What I Saw in Arkansas

What I Saw in Arkansas

Alright, let's get one thing perfectly clear.

I don't believe in flying saucers or little green men.

Only, I know what I know and I have seen what I have seen — not about saucers or Martians — oh, no… not that!

But, there's been talk… doubts, shall we say… about what I have reported seeing around town before.

Like, when I told someone years ago that I think a quail flew into my car's radiator and that person said, “I don't think so?”

I popped the hood and produced some quail feathers from the grill and said, “Now, what do you think?” Then, there was the time that I saw some black figures along the top of the levee and made out the forms as that of wild turkeys.

And I was uniformly poopoo'ed.

That is, until a friend of mine who is a local hunter of some reputation told me that, indeed, there are some scattered turkeys in our location.

Sweet vindication!

Now, I know I don't have to defend myself in public when I share the sight of thousands of white geese flying in droves across the sky and settling on the land north of Marion like snow on farmlands.

Everybody knows that.

Only, it doesn't detract from the fact that it is truly a spectacular sight! And it is. But, simply because a LOT of people see it? That is NOT what makes it necessarily true. What happens, happens. It doesn't matter HOW many people see it or not.

Besides, my own dog as well as others have dragged up the carcasses of some white geese to folks back doors. So I know whereof I speak.

Are we good?

Wel-l-l… there WAS also the time out on Gammon Road that I stopped in the middle of the road because my wife yelled out for me to throw on the brakes.

And over twenty deer pranced across the road in front of the car like ballet dancers, perfectly in time, one-by-one in perfect single file. None even glanced at us, except one-that one gave us a doe stare for like three seconds and put us in a trance.

What a moment in time. Never forget it.

Luckily, my wife can testify to what I saw. That is, what we BOTH saw.

Then, there was… shall I continue?

The Marion fox.

Yeah.

Crawled out of the ditch near the railroad track at the stop light in Marion and walked right in front of my car, which was stopped at the light, without giving me so much as a look, trotted like he (or she) had no cares in the world, passed in front of the Sultana-adorned wall and vanished around the corner.

Sure enough.

Real-ly.

And, of course, the myriad sightings of coyotes around the 'hood.

The white owl in the middle of the day on McNeely Road, staring at me as I drove toward it and came to a stop just short to shoo it away.

The Indians say the white owl sighting is powerful medicine-like an omen, and depending on who you consult- either a good or bad one.

Oh, and yea, there was the bobcat shouldering its way through a cotton field a few months ago. My spouse was in the car with me, but she looked around too late to see it. No, really! There was that.

Then it happened again.

Why is it ALWAYS me?

Okay, so I saw something.

Only, it was a someone this time.

So, all right, it was… the Travel Gnome.

And I know how it sounds, right?

I saw the Travel Gnome as I was driving to Memphis.

There it is. Just putting it out there.

And that's not all.

He was in the company of a dog… a dog that looked like…

a dog that looked like White Fang.

You know? White Fang? Looked like a white, longhaired wolfdog right out of Jack London's classic novel? There. I feel better now, having gotten that off my chest.

There he was-the gnome, I mean-short guy with a beard down to his what'sits; walking along with a gnarly walking stick, an old floppy hat on and White Fang trotting right there, just ahead of him, tongue out, pacing ahead of T.G. (Travel Gnome.) And I wouldn't even have mentioned all this but for one thing; I sighted T.G. a second time, when I drove back from Memphis to Marion that same afternoon, again walking along with White Fang leading.

This time he waved at me. T.G. that is… not White Fang. I mean, if White Fang was waving, that would just be cra-zy, wouldn't it? What am I saying? So, I know I didn't imagine the whole thing.

Did I? Huh?

It's like an episode out of 'The Twilight Zone.' I mean, whoever heard of a mirage waving at you? And why?

Will I be seeing him everywhere I go now, because I have somehow slipped into an alternate dimension? Will Rod Serling be narrating in the background? Will there be spooky music? Doo-da-doo-da, doo-dadoo- da?

Dunno?

So, has anyone else seen him? You know… them? Huh?

Just sayin.'

By Robert L. Hall