Sunday, September 11, 1977

We all went to 10:00 AM Mass. Robert served again.

Saturday, September 10, 1977

Dennis and I went to Harrison and I bought him some tennis shoes and a pair of comfortable shoes for myself plus some other supplies. Saw Dave at Wal-Mart. When I got back, John had broken a tie-rod on the truck. Tonight, we went down the hill and had coffee with Dick and Rosemary.

Friday, September 9, 1977

Rosemary and I, Linda and the little kids went to the laundromat and Harps for groceries. John spent the day moving rocks out of the hole.

Thursday, September 8, 1977

Dick and Rosemary walked up the hill this morning. We had coffee and visited a while. We went down (Rosemary and I and some of the kids) to Vera's, where they all took showers. Called Mom and a couple of other people. When we got back here, John was working in the hole and Mike was here. He stayed till about 7:00 PM. Fixed "Chinese Pie" and Dick and Rosemary and kids ate with us.

Wednesday, September 7, 1977

The drill men started working about 9:00 AM again and struck water about 10:00 AM. They drilled another sixty feet for insurance. The well puts out about 30 gallons per minute. I finally really heard a truck coming up the hill and it was Dick about 11:00 tonight. We hopped in the VW and went down to the highway and directed everyone in and we had coffee, etc.

Tuesday, September 6, 1977

The men arrived and started drilling about 9:00 AM. I went to town and did the wash and got my groceries. When I got back, there was still no word from Dick and Rosemary and the men were still drilling. They kept on till 7:00 PM and still no water. I keep imagining that I hear trucks coming up the hill, but still no Dick and Rosemary.

Monday, September 5, 1977

John and I drove around in the woods and went down to the spring, which I had never seen. I planned to go to Harrison, but never made it. Some people - friends of Dick and Rosemary, came by looking for them, then Joe and Linda and their kids came over. Then we were surprised - Mr. King, the well man, and his crew came over and started on the well. When they left and Joe and Linda left, Vera came over. Still no sign of Dick and Rosemary. Had a thunderstorm and nice rain today.

Sunday, September 4, 1977

We went to 10:30 AM Mass. After lunch, John and I and some of the kids went to Mike and Vera's to visit a while and pick up some beer, which Mike got for us in Missouri. Barbequed steak for dinner. Stayed home and watched TV. Earlier, John and I went down to Grimmett's to call Al and visited a while. No sign of Dick and Rosemary yet.

Saturday, September 3, 1977

John started hauling rocks out of the hole in the bucket of his tractor. I went to Yellville and did the wash and my grocery shopping. Went out to Mike and Vera's to see how she was and see the car. Fixed chicken and dumplings for dinner. Went to the creek to wash up. Got a Mailogram from Al - he wants John to call him tomorrow.

Friday, September 2, 1977

John took his truck in to have a bed put on and I went in the van to pick him up. While we were gone, Vera came and left a note that Dick and Rosemary left about 1:00 AM. She and Mike returned shortly after we got home and told us that Vera swerved to avoid a deer on her way home and wrecked her Toyota. John went to town with Mike to tow the car home. I cut out a pattern this afternoon finally.

Thursday, September 1, 1977

John and Dave returned the drill to Mountain Home and got back about 1:00 PM. Sue stayed home from school with a sore throat. It was hot today. I took Kristin and Kevin down and gave them a bath in the tub. Made a stew and while it was cooking, we went down to the creek. After dinner, John did some more blasting.

Wednesday, August 31, 1977

Sharon fell in the mud this morning and missed the bus. John drove her to school. He and Dave spent all day drilling and blasting.

Tuesday, August 30, 1977

Loaded up clothes and went to Yellville. John's transit came in at Sears. Met Mike and Vera there and we went for coffee at the donut shop. While there, John came in, then he and Mike went to Mountain Home to look for a drill. Did the wash, then went to Harps for groceries. When I got home, John was leaving with Dave to go back to Mountain Home to pick up the drill. They spent all evening drilling. Vera came over.

