Ozarks: Brief Byron Report

Sun-Ae decided to stay at my brother John's place last night for an evening with the family, but I went on to the prearranged meeting with my wine friend Bruce Cochran and his beer friend John Wells out at Bruce's family farm near Byron, Arkansas.

I'll have to report at some point on the various beers that I tasted yesterday evening at the old Cochran homestead, along with a longer report on Friday's wine evening, but for now, I've only time to comment that I enjoyed some unusual beers without getting drunk (which I avoid) or even tipsy (which I don't typically avoid).

I can also confess that for the first time in my life, I finally tasted moonshine -- only two sips, but nevertheless, moonshine -- so I am now truly an authentic Ozark hillbilly.

We had some stormy weather during the evening, with lightning getting closer and rain pouring down, but no tornado struck in this weird February weather even though one tore through only a hundred yards away from Bruce's place about ten years ago and went on to destroy the place next to his and even kill a small child, so we were well aware of the danger.

Driving back this morning along the seven or eight miles into town, I enjoyed the broad panoramas as I gradually descended the gentle hills into Salem, once again wondering why I'd ever left...