It’s always a treat to have visitors, especially high school students, who bring the welcome energy of grandchildren and remind our Ash Flat elders of their own teen years. Mid-April brought some very special guests from Viola, a short 30-minute car ride west of us.

Nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, Ash Flat, Arkansas, was in the line of totality for the solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. For a few minutes on that magical Monday, the early afternoon skies went dark while the moon was positioned smack-dab between the sun and our Earthly vantage point, blocking its powerful rays.