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.

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

 

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.

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

  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.

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

  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!"

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

This writing, criticizing, reviewing, lecturing -- this hawking of words, to put it crudely -- is more than a craft whose products occasionally achieve the dimensions of art.  It is a magic, as often black as white.  From On Writing, 1968, by Frank Waters

Here are a few pics I recently took at Jeems (pronounced James) Bayou.  Mid November, the temperature was hot, near 90 degrees.  The trees and plants knew that despite the high temperatures the season was still late Fall.  The variation in colors attested to that.  The water was dark, like a primordial stew.  If the head of some giant prehistoric beast had pierced its tranquil surface it wouln't have surprised me.

According to the website http://www.livescience.com the ten most deadly creatures on earth are:

10. Poison Dart Frog

9. Cape Buffalo

8. Polar Bear

7. Elephant

6. Australian Saltwater Crocidile

5. African Lion

4. Great White Shark

3. Australian Box Jellyfish

2. Asian Cobra

AND

1. Mosquito (they carry parasites that carry malaria and their bites result in more than 2 million deaths per year).

Just East of Eden has moved to a new blog host.  The location is http://justeastofeden.blogharbor.com .  Please check it out.  Myblogsite is shutting its doors and will no longer host anyone after 11-30.  Also, check out Livescience.com, its an awesome website.  Thanks, Eric Wilder

 

Yesterday the temperature in Oklahoma City reached 83 degrees.  My moonflowers think it is still summer.  Maybe it is.

Little is known for sure about the town of Monterey and no one is really sure if it was located in Louisiana or Texas. This is because nothing remains of the town today except two graves. A plat of the town exists in the Vivian Museum, though little or nothing is known about who lived there or who ran businesses there.

What is known is that Monterey had a riverboat landing and was home to 1000 or so inhabitants. In 1878, the little town even had a U.S. post office. The names on the graves are T. E. Samuel

and Ernest L. M. Sleet. Samuel was born in Orange County, Virginia and died October 6, 1880. Sleet was born March 1, 1861 and died January 17, in 1878.

The town of Monterey is shrouded in mystery.  What is known is that outlaws, pirates and adventurers visited the town that is now all but gone -- except for two graves and many unknown ghosts.

Http://www.ericwilder.com Http://ericwilder.blogspot.com Http://ghostofachance.myblogsite.com Http://energyissues.modblog.com

http://www.ericwilder.com  http://ericwilder.blogspot.com  http://ghostofachance.blogspot.com  http://energyissues.modblog.com

Big Easy is Eric Wilder's new novel about murder, New Orleans and voodoo.   more »

http://www.ericwilder.com  http://ericwilder.blogspot.com  http://energyissues.modblog.com  http://ghostofachance.blogspot.com

http://www.ericwilder.com  http://ericwilder.blogspot.com  http://ghostofachance.blogspot.com  http://energyissues.modblog.com

FEMA recently released a map of the United States indicating the locations of potential natural disasters.  One of the prominent locations noted is the New Madrid Fault Zone.

Perhaps the grandfather of all earthquakes occurred along the New Madrid Fault Zone.  Three giant earthquakes struck the area in 1811 and 1812.  While there was no seismic equipment during that time to measure the effects of the earthquakes, the largest is estimated to have been an 8.0 on the Richter Scale.

The New Madrid Earthquakes caused large areas to sink and many new lakes to form.  Some say that it was so powerful that it caused the Mississippi River to flow backwards for several days.  Thousands of acres of forests were flattened and houses and crops sank.  Few people were killed because the area was sparsely populated at the time.

To put the quake in perspective, the recent Pakistan earthquake that killed almost 40,000 people had a magnitude of 7.6.  An earthquake of the magnitude 8.0 would have the same effect as detonating 6 million tons of TNT.

The New Madrid Fault Zone is still active and lies halfway between St. Louis and Memphis.  If a repeat of the New Madrid Earthquakes occurred today, it could result in tremendous devastation and loss of life.  http://www.ericwilder.com  http://ericwilder.blogspot.com  http://ghostofachance.blogspot.com  http://energyissues.modblog.com

http://www.ericwilder.com  http://ericwilder.blogspot.com  http://energyissues.modblog.com  http://ghostofachance.blogspot.com

http://ericwilder.blogspot.com  http://www.ericwilder.com  http://ghostofachance.blogspot.com  http://energyissues.modblog.com

I'm posting this pic from Vivian, Louisiana, but it is an authenthic picture of Eric's magic Oklahoma moonflowers  - the worlds's best variety.  http://www.ericwilder.com  http://ghostofachance.blogspot.com  http://ericwilder.blogspot.com  http://energyissues.modblog.com

I searched the internet before posting this article, hoping to find more information about the subject.  Finding none, I am writing this based on my memory (often faulty).  Here is the story of Monterrey Lake as I know it:

Among the piney woods and rolling hills of Northwest Louisiana is a little lake called Monterrey.  It isn't far from Vivian and within a few miles of the Texas border.

Before the United States acquired Texas and Louisiana, the swampy, heavily forested portion of Northeast Texas and Northwest Louisiana was known as "No Man's Land."  This is because no one knew who owned it.  A robber's town grew up around Monterrey Lake and it was called Monterrey.

Bayou's connected the little lake to huge Caddo Lake.  There was riverboat travel from New Orleans to Jefferson, Texas.  Jefferson, at this time, was the largest seaport in Texas, even larger than Houston.

Pirates, supposedly, would lie in wait for riverboats traversing the often narrow passageways, attack and pillage them.  Famous people that supposedly visited the town include Jim Bowie - on his way to the Alamo - and the pirate Lafitte.

The location of Monterrey is lost in the mists of Caddo Lake.  Supposedly, there is a graveyard someplace among the creepers, ferns and brush.  There is also, reportedly, a fortune in buried gold, still waiting for discovery.

That's the legend of Monterrey as I've heard it.  Please let me know if you can fill in some more of the blank pages, perhaps lost forever in the murky depths of time.  Below is a peaceful glade near Jeems Bayou.  http://ericwilder.blogspot.com  http://www.ericwilder.com  http://energyissues.modblog.com

Mermaids are mythical creatures, existing only in the minds of drunken sailors.  Or are they?  http://www.ericwilder.com  http://ericwilder.blogspot.com  http://ghostofachance.blogspot.com  http://energyissues.modblog.com

Caddo Lake mermaid riding an alligator.  A parking lot in Uncertain, Texas.