Monday, August 29, 1977

I went to Harrison with John this morning. John wanted to inquire about a drill and a well. We also checked on the truck and John decided to buy it. We went home for lunch, then went back and picked up the truck. It's a 1957 Ford.

Sunday, August 28, 1977

We went to 10:30 AM Mass. On the way home, we stopped to look at an old truck which has possibilities.

Saturday, August 27, 1977

John started digging early again. Jacquie and I went to Harrison to get more school supplies and pants for her and Dennis. We had lunch at "The Calico Kitchen". Got back about 3:30. John had broken another hose, went to Harrison for a new one and was back to work digging. Barbequed chicken for dinner, then went down to the creek to wash up. Came home and watched a Colts-Cowboys football game for a while.

Friday, August 26, 1977

John started digging early this morning and I sorted and loaded the dirty clothes and went to town. Stopped at the hardware store and the drug store. Then went to Carol Lee's with Kevin and Kristin. While there, John came in, he'd broken a hose on the tractor and was on the way to get a new one. After doing the laundry, I went out to Vera's and then did my shopping. Didn't get home till four o'clock. Fixed hamburgers for dinner. Went to the creek tonight. We watched TV tonight.

Thursday, August 25, 1977

NO ENTRY

Wednesday, August 24, 1977

John went to town to get some wire to hook up the trailer.

Tuesday, August 23, 1977

John and Dave hauled up the rest of the furniture and I spent most of the day sorting and arranging things in the tent. Power Company came and finished up today and we got the refrigerator hooked up. Sure feels good.

Monday, August 22, 1977

Today was the first full day of school. I took Kevin down to the school to register him for "Head Start". Couldn't get him in, but he's on the waiting list. After that, I went to town and did the wash and shopped at Harps. Got home about 3:30 PM. John and Dave worked at excavating most of the day. This evening we hauled more stuff up from down the hill. Power Company worked today.

Sunday, August 21, 1977

Went to 10:30 AM Mass this morning. After Mass, we waited around and introduced ourselves to the priest. He is very nice. He ended up giving us a cake over at the rectory. This afternoon, we hauled mattresses and boxes of stuff up the hill. Dave wasn't here, so we had to use the van. About 5:30 PM, we went to Mike and Vera's for dinner to celebrate Tony's birthday. Had a lot of fun.

Saturday, August 20, 1977

John and Dave went to work digging this morning. I took all the kids except Dennis to Harrison to shop for school clothes and supplies. It was awful. When I got home I could hardly do anything for the rest of the day.

Friday, August 19, 1977

Woke up to the sound of rain this morning, but fortunately it didn't last long. Took the kids to school for registration. They came home on the bus about noon. Sue, Val, Jacquie, and Paul went to Harrison this afternoon. Sue and Paul wanted to put in job applications. John spent most of the day digging again. Barbequed hamburgers for dinner. John and Dave dug again until after dark. I spent most of the evening raking and picking up rocks in camp. James, Mike, Marty and Tim came over.

Thursday, August 18, 1977

John started digging early this morning and kept at it most of the day. I went in to town with Valerie and did eleven loads of washing then went grocery shopping. Got back around 2:30. The girls went down to the well and washed their hair for school tomorrow. We fixed hamburger stew for dinner. John and Dave dug a while longer, then we took the rest of the kids down to the creek to wash up. The creek was overflowing.

Wednesday, August 17, 1977

It stormed all night last night and rained on and off all day. John blazed a new road out because the red clay on the other road was not passable. He went to town for some groceries, batteries, Coleman lantern batteries, and a barrel for water. I fixed spaghetti for dinner. Dave returned from Harrison this afternoon and he and John moved some dirt tonight until it got dark.

Tuesday, August 16, 1977

John and Dave went to Harrison to repair the bucket on Dave's tractor. Shortly afterwards, Linda and her kids came over, and a little while later Vera and her kids came over. We had coffee and visited a while. Power Company came and installed the rest of the poles. They hope to be done tomorrow or Thursday. John and Dave got home about dinner time and started working right away. Early in the evening, lightning started flashing and we are now in the middle of a good storm.

