AR - Helena Archives - Gayle Harper

The previous post about a foggy sunrise in Helena, Arkansas, brought to mind the rest of that visit…

Helena has seen some tough times. The downtown streets were deathly quiet and many of the buildings boarded up. Although I’m told the town comes roaring to life each year in early October when up to 100,000 Blues fans arrive for the Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival, it was hard to imagine on this November morning. The only person I encountered was an itinerant preacher who said he was just passing through and “waiting to see where the Lord would send him”. (I understand that!)

A bit of exploration, though, shows Helena has some beautiful architecture, including the gorgeous 1904 Colonial Revival mansion which is now the Edwardian Inn B&B, where I was a guest.

Later, it was near the end of a long, chilly day and it was raining (again) so I went in search of a hot meal. A brochure at the entrance to the café told me Helena is the home of a legend. “Sunshine” Sonny Payne is the host on the longest running Blues radio program in the world! The King Biscuit Time radio program went on the air in 1941 and Sonny’s first broadcast was in 1942. Blues fans the world over now tune in via the internet. I was greatly intrigued! In chatting with the waiter, I asked him if he knew Sonny. “Yes, he actually has dinner here every night. In fact, that is his table right there and he should be here any minute now. Would you like to meet him?” (Do you see why I named this blog Surrendering to Serendipity?)

Sonny was delightful, and after we talked a few moments he invited me to visit him in the studio at the Delta Cultural Center before his broadcast the next day. The Delta Cultural Center in downtown Helena is well worth a visit, whether you are a Blues fan or not – it’s a fascinating museum about the life and music of the region. But, it was quiet the day I visited Sonny and we just talked. He has a dry, quick wit and as he told me stories of his life, he had a way of smiling with his eyes regardless of what his mouth was doing. When he began to talk about his wife, who had passed away several years ago, those eyes took on a bit of mistiness. His voice got softer and he leaned closer as he told me of their love and their life together and eventually of their last moments together. I thanked him for the gift of sharing such tenderness and promised to keep love in my heart and to “stop back by sometime”.

I called Sonny this morning and told him I’ll be back by before long. He will be 85 in November and recently celebrated his 16,000^th broadcast! He said he would say hello to me in today’s broadcast and I could download it tonite – and he’ll see me when I get there!

With just 9 days until our little imaginary raindrop begins its odyssey, preparations are coming along well. If you are just joining us, I am sharing some moments from previous trips along the Great River Road to get us all in the mood for this grand adventure!

Here’s an image and its story from a mid-November morning in Helena, Arkansas –

If ever I wanted to stay in bed and luxuriate like the rest of the guests in this beautiful B&B, it was this morning. It was chilly, drippy and foggy. A look out my window told me I could barely see the yard light through the wet fog. The big feather bed and mountain of soft pillows wanted me to stay. I could smell coffee, then I could smell what I am sure was warm cinnamon rolls in the oven. This is what went on in my head…

– aaawww jeez – just relax – you won’t get anything out there this morning anyway

– You don’t know that – it could change in a heartbeat – get up

– You had a long day yesterday – you deserve a break

– You are not here on vacation – get up!

– God! That smells good! No need to be rigid about this…

– GET UP!

– ALL RIGHT!!!! (mutter, mutter, grumble…..)

So, I went – out in the murky drizzle, not even allowing myself to go through the dining room to grab a banana because I knew I would cave!

I had arrived in town late last night so hadn’t scouted the area and didn’t have any idea if there was river access. I had seen only some big industrial stuff that turned out to be a terminal where the barges were off-loaded onto semis. I followed a rutted, muddy road across the dike to an even muddier road to who-knows-where. I was still feeling a bit sorry for myself and a bit resentful and out-of-sorts. The fog was even thicker – I could feel I was getting nearer the river, but I could see no more than 10 feet in front of my headlights. If it got too muddy to go forward I couldn’t imagine how I would turn around – it was pretty swampy on both sides. I wondered grumpily if I would be rewarded for coming by getting stuck!

Then in spite of myself, I started to marvel at the mystery of the fog – how it so totally transforms everything. I could drive this road on a sunny afternoon and never know it to be the same road. I turned up the heater and rolled down the window and smelled the river – that musky, earthy scent that never fails to stir something deep within me. I turned off the engine and listened. I imagined I could hear it – just over there – although maybe it was sensed by something below the level of physical hearing. I put the window up part way to lessen the chill, closed my eyes and meditated, letting the fog hold me and my car full of stuff in its soft, gauzy arms. Fog has a way of playing with sound. Deep in my meditation, the sounds were amplified and dispersed in funny ways – a bird call seemed to come from all sides like some high tech surround sound. A rustle in the brush sounded like an elephant coming my way. Eventually I opened my eyes, and all the rough, grumpy edges had been smoothed away. I was content to be alive in this moment. The fog was less dense, the drizzle had stopped and the air seemed a bit warmer. The birds were greeting the morning.

I decided that in the unlikely event anyone else came down here this morning I would be able to hear them, so I put on my rain jacket, took my tripod and camera case, left the car where it was and started down the road. My boots quickly got heavy with mud, but there was a sense of joy and wonder in my heart.

In a short ways the roadbed rose higher and there was water on both sides. The fog started to disperse from the top down and the bottom up, leaving the ground and trees shrouded while the sky above started to show blue and pink. As the warmth evaporated it more, I could see there was a bayou in front, then a strip of land, then the river beyond. I set up the tripod and by the time I was ready to shoot, the water in front of me had cleared and was now reflecting the trees and the soft warm sky. Thank you, God! Thank you for dragging my lazy butt out of bed and bringing me here! I was so filled with gratitude and humility at the beauty in front of me that tears spilled from my eyes and a sound somewhere between laughing and crying came from my heart.

Have a great day! Gayle

The Legend of Helena

9 Days and Counting…