Bella Vista fun not limited to golf, lakes

You don’t have to play golf or spend an afternoon in a boat on a lake to have a good day in Bella Vista.

Sure, that may sound like a chamber of commerce line — a weak one, granted, but still a possibility — and if Bella Vista ever gets its own chamber of commerce I’m open to talking to the person in charge about giving up my rights to that line for publicity purposes.

Anything for the good of the village.

It certainly beats the other possibility I heard recently. During an interview for a story I wrote for this publication, the administrator for the Architectural Control Committee, in response to the idea of the American dream of home ownership complete with a white picket fence around said property, said,”If that’s your dream, you better not buy in Bella Vista.”

I like mine better. Mind you, I have nothing against playing golf or spending a day in a boat on the lake. My love-hate relationship with golf has been well documented in this space and, to be honest, she’s been calling me lately and leaving messages on my voicemail trying to get back together, so this thing may not be over just yet. And if I had a boat I’d be doing everything I could to get it out on any of the many lakes of Bella Vista (catching fish would be optional). That’s always an opportunity for relaxation in my book.

It’s just that there are so many fun things to do in addition to hitting the links or water.

Thursday I got to experience some of those things, all firsts for me.

I started my day hanging out with the fine members of the Bella Vista Fly Tyers Club at Riordan Hall. I’ve always been intrigued with the idea of tying my own flies. When I say it like that it sounds as if I’m some die hard trout fisherman. Far from it. I just can’t help but think that activity would be a very relaxing way to spend a couple of hours while ending up with something that might actually catch a fish.

I also love the fact the Fly Tyers work to improve fishing conditions in the area through various conservation programs.

We also enjoyed a very interesting program courtesy of Tom Diepenbrock, who treated the group to an extremely interesting powerpoint tour through his vast — and I mean vast — collection of fishing lures.

From there the day took me to a fantastic lunch at Papa Mike’s Restaurant just across the parking lot. This was another first for me and a treat that will soon be repeated. Great customer service, great food and great atmosphere.

I enjoyed getting to know a few of the Fly Tyers who had gathered for lunch and even got to meet “Papa Mike,” who was in what must have been a high-level, power-lunch meeting with Allen’s Food Market’s Steve Morrow and Bella Vista City Councilman Steven Bourke.

After lunch it was back across the parking lot and the meeting of the Bella Vista Woodcarvers Club at Riordan Hall.

While the majority of the club members were working on a relief carving into a slab of cottonwood bark, other members were working on individual projects. All members were eager to talk about the upcoming Artistry in Wood Show. The annual event, which will celebrate its 35th anniversary this year, is scheduled for Friday, June 10, and Saturday, June 11, from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each day. It will be held in the auditorium of the Bella Vista Assembly of God church at 1771 Forest Hills Blvd. in Bella Vista.

The show is co-sponsored by the Fly Tyers Club and will feature “the imagination and creativ

local wood carvers, turners and pyrographers as they display their crafts and skill for public viewing.”

I’ve done a small amount of wood carving over the last few years and am finally settling in to a schedule that allows for more “cutting up” time. Nothing major, just a few minor carvings.

While living in Harrison I got to know some

carvers, one a nationally-known expert in how to carve faces in wood who lives just outside the city limits. Before I moved from there I purchased a few knives from him, knives he had made by hand. Some of the handles are made out of wood

from peach and mulberry trees from his property while the business ends are made from the teeth of a cross cut saw blade, metal pieces from recliner mechanisms and garage door hinges.

And they all work to perfection. They feel great in your hand and, well, they cut like a knife.

So the day was filled with fun, meeting new people and the re-kindling of creativity that will lead to hours of quiet relaxation.

Yes, there is a lot more to Bella Vista than just golf

and the lakes. And it’s all a lot of fun.

Bennett Horne is the managing editor of The Weekly Vista. He can be reached via email at bhorne@ nwaonline.com. Opinions expressed are those of the author.