Lifestyle

The glass-eyed battler of early spring

I never caught a walleye when I was young because the Big Piney, where I grew up, didn’t have any. That seems strange to me now because so many Ozark streams have plenty of those glass-eyed fish also known in parts of the Ozarks as Jack Salmon. Just out of college I went to Arkansas to become an outdoor writer for the Arkansas Democrat newspaper, and in there was a lot of talk about the big walleye tournament that began each February and went on through much of April at Greer’s Ferry Lake. Except it wasn’t so much the lake they were fishing, it was tributaries to it, like the Little Red River.
Read MoreThe glass-eyed battler of early spring

Fire

Have you thought about the benefits of fire, or do you think fire is always a bad thing that destroys property? Prescribed fire, also known as a controlled burn, refers to the controlled application of fire by a team of fire experts under specified weather conditions that help restore health to fire-adapted environments. Prescribed Fire is a very beneficial tool that we can use to our advantage as property owners.
Read MoreFire

Joint statement on the proposed Calico Rock prison expansion

On Thursday, Feb 10th, Governor Hutchinson announced support of an expansion of 498 beds to the Calico Rock North Central unit as a response to the backup of state sentenced Arkansans being housed in county jails across the state. The project is slated to cost between $60 and $100 million and is made possible by the state’s billion-dollar surplus pending approval from the legislature.
Read MoreJoint statement on the proposed Calico Rock prison expansion

The Life of a Yellow Perch

Yellow perch are popular among anglers fishing in northern waters for being a tasty “panfish.” While yellow perch are cousins to the walleye, they are not native to Arkansas or southern Missouri. In 1998, the Missouri Department of Conservation confirmed yellow perch in the Missouri side of Bull Shoals Lake.
Read MoreThe Life of a Yellow Perch

That’s my job . . .

he ringtone on my cell phone for my parents for the past several years has been Conway Twitty’s song, “That’s My Job”. The song is about a man’s feelings about his dad and how he felt it was his responsibility to take care of his son as he grew up. I can barely hear the song on the radio without tearing up as I know how lucky I am to have had my parents. The beginning of the song goes, “I woke up crying late at night
Read MoreThat’s my job . . .

The Big Sell

The big game’s a’comin’ and every year there’s a lot of talk about the commercials. Normally commercials are a thing I avoid. During a commercial break, I usually take a stroll or engage in light banter. I might fix a snack or even, on occasion, check the laundry.
Read MoreThe Big Sell

The good old days on an endless loop

OK, look. I have never watched “Billions,” “Game of Thrones” or “Dancing with the Stars.” Or read one word of “Harry Potter” or “The Hunger Games.” I don’t speak DC or Marvel. I think I saw “Iron Man” once. I have tapered off the “Seinfeld” reruns, just as with “M*A*S*H” and “Gilligan’s Island” before it. The ‘90s are over, and good riddance.
Read MoreThe good old days on an endless loop

Cooking with Mumzy!

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you. I hope this week finds you all in good health and happy spirits. I am going to do a whole day of quick and easy recipes fo you this week, so if you would like you can cook every meal today and it will not be much work at all.
Read MoreCooking with Mumzy!