Friday, December 30, 2011

Oh deer me!

So do you want the hammock first or shall I give it a try?
One doe came to visit and she was followed by four more. Yes, I live in the city - in the busiest part of the city! I have lived here 38 years and have never had such visitors, of which I am aware, stroll through the yard!

OMG - There is a house there!!!
Let's go girls, we have been spotted!
Oh, sure! Now I have to dodge the swing. When did she paint this thing green?

If we can't see her then do you think she can see us?

I think I can sneak through here!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Geocaching

There is nothing like handing Flave and Reid a phone and sending them out the back door on Christmas Day to go geocaching. Once I steered them out of the neighbor's yard they were good to go for their first cache of the afternoon.


Jeff accompanied us to the small park below Carpenter Dam to pick up a few more caches. This was Jeff's first cache and I think he has decided this could be fun.


Reid and Flave with the dam in the background that was named after their great grandpa.


Reid had to do a little maintenance on this particular cache.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Christmas dinner

Breakfast wasn't planned since we were having a big lunch but it just happened!


Flave figured out how to use Leon's new mandolin and was a great help slicing the carrots for lunch. I am thankful he did not lose a finger.


 Next year I will try to remember to add both leaves to the table! The boys had never begun a meal with holiday poppers and could hardly wait.

They thought it was a pretty cool!

We do like to dress royally when we use the china and silver! Mary was having too much fun watching while Jeff and Kay donned their crowns immediately.

This was my first standing rib roast. What a fine experiment with an oven that never knows it's temperature.

Christmas

Between brunch and lunch there were plenty of presents to be opened. Santa evidently sent an elf early.  Kay did hear a reindeer in the yard when she walked Lola the night before! Reid seems pleased that he can now build a volcano.

Yes, Kay, I knew you wanted a gray vest and some blue baseball shirts! And Flave, what guy doesn't want a Star Wars mug!

It will be interesting to see if Leon wears his new socks. I am glad they will fit me too!!

This will give Flave something to do if he is every sitting at his desk and not studying.

Jeff is studying something while Reid gets to work building his lego bus.

Lola just takes it all in stride when she isn't napping in the middle of it all.


Remote control vehicles seemed to be a big hit this year. Mary watches as Reid tries to get his Milennium Falcon off the ground.

Will did not get to town until Christmas Eve so we started all over on Christmas with a little brunch. Jeff and Will at least made a cousin picture possible this year.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Garvan Gardens revisited

Kay and her family came early for Christmas so we joined them for our second annual visit to Garvan Gardens. The rain subsided and the temps weren't so frigid as last year!


After the drummer boy came the gingerbread boys as Reid and Flave imitated the glowing one.




Reid is the cameraman for Flave and Kay.



Merry Christmas to All

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Garvan Gardens - Trip 1

Garvan Gardens is transformed into a magical place at Christmas.  My new green UGGs did the trick and I was not cold at all!

I must admit my sister took this picture and it was better than mine!


Last year the place was packed and the kids swarmed the train. This year Leon and all us big kids got a turn.


In case your eyes play tricks this is a swan on the pond with the reflection of blue lights from beyond.



I adore all the flowers in so many various colors. There are butterflies flitting among them but they go on and off faster than my finger can click the shutter.


A new theme this year was all the mushrooms. This little animated turtle was busy eating.


We parked under the red reindeer. Without the color coding we might still be looking for the car.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Couchwood

I have been curious for some time as to what was still at Couchwood, an old homeplace on Lake Catherine several miles east of Hot Springs.


In November I noticed an announcement that the AHPP (Arkansas Historic Preservation Program) was having an open house there and I quickly cancelled my hair appointment to go. We met in front of the "big house" built in 1927 from Oregon Cedar logs. Rachel again talked too long about the history of the family and their property and then we were free to wander.


The complex includes 4 houses and some cabins on Couchwood Road that have been deemed to be historic.


Harvey Couch was the head of the electric company and built Lake Catherine when he dammed the Ouachita River. As one would expect, he picked this nice property on it's shore for his lake home.


It is simply decorated as a lake home would have been at that time.


I would imagine many of these Indian artifacts might have been found on the property or nearby.


I kept thinking how nice it would be to have an old place to keep your stuff and not have to have garage sales and get rid of it for newer stuff.


The Couch and related families still use the property in the summer but it is available to be rented the remainder of the year.


Theodore Roosevelt was one of many "notables" that visited the well known businessman Harvey Couch.


I imagine they had several fireside chats in the main room of the big house. Behind the big house is a smaller house on the edge of the lake where Harvey could sit and fish from the porch. I forgot to go down there.


I guess they haven't used this boat since registrations were required in the 1950s or 60s.


Up the hill is the house that the Remmels own. It was built from Arkansas Cedar logs in 1941 and named Remmelwood. It was the vacation house for Pratt Remmel and his family. He was the mayor of Little Rock at one time and married to Couch's daughter Catherine.


Remmel Dam is named for Pratt Remmel and the lake for Couch's daughter Catherine.



Harvey Couch and some investors gained control of  Louisiana and Arkansas Railroad in early 1928. Years later someone located this train rusting in a field somewhere and had it loaded on a truck trailer and brought to Couchwood.

Little Pine Bluff was built of Oregon Cedar as a guesthouse in 1932.


This bench is built of concrete to resemble logs. A mason that worked on the property did several projects similar to this.

Couch's old rocking chair is still on the screened in back porch.



Herbert Hoover was another visitor to Couchwood. I wonder if they found these furnishings to be just a little rustic?


Harvey Couch intended to build more cottages for his family but he died in 1941. Seventeen first cousins and their families enjoy summers at Couchwood. The rest of us can rent a place during the off-season. Some of the family member were there and were most friendly and gracious to share their family history.