Fall is a busy season in these Ozark hills. Farmers have been putting up the last hay crop and clearing their fields before winter. The big bales from our field have been hauled to the barn and many others in the area have been put up. Shorter days and cooler nights have arrived and already we have heard the sounds of a few flocks of geese heading south. The persistent calls of the crows alert us that the pecan crop is ready, and I’ve gone out and filled my pockets a couple of times. The walnut crop appears to be pretty good this year, too, but with only one tree we have few nuts so I gave them to our neighbor’s grandsons who were picking up others in the area.
We took a pickup load of metal to the recycle center week before last. Metal prices are low and we only collected about $27 for the aluminum cans I’d accumulated and Jim’s scrap aluminum and steel. It was nice to have more room in the cellar though and to clean up the scrap pile around the big tree in the back yard. Now the next item on my list is to burn our little brushpile, but it’s been too windy each time I’ve thought I’d accomplish that chore.
The homecoming activities on Friday capped off a very busy week. I was happy I had no meeting to attend Monday night, but each day thereafter my calendar was full. Lions Club meeting on Tuesday was followed by an interview with a museum commission member that evening. Then, Wednesday, I had appointments for interviews with the instructor of the HVAC class, the high school principal and superintendent of schools. Thursday morning, I joined a few Lions Club members in cleaning up a small section of Hillcrest Cemetery, and that evening I attended a school board meeting. Following the homecoming parade Friday morning, the owner of Sophie’s Boutique on Main Street held her ribbon cutting and official grand opening with refreshments and prize drawings.
The football season is nearing its end. We picked up grandson Matthew and one of his friends and took them along to the game Friday night. The homecoming queen and court were lovely and the weather just chilly enough to be good football weather. Our Gravette Lions came away with a homecoming victory but not by as wide a margin as expected. Unfortunately, the Razorbacks didn’t fare so well on Saturday night.
Plump pumpkins are evident at area markets and roadside stands. Seasonal decorations have appeared on porches and in yards around the area. They feature the pumpkins with bales of hay, cornstalks and scarecrows. The farmers’ market is still offering an abundance of fresh produce, including radishes, green onions and a variety of letttuces from fall gardens. Vendors say they will continue until the first killing frost. I visited Saturday and brought home some spicy mustard greens, some radishes and small yellow squash. I will cook the nice leafy radish tops for another meal of greens.
Saturday was booked full as I squeezed in three activities that day. I enjoyed brunch with the ladies attending the leading ladies luncheon hosted by the Assembly of God women’s group, then drove to Hiwasse for its annual fall festival. I visited with several folks, sampled the chili entries in the cook-off competition and purchased some green onions and peppers at one of the booths. When that event ended, I stopped by the family fun day put on by Sam and Christy Green and their Green Heart Realty staff. Lots of entertaining activities were featured, and I hope to have some pictures in next week’s newspaper. Several downtown merchants sponsored a Main Street pajama jam benefiting the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter, but I missed that celebration since I had too much work to catch up on.
Susan Holland is a long-time Benton County resident and an employee of the Westside Eagle Observer. She can be contacted by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.