I just spent a week at the Wal-Mart Shareholder's meeting in the Bentonville area. The only country I got a chance to see was on the ride from the airport to the University of Arkansas area. Good looking country and some of the nicest folks I've ever met. It was a very good week. Thanks for your endless hospitality. I'd really like to make it back down there again when I'm not working.

You aren't allowed to visit Arkansas unless you dip snuff!!

Louisiana gets it's supply out of Fordyce, Arkansas!

Glad you enjoyed the trip. We avoid Fayetteville during shareholder week. My daughter is taking summer classes at the UofA and had to go early to find parking this week. She didn't like getting up early.

Lots to do in this part of the state if you ever have time to play.

I miss my Arkansas home. They really are the most wonderful and warm people this nation has to offer. So glad you enjoyed it, and I hope your business was positive and profitable.

My room was in the Sigma Nu frat house up behind the stadium. 'Been many years since I was in a dorm room. One forgets how small those rooms really are. We had a "hall monitor" sitting at a desk by the entrance. Every one of them were nice kids. 'Sent a pizza down there for 'em on Thursday. Really appreciated their knowledge of the campus, and getting us pointed in the right direction for finding the different venues. Walton Arena was really impressive.

Old crap shooters plea. 4 dice, Arkansas, halfway between Pine Bluff and Camden on the Cotton Belt Railroad. miles

Lots of different country here from the mountains (small) to the flat land of East Arkansas, with Crowleys Ridge jumping up out of that. miles

I was a Kappa Sigma member - house was on Dickson right before the bars and restaurants! Ah, the good ol' days!

Next time you're back, let me know and I can recommend some good eatin' places! I still go back 2-3 times a year to recruit grads and for alumni stuff.

Kappa Sigma house in the background here (taken during the Bobby Petrino fiasco...hahaha) -

That ain't no joke. I remember in the early 80's, even my step-Gma used snuff, and not that pussy Skoal either. It looked like ground up mustard and came in a jar..

We'd go cane pole fishing in the River for crappie and she'd spit on each minnow, said it attracted fish. She was pretty rough...

Being a fastpitch junkie, I had to look over their softball facility. It's a really top flite facility. When I got home I looked up their record. The team has it's struggles, but a decent facility certainly isn't one of them.

What's the hunting and fishing like in Arkansas, guys? How's the deer hunting, and is there much public access available?

I haven't fished in lots of years, but deer hunting is good. I live in East Arkansas with a lot of private land that is mostly clubbed up, but there is some areas that are not. Cache River Refuge is open to all and is strung out all over the place. Most State lands are draw permits as is Fesenthal in South Arkansas. Lots of National Forrest in West and Northwest Arkansas but I have never hunted it. Saw lots of deer in those areas when I was working several years ago. Timber company lands are clubbed up, but there could be open patches. I don't live close to those, so maybe others will chime in. miles

Glad you had a good time down here. We are in Rogers, moved here 14 years ago June 1. We are 5 miles from the "home office" and are about 2 miles from 5 W*Ms. Pretty country for certain. We typically avoid Fayetteville like the plague during the W*M stockholder week, but maybe that's just us .

Next year drop me a PM and we'll try to get together for a bit of site seeing and conversation. Might be up to doing some BBQ as well.

Acambaro

Did you get initiated as a member in good standing? Learn the secret handshake, the secret word, and do the thing with the sheep?

There is lots of public land for hunting. Some is overcrowded but if you scout and are willing to walk, you can find some good ground with little pressure.
The bad news is in the north part of the state The Game and Fish have discovered an outbreak of CWD ( Cronic Wasting Disease ) in the deer and elk herds.
Major changes to hunting rules will go into play this year.

Fishing can be great, state wide , depending on what you like.

Arkansas , the state that gave us bill clinton and by extension hildabitch.


Mike

I'm a Wal-Mart employee and have been buying our stock for over 16 years. Every year, one associate (must own stock) from each store gets to attend the Shareholder's meeting. I was chosen to attend from our store. People come in from every store, club, distribution center, and all our other operations world wide. There were associates there from Europe, Asia, Africa and other far flung places. The folks from Australia had some long, long flights.

As for the secret handshake and initiation, the closest I've come to that over the years is the Wal-Mart cheer we do at the start of every meeting.

I was really impressed with how well received we were by the locals. They seemed to be genuine, real folks, and were a pleasure to be around.

The closing entertainment on Friday morning was Katy Perry. Man, she's easy on the eyes.