Eureka!! Where have you been all my life? Eureka Springs, Arkansas is a secret waiting to be let out. I just hope its not let out in my lifetime. I can’t believe that I have lived in Oklahoma, right next door all my life and have never discovered this wonderful little, beautiful little village. This is Disneyland in virtual reality.

The only other time I had been here was ten years ago when I was with my family, all the kids and hubby, too. We were making a beeline to Grand Lake in Oklahoma, having just picked up the kids from camp in Branson, Missouri. As we drove through, we took the historic loop, out of curiosity more than anything else. I wanted to stop and explore but I immediately was voted down. For some reason, stopping and wandering the streets of this quaint village did not hold a candle to zipping behind a boat on skis, at least to my kids. I knew that some day I wanted to return.

I may seem to be taking a U-turn in the telling of my story but this is necessary to let you know just why I am here today, right now, at 6:00 am on this glorious spring day.

Recently, the most bizarre thing happened. I met a man, a very interesting man, I think. That’s not so unusual you say, until you hear where I met him…are you ready for this? The computer. Yes, folks, I actually am meeting with a total stranger! Not really total. I have been conversing with him via computer and then telephone for over two months. I feel like I really know him.

People thought I was crazy, driving four hours to meet a stranger. I did bring along my daughter, and I think both he and I were glad of that. We have exchanged pictures, know each others life’s stories, (except he assures me he has just begun telling his), know all about each other’s families. And the best? We both have border collies! His, Shirley (named after Shirley McLaine, long story, but good one) and mine, Boomer (named after my state football song, and also because he doesn’t run, he booms!).

This man has a terrific sense of humor, as do I, if I do say so myself and I have kept all of our computer correspondence, much to his chagrin. Who knows what I will do with it in the future?

Upon telling him about my mother’s concern that I was about to meet someone I had met through the computer, and asking his advice on what I should tell her, he replied, “that I was ‘plum daft’ if I ever told anyone, especially the mother, that we had met this way. Well, pooh, I told him. I don’t care. I think it is darn interesting! (Actually, I used a word with a little more oomph.)

I knew I wanted to meet him. He flies his own plane and about a month ago was coming through Oklahoma City and asked me to meet him at the airport and have lunch with him. I was leaving town early the next morning so had to decline.

Then I suggested to him that we meet in Eureka Springs. Well, that threw him for a loop. He wrote back (didn’t call on this one) and said he had a “bazillion” (one of his favorite words) things going every weekend and it would be near the middle of May before he was headed back out to his place in Crested Butte, Colorado and he would stop by then for lunch.

I, for one, was getting kinda bored with the computer stuff, but not his phone calls, I loved them, and decided I would take matters into my own hands and I wanted to go to Eureka Springs, anyway. I told him my daughter and I were going, gave him the date we were going and Voila, it did the trick. The man said, “Sounds good, I’ll meet you there.” So that is why I sit in this lovely room at Dairy Hollow Country Inn, right now. I am picking him up at the little airport in Berryville this evening at 6:00, talk about butterflies in your stomach!!

So, thank you, “stranger” man. If nothing else, you gave me a chance to make my own discovery of a beautiful little part of this wonderful planet.