Mena Travels---

Last Monday (April 27), we did our usual run down to Waldron to take the missionaries down to their car.  However, we made a quick stop at the Rock Creek Bridge to check on the status of the blue Power aid bottle who had been standing there for several months (replaced once after a storm).  Gary had noticed that it had fallen in the recent storms that went through the area (and actually had a tornado touch down 20 miles south of Ft. Smith the night before.) So Elder McKee and Elder Neese went on the hunt for it, but no luck.  The storm carried him away somewhere.

Despite the blue skies and white fluffy clouds at the Rock River Bridge, a lot of rain had fallen overnight and by the time we got down to Mena to wait for their scheduled inspection time, more rain was sprinkling.  We decided to not try taking pictures in Pinecrest Cemetery and went to a nearby park to park while we waited.  I worked on my Institute lesson for Tuesday and Jena and Gary kept busy with other things in the car....until the hail started falling.  We headed out thinking we would park under a car wash that we had seen on the main road, but found an overhand at a Church that was even closer and covered our car completed during the 5 minute hail storm.  We heard some loud bangs on our car while driving, but no dents so we were lucky.

On the way back to the parking lot after the storm, we turned around in this parking lot with BIG Foot so stopped for a BeReal Photo with him.

Clouds are amazing!!! Blue sky peeking out,,,

Big Foot's friend

This picture is only for Gary and I.  Elder McKee had been working on this stick for awhile and sharpening and braiding twine on it, but they decided in cleaning up their apartment that it needed to go because it wasn't something that would "travel well" if he got transferred (which he did. We will miss him.  He was a character in all of the fun ways.) 

Hopefully some little kids didn't retrieve it out of the garbage and throw it at each other.

Heading back home after the apartment inspection---hills after hills after more hills......

And a side road

with beautiful tree tunnels...

And I have probably posted at least 10 of these types of pictures with trees standing tall and straight..

It is a privilege to live a life that allows you to take the "long way" home from time to time and enjoy the beauty of nature and of light all around us.