Rayne Magill shared live music on Monday, October 12, continuing her Monday performances every week so far this year. She is also the host of Rayne’s Muzic Fest, where musicians are welcome to bring the songs of their generation.
“I named Rayne’s Muzic Fest with a Z because I want everyone to feel comfortable singing songs from their generation, not limiting them to just country folk music or bluegrass, but all Americana: rock and roll, country, blues, outlaw country, cowboy music. At my music festival, spelled with a Z, musicians are welcome to come and sing their songs and the songs of their generation.”
Rayne’s Muzic Fest 2026 photography: Lori Thomas Timberlane, who also helped film Al Timberlane’s interviews. Al served as interviewer, director, coordinator, and producer of the content for Timberlane Entertainment Company LLC, which was invited by Rayne’s Muzic Fest. Festival founder: Rayne Magill.
Rayne Magill · October 12, 2026 · 01 / 06Rayne Magill · October 12, 2026 · 02 / 06Rayne Magill · October 12, 2026 · 03 / 06Rayne Magill · October 12, 2026 · 04 / 06Rayne Magill · October 12, 2026 · 05 / 06Rayne Magill · October 12, 2026 · 06 / 06
Rayne’s Muzic Fest 2026 / Missouri Valley, Iowa
The Band That Began with “Hey Jude”
By Al Timberlane · Ozark American Songbook · Timberlane Entertainment
Festival photographs and interview filming assistance: Lori Thomas Timberlane. Interviewer, director, coordinator, and producer: Al Timberlane · Timberlane Entertainment Company LLC.
It was an accident how we became a band.
We were setting up microphones in the main auditorium at Rayne’s Muzic Fest when I began singing “Hey Jude.” Jacob Austin came in on the harmony, and then David Austin joined us. There we were, singing “Hey Jude” a cappella, without having planned a performance.
Lori Thomas Timberlane was setting up cameras at the time. She heard what was happening and hit record.
That accidental recording did very well on Facebook as an Ozark American Songbook / Timberlane Entertainment news spot. It went over so well that we were asked to put together a real set of songs. So we did.
The Friends Behind the Harmonies
Our group brought together Jacob Austin, Al Timberlane, David Austin, and Alan Reimpold, the banjo player. David plays guitar. I bring guitar and vocals. Jacob is a lead guitarist and lead vocalist, but most importantly, his main instrument is the mandolin.
From a Chance Song to a Festival Set
A couple of nights before the actual show, we sat together in the RV, pulled up the songs, and rehearsed. That is how we became the Rayne’s Muzic Fest Beatles Reunion Band.
We joined together to sing songs by the Beatles: “Yellow Submarine,” “Hey Jude,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” and “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.” A song that started during microphone setup had become a set we could share with our festival friends.
Here are a few moments of the actual rehearsal and the accidental recording that started it all.
The Accidental “Hey Jude” Recording
The spontaneous a cappella moment in the main auditorium, recorded by Lori Thomas Timberlane · Approximately 1 minute 37 seconds.
Getting Together to Rehearse
A few moments of rehearsal together in the RV before the festival show. · Approximately 1 minute 1 second.
Festival Friends · Saturday, September 5, 2026
Photographs by Lori Thomas Timberlane.
Left to right: Jacob Austin, Al Timberlane, David Austin, and Alan Reimpold · Rayne’s Muzic Fest · Saturday, September 5, 2026. Photograph by Lori Thomas Timberlane.Left to right: Jacob Austin, Al Timberlane, David Austin, and Alan Reimpold · Rayne’s Muzic Fest · Saturday, September 5, 2026. Photograph by Lori Thomas Timberlane.Jacob Austin at the microphone · Rayne’s Muzic Fest · Saturday, September 5, 2026. Photograph by Lori Thomas Timberlane.Left to right: Al Timberlane, David Austin, and Alan Reimpold · Rayne’s Muzic Fest · Saturday, September 5, 2026. Photograph by Lori Thomas Timberlane.
What Is the Good Morning Ozark Journal Really About?
By Al Timberlane · Timberlane Entertainment Company LLC · IMAGINEVISION™
News. Events. Entertainment. Music. The stories of our family—and the much larger music family we meet along the way.
The Arkansas family. The Appalachians. The Ozarks. The Rockies. The East Coast and the West Coast. Wisconsin. New Mexico. We travel everywhere, man. We go everywhere, with the spirit of that Johnny Cash song. And it all starts right here in the Ozarks.
Good stories. Deep roots. A new morning.
From a front porch somewhere in the Ozarks to the people we meet along the road in the United States of America, this is a journal about music, memories, and what matters most.
Every object has a story
A cup. A photograph. A cassette. A cassette player. Even the lettering of the Ozark American Songbook. These objects reflect the work of Timberlane Entertainment Company: listening, remembering, recording, and carrying stories forward.
