CLAY AND WATTLES

Fall Sun and the Rest of the Airport Story

The fall sun has always been one of my favorite "auras" to behold. It burnishes everything with a golden light like no other time of year. Part of the charm of the autumn light may be that it is not hot like summer sunlight. The air it inhabits is cool and crisp while giving everything a luminous sheen. I've never seen the aurora borealis except on TV, but there seems to be some kinship of the northern lights and autumn lights, a gracefulness and magic about them...

Paul wrote on his blog - (I don't know how to make a link here; I tried... it's in my Blog List below if anyone wants to go there) about the luncheon today at Mike's, which was attended by several dignitaries including Governor Mike Beebe. I'd forgotten where the actual luncheon would be, but knew the regional airport groundbreaking was today at Colt. When the girls and I arrived at Mike's, I remembered where they'd be eating. The parking lot was full and I spotted Paul's truck. After we were seated, I told them I should go to the door and wave at Paul, but that wouldn't be very dignified. Paul might deny even knowing me, too. I tried to call him on his cell phone, but he wouldn't answer! Well! Then someone hit on the idea of sending him a note and I wrote on a napkin, asked Mike to give it to Paul if he had a chance (they were "slammed" today, as wait staff say). We ate our lunch and in a little while Paul stopped by our table. He said Mike had given him a napkin and said something about "Pat," but he said, "It was a blank napkin." "Look inside it," I told him. He had opened it wrong and didn't see my note to him:"Sweetie, Answer your phone! We are on the other side (of the restaurant)!" The luncheon party was moving on to the dedication site so Paul had to go, and by the time we left, all the cars that had been in the parking lot had moved southward about half a mile and were lined up along the highway shoulders. Paul was one of the speakers and also one of the ground breakers, along with Governor Beebe and Mayor Gordon McCoy of Forrest City. The regional airport will be a real asset to our area upon completion in about 2012 or 2013. We missed our chance meeting the Governor, but did get to speak to Mayor Nichols and Representative David Dunn.