Most people have probably witnessed many strange and possibly unexplainable things in their lives.  Here is my top ten list:

10) – GIANT LIZARD – While on tour in Vietnam I saw a giant lizard that was at least ten feet in length.  The lizard’s body was as large as a grown man’s and it appeared to weigh 100–200 pounds.

9) – UFO – During the 50’s in northwest Louisiana I witnessed a large meteor that appeared low on the horizon and moved slowly until it finally disappeared.  My friend and I were with our scoutmaster at Boy Scout camp attempting to get our astronomy merit badge.  The extremely slow-moving meteor was definitely neither plane nor balloon.  It prompted the scoutmaster to recount seeing a crash site on the highway in Idaho that a witness told him was a downed spaceship.

8) – UFO – While returning to Fayetteville, Arkansas one night I watched a large florescent object in the sky for almost twenty minutes.  The UFO was not an airplane.  It could possibly have been a weather balloon but had lateral motion that caused me to think not.

7) – MOUNTAIN LION – I saw an adult mountain lion, loose in the city limits of Oklahoma City.  I previously recounted the story on this site.

6) – PURPLE SKY IN VIETNAM – Just before dusk in Vietnam, the air around me turned purple, as if I were suddenly immersed in the color.  No, it was not colored smoke and no, I wasn’t smoking anything either.

5) – GHOST LIGHT – While in college, a friend and I spent the weekend with his grandmother in Cotton Valley, Louisiana.  Having little else to do in the tiny town we visited the reputedly haunted cemetery long after dark.  It was a clear, moonlit night.  From the road we saw a bright, vertical blue light shining skyward from somewhere near the center of the cemetery.  There was no one in the cemetery (at least no live person) and no spotlights.

4) – MAGIC DIEFFENBACHIAS – I had a large dieffenbachia plant that had gotten broken in the wind.  My wife had cancer and I had little time to repot the pieces so I broke it up and put it in a large tub of water.  One of the last things Anne and I did before she passed away was repot the twenty or so pieces of dieffenbachia (dumb cane) into individual pots.  Six months after Anne’s death the plants had still not sprouted.  “You should have planted them sideways,” my father told me.  “They’ll never root the way you planted them.”  Nearly a year passed and I decided one night to dump them the next morning and use the pots for something else.  The next morning every single dieffenbachia had sprouted (overnight, I’m not kidding) and they all continue to grow to this day.

3) – HEADLESS GHOST – As I’ve related before, I personally saw the Ghost of the Headless conductor on the railroad tracks outside Crossett, Arkansas.

2) – SKY IMAGE – While deep in the jungles of Vietnam I saw the complete image of a large city in the darkened sky.  It was probably a mirage but still one of the strangest things I’ve ever seen.

1) – STUFFED FROG – The last Christmas before Anne died, four of her closest friends that had attended law school with her (she called them her law daughters and law son) spent several days with us during which time they bought her a stuffed frog.  When you pressed a button in the frog’s foot it would croak out Jingle Bells.  I put it on the fireplace mantle and it remained there, mostly forgotten until the first Christmas following Anne’s death.  While walking through the room I stopped in front of the mantle and stared at the frog (don’t ask what possessed me to do this because I don’t know).  As I stood there, it began croaking out Jingle Bells.  This occurrence had never happened previously and has never happened since.  A sign from Anne?  I think so.

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Shortly after a life-changing experience, I began to notice the numerical sequence 1111.  I would suddenly glance at a digital clock, whether in my car or on television, precisely at 11.11.  I know this sounds strange and I thought so too.  It is strange!

Digital dials weren’t the only place this number would appear.  I began seeing it on licence plates, billboards, newspapers, etc.  Well, you get the picture.  I decided to search the internet to see if anyone else had noticed this phenomena.  To my amazement, the answer is yes.

Like me, many others have noticed the numerical sequence 1111 but no one seems to have a precise explanation for why it appears.  After seeing the sequence for many years now, I have developed a theory of my own.

I’m neither physicist nor mathmetician but there are things I do know about nature.  Everything in the universe is connected with everything else.  Perfect patterns are formed, even by chaotic events.  Practically anything can be explained by applying a mathematical function.  Any action by a creature or object, no matter how small, affects the entire universe.  Those of you that have seen the movie Butterfly Effect or have heard about Archimedes Last Breath know what I mean.

