Back Road Flowers on a Hot July Day

Last Thursday, my friend Bibi and I drove to our monthly Knot meeting. It was time to visit our friend, Mary Lou, who lives in Dennard. I haven't a clue how many miles it is to her home.....as the way to a friend's house is NEVER long. However, just so you have a clue - it takes me about an hour and twenty minutes (or so) to get there. It never feels like a long drive because it is very scenic.....like much of Arkansas happens to be. This time, though, it took longer. We have lots of new folk here involved with the gas/oil industry and they have created lots of extra traffic. We eventually got there, safely, enjoying the scenery all the way.

Now, most people would probably stick to the main roads on a drive that long, thinking they would get there faster. And, they probably would arrive sooner. However, I have learned to take the "back roads" from Searcy to Dennard. Oddly enough, on a good day...they take about the same amount of time, but the back roads have lots of interesting things to SEE.

So, here I am driving along one of these roads when I spot the biggest flowers I have ever seen. Red ones! Bibi didn't quite see them as she was looking over my way, so when I slowed down to a crawl.....she thought something had happened to the car...or there was something in the road. So, I pointed them out to her and at the same time, we both said "let's stop here on the way back home!" You know, the cars behind you don't appreciate it when you slow down to a crawl...even on those back roads!

We had a great time at Mary Lou's, A GREAT TIME. but advance to the trip home......as I was getting close to the place where we saw the flowers....I remembered that my camera was in the very back of my fabulous little PT Cruiser and not in the back seat where Bibi could reach it. This would require some touchy driving as there ARE those gas/oil trucks behind us. Quickly, I spotted an entrance to someone's pasture and pulled into it, got out of the car, hurriedly opened the back end, fished around in my tote to find the camera, jumped up to reach the back door to close it, slammed it shut and dashed across the highway to take some photos of these giant flowers....all while these trucks are bearing down on me. What will an aging quiltmaker/embroiderer, like me, do to get photos of flowers??? Evidently, of all things...take my life into my hands!!! It was kind of fun to see the looks on those truck driver's faces...don't you know they thought I was crazy!

Across the street - where the flowers were growing on either side of a driveway - I ran! That fact conjures up a funny picture all by itself! The sun was really bright and HOT! But, as you can see, I got the photos!!! I thought these flowers might be hibiscus.....but, if so, huge ones. I'm sure they were bigger than a dinner plate. I don't really know what kind they were, to tell the truth, but close up, they reminded me of crepe paper. How funny, I stood there long enough to be reminded of crepe paper! I am crazy!!!

It was a hot, sunny, beautiful, funny, July day in Arkansas. How cool is that? Pat