Monday, August 15, 1977

Holy Day of Obligation - got up early and went to 8:30 AM Mass. John got a letter from Mike today. I went to Yellville this afternoon to wash. Met Vera and picked up Val. Got my groceries at Harps and found I didn't have my checkbook. Vera came to the rescue and wrote a check for me. She came over and picked up Val for Mass later this afternoon. They got back about 7:30 and all of us went to the creek. John and Dave spent most of the day digging with the backhoes.

Sunday, August 14, 1977

Went to 10:00 AM Mass this morning. Vera, Valerie and kids were there. They came over for a while afterwards, then John and I took a ride over to Joe and Linda's. Their place is cute and cozy. We finally moved up on the hill. John dug a nice big hole for a sewer, but while parking the trailer a part of the holding tank broke, so we can't use it. It's going to be a little rougher for a while - no water and no electricity for a while, but it shouldn't be too long. It rained slightly again today - just while we were moving.

Saturday, August 13, 1977

John, Dave and the boys went to work up the hill. They are still digging the foundation and are laying dirt on the road. Got a letter from Rosemary with exciting news - Dad and Mom, Karen and David are coming on the 26th of the month. Dick and Rosemary are still planning on the 20th. We had a good hard rain today. Linda dropped in for a few minutes. Fixed macaroni for dinner. Dave had a flat tire on his truck so he used the VW when he went to town tonight.

Friday, August 12, 1977

John went to Harrison with Dave to get diesel fuel and a part for the VW. Got the wrong part, so sent me to Harrison to exchange it after lunch. I took Darren and Sharon with me. While there, I got some boots, socks, etc. for Sharon and some other supplies. We had some rain this afternoon, not enough, but it was nice. Fixed meatballs for dinner. It rained a little more tonight. John hopes to move up the hill this weekend.

Thursday, August 11, 1977

Went to Yellville with Val and Darren and did my washing. Got groceries at Harps. When we got home, Dave and John had returned from Harrison and John's tractor had been delivered. Vera was here with the kids. She had taken Mike to the airport. He returned to California to get his furniture. It rained a little. John and Dave worked on the hill all afternoon. The culvert is about ready to drive on. Cooked "Chinese Pie" tonight. Vera took Val home with her to keep her company. It rained again tonight.

Wednesday, August 10, 1977

Today is Dennis' birthday. John and I, Darren, Robert, Sharon and Kristin took Cathy down to St. Vincent's near Morrilton, to meet her friends. It rained on the way back. Stopped in Harrison to pick up a birthday cake. Made chicken and dumplings for dinner. Paul G. and Mike B. stayed for dinner. Tonight John and I took a drive down the back roads to Mike and Vera's. Came back about 10:00 PM and sat outside for a while. Dave returned from his trip around 11:00 or so.

Tuesday, August 9, 1977

Cathy washed her hair today and spent most of the day under the dryer or sitting in the van reading a book. Dave's friend came over this afternoon and he left with her to go on a little trip. John kept working, bringing down loads of dirt for the culvert. Most of us went for a swim down at the creek. Afterwards, John and I, Cathy and Val went to Burleson's and the girls took showers. I think Cathy felt a little better. Got back around 11:30.

Monday, August 8, 1977

John and Dave went to Harrison. The rest of us went to Yellville. Left Sue, Val, and Jacquie at Marty's to fix lunch. Drove by the Ozark Motel - Mike and Vera were not there so we drove by their house. They were there. The people will be out today and Mike and Vera take possession. Went to the laundromat with Cathy, Darren, Robert, Sharon, Kevin, and Kristin and did my wash. When we got back, John and Dave were working up on the hill. After lunch, the boys went up too. Fixed macaroni for dinner. Tonight we all went down to the creek for a swim.

