>> THE OLD STAMPS STORE IN OSAGE.

SINCE THE TURN OF THE LAST CENTURY IT'S BEEN A GENERAL STORE, HOTEL, POST OFFICE AND NOW A POTTERY SHOP UNDER THE NAME OSAGE CLAYWORKS.

>> IT SERVED AS A GENERAL STORE ABOUT THE STAMPS FAMILY FROM 1901 TO 1989.

IN 1989 FRANK STAMPS PASSED AWAY AND THAT'S WHEN I GOT THE CHANCE TO BEAT BUILDING BUT I MOVED HERE IN 72 AND I GOT TO WATCH WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND THE MOST FASCINATING THING FOR A KID FROM TEXT AT AND WENT TO TEXAS UNIVERSITY AND I FELL IN LOVE AND THIS IS WHERE IT CAME FROM AND I MOVED TO ARKANSAS ON 40 RAW ACRE AND GREEN AS COULD BE BUT THE DREAM WAS ALIVE.

FRANK HAD NO DESCENDENTS AND THERE WAS A NEPHEW THAT NEW OF MY INTEREST AND WE CAME TO TERMS OF BUILDINGS AND THERE WERE ANTIQUES AND I NEVER HAD THE MONEY AND THEY ASKED WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DOO WITH THE OLD STUFF AS I WAS WRITING THE CHECK AND I ASSUMED THERE WAS GOING TO BE AN AUCTION.

YES WE COULD HAVE AN AUCTION AND EVERYTHING IS SOLD AND IT'S GONE AND WE WOULD LIKE IS IT TO REMAIN HERE.

COULD WE COME TO TERM FOCUS WE LEFT IT YOU WOULDN'T SELL IT OFF?

AND WE QUICKLY SHOOK HANDS ON THE DEAL SO THEY WERE LEFT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING IT'S NOT FOR SALE.

AS A RESULT OF THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO BROUGHT ME THINGS THAT FRANK GAVE AWAY AND THEY SAID YOU NEED THIS BACK AND ONE OF THE LAST THINGS BROUGHT TO ME WAS FRANK'S BANJO THAT HIS FATHER MADE FOR HIM IN 1914 AND HE HAD BEEN IN A BANJO MAKERS' HANDS FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS AND KNEW I BOUGHT THE BUILDING AND SAID YOU NEED IT BACK.

>> IT'S NEAT AND WITH THE ANTIQUES AND THE POTTERY THIS IS SPECTACULAR.

>> THAT'S WHAT I THINK.

>> SO WHAT ARE WE MAKING TODAY?

>> TODAY I AM MAKING SALAD PLATES AND POT REE THAT GOES IN THE OVEN AND MICROWAVE SO I AM MAKING DINNER WARE.

>> ALONG WITH ALL THE ANTIQUES AND MEMORABILIA IN THE STORE NEWT WAS ALSO PROUD TO SHOW OFF SOMETHING ELSE.

SO WHAT DO YOU GOT HERE?

>> THIS IS ONE OF THE LEDGERS IN THE STORE THAT IS THE OLDEST RECORD IN THE BUILDING AND IT OPENS UP TO BEGUN BUSINESS NOVEMBER 6, 1902 AND THEY TALK A LOT WHAT THEY BOUGHT AND SOLD HERE, WHO TRADED HERE, WHO PAID THEIR BILL HERE.

>> ONE YEAR THERE WAS ONE CUSTOMER IN PARTICULAR WHO POPPED IN WHO NEWT SAYS HE WILL NEVER FORGET.

SO TELL ME ABOUT THIS ONE VISITOR YOU HAD ONE DAY.

>> IT WAS EITHER 91 OR 92 AND I LOOK UP AND WALKING IN THE DOOR IS THIS MAN IN BLACK AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF THAT SURE LOOKS LIKE JOHNNY CASH BUT HE WOULDN'T BE IN OSAGE ARKANSAS AND WHEN HE SAID HELLO AND I KNEW IT WAS HIM AND I WASHED MY HANDS OFF AND I SHAKE HIS HAND AND MY NAME IS NEWT AND HE SAID MY NAME IS JOHNNY CASH AND I SAID I KNOW WHO ARE YOU DOING HERE?

