The rest of the story

So, the race was not the last event on our Arkansas vacation. We decided to give a local Perryville restaurant a try for lunch the next day. We were referred to Jones Cafe by a few locals, and hearing that it was the best in town (of maybe 4 or 5 restaurants), we headed into the booming metropolis to try it out. As we stepped through the doors of the restaurant, it felt like we'd stepped back into a simpler time. There were maybe 10 or 12 tables in the place with white and red checked tablecloths. It was immediately obvious that everyone knew everyone, as the conversations were not contained to one table, but spilled over into the others. The daily specials were listed on a white board, including, of course, the freshly baked pies available that day. Most of the patrons were elderly, and we got a lot of cooing over the kids. We enjoyed chicken-fried steak, fried okra and turnip greens among other veggies, cornbread and, naturally, sweet tea. We also got two slices of pecan pie, fixed the only way Ryan loves it - with whole pecan halves, not pieces on top. Not being able to eat pecan pie myself, I don't quite understand the importance of this distinction, but Ryan assures me it's crucial. Scout even got her first little taste of ice cream, which she fully rejected.

Garrett spent the afternoon fishing with Pop, and finally caught his first fish! He was so excited. It was all of maybe three or four inches long, but it might as well have been a whale, the way Garrett was going on about it. "Did you see how big it was? It was super big!" And of the subsequent catches, "Did you see that? It's even bigger than the last one!" He ended up catching 5, and probably had the most fun digging for the worms he used for bait.

I should also mention that Friday, Nonni gave a birthday cake to Scout and one to me for our upcoming October birthdays. Scout tested hers a little with her fingers, but never really dug into it. We gave her a little taste of the icing, but she didn't seem to care much for eating it, just poking at it. Maybe she'll be a little more open to it at her party, after this initial experience.

That evening, Garrett and Nonni made some cookies, and we enjoyed our last sunset on the lake. It was a breathtaking one. In fact, I think each evening was more beautiful than the last. We reflected on what a wonderful trip it had been. The surroundings were amazing, the experience was unique, and the family time was precious. We were sad to see it all come to an end. The next morning, we packed our things into our cars and said goodbye to each other and our Arkansas adventure.