Life at a "Swell's" pace

Well, today is the Fourth of July and I have so many things to share over the next week. We are still coming down from our golf trip to Chinook Winds and if you follow me on Instagram you got a sneak-peek of the fun we had. The Bean and The Mr. are all geared up to shoot off some great fireworks. Unfortunately, here in Oregon, we can't launch large fireworks like we could down south, but they still make the effort to do an awesome show! Here are the things that made this week great!

1. The Fountain

This fountain display was at Crater of Diamonds in Arkansas and I fell in love with it. I already have The Mr. on a mission to recreate it in our own backyard. Super excited to see how ours turns out.

2. This Lemonade Stand

It's that time of year here and every lemonade stand gets our money. These kids were super cute and we couldn't help but stop and give them a few dollars for their efforts.

3. This Doorknob

This door knob was seen at Old Washington State Park. I am not sure of the history of it, but I fell in love with it. There is one similar here that I am eyeballing to purchase.

4. This Birdhouse

This birdhouse was at the birth home of former President Bill Clinton National Park. I love anything bird-related and this one looks easy to duplicate for our backyard. We are working on a collection of birdhouses along our fence line.

5. This Oil

We've been on a mission to bring in better ingredients into our house and eat better. One of the things we changed in our diets was to replace our cooking oils with extra virgin olive oils. This brand is one of our favorites. It's fresh, clean, and mixes well when making homemade salad dressing: Lemon juice and olive oil whisked together. Here are some ways to make sure you're getting the best extra virgin olive oil you pay for.

Here are my 5 Tips for recognizing REAL Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

1. Be suspicious of any extra virgin olive oil that costs less than $10 a liter.

2. Look for a seal from the International Olive Oil Council (IOC).

3. Look for a harvesting date on the label

4. Anything labeled light, pure, or a blend isn’t virgin quality.

5. Shop for oils in dark bottles. This protects the oil from oxidation.

(Also, Extra virgin olive oil solidifies when it’s cold. You can put it in the refrigerator and it should become cloudy and thicken. If it’s doesn’t then it’s not pure extra virgin.)-Source

We here at the SNS house do hope you have a fantastic Fourth of July and practice a safe celebration. Have a great rest of the week and look forward to more travel and lifestyle posts here at South North South.

Extras:

What happened this time last year?

May 12- Along with our Crater of Diamonds and visit to the boyhood home of Bill Clinton, we fit in a visit to Old Washington State Park. My family is pretty active in the civil war reenactment and Old Washington is one place they visit quite frequently. The town is modern day living, but has kept the theme of the old pioneer days. The employees dress in pioneer days-type apparel and keep the theme going for visitors year-round. It's a great feeling to be able to walk the same grounds as pioneers did at one time. Some of the buildings are still intact as they were back then.

The county courthouse is now the visitor center. It was home to the second courthouse and trials and convictions were actually sought inside the building. As you can see from the sign above, the courthouse is dated 1847 and was part of Hempstead County of Arkansas.

I just love old studies, especially ones that have a history.

My brother, Will, acting out the role of a Union solider-General Grant, to be exact.

The original courthouse was the first building on these grounds to receive state funds in 1929.

The Old Washington Jail Bed and Breakfast.

Purdom House.

Block-Catts House.

Royston Log House.

The Mauney House was seen on our way to Old Washington, but I couldn't help but throw it into the history here. (There were two plots of land across the main diamond-bearing formation. The Millard M. Mauney family owned forty acres. At left is a picture of the Mauney house as it stands today along the road between Murfreesboro and the Crater. It was built by Isaac White before Arkansas entered the union. The home was rebuilt by Walter J. Mauney in 1911, just after the diamond strike. The walls are painted with murals depicting, among other things, Huddleston finding the first diamond. An unfinished oak tree trunk stands as a central column from the ground to the ceiling of the first story. It's an eccentric little place, unfortunately not open for public tours. You can, however, peek in the first floor windows at the murals on the opposite walls.)-Source

Planted in 1839, it is the largest Magnolia Tree in Arkansas.

Pioneer Cemetery. My brother told me that during their civil war reenactments they would group up in their civil war clothing and walk to the cemetery with period lanterns and give honor to those that have passed away.

This building was home to Washington High School up until 1914. The school was restored to its previous glory and it was dedicated in 2003.

The original blacksmith shop still on the grounds.

Goodlett Cotton Gin.

Candle Shop.

Old Washington Post Office.

Washington Fire Station.

I fell in love with this payphone and bench. Pretty sure they didn't have either one of these back in the heyday of Washington, Arkansas, but I still loved seeing them along the main street of Old Washington.

Uniform History Museum.

Morrison Tavern.

Sander's House and Farmstead.

Old shack on the grounds.

Old Washington State Park is a wonderful place to go back in history. It's located in Washington, Arkansas, near Hope. It has a lot of great events happening throughout the year and offers a glimpse at what it was like to live like a pioneer or solider.

Road Trip: Arkansas (Crater of Diamonds and Birthplace of William Jefferson Clinton)

Road Trip: Arkansas (Lake Fort Smith and Train Ride)

Road Trip: Arkansas (Fort Smith and Trolley Museum)

Road Trip: Arkansas (Out and about in Little Rock)
Road Trip: Arkansas (Mother's Day and Vista Trail)
Road Trip: Arkansas (Birthday Surprise)

What happened this time last year?