The fun begins..and an odd place name.

It was another fun trip, though Mandy stayed in the suitcase during the gathering, choosing not to be in a skirt among folks we know.    Everyone is used to my androgynous self...

When time permitted, I did some sightseeing.  That will be the topic of this and perhaps the next post or two!  And what did I see?   Well, first - do you remember Conway Twitty (Country & Western Singer - and "It's Only Make Believe," from the '50's)?    His real name was Harold Jenkins, and Conway Twitty was a stage name.  So where did it come from?   Reportedly from two towns, one of which I passed through:

The above is a long telephoto grab shot out of the car window at Conway, Arkansas.  That other town he used was, of course, Twitty, TX - which I one day hope to visit.  Voila, a great stage name!

From my "Odd Names of places" department, here's one that's definitely worthy of the record books:

Yes, ladies:  it really says Toad Suck.   I did a massive double take when I saw the first roadside sign - and couldn't resist detouring to get a picture.

Per Wikipedia, Toad Suck (the actual name of a nearby town - which time did not permit me to visit) is an unincorporated community in Perry County, AR.  The origin of the name is disputed.  Some believe it received the name when idle rivermen would congregate at the local tavern where they would "suck on the bottle 'til they swell up like toads", while others believe it is a corruption of a French phrase meaning "a narrow channel in the river."

In any case, it probably will be at the very top of my unusual names list, for quite some time to come!

More later....

Mandy