We have just finished a fantastic steak dinner and I decided to sit outside for a while enjoying the unusually warm evening. Our site is quite dark and the stars are bright in the sky with an occasional bat darting in and out of the old maples. Sharon joined me and we watched several planes pass overhead and even a satellite come into view. Reflecting on our activities of the day we both again agreed that this trip is really special. Maybe it's the freedom we both have to enjoy what's around us more. Whatever it is...it agrees with us.

We met some interesting and kind people today. People who came into our lives with no other reason than to be helpful. A lady in line at the post office stepped forward to offer her office's fax machine when we thought we needed one to solve a problem we were having with our mail. We met her again in the parking lot and discovered she and her husband were deeply involved
in the local music festivals, friends of jazzman Dave Bruebeck and a truly engaged supporter of the Hot Springs community. Refreshing to see such honest enthusiasm. We felt so comfortable with her we later called her for a recommendation for a good meat market (remember that great steak dinner above?). She graciously said since she was a vegetarian it wasn't her forte but asked around the office for us and came up with suggestion.

With the thought of a steak on the grill this evening we headed out to find this market. We located the place and I was soon ogling the selection of steaks behind the glass display case.
After quizzing the meat cutter I settled on a couple of porterhouses. At $9.75/pound not a bad deal I thought. As I stand there watching the meat being cut, a gentlemen comes up and strikes up a conversation with the meat man and soon the three of us are engaged in meat talk. Sort of a man thing I suppose. Something primal for sure. Anyway the more the guy talked of how good the meat was, the more I bought. Before long I had an armload and noticed Sharon, out of the corner of my eye, talking to a women in the back of the store. I wandered over to show off my purchases but they were engaged in the finer points of the homemade macaroni and cheese offered in the display case. Soon, her husband joined us and he, as it turned out, was the same guy at the meat counter. We soon were exchanging backgrounds and travel stories. We parted company after swapping email addresses and headed for our respective homes and I again realized how many gracious and interesting people that have come into our lives. It was another good day.