My thinking is that everything is universally connected (not an original idea) and the universe a giant mathematical function.  The numerical sequence is a sign.  I’ve become to believe it is a sign from the universe, of which we are all an integral part.  What does 1111 mean?  It means everything is okay in the universe.

http://www.ericwilder.com  http://energyissues.blogharbor.com

      

Eureka Springs lies in the lush Ozark Mountains of Arkansas near the intersection of Highways 62 and 23.  The scenic little town was founded July 4, 1879.  Many mineral springs emerge from the ancient limestone hills and travelers were drawn there after hearing of the spring’s healing properties.

The town of Eureka Springs is nestled in a valley deeply incised in the surrounding hills.  A single street with several names makes a loop beginning downtown.  Other short streets intersect the loop.  The town’s location is so steep that many buildings have as many as three ground floor entrances.

Eureka Springs is now a tourist destination and home to many artists and writers drawn to the little town’s eclectic lifestyle.  I first visited Eureka Springs as a child but have returned many times because of the serenity and atmosphere.  There is nothing more relaxing than sitting on the balcony of the Crescent Hotel and enjoying the scenic panorama that has changed little since 1879.  Pay the town a visit.  You’ll be glad you did.

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Happy holidays to everyone.

  Two photos from the Vivian Caddo Citizen that shows early pictures of Vivian and Oil City, Louisiana.  http://www.ericwilder.com  http://energyissues.blogharbor.com

  It is widely held that the first modern era New Orleans Mardi Gras occurred in 1857.  The 2006 Mardi Gras, if one takes place, will be either the 149th or 150th, depending on who you ask and how good a mathematician you are.  I think that 2006 will be the 150th anniversary of Mardi Gras, but then I’m mathematically challenged so what do I know?  This may be irrelevant anyway because some historians think the first Mardi Gras in New Orleans started in the 1700’s.

It’s widely accepted that the first Mardi Gras doubloon was thrown from a float during the 1960 Rex parade.  Since then, the various Krewes have minted their own throws made from metals ranging from aluminum to almost pure silver.  These throws are dated and have become collector’s items.  While I can’t swear to my math, there is one thing that I am sure of.  2005 doubloons and 2006 doubloons will quickly be scarfed up by collectors because both years represent a milestone in New Orleans history – the end of one era and the beginning of another.  http://www.ericwilder.com   http://energyissues.blogharbor.com   http://ericwilder.blogspot.com

  Here is another picture of Jeems Bayou taken this past October.  Some of the vegetation had begun to turn even though it was in the 90’s on this particular day.  Jeems (pronounced James) Bayou begins in Cass County, Texas.  This picture was taken very close to the Texas border and not far from Trees City, Louisiana.  http://www.ericwilder.com   http://energyissues.blogharbor.com

In 1833 Captain Henry Miller Shreve, Superintendent of Western River Improvement, began dismantling the 165 mile long log jam known as the Red River or Great Raft.  Shreve had earlier invented the snag boat and his creation had a jaw-like bow that could yank snags and tree trunks out of the water.  The trees and snags were then cut up with a saw mill on the boat’s deck.

In 1835, the Shreve Town Company was formed by eight businessmen at the site of Captain Shreve’s camp.  When a rival group started a nearby town they called Coates Bluff, the Shreve Town Company hired Captain Shreve to divert the river slightly.  He did so, leaving Coates Bluff without access to the Red River.

Today, Shreveport, named in Captain Henry Miller Shreve’s honor, is Louisiana’s second largest city and Coates Bluff little more than a faded memory.

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  A wooden oil well, circa 1915, Trees City, Louisiana.  The man on the right is Big Jim O’Rear, Great Uncle of Eric Wilder.  http://www.ericwilder.com   http://energyissues.blogharbor.com

 Eric Wilder’s grandmother, Dale O'Rear Pittenger Rood, 1918, Caddo Lake near Trees City, Louisiana. Overlooking an early-day oil gathering facility.

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  Antimony ore was discovered in southwest Arkansas shortly after the Civil War.  Ore was mined until 1947, not because the mines played out but because the veins were narrow, sinuous and hard to follow.  The mines were often entered by vertical mine shaft and these were hard to keep from filling with water.  The area is in Sevier County near the small towns of King and Gillham.  Above is an old map of the area from a University of Arkansas Master’s Thesis entitled Geochemistry, Geothermometry and Mineralogy of Copper, Lead, Zinc and Antimony Deposits of Sevier County, Arkansas.  http://www.ericwilder.com   http://energyissues.blogharbor.com

Jefferson, Texas is a sleepy East Texas town not far from Caddo Lake.  The town is historically significant because it was once the largest port in Texas, even larger at the time then Houston.  Michener devoted an interesting chapter to Jefferson in his book TEXAS.  During the 1800’s as many as 35 riverboats a day brought goods from New Orleans and returned with Texas cotton.  In addition, they brought along the celebration of Mardi Gras.

