Dardanelle, AR Real Estate, Homes For Sale, School & Area Information

I get so excited when I see the first hummingbird of the season every year. This year, there were two in my first sighting. We were sitting on the porch, and one little fellow pretty much stopped in front of me to make sure I saw him. Anticipating they would start arriving soon, I had put out a couple of feeders the last week of March. And there they were! The full numbers and crew that stay for the summer aren't here yet, but the numbers are building. A few of my feeders were cracked, so I will replace them. I bought some new, tall double shepherd hooks today and made another gallon of food, one part sugar to four parts water.

The short daylight hours find me feeding, etc after dark. Tonight I got started feeding before dark, but it was dark-thirty before everything was done. While I had the fine equine up for grain, I put out the hay. Closing them in the pen keeps me from having to close gates until I'm done. I love farm life in the Arkansas River Valley of West Central Arkansas.

Plan to head up on top of beautiful Mt. Nebo State Park Saturday, August 10th for the 72nd Annual Mt. Nebo Chicken Fry. Chicken dinners will be sold from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. There will be street vendors available all day and a food truck with burgers during the later concerts. Craft and other vendors will be open throughout the day, 36 total. There are multiple activities going on: 10k race, Lovely Legs Contest, multiple concerts with live bands, kids zone, baggo tournament, bocce ball, horseshoe tournament, softball tournament, chicken calling contest, motorcycle show, and more. Check the schedule of events in the accompanying link.

Here's some joy and beauty in the midst of the flooding and devastation of the Arkansas River flooding in our area.

The Hummingbirds come the first week of April each year and then leave for the newly blooming honeysuckle for a few weeks. They are back now and the numbers are building. They will be residents with us till fall. I have all 13 feeders out again and am making one to two gallons of food a day.

I'm blessed to live in an area of the county where my home should not be affected by the current river flooding and breached levee. Many of my community members, friends and family are not so lucky. Keep our area in your thoughts and prayers, please.

Here in the Arkansas River Valley, we are waiting, watching, and praying about the flood waters. The river is quite high, but we've seen higher. Our hope is that the predictions are high and we don't see areas flooded that we've never seen flood. The sight and sound of that much water coming through the lock and dam is amazing.

Now is the time. Here's why: our gardens are being planted. The grass is greening up and growing. The hummingbirds are returning for the season. The dogwood trees are blooming, so the wild turkeys are gobbling and the crappie are biting. The weather is getting great for camping, hiking, kayaking, cookouts, trail riding, fishing, and all kinds of out outdoor fun.

Governor Asa Hutchison joined us for the 71st Annual Mt. Nebo Chicken Fry today. There were lots of politicians in attendance. Like in years past, we had Chicken, Pickin', & Politickin'. Several bands played and there were multiple throughout the day. The attendance improved again this year. The sold dinner count hasn't been done. Just based on the color change on ticket rolls, I know there were over 1,200 chicken dinners served. Drumsticks, thighs, and wings were my station for serving, sold dinner tickets and t-shirts for a while, then cleaned tables and took down tents. It was a great day for the Dardanelle Chamber of Commerce. Big thank you to all the volunteers that helped make it a success.

Luckily we only have a couple squirrels that come to the bird feeders. I love watching them, but a few more squirrels would eat us out of house and home. There are a wide variety of birds that visit our feeders. On rare occasion a painted bunting makes an appearance.

For the second year Dardanelle Area Chamber of Commerce has coordinated a decoration project. They had a contest for best decorated business, tree lighting ceremony at the Gazebo, Christmas Parade and the very popular trees on the courthouse lawn. I think there are more trees this year and I'm certain the decorations are more elaborate and beautiful. My Re/Max tree is pretty, but I need to step up my game next year. Maybe I will get some more video and/or close up pictures to share. There are also trees and decorations at the foot of the Arkansas River Bridge. It looks great in daylight and dark for all the passing traffic.

If equine activities is one of your passions, The Free State of Yell may be a great home for you. Yell County is rural and offers lots of properties with acreage. I was just checking the mowers we have assigned to the Highway 7 pasture. While there, I grained and fly sprayed three of our "fine equine" as I fondly call them. Like all of the rest of our crew, they come running when I call their names and whistle.

Porch time in June has been exceptionally enjoyable lately. The temperatures have been mild. My flowers are blooming. The hummingbirds and other birds are loving their feeders and bird bath in our yard.

I get quite a bit of work done in the garden also. We are only getting lettuces, radishes, cherry tomatoes, and a few squash and peppers that early, but soon after, we have cucumbers, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, multiple kinds of squash, and green beans. The okra, butter beans, corn, and watermelons will be a while yet. The last time I had watermelons, the racoons beat me to all but one!

The annual Free State of Yell Fest finished up tonight. The event always offers a horseshoes tournament, car show, three on three basketball tournament, a run, games, rides, vendors, food court, bands, fireworks, and a lot of fun.

Spring has arrived and so have the weeds. It's a little earlier this year. The weeds are coming up, so to give the grass a better start, we have to spray earlier. Total vegetation control is next on the fence rows.

I noticed the big tractors out getting the soybean and corn fields ready to plant. The growing season is my favorite time of year. It will be here soon. My tiny tomato and pepper plants are moved outside waiting until it is safe for them to go in the ground. Some will stay in pots so I can keep them after the frost this fall.