I AM LOOKING FOR LAND AND WHAT IS FOR SALE AROUND HERE?

EVERYTHING IS FOR SALE WHEN YOU HAVE MONEY AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM WHEN THEY LEARN IT'S FOR JOHNNY CASH IT'S EXPENSIVE.

I UNDERSTOOD THAT IN THAT WAY AND HE SPENT AN HOUR AND A HALF HERE THAT DAY AND WE TALKED AND HE WATCHED ME WORK.

>> HE REGRETS NOT HAVING HIS PICTURE DONE THAT DAY WITH JOHNNY CASH.

SO DROP IN FOR YOURSELF AT OSAGE CLAYWORKS, WATCH THE POTTERY BEING MADE, LISTEN TO THE STORIES, AND PICK YOU OUT SOMETHING THAT WILL LAST.

OH AND JUST TELL HIM JOHNNY CASH SENT YOU.

>> NEXT TIME YOU'RE IN HOT SPRINGS STROLLING DOWN CENTRAL AVENUE AT THE OTHER END OF BATH HOUSE ROW PASS THE ARLINGTON HOTEL IS A NEAT PLACE TO CHECK OUT IS THE NATIONAL PARK AQUARIUM.

BE SURPRISED BY NATURE IS THE THEME HERE AT THE NATD NAT IN HOT SPRINGS BUT THAT'S A LOT MORE HERE THAN FISH.

TAKE SLOWPOKE WHO IS HIDING.

HE'S A AFRICAN SPUR-THIGHED TORTOISE.

SO KELLY BE SURPRISED BY NATURE.

EXPAND ON THAT FOR US HERE.

>> WELL, WE ARE NOT A HUGE FACILITY.

WE HAVE ABOUT 60 EXHIBITS GIVE OR TAKE ONE OR TWO AND THAT CHANGES FROM TIME TO TIME BUT THEY'RE SMALL EXHIBITS SO WE DEAL WITH ANIMALS THAT ARE INTERESTING AND SOMETIMES JUST DOWN RIGHT WEIRD.

THINGS THAT ARE MAYBE VERY PRETTY, THINGS THAT MAYBE UGLY, THINGS WITH AN INTERESTING STORY TO TELL FOR ANOTHER REASON LIKE WE HAVE A CATFISH THAT GENERATES UP TO 400 BOLTS OF ELECTRICITY AND PEOPLE THAT DON'T SEE USUALLY WHEN THEY GO TO A LARGE AQUARIUM WE HAVE HERE BECAUSE WE CAN HAVE THEM IN A SMALLER TANK YET THEY'RE UNUSUAL ABOUT THEM.

>> PIRANHA ARE PRETTY COOL.

>> YEAH, WE HAVE RED BELLY PIRANHA AND THEY HAVE SUCH A REPUTATION AND WE THINK OURS ARE SWEETHEARTS BUT WE DON'T SWIM WITH THEM EITHER AND WE HAVE A PIRANHA WE FEED AND A FEW TIMES A WEEK AND WE HAVE ALSO A MORRAY EEL AND FRESH WATER STINGRAY AND SOME SALT WATER FISH AND QUITE A FEW FRESH WATER FISH BUT PEOPLE TEND TO ALSO LIKE IN THE REPTILE DEPARTMENT.

WE DON'T HAVE WANT TO SNAKES AND WE DON'T WANT TO SCARE PEOPLE OFF AND WE HAVE A SALAMANDER AND THE NAME IS FROM THE AZTEC AND MEANS "WATER MONSTER" AND I THINK THEY'RE KIND OF CUTE BUT THEY LOOK KIND OF BIZARRE.

>> BIZARRE, INTRIGUING AND FASCINATING INCLUDING COMEALIANS, VARIOUS DINOSAUR LISSARDS AND SEE THROUGH FISH AND FISH WITH FOUR EYES FOR TOP WATER VIEWING AND BOTTOM VIEW.

REMEMBER THE MOVIE "FINDING NEMO"?

WELL HE'S HERE ALONG WITH HIS DAD MARLIN SO IF YOU HAVE KIDS THESE CLOWNFISH WILL BE A BIG HIT WITH THEM.

