I'm in Arkansas! I helped Amanda drive here with the kids. Nick was already here as this is going to be their new home for the next...don't know how many years. They are living on Little Rock Air Force Base.


As we drove over the bridge leaving Memphis we saw the "Welcome to Arkansas" sign. Lola started singing, "Well hello Arkansas, nice to meet you Arkansas." It was a strange sight though seeing the city of Memphis on one side of the bridge and on the other side it was open land as far as you could see, except the Cracker Barrel and a few gas stations. Arkansas' nickname is "The Natural State!"


My second day here I saw the strangest thing...we were on our way to visit Children's Hospital in Little Rock (Lola's doctors are there) and we saw a Tarantula crossing the street. I have NEVER seen a spider cross the street before while driving in a car. That's how big it was. It was a sight...one I'll never forget. I'm terrified of spiders!!


There are alot of birds here. The state bird is the Mockingbird. I didn't realize that the Mockingbird is the state bird of Florida too. I guess that is because I don't really hear them in Florida (that's too bad). But I DO hear them here...they are loud, especially at night. The male "bachelor" bird sings at night. He stops doing that as soon as he wins a mate. The male mockingbird sings a medley of songs belonging to other birds, repeating each phrase several times before moving on to the next. Unlike most songbirds, which learn their songs before they're a year old, a mockingbird continues to expand his repertoire all his life. Some include the sounds of people whistling, frogs croaking, and doorbells ringing.


I coudn't sleep. The Mockingbirds were singing loudly. At first I thought it was annoying...but then I thought of that bird...perched high upon a tree...singing his heart out...looking for a mate...singing over and over and over. Suddenly I caught myself thinking of the phrase, "To Kill a Mockingbird," which is illegal, by the way, they are protected. Sometime way past midnight...after fighting the frustration of his song...I finally just listened...and when I did, I found the beauty in the songs of the bird with the powerful voice. The medley's were delightful. I felt lucky, really lucky, to hear the birds singing in the night. How often had I heard this? How long has it been? In a world full of noise I thought that all I wanted was silence in the night...but the beauty of the sound of the songbird was more than I expected. I realized just how lucky I am to hear it...


I hope you all enjoy your day and find the beauty in the small things...although sometimes frustrating...stop and listen...who knows...you might enjoy the song!


Happy Wonderful Wednesday - No Complaints!
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