Sunday, August 7, 1977

Had breakfast and went to 10:00 AM Mass. Stopped and looked at a couple of trucks that John was interested in, then came home. John took the boys up the hill to set up the other tent. Later, Dave arrived and went up the hill and they worked on the foundation hole. Joe, Linda and kids came over. Linda and I walked up the hill and John brought us down with a load of dirt. Barbequed a roast for dinner. Cathy arrived with Mandy and family just in time for dinner. Took her down to the creek for a night swim.

Saturday, August 6, 1977

John, Dave and boys went up the hill and started hauling dirt for the culvert. Worked at it all day. I walked up the hill to see how it looks up there. By the time I got to the top, I met John coming down, so I hopped in the truck and came down with him. We watched for Cathy all day, but she didn't get here. Barbequed chicken for dinner. Went to the creek for a bath after dinner.

Friday, August 5, 1977

John and Dave went to Harrison to check on the tractor and pick up a few things. Val and I went to town in the van and did eight loads of wash, then went to Harps for groceries. When John and Dave got back, they started working on the culvert. I got out my camera and walked all around, taking pictures. After dinner, John and Dave worked some more on the culvert. Got a letter from Al today.

Thursday, August 4, 1977

After breakfast, John and I went to Harrison. John dropped me off at Wal-Mart and he went to check on his tractor. I got some jeans and a pair of boots. John got some more overalls. This afternoon, the girls went to Yellville in the Volkswagen. We went to the creek tonight. Dave took his tractor and started digging a hole in the creek. When we got home, Vera was here. She brought a couple of cases of beer. When Dave didn't show up, John went back to check and found that he was stuck in the creek. He came back for the truck and a chain and went and pulled him out.

Wednesday, August 3, 1977

Mike came over early this morning to show John his new chain saw, then they went up the hill to try it out. When they came down, John went to Yellville again. I took the kids and went to the post office. Got a letter from Rosemary. They'll be leaving on the 20th. After that, we went to Bruno-Pyatt School to see about registration. It will be on the 19th. Vera came over this afternoon and we walked up the hill. John showed us how he sets off the dynamite. After dinner, we went to the creek.

Tuesday, August 2, 1977

John went to Yellville to pick up a Sears order and see about a well. The kids all went up the hill to pick up rocks on the road, much against the girl's will. Got another report on the well - still unsafe. After lunch, John and Dave went up the hill and blew some more stumps. I fixed dinner, fed the kids and they still hadn't come down at 7:00 PM, so I decided to take a walk up there. They were working on the tractor. It was really nice up there - a beautiful breeze blowing through the trees.

Monday, August 1, 1977

John went to Harrison and bought a tractor. Mike and Vera came over this morning. Bill stayed here to play. Late this afternoon, I took him home and picked up Vera. We went to the laundromat and then shopping at Harps. When we got to the motel, John was there looking for me. Didn't get home till 7:00 PM, so fixed hamburgers for dinner. Marty and James took the girls to Bull Shoals to water ski. Got a letter from Cathy. She's on the way, but won't arrive till about Saturday.

Sunday, July 31, 1977

Went to 10:00 AM Mass in Harrison. Finally made it on time. Paul went with us. We had brunch when we got home. Then, John and Dave went up the hill and blew a few more stumps. Lloyd Ashburn, a former Fullerton policeman, came by with James to see John. It was a beautiful day - clear and breezy. I barbequed a pork roast and it didn't get finished till about 8:30 PM. I just sat down to eat and leaned on a bee which promptly stung me on the back. Tonight, John took me up the hill to show me the stumps they had blown.

Saturday, July 30, 1977

John, Dave and boys went up the hill. They are using dynamite to get out the stumps. Jacquie worked up there, too. I spent the day cleaning and raking up the camp. The girls worked inside the trailer. I took a cold bath by lantern light in the big tub. James and Mike came over about seven and stayed till about eleven-thirty. Barbequed steak for dinner and had ice cream for dessert.