THIS IS KIND OF A WELL KEPT SECRET HERE IN HOLT SPRINGS AND MAYBE AFTER THIS WE WILL GET THE WORD OUT FOR YOU.

>> WELL, WE CERTAINLY HOPE SO.

WE WOULD LOVE FOR PEOPLE TO COME IN AND USUALLY WHEN PEOPLE COME IN THEY SAY WE DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE HERE, OR IT MIGHT BE REPEAT BUSINESS THAT PEOPLE HAVE YOU KNOW SEEN US BEFORE AND THEY COME BACK AND WE ALWAYS TRY TO CHANGE UP OUR EXHIBITS AND MAKE THINGS DIFFERENT AND HAVE MORE GRAPHICS AND DIFFERENT KINDS OF THINGS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE.

THE AVERAGE PERSON CAN COME IN AND MAYBE SPEND HALF AN HOUR BUT WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT STAY FOR HOURS BECAUSE YOU CAN JUST LOOK AT THE ANIMAL AND WHAT IT IS JUST THE NAME, AND LEAVE IT AT THAT, OR YOU CAN LOOK AT THE LABEL AND GET THE SCIENTIFIC NAME, WHERE IT'S FROM AND SOME THINGS ABOUT IT TOO AND THEN YOU CAN JUST STAND THERE AND WATCH IT FOR A WHILE AND WATCH IT AGAIN BEFORE YOU LEAVE BECAUSE THEY WILL MOVE AROUND AND DO THINGS JUST LIKE IN NATURE.

>> I GOT CLOSE WITH THE SLOWPOKE THAT TORTIOUS.

SHE'S A SWEETHEART.

>> SHE IS.

SHE'S THE QUEEN OF THE AQUARIUM AND PEOPLE LOVE TO TALK TO HER AND PET HER AND FOLLOW HER AROUND AND THEY MAKE REALLY GOOD PETS.

>> THE 400-VOLT CATFISH AND THE PIRANHA NOT SO MUCH.

THE NATIONAL PARK AQUARIUM IN HOT SPRINGS STEP IN FOR YOURSELF AND DEFINITELY BE SURPRISED BY NATURE.

>> THE ANCIENT UKRAINIAN EGG ART KNOWN AS PYSANKY IS 4,000 YEARS OLD AND LORRIE POPOW IS A MASTER AT IT AND IN 2015 IT EARNED THE TITLE OF A ARKANSAS LIVING TREASURE BY THE ARKANSAS ARTS COUNCIL.

THE WORD "PYSATI" MEANS TO WRITE AND IT'S WRITING ON EGGS.

IT'S A WAX RESISTANT METHOD USES DYES AND BEES WAX.

THERE IS NO PAINTING OF ANY SORT.

>> WELL, YOU FIRST DO THE BASELINES AND WHAT YOU WOULD DO IS TAKE THE EGG SHELL AND JUST MAKE ONE LINE THERE AND YOU WOULD WRAP YOUR TAPE MEASURE AROUND THE EGG AND NOW YOU CAN FIND HALFWAY MARK.

YOU DO THIS AND WITH THE BASELINES THERE YOU CAN CREATE ANY TYPE OF DESIGN.

AS LONG AS YOU HAVE THOSE FIVE BASELINES THERE YOU CAN JUST CREATE ANY DESIGN YOU WANT.

AFTER YOU HAVE YOUR BASELINES ON THERE NOW YOU START TAKING YOUR WAX, YOUR HOT WAX, AND IT'S BEES WAX, AND YOU START TO FILL IN, MASK IN THE COLOR OF THE EGG.

IT'S WHITE RIGHT NOW SO ALL THE LINES ARE GOING TO BE WHITE.

AFTER YOU HAVE DONE ALL YOUR WHITE LINES YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER ESPECIALLY IF YOU DRAINED THIS EGG TO PLUG THE DRAIN HOLE.

NOW, YOU TAKE THAT EGG AND PUT IT IN A DYE.

YEARS AGO WE WOULD START THE LIGHTEST COLOR TO THE DARKEST BUT WE HAVE FOUND THAT WE CAN START WITH THE DARK EGG.

