Hot Springs Village, Arkansas

When Kristine told me her new house in Arkansas was in a gated community, the images that sprang to mind were Bel Air, described by Wikipedia as ‘a faux gated community in LA made famous by a TV show’, and some feeble imitations dotted – and probably leaking by now - around Auckland’s North Shore. When she told me she had a brother, I didn't imagine someone quite so much like her!

So I was really not prepared for John, or the 9 golf courses, 11 lakes, 23 churches, 15,000 residents and 426 miles of immaculate paved roads contained within the gates of Hot Springs Village in Arkansas. Luckily Kristine had been there before, and had some idea where her house was. People get lost, particularly at night, and have to be rescued in the morning. The only wildlife we saw was deer and birds, but there’s bears in them thar hills so a poor sense of direction can be dangerous!
The house was also a surprise. It looked nothing like the images I’d seen on Google Maps, and even looking the real thing straight in the garage door gave no idea of the spacious two storey interior or – wait for it – the lovingly constructed MODEL RAILROAD TRACKS that snake through the yard and down by the lakeside jetty.

If anyone is wondering what to get Kristine for her 4th 54th birthday pressie (and can't afford her favourite rock star :-) she needs some new rolling stock cos the previous owner took all his with him when he moved. Apart from a fabulous set of tracks, all he left was this rather forlorn sign in the basement :-(
Nice one Kristine!