Friday, July 29, 1977

Vera came over this morning and she and I went to Harrison. Did my laundry and shopped a little in the Ozark Mall. Exchanged Kristin's jeans and bought her a little pair of boots. John fixed the gas tank on the white van and then went up on the hill to work a while. When he came down, Sue, Val, and I went to Harps for groceries. Vera came over tonight. The girls went out with Marty and James. The rest of us went to the creek for a swim. John went to Grimmett's to call Al and Paulette.

Thursday, July 28, 1977

Kristin has been decorating this book. John and the boys went up the hill to work. This afternoon, Dave arrived with his new tractor. He took Sue for a ride on it up the hill. Pulled the first stump. I think it took a couple of hours. Broke down the tractor. Nothing else much happened today. Jacquie got a letter from Margaret.

Wednesday, July 27, 1977

After breakfast, John and the boys went up the hill to work. Jacquie and I went to Harrison to get some supplies at Race Bros. Then we went to Penneys and got some jeans and shirts for Kristin. On the way home, the van quit. We tried everything, but couldn't get it started. We waited from 1:15 till about 6:00 PM. Finally, John came and rescued us. My brother, Mike, was with him. He, Vera and the kids were coming for dinner. We came home in the Volkswagen. John and Mike went back to get the van and the Volks got a flat. Everything finally got fixed and brought home and we had dinner.

Tuesday, July 26, 1977

We had a terrific thunderstorm last night. We really enjoyed it. It was still raining this morning. The weather is much cooler. Mike and Vera came over for a few minutes on their way to Harrison and again on the way back. John and Dave went to Harrison to work on a tractor Dave is buying. John may have found one for himself, too. He and I went to Burleson's tonight to talk to Berry about someone coming to put in a well.

Monday, July 25, 1977

Loaded up the dirty clothes and kids and went to Yellville. Dropped Sue and Val off at Burleson's for showers, then went to the laundromat. Mike, Vera, and kids were there. Got groceries at Harps, picked up some water, and finally got home about 4:00 PM. Found out the fire got away on John and they had a heck of a time putting it out. Mr. Riggs, from the Power Company, helped. Went up there with John tonight to check the area. It looks like rain. We sure could use it.

Sunday, July 24, 1977

We went to Mass in Mountain Home. Beautiful, big, air-conditioned church. Stopped by at Bull Shoals Hospital and John went in to visit Jim Pearson, Sr. who is recovering from surgery. Drove down Hwy. 235 to see if we could see Mike and Vera - no luck. This afternoon, John, Dave, and the boys went up the hill to work. Along came Mike, Vera, and kids. We visited a while - went up the hill and showed them the home-site. Fixed barbequed chicken for dinner. After dinner, I went up the hill with John to watch the fires.

Saturday, July 23, 1977

John and Dave left right after breakfast to go to an auction and were gone all day. I went for a walk up to the tent this afternoon. It sure was quiet and peaceful. The dog went with me. Joe and Linda came over for a while with their family. They bought some furniture at the auction. John only bought a trash barrel and some small stuff. Barbequed steak for dinner tonight, then we all went down to the creek for a swim.

Friday, July 22, 1977

After breakfast, John worked on the electric lines. The power was hooked up at the old house, so he and Dave went up the hill for poles and started stringing a line over to camp. I went shopping and did some laundry in Yellville. When I got back, John had the refrigerator plugged in. The pump is plugged in too. James Pearson came over to see Val while we were gone. Got our first "Mountain Echo" today. Tonight, Dave rebuilt his lean-to and made it larger. We all went swimming down at the creek tonight - even the dog. She decided she like the water.

Thursday, July 21, 1977

I didn't go anywhere today. The girls went to the post office. Sue got a letter from Lee Howard and Jacquie got one from Joanne. It rained this afternoon and we sat around and looked at house plans. We finally decided on one that we think will be really nice. I made a barbequed meat loaf and baked potatoes for dinner. John and I and Darren went in to town tonight. John wanted to make some calls about a well and a tractor. When we got back we had a cup of coffee, sat around a while, and went to bed.