WE CAN PUT OUR EGG IN BLACK DYE FIRST AND DO BLACK LINES INSTEAD OF THE WHITE LINES, DO THE BLACK LINES AND THEN WASH OFF ALL OF THE BLACK AND NOW BACK TO I WHITE EGG, SO WITH A LOT OF TIME AND NEW PRODUCTS AND TECHNIQUES AND ALL THE EGGS ARE GETTING PRETTIER, MORE INTRICATE AND PRETTIER, SO NOW YOU HAVE YOUR DYED EGGS AND AT THE END YOU KEEP ON SEALING IN COLORS WITH THE WAX AND BY THE END YOU HAVE AN EGG THAT LOOKS LIKE A GLOB OF WAX, BUT WHEN YOU TAKE THAT EGG AND YOU EITHER PUT IT BY A CANDLE.

THAT'S THE OLD WAY IS PUTTING IT NEAR A CANDLE AND THE HEAT STARTS MELTING THE WAX OFF YOU GET TO SEE ALL OF THE BEAUTIFUL WORK YOU DID.

SOMETIMES YOU GET THE SURPRISE THAT YOU GOOFED UP HERE OR THERE, BUT MOST OF THE TIME YOU GET THIS BEAUTIFUL EGG.

>> THE UKRAINIAN EGG ART IS DEAR TO MY HEART AND I THAT'S MY HERITAGE AND I LOVED IT ALL MY LIFE AND I WAS IN CHICAGO WHERE SHE GREW UP AND INTRODUCED TO THIS ART AT THE AGE OF EIGHT.

>> I WAS ON MY WAY ONE EVENING AND [INAUDIBLE] IN THE WINDOW.

THERE SHE WAS SITTING THERE WITH AN EGG AND A TOOL IN HER HAND.

I THOUGHT IT WAS A PENCIL AND SHE'S DOING THE EGGS.

I WANTED TO LEARN TO DO THE EGGS AND NEXT THING I KNOW I'VE GOT MY NOSE AGAINST THE WINDOW TRYING TO SEE WHAT SHE'S DOING.

THEN SHE STOOD UP AND CAME TOWARDS THE WINDOW.

I THOUGHT SHE WAS COMING TO HOLLER AT ME SO I RAN.

I RAN TO THE STORE AND GOT MY MOTHER'S MAKEUP.

NOW I HAD TO GO BACK.

I HAD TO PASS HER.

THE LADY WAS STILL THERE SO I DECIDED THEN AND THERE AND I WENT UP TO THE WINDOW AND I POINTED AT HER AND YOU'RE GOING TO NOT SCARE ME AND I'M GOING TO LEARN THIS AND I RAN HOME AS FAST AS I COULD.

>> SHE WAS DETERMINED TO TEACH HERSELF SO WITH A LOT OF PERSEVERANCE AND PATIENCE SHE BEGAN MAKING SOME HEADWAY.

>> THIS WENT ON AND THE PROBLEM WAS I WAS GETTING BETTER.

MY ART WORK WAS GETTING BETTER BUT WHEN I WOULD TAKE MY WAX OFF SOMEHOW MY BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS WOULD JUST BE A SMUDGE OF COLOR.

IT WASN'T WHAT I HAD PUT ON THERE AND I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG UNTIL ONE DAY MY MOTHER CAME AND SHE PUT A BOOK ON THE TABLE AND SHE SAYS IS THIS WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR?

WHAT IS IT?

SHE SAID "TAKE A LOOK" AND I THUMBED THROUGH IT AND AT THE END IT SAID "BEES WAX."

AS SOON AS I GOT MY HANDS ON SOME BEES WAX I TOOK OFF AND I HAVEN'T STOPPED.

>> THE PALARM CREEK WATERFOWN REST AREA WITHIN THE BELL SLOUGH WILDLIFE MANAGMENT AREA IN MAYFLOWER.

DURING THE WINTER MONTHS THIS IS A PRETTY GOOD AREA TO VIEW MIGRATING WATER FOWL.

IT MAY NOT LOOK LIKE IT FROM HERE BUT THAT'S AT LEAST A COUPLE THOUSAND DUCKS OUT THERE.

>> YEAH, THIS IS PALARM CREEK WATERFOWN REST AREA AND THESE ARE SUPER IMPORTANT TO WATER FOWL AND OTHER BIRDS AND REST AREA LIKE THE NAME IMPLIES IT'S A PLACE THEY REST.