We served grapes coated in a cream cheese/blue cheese mixture and rolled in crushed pecans, shrimp cocktail dip, marinated mozzarella and tomatoes and picks with horseradish cheddar, havarti, dill havarti, Colby Jack, olives, shrimp, salami, grapes, and sweet pepper in different combinations. We also had some store bought spinach and artichoke cheese spread with a variety of crackers. The tasty cheese snacks accompanied Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Moscato, sweet red, and white Zinfandel. There were several other businesses represented and they offered a variety of cheese and wine also. Balanced Books and More had a cheese fountain. Who doesn't love flowing, melted cheese?

It was another gorgeous day in Harkey's Valley. Everything is budding out and blooming. I'm worried that we'll get more freezing weather and zap the buds. My plum tree is loaded with blooms. The daffodils have been blooming for a while. We still have to hay the livestock. Today Trooper and I went and got hay and put out for the horses, donkeys, and mules. He had to take a dip in the creek to cool off after his run. I love life in the country!

Dardanelle Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the Second Annual Cheese Festival on March 17, 2017. It will be held at Yell County Wildlife Federation located at 10035 Wildlife Lane from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Local businesses will have booths set up with various wines and cheese themed foods for the attendees to sample. There are usually drawings for a variety of prizes. Last year I gave gave away a couple bottles of wine and will likely do the same this year. Mark your calendars and come support the Chamber and sample some great wines and cheese dishes.

Some of the fine equine are coming to check on an early feeding time. They get their grain in the evening to help generate some heat. Frank and the Palomino, Pal, are both rescues. Frank has been with us nearly a year and Pal has been here about 10 years.

The 2016 Dardanelle Christmas Parade was a lot of fun. The streets were lined on both sides with spectators from Merritt Park on AR 22, all the way up Union, and down Front Street to the gazebo. You could see beauty queens, floats, fire trucks, a cement truck, motorcycles, an ambulance, antique cars, sulkys, a wagon and horseback riders passed by waving, marching band music, and parade participants throwing candy. Even the Grinch was handing out candy! There were vendors walking up and down the streets selling cotton candy and lighted sabers. Rockin' R Tanning & Boutique, along with myself, gave out hot chocolate, cookies and candy to the passers-by. A good time was had by all. We've already started making plans for next year's parade.

The annual event is usually the first Friday of December. Dardanelle Area Chamber of Commerce coordinates and plans the parade and several other events. The Chamber is a good source for a calendar of local events.

This is the first year for Dardanelle to have Christmas trees purchased, sponsored, and decorated by Dardanelle Area Chamber of Commerce members. The sponsors should have them all decorated by tomorrow for the Annual Christmas Parade. There is also an area on the corner of AR-7/Union Street and Front Street that is also decorated. I believe the local garden club has done those decorations. Yell County Courthouse in Dardanelle has looked beautiful for years with its many holiday lights. The addition of local businesses' and organizations' sponsored trees accents the beauty. It made me smile and feel proud of my town when I drove off the Arkansas River Bridge into Dardanelle tonight.

I've read great comments and seen colorful pictures from the tree lighting festivities at the gazebo on Front Street Wednesday night. I missed it because I was shopping after work for lights and ornaments for my tree at the Courthouse. One of my friends made some Re/Max balloon ornaments for me.

It was another great day for working cattle in the Arkansas River Valley. Paige is a Catahoula Spotted Leopard Dog and Roxy is an Australian Cattle Dog. They are part of the working crew. They, along with our horses, help gather, pen, sort, and work the cattle. This was a group of 150 steers and heifers. I love to watch the dogs do their jobs. Watching and riding a good working horse is another joy of mine. Maybe I'll get some video of the horses to share with you next time.

Harkeys' Valley is an area around Chickalah, pronounced Cha-key-lah. It is about eight miles south of Dardanelle on Highway 27 in Yell County. Nestled in the valley between Spring and Chickalah Mountains, we have creeks, abundant wildlife, and more. We have a celebrity living out here. Harkeys' Valley is home to Tusk, the Arkansas Razorbacks mascot!

I always enjoy watching animals and look forward to the arrival of the hummingbirds every year. We don't have as many this year, but there are plenty to enjoy and keep me making over two gallons of hummingbird food every other day! Life in the country is what suits me. Out here we garden, raise our own eggs, ride horses, go for horse drawn wagon rides, host cookouts, and enjoy porch time in our rocking chairs.

The riders didn't have much luck tonight, but the bull fighters did a great job keeping the riders safe. For me, the little Bay pickup horse stole the show. He knew his job and did it well. He didn't falter; he drug and drove bulls all evening. I love to see a good horse work.

Yell Fest, the annual event at Veterans Riverfront Park off Front Street in Dardanelle, will be held on May 6 and 7, 2016. It offers carnival rides, games, food, multiple vendors, hot air balloon and helicopter rides, car show, a four mile Run Like Yell, live bands, and more. If you missed it Friday night, come on out Saturday. I'm one of many local sponsors. Also, there will be a fireworks show Saturday night.

Dardanelle Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting its first Wine and Cheese Festival Friday, March 11, 2016 from 6:00-8:00 pm at Yell County Wildlife Federation Building, 2011 SR 22, Dardanelle. Local business people will set up booths offering a variety of wines and cheeses for attendees to sample. This will be a fun and tasty event to socialize, meet local business people, and maybe find a new favorite go to wine and cheese pairing. As a local real estate agent and Chamber member, I'm thinking of setting up a booth to share some vino and cheese snacks. Call Tanya Hendrix at the Chamber for more information, 479-229-3328.