Oct. 11, 2025

On this day, a t-shirt in Arkansas read, "Don't doubt the snout." There were early fall leaves in the Ozarks, but most of the woods were still green. A riverbed was dry, and spring peepers peeped from the trees.

Two friends, both named Jack, told about living in the valley. Their families came in wagons from Tennessee in the 1830's, searching for land of their own. One Jack showed pictures of his brother, an actor who has played nine aliens in Star Trek. The other Jack is a fifth-generation farmer and told about the barn his family built in 1945. They used to have a dairy and milked their own cows, but small farmers like them got out of the dairy business a long time ago. Jack said farming has used him up, but he keeps going because this is his retirement.

On this day, a dish towel hung from a screen door. Directions started with "I'll take you there."

There were neighborhoods named Happy Hollow and Sunset Strip. There were strings of lights and lanterns. Doors and windows left opened because there was no AC–no cool air to keep in.

There was the smell of bacon in the mornings, and Comeback sauce was served with tamales. Easter bunnies sat on pavilion pews, and Mississippi State and Ole Miss flags hung from some of the same cabins.

Folks went porch to porch, visiting friends and family. There were Fair rules: "We offer you something to eat, so that we can eat it, too."

A mother’s murals were still on refrigerators and walls many years after she painted them.

Lawn chairs were left by the rodeo fence. Pictures were taken of grandparents with grandkids.

On these days, a biplane flew along the Gulf of Mexico. A dump truck read, "Jesus Loves You."

Nabs and a Diet Coke were left on a hearse before a funeral. A Whataburger bag sat in the middle of the road with a few fries inside. A trash can full of cardboard was pulled around a corner.

On this date, American flags hung from utility poles on a country road. The smell of barbecue filled the air as two veterans' groups sold plates of chicken and pulled pork. The Emblem Club sold desserts, and tables and chairs were set out hours early for a Memorial Day concert.

There were stories about going to college because the military paid for it, and grandparents who had come over from Norway. They were given land in North Dakota and called "soddies" because they lived in sod houses—there were no trees or stone on the plains.

On this day,  a magnolia bloomed. There were lightning bugs, bullfrogs, and a nest of baby woodpeckers. An abscess broke through on a horse hoof. 

On this day, a four-leaf clover was handed to a customer, and a scooter was ridden to work. A basket of laundry was carried into a laundry mat by a woman with LOVE written all over her shirt.  

On this day, a man on a bike rode up and said, "We couldn't figure out if you were a man or woman. But you have thug life swag and dress code."

An "Abide No Hatred" flag hung at the Hopkins place that was built in 1900; trolls decorated a house down the street.

On this day, raindrops dripped off bridges. A sign at the Tombigbee River warned to "Swim at your own risk."

On this day, a server poured wine with seven pens in her pocket. She said you can never have too many.

Peaches and snapdragons grew by a chicken coop. A sow lay on her side–eyes closed and making urnf, urnf, urnf noises–as she fed her five piglets. A dog sat in the back of a truck while stickers of sasquatch shooting the bird were on a truck close by.

On this day, students told about the outdoor classroom they helped design. A loblolly pine grew from a seed that went around the moon. Ouch stories were taped to a wall: a scooter that went back down a hill really fast and playing with swords, and running on a roof.  Classrooms glowed with rainforest art.

On this day, a bird's nest was found. A lobster balloon hung from a street sign.

Sand fleas were caught as bait for pompano by a farmer on his annual
family vacation.

On this day, a horse rolled in the dirt, antique tractors were displayed, and a deer skull was wrapped in clematis vines.

On this day, a trio of purple flowers bloomed and a band soundchecked.

A worker in the Walmart garden center looked at the sky and said, “Look at that sunset. It's absolutely gorgeous. And it’s free.” As he looked at the sunset, "When it comes to a country song you can’t over Hank it" played in the store. 

On this day, a school bus picked up students at sunrise. A stage went up for an outdoor show.

There were warnings about vape pens that look like highlighters or airpods in cute colors. And Galaxy Gas–a tank of whipped cream also used to shoot nitrous oxide.

On this day, a lily bloomed after Easter. Boxes of BuzzBallzs were carried to a cooler. A Clue lay on the road.

On this day, a woman had emergency surgery, an artist was energized by her old brushes, and a server had her first day waiting tables. 

A sandal was left on the porch of an abandoned house. The door of a church was draped in black.  A rabbit refused to get out of the road. 

On this day, a husband sang “The Power of the Cross” to his wife. Eggs were hidden in a front yard by the big kids. Church crosses were covered in white flowers or wrapped in white cloth. A choir in white robes sang, "Up from the grave He arose."

On this day, a mama worried about her son at boot camp. A red bird sang by the moon. Costumed teenagers lined up for an Anime Fest. Fairies, ninjas, Sonic the Hedgehog, Michael the Distortion, and a T-rex walked past two women with a sign that read “Free Bible Class.”

On this day, there were Easter bunnies in gardens and hanging on gates. A woman took Easter snacks to her 93-year-old neighbor. He called her the mayor of the building.

There was a story about cancer and chemo. A woman told her friend to get a colonoscopy. “I thought I was healthy and never got one, so getting cancer is my fault. But it’s been three years, and I’m still here.”

The actors who played Napoleon, Pedro, and Uncle Rico in the movie “Napoleon Dynamite” took pictures as the bike scene was reenacted by two fans behind the Saenger Theater.

On This Day, there was a poem: “A secret, like spring buried in February’s field.”

Euros were bought for a trip. A coffee shop increased prices because their prices increased. Trees were burned for more houses. Dirt dauber nests and cobwebs were knocked down in a barn.