The Ozark American Songbook · Timberlane Entertainment News
A cup—and the thought of home.A photograph keeps a musician’s memory close.Tall Tales in Song by Jimmy Driftwood.Let’s rewind that tape.
Jimmy Driftwood. Johnny Cash. Chet Atkins. Doc Watson. Rayne. Liz. David. They may begin as names to you, but each connects to music, to a community, and to a story worth hearing.
Then there are bands like Moonshroom, one of my favorites. Great people from Kansas, a great interview, and an LP that has traveled along with us. I hope to catch up with them again soon.
There are our Arkansas friends Cliff & Susan and Fiddlin’ Keys, and the people we encounter through the Arkansas Country Music Awards. There is Garth Brooks, whose success has reached far beyond the small stages where so many musical stories begin. Through it all, I keep coming back to family, community, and faith.
One life. One song. One story at a time.
The Journal, Music & Community, Family & Stories, “Meet Lori T.,” our growing History Gallery, and the featured films are all chapters of this work. Together they bring Timberlane Entertainment, IMAGINEVISION™, and the Good Morning Ozark Journal into one continuing conversation.
We envision the Journal growing into a radio show and a series of films, as well as this website. The larger goal is a national entertainment network—Nationwide Entertainment Network—rooted in the Ozarks and connected to people across America.
There will be more music. More memories. More friends to introduce. More stories from the road.
One life, one song, one story at a time.
I’m Al Timberlane.
Morning journal / Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Good Morning from Willis, Michigan
By Al Timberlane · Willis, Michigan ·
Good morning, everyone. I’m Al Timberlane.
This morning we are in Willis, Michigan, staying with my son Joshua and my daughter-in-law Morgan at their country home.
It is comfortable out here. They are in the middle of building a chicken pen. They have grapes growing, a large garden, and plenty of room around the property. It has that relaxed country feeling that reminds me a little of home in the Ozarks.
Becky and I are staying in the extra living quarters downstairs. It is a large space—I think somewhere around 3,000 square feet—and ordinarily this is where Lori T. lives.
Right now, though, Lori T. is still in the hospital.
She has been there for quite a few days, and one of the reasons Becky and I came north was simply to be here, visit her, listen, and provide some moral support while a complicated medical situation continues to unfold.
This first-person account reflects our family’s recollections and questions about Lori T.’s care. Medical details remain part of the record we are working to understand.
Why Is My Daughter Crying?
Over the next several weeks, I plan to write a series for the Good Morning Ozark Journal about Lori T., her experience, and the larger question behind it: Why is my daughter crying?
That is not meant as an attack on a hospital or on the people working there. It is a question about the system, communication, history, continuity of care, and what happens when a complicated patient moves through a very large medical center where doctors and hospitalists change and no single person seems to be following the whole twenty-year story.
A Test from 2008
One of the most surprising things we recently learned involved a gastric-emptying study that has been discussed in evaluating Lori T.’s need for medical access at home.
We discovered that the test being referenced was performed in 2008. That matters to us because Lori T.’s medical history did not stop in 2008.
I am still concerned about some lab tests and about how they were understood. There has not yet been a new gastric-emptying study or a broader follow-up evaluation of that particular issue. The discussion was subsequently closed for the time being because the team did not believe there was anything further they could offer during this admission.
At the same time, the hospital has been questioning whether Lori T. should be discharged with the type of access she has relied upon at home.
Our concern is that an old test cannot, by itself, tell the whole story of what has happened during the many years since it was performed.
The Longer History
Lori T. also has NF1, and we have been looking more closely at how NF1 can affect different systems of the body, including neurological function and, in some patients, the gastrointestinal system.
That is an area I want to research carefully before we publish our larger story. There are statistics and medical details that need to be checked so that we get them right.
What we do know from living the history is that Lori T. has experienced substantial gastrointestinal difficulties over many years.
She also relies on a service dog. Legend has an important job.
There are times when Lori T. can become unsteady or collapse, and Legend has learned to warn her before an episode. That warning can give her time to sit or protect herself from a fall.
Two things have played a major role in allowing Lori T. to remain independent at home: her service animal and reliable medical access.
The Port, the PICC Line, and the Complications
Lori T. is not insisting that a port must be returned to exactly the same location or handled exactly the same way it was before. But she entered the hospital expecting a port replacement.
During that process, the existing port was removed and a PICC line was placed.
The insertion was difficult. During the procedure, another physician was consulted, and the line was ultimately placed.
Later, the PICC migrated outward by approximately two inches. It was evaluated, and at the time we were told that it remained usable and that there was no clot identified.
As time went on, however, Lori T. began experiencing substantial pain and swelling in the chest area.
A collection developed there—Lori T. jokingly named it “Bertha.” It contained blood, fluid, and material that eventually had to be drained.