Wednesday, July 20, 1977

John took the boys up the hill to work. I went to town to get some groceries. This afternoon, John went in to town to the Power Company and the Health Department. We had a thunder storm this afternoon. We had spaghetti for dinner. After dinner, we sat around and looked at house plans till it got dark. Paul Grimmett came over to visit the kids tonight.

Tuesday, July 19, 1977

John and Dave went in to town to see about a building permit and get some culvert pipe. Some bad news - the report on the water came back unsafe. Joe and Linda Mohalvik (not sure about that name) came over with their 3 children and brought us fresh vegetables from their garden. Tonight, John went to see Mr. Allen about some fill dirt. We went swimming for a while. Later this evening, we went to Yellville to make some phone calls about a well. Darren went with us.

Monday, July 18, 1977

I went to town and did eight loads of laundry. Sue and Val went to the lake with Mike and James. John decided on a new entrance and driveway and started working on it. A man came out from the electric company to find out what we need. As soon as we get a building permit and clear a way, they will come out and put in the lines. Good News!! Got a letter from Rosemary, they sold their house and will be here in about a month. Mike, James, and the girls got back about 7:00 PM and the boys ate dinner here.

Sunday, July 17, 1977

Went to Mass. Had trouble with the car again and we were late. After Mass, we went to Burleson's for a while, then took a ride out Hwy. 235 to see if we could find Mike's place. Got some good water from a natural spring and then stopped at Harps for some food. We all went swimming down at the creek this afternoon. Later, Paul Grimmett came over to see the kids and stayed till midnight. Tonight, John and I went to Burleson's, tried to call Jim, but no answer. Called Bruno and John talked to him a while.

Saturday, July 16, 1977

John and Dave took off in the truck. The rest of us gathered the wash, the water jugs, etc. and loaded up in the van, but the battery was dead so we all stayed home. Late in the afternoon when John got home, he charged up the battery, then he and Dave went to work on the hill for a while. I barbequed a roast and baked potatoes for dinner. The girls and Dennis went to town with Mike and James Pearson. Jim Pearson, Sr. and his wife, Alma, came over for a while this morning. Dave took a trip to Missouri tonight.

Friday, July 15, 1977

John fixed the fuel pump on the van and VW. Then he and Dave went up the hill to build a floor for the tent. Val and I went up the hill to bring some water. It looks pretty up there. Cooked "Chinese Pie" for dinner. The neighbors from down the road came down to visit. There names are Ken and Sara and their boy's name is Paul. Paul fired Dave's gun and ended up going to the hospital for stitches in his lip because the gun kicked back and hit him in the mouth. Mike came and took Sue and Val to town with him.

Thursday, July 14, 1977

While lying here trying to get caught up on the last couple of days, I just got a surprise... the dog was chasing a kitten and ran across this page with muddy feet. John and Dave went to Harrison this morning to get fuel pumps for both cars and lumber for the floor of the tents. This afternoon they went to Yellville to fix and pick up the VW and to pick up the boat from Burleson's. Tonight we all went down to the creek for a swim.

Wednesday, July 13, 1977

The guys went up the hill to work. The rest of us all climbed into the VW and went to Yellville. I washed Dave's things and some more of ours. Got some more groceries. The kids took showers. Mike Burleson and a friend came over for a while. John went to town to see about utilities. While there, the fuel pump went out on the VW and he had to get a ride home. After dinner, we all climbed into the van and went down to the creek for a swim. Val and Jacquie went down earlier with Dave.

Tuesday, July 12, 1977

The guys went up the hill to work. I went to town with Val and Kevin. Did some washing, got groceries, got subscriptions to "The Mountain Echo" for us and Al and Paulette. This afternoon, John and I took the boys to Harrison and got some boots, overalls, etc. John bought a chain saw. When we got back, the girls had the chicken cooking on the barbeque. We fixed some rice to go with it. Spent the evening sitting around enjoying the cool evening air and watching the dog catch June bugs.

