HOBBS HAPPENINGS
September sunset tours slated for Sept. 29
The departure time from Rocky Branch Marina for the last sunset pontoon boat cruise on Beaver lake is 5:30 p.m. Sept. 29.
Nothing could be more enjoyable than a beautiful sunset out on Beaver Lake. Many birds will be coming back to their nests this time of day. We will look for them, and listen for their calls. Don’t forget cameras.
Tickets must be purchased in advance. Adults $10 plus tax. Children 6-12 $5 plus tax. Tours depart Rocky Branch Marina promptly at 5:30 p.m.
Abby Burnett said: “The Dog Made Me Do It”
Abby Burnett, frequent cemetery visitor, comes back to Hobbs State Park to present one of her interesting, odd or surprising programs on cemeteries. Be prepared to be entertained.
We Americans love our domesticated animals. We pet them, scratch them, build elaborate things for them to climb on. We build fancy houses for them. We take them on long walks and teach them parlor tricks. Some of us even dress them in human clothing. There is however nothing that shows that we love our pets more than when it comes to that last dog bone in the sky, yes, cemeteries.
Perhaps a special pet cemetery becomes the last
resting place, but it is just as easy to find humans’ grave markers containing photos, statues or laser images of a beloved dog, cat or other animal, or at least epitaphs referring to them. The reality of these instances can, to say the least, be enlightening.
According to Burnett, “My presentation will include stories of life-sized sculptures of pets and their owners, tombstones showing circus and rodeo performers with their animals, and tell the tale of Missouri’s psychic ‘Jim the Wonder Dog.’”
Sound like fun? Don’t be dogmatic but bring your friends and neighbors to this one at 2 p.m. Oct. 20 at the visitor center.
“Living Forest” — a free activity for families
Join Mother Nature as she introduces her many woodland friends at Hobbs State Park – Conservation Area’s “Living Forest” on Oct. 26.
Listen to each animal’s story. They have a lot to tell us. These educational messages will be uncomplicated and easy for young children to understand. Teenagers and adults will learn too! Living Forest is for families with members of all ages.
Who are these critters who will be delivering the informative messages? They include: barred owl, deer, spider, bat, blue jays, skunk, raccoon, eagle, squirrel, and more. Costumed Northwest Arkansas Master Naturalists will be delivering the meaningful messages.
Join in this free, fun, 40- minute, non-scary, fall treat for the whole family from 1 to 5 p.m. Oct. 26 at the visitor center. Strollers and wagons are welcome as you meander along a wide, paved, barrier-free path. If you want to be like Mother Nature’s animal friends, come in costume. Also experience: crafts and free S’mores – yum.
Bloodhound demonstration slated
The Friends of Hobbs are always looking for interesting and different programs to present free to the public. This one gives a glimpse into the intensive training a bloodhound must undergo to become a certified search hound. The bloodhounds will be there, too. There will be a live demonstration of how these dogs help to save lives.
The program will be given by the Arkansas Alliance of Bloodhound Search Specialists. This is a statewide, all-volunteer organization formed in 2005. They are a 501(c)3 public charity. The members are concerned citizens from a multitude of occupations who are dedicated to helping save lives. Their programs focus on safety, and cover what to do if you become separated from the rest of your group and ways to help keep you safe while participating in outdoor activities.
Training a search and rescue dog takes on average 18 months depending on the discipline. Any breed can work in search and rescue if they have the proper personality, temperament, drive, interest and stamina to do the job – which may cover large areas and many hours when searching for a missing person.
The Friends of Hobbs organization is pleased and in fact excited to make this free program available to the public and encourages families and individuals to participate to learn about this free, lifesaving service at 2 p.m. Nov. 3 at the visitor center.
This presentation is a continuation of the Friends of Hobbs Speaker’s Series.