A friend called out from a car Thursday night as we were making a round of the Magnolia Square. She wanted to let us know that a graffiti vandal had tagged the backs or sides of a couple of buildings around the square. This was undoubtably the basis for a dream we had overnight. We dreamed that the businesses and walls around the square were covered with murals or decorative graffiti. Some of the work incorporated business names, or artwork that was related to the business. In this dream, the former Columbia County Annex (or the old First National Bank, if you prefer) had been torn down. The new east wall of The Loft was covered with white plaster and was emblazoned -- in gold leaf -- with the message, “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his Prophet.” Not what we’d expect to see in downtown Magnolia, but there it was.
This raises the topic of Magnolia and its murals. Magnolia has excellent murals around the square but it’s been about three decades since they were executed. Nothing but money and will prevents more from being created. We often see people taking pictures or selfies with Magnolia’s murals. They are attractive, and an attraction.
We enjoy sleeping and dreaming. We’ve mentioned previously our belief that Walter Cronkat has dreams of flying. He does fly after a fashion, with a top vertical jump of about 4 feet. He can manage about 5-6 feet horizontally from a perch. But Walter came close to experiencing a Top Gun-style catapult this morning. We awoke to find his front paws wrapped around our left forearm, as he bit into the ball of our left wrist. He did fly, just not very well.
We do learn some things as we get older. For example, how to spell “graffiti.”
Woody’s Peach Orchard in Hampton says it should have a good year for peaches, arriving in late June. Plums will be available in late May.
Five years ago, we reported that Columbia County had 297 farming operations according to the most recent Census of Agriculture. CLICK HERE to see the story.
The BBC reported Thursday that among the new round of armaments the U.S. will supply to Ukraine is the long-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS). The U.S. has heretofore supplied Ukraine with only mid-range ATACMS, as it has wanted to discourage Ukraine from attacking too deeply into Russia and possibly widen the Russia-Ukraine war. Lockheed Martin builds ATACMS in Camden, along with the missile’s delivery vehicle, the HIMARS multiple launch rocket system. Former Soviet satellite nations that are now NATO allies love the ATACMS. Our records indicate ATACMS sales in recent years to Latvia, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia, in addition to the stockpiles supplied to Ukraine by the U.S. and other nations. Make no mistake. South Arkansas-made weapons are fully engaged in the war.
Thursday’s column was initially posted under an incorrect headline saying that it was for the previous day. Apologies.
As-salamu alaikum.
Mike McNeill is publisher and editor of magnoliareporter.com. Email him at news@magnoliareporter.com or call him at 870-904-3865. Opinions expressed in this column are his own.