Monday, July 11, 1977

Darren and Robert woke up early and rode down to the creek on bikes. After breakfast, John, Dave and the boys went up the hill to work. The girls went in to town to take showers and didn't get back till 3:30 PM. John and I went in to Yellville to get some groceries. When we got back, we barbequed some hamburgers and had some baked beans and salad. John took me for a ride up the hill to see the progress. When we came down we had some coffee, sat around for a while, and then went to bed.

Sunday, July 10, 1977

Had a pancake breakfast, then drove to 10:00 Mass in Harrison. After lunch, we loaded up in the van and headed for Little Rock to pick up Darren. Had trouble with the fuel pump all the way down and we were about an hour late. A kind CB'er called the airport for us to let Darren know we were coming. Had trouble again all the way home and didn't get home till after dark. We fixed some sandwiches for dinner. Had a cup of coffee and went to bed.

Saturday, July 9, 1977

John, Dave, and Robert went up the hill for a few hours then came down and went to the lumber yard to get a roll of plastic to cover the trailer. Sue, Val, Robert and Jacquie went to Yellville to take Mike Burleson home because when he came out here his motorcycle wouldn't run right. Had another little thunderstorm this afternoon. Barbequed a roast for dinner tonight. Afterwards, John and I went in to Burleson's to take a shower. Visited Barry and Lola for a few minutes at City Hall and came on home. Stopped and picked up some ice cream on the way.

Friday, July 8, 1977

Got up about 6:00 AM and had early breakfast. John, Dave and Robert went up the hill to work for a few hours. When they came down, John adjusted the brakes on the van and I went to Yellville with most of the kids. I put in a load of clothes at Burleson's and some of the kids stayed there for showers. The rest of us went to the laundromat and then shopping at Harps. Went to the Health Department to see about the well water. We have to send in a sample to Little Rock. Got back about 5:00 PM and fixed hamburger stew for dinner. Had another thunder storm this afternoon and lightning flashed all evening.

Thursday, July 7, 1977

John, Dave, Robert and Dennis went up the hill to work. When they came down, Dennis was sick. They saw a copperhead snake. Dave fired at it, but missed. John fixed the brakes on the van. We had hamburgers for dinner. John and Dave went up the hill for a while again this evening. When they came down, we climbed in Dave's truck and went down to the creek again. We sat around for a while enjoying the cool evening air. Had a cup of coffee and went to bed around 11:00 PM.

Wednesday, July 6, 1977

Got up about 8:00 AM and had breakfast. John, Dave and Val went to town to get tires on the VW. I spent most of the day sorting clothes and straightening up the trailer, then just spent a while lying around in the shade. John filled the big tub with well water and Kevin, Kristin, and Sharon played in it a while. John took Sue, Val and Jacquie to Yellville to take showers. When he came back, he took Dennis and Robert up the hill to start trimming along the roadway. I fixed meatballs for dinner. After dinner, we went swimming down at the creek. Met a man who moved here from California 9 years ago and says he never would go back.

Tuesday, July 5, 1977

John and Dave went to Harrison for pump parts and other equipment - trash barrels, sickles, arc welder, etc. I went to Yellville and established a bank account, shopped for groceries and did some washing at Burleson's. Took the kids to Carol Lee's Donut Shop for a donut and Dr. Pepper. Went to the Pyatt Post Office and rented a box. We now have an address - P.O. Box 171, Pyatt, AR 72672. When I got home, we had a sudden little thunder storm and we ran around like crazy covering things. John and Dave got back and finished up. At least the weather cooled off a little. Tonight we loaded up in Dave's truck and went down Patton Cemetery Road to the creek where we went swimming and took a bath. It felt great! Also, got the pump started today.

