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Eugene Keister walks up to the podium before reading a poem he wrote, “Just a Common Soldier,” during the Memorial Day ceremony Monday at the Fayetteville National Cemetery.

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Eugene Keister walks up to the podium before reading a poem he wrote, “Just a Common Soldier,” during the Memorial Day ceremony Monday at the Fayetteville National Cemetery.

Is there any smell more delightful than bacon frying over a morning campfire?

Dinner is served: Salmon filet grilled over the campfire, baked potato and broccoli salad. Mmmm yummy!

Gear for the four-day Kings River trip packed easily into the canoe with room to spare.

A small waterfall spills into the Kings River.

The trip offered three nights off scenic gravel-bar camping. This camp is on the first night upstream from Rockhouse access.

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The trip offered three nights off scenic gravel-bar camping. This camp is on the first night upstream from Rockhouse access.

The Kings River flowed high and full for most of the trip. This scene is near the Rockhouse access on the second day of the 65-mile float.

A swinging foot bridge is seen near the Marble access.

Bluffs are most numerous and majestic on the top half of the float. The river valley broadens on its downstream end.

The river at old low-water bridge at Trigger Gap is interesting to run. It's fun to plow right through the middle in an empty boat. Canoes carrying gear can sneak through easily on the left side.

There are no real rapids on the Kings River between Marble access and Table Rock Lake. This fast stretch just upstream from the Arkansas 143 bridge at Grandview is about as rough as it gets on the Kings.

This low-water bridge one mile upstream from Marshall Ford access must be portaged. The best portage is on the river-left end of the bridge. The remnants of another low-water bridge are a mile or two downstream from the Marble access. Here the bridge is seen on its downstream side after the portage.

The Kings River hugs a bluff near the Marble access on the first day of the four-day trip that took place May 23-26. The 65-mile stretch between Marble access and the Romp Hole access, near Table Rock Lake, is the commonly-floated section.

Brummett Online: Looking rosy for Ross?

Cave guide Donald Locander shines a flashlight on bats in War Eagle Cavern on May 9 to the delight of St. Raphael Catholic School students.

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Cave guide Donald Locander shines a flashlight on bats in War Eagle Cavern on May 9 to the delight of St. Raphael Catholic School students.

Donald Locander shows students from St. Raphael Catholic School in Springdale how they would have needed to crawl to see this portion of the cave before it was opened up during an expansion project. Workers used dynamite to open a 94-foot tunnel to a part of the cave that contains formations and a lagoon.

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Achal Thakore, 15, from left, 15, and brothers Tim Farno, 17, and Andrew Farno, 15, all of Bentonville, carry their kayaks Tuesday from Lake Bella Vista in Bentonville. The group planned to kayak back to their launching location but heavy wind forced them to exit the water and drag their kayaks back.

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Payton Wiedner of Farmington is the Small School Softball Player of the Year.

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Payton Wiedner of Farmington is the Small School Softball Player of the Year.

Tony Sagely, left, the Small School Softball Coach of the Year, and Spencer Sagely Newcomer of the Year, led West Fork to 13-8 season.

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Tony Sagely, left, the Small School Softball Coach of the Year, and Spencer Sagely Newcomer of the Year, led West Fork to 13-8 season.

Orlando Calixte of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals turns to throw to first for a double play after forcing out Corpus Christi Hooks’ Enrique Hernandez on Tuesday at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale.

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Orlando Calixte of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals turns to throw to first for a double play after forcing out Corpus Christi Hooks’ Enrique Hernandez on Tuesday at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale.