My trip to the Natural State

I chose to drive to Little Rock, Arkansas, rather than take a train or fly. I figured that the cost of two tanks of gas in the Corolla was less expensive than a plane ticket and car rental, less expensive than an Amtrak fare (plus the train left at 9 pm and arrived in LR at 3:30 a.m.; who wants to be left at the train station at 3:30 a.m. in a strange town). Driving myself gave me freedom and an adventure. So that's what I did.

My cousin lives with her family just outside Little Rock in a small town called Alexander. They live in the forested hills called 'Diamond Hills,' so named because of the countless crystals that litter the ground. Each time it rains, a fresh supply of small crystals become apparent. Dig a little deeper and one might find more and bigger crystals. Cool.

The crystals I found in the yard were no where as big as the one shown here, but together with my cousins, we found a few small ones after a rain and I brought them home with me. I also brought home a stack of pretty rocks that are now displayed in my yard--souvenirs of my trip to the Natural State.

We spent most of our time talking about everything: when we were young, wearing each other's clothes, old boyfriends, school, yackety-yack, morning til night. It was great.