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"Dragon Prince" Bronze with Oak base 15"x6"x6"

Well this time it only took my three and a half weeks to get back to typing down a few thoughts. I went for a bike ride this afternoon. This is a bit of a change for me having just gone out to ride since I've been here. Mostly have been using the bike to commute into town for work, or go in for a movie. And as such travel has been going on, let’s talk about my mileage on the bike. For my trips into town and what not I have been getting 49.12 miles per gallon. Not bad for a five year old bike. The mileage for my little tour this afternoon was 51.75 mpg.
The ride was rather fun, I had at first just thought to go into Hot Springs and see some of the events downtown, but decided to just ride. So I headed north on state route 7, until I got to Hollis CCC historic site. This was a camp built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1930 closed in 1931, but was reopened in 1932. CCC workers put out forest fires, built roads and recreational facilities, planted trees, and performed many other tasks. It was later torn down in the 1942, when there wasn't a need for employement programs do to WWII. Now, all the foundations are the only remnants; along with the chimney of what used to be the mess hall. It's an interesting place, worth the stop.
From there I checked the time; it was only 2:35 so I continued on north. A map of the area had some of the roads so I rode up to Nimrod Dam, and stopped a Nimrod Park near the dam.
Back on the road I headed east on state route 60 through he town of Nimrod. The warn you when you have to slow down for a reduced speed zone but not when it goes back up, I blinked and missed the sign for it to return to 55 mph. Either that or it was all shot up and not hanging on the post anymore. From there I went through Aplin, Cherry Hill and Perry. The latter is the only one the looked like a town and not just a few house near the road.
In Perry I turned South on State Route 9 South and 10 East, down to Williams Junction where they split from each other. About 6 miles from State Route 5 I got a small black bug under my right lens in my sunglasses. Slowed down and pulled over quick with one eye open. No problems getting the bug out of my eye. Well at this point I took a quick leg stretch and headed home. I travelled down to State Route 5 and west back to the Village.
Got home a little after four in the afternoon, just it time to start thinking of what to have for dinner.
I have been apartment hunting up in Conway the last week, got accepted at one place but may see if their sister complex closer to campus has an opening, or maybe go look at the brick apartments again. Will let you all know on how that turns out next weekend. I'm going back up to Conway for Trans-itions the orientation day for transfer students not required but it should be fun.

Photo is me with my farmer tan cleaning out the waterfall pond in the back yard. I'm wearing Arkansas hip waders, two black contractor garbage bags, tapped at the ankles, knees and thighs.

Well another six weeks in Arkansas has past. Been working the last two weeks, mostly temp work but it is paying some of the bills.

I have had my advisement meeting for classes this fall and had my work reviewed by two of the professors at UCA. Had a second meeting after there review and had to make changes to my plans for school. I am starting classes this summer to pick up two studio classes in July. So moving up Conway a month sooner than I had planned. I may be looking at having to rent an off campus apartment instead of an university apartment as I had planned originnally.

My plans for the trip back to California have change a little. Frontier Airlines have suspended service to several airports including Little Rock. So I spent time on the phone this last Saturday talking with four different people to finally get a refund on the cancelled flight. I rebooked a flight returning one day sooner to accommodate the new college schedule.

Pictured here is one of the many squirrels that are about my moms place. I bought a new camera this Spring to help with school and recording my work for the portfolio. Got a Canon PowerShot S5 IS. The same kind camera that I had at work out in San Jose.

Well, it has been a little over six weeks since my move to Arkansas.

The Weather;
I have had a lot of different kinds since I have moved here to Hot Springs. The first Tuesday evening after I got here, we had thunderstorms, for those of you that haven't been in one it means hard rain, wind, thunder and lightening. It was a nice light show until we got the tornado warnings. Well the twisters were up north or east of us. Then the weather turned and we had a couple of weeks of warmer weather through mid February. Then we had more rain and colder weather that the first week of March had us in snow twice in three days just last week. The fickle as the weather is here this week we have had highs in the 70's, more thunderstorms and hail.

The job hunt;
I have had seven interviews in the last five weeks, three of which were telephone interviews. But alas no job offers as of yet.

Keeping busy;
I have been helping my mom out here round the house and yard. Took out stump in the side yard, removed the old cables from the satellite dish system that was taken out over six years ago. Painted the chains between the brick columns in the front yard, they are now white again and match the house trim. Cleaned up the top part of the waterfall. I have been out in the yard trimming trees and bushes. Found a carpet company to come in and stretch the carpets to get rid of the loose humps we had. Also got plumbers in today to fix the water-hammer problem.

Family;
My big brother Bob was came down to visit mom in February. My sister and brother-in-law, Barb and Mike are off to Mexico for the next three months, we are getting pictures from their trip every few days. My other sister Amy is going to Vegas for a work conference next week.

The College Thing;
I got the final acceptance letter from UCA last month, got a login and password last week and signing up for early registration next week.
The university has taken 33.5 of my credits as transfer units.

Movies;
I have seen two movies since I've been here "Jumper" and "The Bank Job" not on the same day about week or so apart. I liked both but "The Bank Job" was a better movie of the two. One film that I was going to take a look at, but I have been told, by two different friends now, to pass on it is "10,000 B.C."

More to come later…