HUNTERS AREN'T ALLOWED TO HUNT HERE DURING THE SEASON.

THEY ARE REST AND FEED IN HERE SO IT'S A PROTECTED SPACE FOR THEM.

HABITAT LOSS IS THE HARDEST THING THAT HAPPENS TO WILDLIFE SO WE HOLD WATER IN DURING THE FALL AND WINTER MONTHS AND LET IT OUT DURING THE SPRING SO IN THE SPRINGTIME WE GET WADING AND SHORE BIRDS AS THEY USE IT AND FEED AS WELL.

>> WHAT ABOUT DURING THE MIGRATORY MONTHS I GUESS FROM NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, JANUARY, FEBRUARY?

WHAT CAN WE SEE OUT HERE?

>> WELL, LOTS OF THINGS.

TODAY THERE'S LOTS OF MALLARDS.

THE HEADS ARE OUT THERE AND HEARING THE DUCK QUACK AND IT'S ACTUALLY THE FEMALE BUT MIGHT NOT SURPRISE PEOPLE THAT THE FEMALE IS LOUDER AND THE MALE HAS A QUIETER NOTE AND ALL KINDS OF WATER FOWLCOMES THROUGH AND PIN TAILS COME DURING THE MIGRATION SEASON AND HOODED MIR GANZERS AND WOOD DUCKS AND GAD WALLS COME AND ALL TYPES OF WATER FOWLUSE THE REST AREA.

>> THERE ARE AT LEAST 35 RESIDENT BIRD SPECIES AND UP TO 75 SPECIES OF COUNTED DURING SUMMER.

MOUNTED BINOCULARS ARE LOCATED AT OBSERVATION TERRACES WITH AN IMPRESSIVE ELEVATOR BLIND ON THE NATION TRAIL ON THE UPPER PART.

>> THERE'S A REALLY NICE NATURE TRAIL ABOUT 2-MILES AND THERE IS ANOTHER VIEWING AREA WITH BIRD IDENTIFICATION SIGNS WHERE FOLKS LEARN ABOUT THE BIRDS AND IT'S NEAR THE GREEN TREE RESERVOIR AND HOLD WATER AND HAVE DIFFERENT TREES AND DIFFERENT DUCKS ARE IN THE AREAS THAT MOVE THROUGH THE TREES FAST LIKE THE WOOD DUCKS AND THE CAVITIES.

IN THE SPRINGTIME IN THIS SEASON AND GETTING THE SONG BIRDS FROM THE TROPICS COMING TO ARKANSAS TO BREED.

>> THE 118-ACRE PALARM CREEK WATERFOWN REST AREA IS MAINTAINED AND FARMED BY THE ARKANSAS GAME & FISH COMMISSION TO PROVIDE A CONSTANT FOOD SUPPLY FOR THE BIRDS.

>> THE GOAL IS WHAT ONE OF THE COWORKERS SAID WE'RE GROWING WEEDS SO THE BIRDS WILL FEED O IF WE HAVE BARE SOIL WE WILL SEE MILLET THAT PRODUCE A LEGUME, A BEAN THAT THE BIRDS CAN FEED ON AND WE MAY MOW OR BURN IT TO HAVE THE WEEDS AND FEED FOR THE BIRDS.

>> EVEN IF YOU DON'T WALK THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE NATURE TRAIL IF YOU HAPPEN TO COME HERE IN THE AFTERNOON BY ALL MEANS STICK AROUND FOR THE SUNSET PROVIDING THE CLOUDS COOPERATE YOU WILL BE IN FOR QUITE A TREAT.

SO CHECK OUT FOR YOURSELF THE PALARM CREEK WATERFOWN REST AREA HERE AT BELL SLOUGH WILDLIFE MANAGMENT AREA AND IF YOU LIKE TO SEE THIS EPISODE AGAIN OR ANY ONE OF OUR OTHERS VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT AETN.ORG/EXPLORINGARKANSAS AND DON'T FORGET TO LIKE US ON OUR FACEBOOK FAN PAGE AND WE WILL SEE YOU NEXT TIME FOR ANOTHER EXCITING ADVENTURE OF "EXPLORING ARKANSAS".