ramblings from an arkansas farm girl
Happy birthday to me!
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| at the lake |
Most of my birthdays have been spent at Lake Norfork with Nana’s strawberry cake and cold watermelon on the dock.
Including this one.
Fifty down.
Fifty more to go…
talya
“With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.”
― William Shakespeare
As sunrise creeps over the lake, the water is liquid glass, purple and still without boaters or jet skis to interrupt. Trees are filled with chirping and chittering and cooing. Sounds are lavish and layered from the grasshopper scratching at my porch screen to the caw-caw-cawing on the far side of the cove.
A family of cardinals lands on the picnic table. One pecks at the pebbles before they all fly away.
If I sat here all day, what would I see?
If I sat here all day, what would I miss?
❤
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Once we left the flat delta, we studied the trees, searching for the lake. The first one to see the water shimmering through the Ozark trees won. There wasn’t a real prize, the thrill of that first glimpse was prize enough.
“I see it!”
“Girls, it’s still at least an hour away.”
I returned to my book but only read a few paragraphs before looking out the window again. The trees grew denser and taller and shaded the roadway weaving through the mountains. With each flip of the page, Momma drove closer to our favorite place.
“The Lake!” We screamed at the same time. Alice in Wonderland fell to the floorboard.
“Jinx!” We yelled in unison.
“Double jinx!”
We idled behind the long line of cars waiting to board the ferry.
“Staci, let’s run down to the water until it’s our turn…” The ferry unloaded cars on the opposite shore giving us at least twenty minutes to explore.
She poked my arm. “Okay but you owe me a coke.”
“Crap I was so excited, I forgot about the jinx game.”
“Don’t say crap,” Momma reminded.
My sister and I raced to the water’s edge, breathing in the beginning of summer.
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