nancyhartney

Lights of the Ozarks

Animal Care float sports big dog
Big Dog rides on the Animal Care Float during Lights of the Ozarks
The Little Engine That Could
Bluie the Pony treats children to a magical ride.
Children listen to story on the Lights of the Ozarks float for Fayetteville Library
Children listen to story on the Lights of the Ozarks float for Fayetteville Library

The afternoon crispness takes on a bit of an edge. A jovial crowd gathers, numbers growing. Vendors set up food trucks. Dogs and leash-attached humans mill about. Children at the pony ride stand on tip-toes and exclaim over the pint-size equines wearing red ribbons and silver bells. Master of Ceremony hypes the early arrivals with a game of Trivia and promises prizes. Mayor speaks. The master switch is flipped.

An array of tiny lights twined among tree branches glows. Red and green and blue and clear.  Fairy dust drifts across floats. Children bubble with laughter. Magic crackles in the air.

The annual Lights of the Ozarks and Christmas Parade blooms into our best dreams and hopes and promises. Homegrown. Splendid. Neighbors. Friends. Family.  Best of the Best.

Published by nancyhartney

Nancy Hartney is soon to publish her first novel set against the backdrop of a Marine's return home from Vietnam. It is a tale of psychic pounding as Reid Holcombe re-enters a world mutated from the one he left years prior. Look for it on bookshelves 2020. Her previous two short story collections set in the South—'Washed in the Water: Tales from the South' and 'If the Creek Don’t Rise: Tales from the South' continue to be available in bookstores and public libraries. Other short stories appear in literary journals, western anthologies, and regional publications. Her non-fiction work can be found in a historical quarterly, popular magazines, and various equine publications. She serves as writing contest judge, workshop leader, and presents author readings at libraries and book clubs. Hartney writes poetry and magazine articles. Her work can be found in various regional publications, horse magazines, and national poetry journals. She is a member of Oklahoma Writers Federation, Ozarks Writers League (MO), Tallahassee Writers Association (FL), Ozark Creative Writers (AR), and two local critique groups. Her books are available in print and e-format as well as audio. She is currently working on a novel.

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