Thursday-all tests completed!

That's Deb's heart, NOT a baby!

Deb completed her last tests today in preparation for a consult with Dr Van Rhee tomorrow afternoon. We are eager to know what the next season of life will be like for us.

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Miscellaneous: How did Vern come to love flying so much?

As a child, Vern's father was an Air Force pilot. He would fly long missions which required him to take inflight lunches with him-a white shoe box sized picnic. There was always too much food and Vern's father would bring the leftovers home to Vern-chicken legs, apples, sandwiches, milk, juice, and those special Chiclets gum and flavored tooth picks!

So, from Vern's three-five year old perspective, flying looked like going on an airplane ride and eating a big picnic lunch. How much better could a career get?

So, how do Deb and Vern pass the time while flying back and forth to Arkansas? Well, there are no USAF inflight lunches available, but a sandwich, chips and an apple are typical fare on Gracie.

As a child, Vern's grandfather Foster ran a number of Sinclair Gas Stations. Vern spent a lot of time there with Dino, the green dinosaur mascot. The Sinclair name has long been gone from Georgia, but Dino is very much alive and well in Arkansas. Memories of childhood days at the gas station come flooding back!

Little Rock terrain is very interesting!
The city of Little Rock is split down the middle by a large river-the Arkansas River. It starts in Eastern Oklahoma and slices diagonally across the state of Arkansas from Northwest to Southeast.

From Little Rock toward the northwest, mountains dominate the landscape. Numerous lakes and wild rivers are plentiful. Wilderness-like landscapes are plentiful and beautiful. Numerous parks make these areas accessible to the public. Bears, deer. and turkeys make hunting popular. Some of the world's finest trout fishing is here.

There is one park just outside Little Rock named 'Toad Suck Park'. No one can really say where the odd name came from, but there is plenty of speculation that it is from the French explorers who came through the area. In fact, Petite Jean State park was named for a French lady who accompanied her love dressed as a man and who died on a hill west of Little Rock. see http://arkansasroadstories.com/toadsuck.html

The high river banks along either side of the Arkansas River makes for some incredible home sites. There are also dinner/play riverboats that are available on the river. There are parks along the city riverbanks. Over 27 years ago our family sat on these riverbanks and watched a fourth of July fireworks show, never imagining our present reason for being here.

 The Clinton Presidential Library is also located on the waterfront. So is Heifer International.  Deb and I have seen all the brochures and some exteriors but have done very little exploring due to Deb's poor mobility and feeling so weak and sickly so much of the time here.

As I said earlier, Vern often brings in chow for Deb. One of Vern's favorites is also the oldest food establishment still operating in Arkansas, Frankie's Restaurant. It is a cafeteria now.