Monday, July 4, 1977

Slept in till about 9:00 AM. Fixed breakfast and sat around talking a while. John, Dave and I went up the hill in the VW to look for a building site for the house. There are some nice level spots up there, however we'll have to do a lot of clearing. We barbequed hamburgers for dinner and about that time Frank McConnell and his family arrived and spent the evening with us. They brought some fireworks and the kids had fun lighting fireworks and shooting rifles. Today was a bad day for Kevin, he started out by falling out of the top bunk on his face, then at dinner time he backed into the barbeque and burned his back.

Sunday, July 3, 1977

Found our way to Mater Dei Church in Harrison. Afterwards, we went to a little old fashioned cafe for breakfast, then took a walk around the town square, looking in store windows. Later in the day we picked up Mike and Brian Burleson and drove out to the 125 Boat Dock where we got the front wheel of the car stuck in the mud. It took about 45 minutes or so to get it out. Then we had a refreshing swim. On the way back, the car was making strange sounds and we discovered that we need a brake job. Came home and barbequed some chicken - had dinner with cold duck about midnight.

Saturday, July 2, 1977

Got up about 9:00 AM. Walked around the property a bit. Discovered we had a capped well. Met our neighbor, Mr. Tabor. John and Dave left to get a pump and supplies. Dennis, Jacquie, and Rob stayed here while Sue, Val, Sharon, Kevin, Kris and I went to Yellville to the laundromat and did laundry. Fixed spaghetti for dinner and had cake for dessert. Kevin's 4th birthday. Dave, Sue, Val and Jacquie went to Lead Hill to a party or July 4th celebration. They got back about midnight. The weather was clear, hot and humid, but it cools off at night.

Friday, July 1, 1977

... and finally, about 6:15 AM we crossed the state line and stopped at the Tourist Information Center where we fixed breakfast and waited about 3 1/2 hours. Thunder and lightning had been rumbling and flashing for hours and finally it started pouring. The weather was very warm. Dave finally caught up and we headed to the nearest gas station where we lost the Volkswagen and had to go back looking for it. Finally got on the road. The weather cleared up. We arrived at Yellville about 4:00 PM and went to the Real Estate office where we signed the final papers. Arrived at our land about 6:00 PM.

Thursday, June 30, 1977

Got started early this morning. After driving a while, Dave had a blowout on his truck. We stopped at a restaurant for breakfast while they changed the tire. We arrived at Lake Weatherford about noon and stayed there till about 6:30 PM. We all went swimming and had a refreshing and fun time. After driving several hours we were tired and stopped at the roadside for a nap. After an hour or so we took off and lost Dave again. We stopped at a restaurant for coffee and waited a while but he didn't show up. We decided to keep driving towards Arkansas ...

Wednesday, June 29, 1977

Got up about 4:30 AM, but it took a couple of hours to get on the road. It was cooler today and we had a sprinkling of rain. We had to change the other tire on the trailer. Lost Dave for a while. He had stopped for a nap. Dave and Mike had fun scaring the girls with some large bugs. We drove till 2:45 AM and pulled in at Abilene for the rest of the night.

Tuesday, June 28, 1977

Got up around 7:00 AM. Dave, Robert and the dogs went swimming in the Colorado River. We drove from Yuma, AZ, to Deming, NM. It was hot all day - over 100 degrees! The Volkswagen had a blowout with Val driving. Mo jumped out of the car and took off. We had to change a tire on the trailer because it had a big bubble in it. The wind was blowing hard tonight and lightning was flashing. We were low on gas and the fuel filter was clogged, so we pulled in for the night a little before eleven.

Monday, June 27, 1977

Had just about everything loaded last night. Slept in trailer, kids slept at Ivan's, Rita's, and Sandie's, some in trailer. Got up about 7:00 AM and waited for Dave till about 4:00 PM. Ivan and Grace gave us breakfast and we sat under Patsy's tree most of the day. Hunsucker's were moved in already. Finally got going and arrived at Mecca at Dave's parents about seven. There was a hot wind blowing. They served cold lemonade and I fixed dinner in the trailer. Got going again about 10:45 PM and drove till about 4:00 AM, where we slept at Yuma, Arizona.