During a recent trip to Jefferson, I kept noticing Mardi Gras posters in many of the myriad curio, souvenir and antique shops (all dated, and collector’s items, I presume).  I soon learned the town celebrates Mardi Gras every year the weekend before Fat Tuesday.  It even has its own local krewe, the Krewe of Hebe. 

The water level along the route to Jefferson is no longer deep enough to support large boat travel, but more than 100 buildings are still recognized as historically significant.  Tourism is the main gig and the town reminds me of Branson, Missouri before it was converted by country music into a mega-tourist attraction.  The same could happen someday to Jefferson and I heartily recommend you check it out before then.  At least if you’re in the neighborhood.

http://www.ericwilder.com  http://energyissues.blogharbor.com

 Here are first-ever pictures of the extremely illusive Oklahoma Corn Dog.  http://www.ericwilder.com   http://energyissues.blogharbor.com

People born in New Orleans were called Creoles to differentiate them from white French immigrants. The Colony also attracted immigrants from Spain and the Caribbean, along with their African and Haitian slaves. Soon, anyone born in the Colony, be they white, black, Indian or mixture was considered Creole. Today, the word is often used to describe not only the people, but also the cuisine and architecture of New Orleans.

http://www.ericwilder.com   http://energyissues.blogharbor.com

In perhaps the most unusual weather year ever, the National Hurricane Center in Miami reported yesterday a new record for hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean.  Epsilon, this year’s 14th hurricane, has maximum sustained winds of 75 mph.  Epsilon is only the fifth December hurricane reported in more than 120 years.  1,115 miles west of the Azores, the storm poses no threat to the U.S.  http://www.ericwilder.com   http://energyissues.blogharbor.com

Those that have read any of my New Orleans short stories know that Bertram Picou is the owner of an eclectic little bar on Chartres Street, in the French Quarter. He cooks some of the world’s best gumbo and always has a pot simmering in back for his regular customers. Everyone in New Orleans makes gumbo, some tasting better than others.

The best gumbo is like ambrosia, a gift from heaven itself. It’s now made all over the world but one thing is sure. You’ll never find better gumbo anywhere in the world that tastes as good as the worst gumbo from New Orleans. Some say that Bertram’s gumbo is the best in the Big Easy. Don’t believe me? Next time you’re in the French Quarter, stop by his place and give it a try. The bar’s a little hard to find, but keep looking. Below is Bertram’s recipe, told in his own words.

Bertram Picou’s Mama's Gumbo

"First thing is make the roux. Pour some oil in your big cast iron skillet and put it on the fire, medium heat. Add some flour and start stirring. Whatever you do, don’t leave the stove, even to chase Ol’ Shep, until the roux cooks to a pleasing shade of brown, maybe a little darker if you’re taste buds are more Cajun than most. Be careful now. Don’t burn that roux cause it’s the most important part of the gumbo! If it starts to smoke and curdle up, you done screwed up! Throw it out and start over.

Once you got the roux done, its time to make the gumbo. My Mama throws in crawfish, shrimp, chicken, sausage, squirrel, deer, or even fish. "Whatever floats your boat," she used to say.

Fill up your big stock pot with water and set it on the stove. Get it to boiling then add the roux. Mama always uses four tablespoons, more or less, depending on the weather, how dark she had let it cook, and how she feels that particular day. Good cooks don’t read recipes. They just sense how something ought to taste. However many tablespoons she used, her gumbo always tasted damn good!

Keep stirring until the roux and water are mixed, then add a couple of chopped onions, a chopped bell pepper, six minced garlic cloves and your chicken, seafood, or whatever. This is where it gets tricky. You need to add salt, cayenne and black pepper and this must be done to taste. Using too much, or not enough, can make or break the gumbo and, unfortunately, practice is the only way to learn how. You’ll have to do this yourself cause Mama can’t go to everyone’s house.

Cook the gumbo on a medium hot flame and keep stirring until everything starts getting tender. Don’t put a lid on the pot.

Finally, boil up your rice to perfection (just about the hardest thing in the world to get right, but that’s another story). Add parsley and scallions to the gumbo, and, if you like, a little file, then ladle it on the rice and enjoy!"

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