Searcy, AR

We have friends who have lived in the same house for years and a house which used to be in the country.

Driving to visit them seemed to take a long time a long time ago. After all, it was in the country.

Now the city has grown out to meet them. But they have certain privileges because they are "grandfathered in." For one thing, they have a lovely horse barn and corral for the horses.

They can keep a donkey or a horse and still walk to the grocery store. Their latest pets are chickens. We rode over to the house and saw chickens roaming free. They remarked, "They'll come home to roost." When the rooster starts crowing early in the morning, however, they may have a few angry neighbors calling.

It's a wonderful set-up, the country right in town! They have found their gold at the end of the rainbow!

My house is full of old pictures in old frames and realism prevails.

Look what I bought last week.......................................

Why's it still on the floor?

I've gotta find a spot for it in my over-picture-decorated house.

Searcy Sunshine School is a school for exceptional children that was founded back in the 60's by the Searcy Junior Auxiliary. They're trying to raise money for a new, bigger building. Our Board of Realtors has contributed several thousand dollars each year by having an auction and giving the proceeds to the School.

One of our fellow Realtors paints and does a darned good job of it. She does abstracts and I love her muted colors.

She donated this painting and I outbid everyone else just to bring it home with me, support her art, and give money to a good cause.

So who is this artist? Here she is. Kelly VanHook. She also has great skill with taking pictures of events and placing them on a website for everyone to enjoy.

The website with her photos and her art can be found here.

I called her up today and told her I had a complaint and a compliment. The complaint was that I'd been fascinated by her pictorial of Searcy Arkansas events and parties. She captures people as they are having fun. Expressions are priceless and I love the starkness of some of the photos with dark backgrounds and nicely lighted faces.

<<<<<<<<<<<Sorta like this one of her.

The complaint was that I'd stayed on line for two hours just exploring them and I shoulda been working!

The compliment is, of course, in the same paragraph above. I told her she may be another Disfarmer, our Heber Springs eccentric photographer whose works bring thousands of dollars now but cost a quarter when taken.

She's also an excellent Realtor, a good person, an organized individual and I hope a good friend of mine!

P. S. Don't tell her that I didn't put up her real estate web page. After all, she is my competitor!!!!!!!

Seems as if Security Bank, which is now First Security Bank, was a lovely building where lots of photos were taken. First Security Bank in Searcy Arkansas has just remodeled this bank to look original as in these pictures.

These two ladies are posing at the same spot.

The first lady below in the fur coat (which we're afraid to wear now) is unknown unless some of my readers can identify her. Notice the old city lamp post reflected in her picture. Reportedly these antiques were later on sold and replaced with more modern ones. What's that thing under the lamp post?

The second lady is our famous Corrine Hart, Anita Fuller's mother, who lived to be 100 and actually suggested the name Security Bank. Notice at the end of the street is First Methodist Church, a landmark and still in existence

Of interest to the fashion conscious, note the shoes.....almost the same.....gotta have fashion just as we have today! And the skirts then had to be the same length to be in style.

Get Down....Downtown Searcy Arkansas had something for everyone on the weekend of Sept 25 and 26, 2009. There were displays of antique vehicles. The festival was the second in what we hope to have become an annual event.

This antique vehicle caught my eye. The sign on it says it is a 1924 Model TT (1Ton) Panel. Perhaps the attraction was partly because it sat there unrestored, rust and all, bside the shining restored vehicles.

Wonder if this is what the famous Sammy Davis Jr. was talking about when he sang the song, "Candy Man." The candyman, according to the song, made the world feel good. Did this truck travel through the neighborhoods sorta like the ice cream man does today?

Perhaps it was just part of a fleet of trucks owned by the company named Candies? I like the Candy Man idea better.

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Drifting to Get Down....Downtown Searcy yesterday was a pleasure.

The streets of downtown were roped off and vendors of all kinds lined the streets, especially food vendors. I almost bought ribs three times to take home and eat later. Smells were fabulous.

Music was on each end of the street with a variety of entertainment. I snapped a few pictures.

I loved this one with the big dog and tiny dog. The couple graciously let me snap their picture.

Another favorite was this climbing mountain.

Someone had set it up and the kids loved it. There was a line to try their climbing skills.

Another new addition was a fish display brought in by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

This is the second year that Searcy has had this festival. The objective is to get people to come and visit our very active downtown, to have fun and to "Get Down....Downtown" with all your friends from all of White County Arkansas. I felt that this one was bigger and better than the first one! Congratulations to the "Get Down" team!