaritan Hospital, where I was. It could

Outside, Chick said, the grass waved along the highway. Red

have been the singing, Chick said, because Johnny made him

clover stood amidst it. Black-eyed Susans, long-legged, yellow

cry, even “A Boy Named Sue,” which most folks took as a jokey

as a kid’s rain slicker, seemed to rock along with the radio, and

song, even though it cut like a chainsaw when you thought

all this guy could see was yesterday’s news.

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southern lit Chick got dropped off in Donette and worked for four days

He didn’t eat the last day on the bus. He drank Red Bull and

hoeing soybeans. The plants tangled low to the ground, and as

he chewed gum, and in the bathroom he raked a bum razor

he walked through the sharp vines cut at his bare legs, since he’d

across his whiskers, and when he sat back down he swallowed

taken to working in his T-shirt and boxers. If he wore his jeans, he

my name again and again. When the Greyhound pulled in the

said, the morning dew soaked him through, kept him soggy until

station, he jumped, missing the bus steps altogether, and he

the sweat started and then he was damp all over again.

took off for Good Samaritan.

He cut out as soon as he got paid, five twenty dollar bills, four

It was ten blocks away, and Chick was running fast as he could,

ones, seven pennies. He’d eaten with the other workers, he’d

his work boots slapping the city streets, his button-up shirt

slept in a row house on a army cot, and it wasn’t bad, he said,

wadded up and clutched in his right hand, the wind blowing

if you didn’t mind the snoring, if you didn’t mind the lies the

through his sandy hair, cars honking as he plowed through rush

young guys told about the girls they had in town.

hour traffic. Folks shouted but he couldn’t hear right, so all the yelling blended into everything else until he felt like he was

Chick swiped the foreman’s ride, an El Camino, half truck, half

inside a bee hive, and all the sounds were wings flapping to

car, turquoise blue, and rode through the river bottoms late

keep something alive.

that night, the windows down. The sorrow he’d felt earlier was waning then, and the moon was blameless that night, big and

There is a trick light plays inside a hospital. Night could be

round and fuzzy at the edges. He loved the river bottoms. He

day or day could be night. You look at the window and the sky

loved the irrigation systems that looked like giant metallic

is always the same: gunmetal gray, even at midnight, even at

caterpillars, arching up and inching down, and they shone

noon. It’s hard to walk steady under light like that, and so I quit

like starlight every time the moonlight hit them. He switched

walking, and then I quit looking, and then I just quit. So I did

the radio on and Dolly was singing and he could see her if he

not see Chick racing along the sidewalks, his big arms pumping,

closed his eyes, which he did on the straightaway, her blond

his legs stretching farther and farther out as he got nearer and

hair curling, her red lips smiling.

nearer to me. I did not hear him reciting the names of those who’d crossed over: his Grandmama Beverly; his second grade

He left the El Camino two towns over, just as morning broke.

teacher, Miss Jones; his old dog, Ratchet; his brother, Brodie; and

The foreman had been kind, he said, and the car was spotless

on and on, until even his first parole officer got named. I did not

when he took it, so it didn’t seem right to snatch it clean away.

hear one name at all until he got to mine, until he said, “Sylvia,

He bought a bus ticket to bring him home, and he settled in next

Sylvia, Sylvia,” the same way he said it on the night we met,

to a round old woman who chanted the names of all her dead

urgent, as if he was trying to ground me to him. “Sylvia, Sylvia,

relatives as she rocked back and forth. “They are not dead as

Sylvia,” he said on that first night, when I was still beautiful,

long as you remember,” she said, when he asked her why.

and we stayed up until all hours, watching the sun rise together, watching it set again. We lay in each other’s arms in those first

A chill ran through him, Chick said, right then and there, and he

fresh days and kept every bit of trouble away. What I want to

spied another seat, right up front where he hated to sit, but he

tell him is this: We kept it away for longer than most people

took it anyway, just to get away. And he started to relax, and

do, Chick, we surely did. We kept it away for longer than I ever

then this happened, Chick almost said my name: Sylvia. He

expected we could.

opened his lips and the sound started and he closed his mouth tight against it. The next thing he did was shut his eyes, rest his elbows on his knees and press his thumbs into his forehead.

When he opened them again, the sky had dropped the way it does when the clouds roll in. Dirt from the cotton fields was blowing up, swirling like a magic spell, he said, hanging above the thorny plants.

DOSOUTHMAGAZINE

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