Catching my breath — I don’t think I’m looking too shabby at 70. In a good week, I manage three or four visits to the gym. On each visit, I walk/run 3.1 miles (5k) and then spend 30 minutes strength training.
Making plans — I grabbed this candid shot of Lanie while we were taking a rest in the shade outside the butterfly house at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks. Unfortunately, the butterfly house was closed for renovation.
April 13, 2026 13:25
Making plans — Lanie and her bf Lewis joined us for our ‘mini-break.’ We took a few minutes before we left the hotel to decide what to do with our day. 2
April 13, 2026 11:31
Well plaid — When we arrived at the hotel on Sunday, I knew I wanted to get this picture. Monday, I grabbed it. I had to lie down in the road to get the picture, but it was worth it. Graduate Hotel, Fayetteville, Arkansas, April 2026. 2
April 13, 2026 11:27
Decor, the Graduate Hotel, Fayetteville — Not only was I enamored with the camo carpet, I also love the colorful curtains. Fayetteville, Arkansas, April 2026. 4
April 13, 2026 11:08
Buck Rogers, Artist unknown — Welcome to our hotel bathroom art. I was not familiar with the film or TV series until now and initially thought that the picture might be of Lee Majors. Ginger put me right by identifying the local (Little Rock, Arkansas) actor Gil Gerard, 01-23-1943 — 12-16-2025. 1
April 13, 2026 11:07
Eclectic Decor, Graduate Hotel, Fayetteville — The theme is upmarket seventies/eighties student accommodation, but clean and tidy!
April 13, 2026 11:07
After the concert — We were in Fayetteville for a Chris Thile concert. We enjoyed seeing him at the Kauffman Center, Kansas City in February, and booked tickets when we saw he was going to be in Fayetteville.
April 12, 2026 22:39
Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville, Arkansas — We were in Fayetteville for a Chris Thile concert. We enjoyed seeing him at the Kauffman Center, Kansas City in February, and booked tickets when we saw he was going to be in Fayetteville.
April 12, 2026 22:38
Old and new — The older building in the foreground appears more substantial and has much better proportions than the newer building in the background. The latter looks insubstantial, flimsy, and ill proportioned.
April 12, 2026 16:03
Fayetteville Square, Arkansas — Our hotel room wasn’t ready, so we went for a look around the square. We bought coffee and cake to while away the time as we sat and enjoyed the view.
April 12, 2026 16:02
Meds — It seems that the older I get, the more meds and supplements it takes to keep me functioning.
March 1, 2026 11:29
Hike almost over — it’s just a short way from here, at the edge of the wilderness, to the registration point and parking lot. All in all, I hiked a tad under 19 miles and climbed 1,500 feet of elevation. Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, February 2026.
February 20, 2026 13:22
Big Piney Trail, South Loop along the top of a ridge, heading west near the Little Piney Creek Overlook. Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, February 2026.
February 20, 2026 12:21
The trailside fire rings have been rebuilt — At first I thought it was just the odd one here and there, but all the fire rings I encountered and remember seeing on previous trips had either been rebuilt or cleared away. Many, like this one, had a supply of wood in them or nearby. 2
February 20, 2026 11:40
Camped at ‘Paddy Creek Trolltunga’ — this is such a great place to hang a hammock. Not so good if you want to set a tarp, though. I never have when stopping here. Backpacking the Big Piney Trail, February 2026. 2
February 20, 2026 9:15
Preparing second breakfast — Peak Refuel Biscuits and Gravy. I’m glad I anticipated the burn ban and brought along my butane stove.
February 20, 2026 9:03
View from my hammock at ‘Paddy Creek Trolltunga’ — The real Trolltunga is around 2,300 feet above the lake below it.
February 20, 2026 8:35
Coffee and an (out of shot) Pop-Tart in my hammock. Eight o’clock and it’s warming up just a tad.
February 20, 2026 7:59
It got chilly last night – Day Three — not quite as bad as the forecast at 26°F. My plan worked, and I was too warm at times. 1 2
February 20, 2026 7:20
Big Paddy Creek was low enough to ford at the old crossing point — It’s the first time I’ve been able to cross here in quite a while. All the weed in the creek shows how low and slow the creek is at the moment. 2
February 19, 2026 14:22
Gary at the Big Paddy Creek Scenic Overlook, Paddy Creek Wilderness — It was very windy up on the ridge, and the wind was quite chilly, which was nice as it was 82°F in the sun. This is another Ozarks view I never tire of. 3
February 19, 2026 13:34
Big Paddy Creek Scenic Overlook, Paddy Creek Wilderness — I’ve taken pictures of this view before, but what the heck, here’s another. 2
February 19, 2026 13:33
Big Paddy Creek Scenic Overlook, Paddy Creek Wilderness — This is looking to the southeast. The campground is somewhere near the light patch in the distance.