An initial attempt at drainage was extremely difficult for Lori T. She remained aware of much of the procedure and experienced considerable pain. Only a small amount was removed at that time.
Later, after further discussion, the team performed another procedure under general anesthesia, which Lori T. had specifically requested because of her previous experience.
The collection was removed. We have been told that it contained blood clot and other material, although we still have questions about precisely how it developed.
We have wondered whether the movement of the PICC or the position of its tip might have contributed to what happened, including whether medication or fluid could have gone somewhere it was not intended to go. But that remains a question—not a conclusion.
There was also an infection identified during the hospitalization. Rather than speculate about exactly where it originated, that is another part of the medical record we want to understand carefully before making any broader statement about it.
The last several days have been particularly difficult for Lori T. There was significant pain and bleeding. The doctors eventually had to take her back in and cauterize the area.
Thankfully, that part now appears to be healing properly, and the bleeding has stopped.
Her medications have also changed during the hospitalization. Lasix was stopped for a period and has now been restarted.
All of this has happened in roughly the last fifteen days.
Why We Are Here
And that brings us to where we are this morning.
We are not here pretending to be doctors. We are here as family.
We are listening. We are asking questions. We are trying to understand why decisions are being made.
And, perhaps most importantly, we are trying to make certain that twenty years of history does not disappear behind one test result, one department, one shift, or one hospitalist.
That is one of the challenges of an enormous hospital system.
There are many talented people. There are many specialists. There are many departments. But doctors rotate. Hospitalists change. Consulting teams enter and leave.
And for a complicated patient, the person who knows the entire history best may sometimes be the patient herself.
That is part of the story we will be telling.
A Better Moment: Therapy Dogs in the Lobby
Thankfully, yesterday was not entirely about procedures, tests, or hospital rooms.
Lori T. was able to come downstairs with us into the main lobby, where we met some wonderful therapy dogs.
We sat together, enjoyed the dogs, talked with the volunteers who work with them, and I recorded a short interview.
Those small moments matter. A hospital does not have to be only about illness.
Sometimes a dog walking through a lobby can change the entire atmosphere of a day.
Lori T. visiting with therapy dogs and their volunteer handlers in the hospital lobby. Photograph by Al Timberlane · October 12, 2026A quiet moment with the therapy dogs during Lori T.’s hospital stay. Photograph by Al Timberlane · October 12, 2026A simple message on the leash says it all: “Therapy Dog — Please Pet Me.” Photograph by Al Timberlane · October 12, 2026
Watch the Therapy Dog Interview
Interview by Al Timberlane · Approximately 6 minutes 29 seconds · Original sequence and audio, compressed for web playback.
Building the Good Morning Ozark Journal
We will be sharing that interview through the developing Good Morning Ozark Journal archive as we continue building the magazine under Timberlane Entertainment Company LLC.
The vision is for the Good Morning Ozark Journal to grow beyond a simple morning entry into a larger magazine built around music, entertainment, family, travel, history, community, and the real stories of people we meet along the way.
Eventually, we hope for it to become a national publication. But for today, it begins right here. In Willis, Michigan.
At a country home with grapes growing outside, a garden, a new chicken pen being built, and family waiting for someone they love to come home.
Hopefully tomorrow’s journal will be a little more fun. Good morning, everyone.
I’m Al Timberlane, and this has been the Good Morning Ozark Journal.
Imagine tomorrow today. Put your faith in God, and He will move mountains for you. — Al Timberlane
The debut edition / October 2026
Good Morning Journal — Lori T. and Legend
By Al Timberlane · Timberlane Entertainment Company LLC The debut column is preserved below, including its plans for the Journal’s new home.
Good morning, everyone. I’m Al Timberlane. This article marks the beginning of something new.
The Good Morning Ozark Journal is preparing for its own home as part of the growing Timberlane Entertainment News Network. The new website is not built yet, so for now we are sharing these first editions through TimberlaneArchive.com and TimberlaneMusic.com as we develop what comes next.
The idea is simple.
Tell good stories. Preserve history. Support musicians, artists, filmmakers, craftspeople, businesses, families, and communities. And remember the people behind all of it.
That is really what Timberlane Entertainment has been building toward for years.
Music & Community
A Very Full Week in the Ozarks
We have just come through one of those weeks where music, history, travel, family, and business all seemed to cross paths at the same time.
At the O.K. Trading Post Front Porch Jam in Mountain View, Arkansas, musicians gathered once again for old-time picking and grinning on the porch.
O.K. Trading Post Front Porch Jam · October 10, 2026. Photography and filming: Becky Thomas, Al Timberlane’s wife, working under his direction. Producer and director: Al Timberlane.
Old-Time Front Porch Jam · Saturday, October 10, 2026 · Noon–3 p.m. · O.K. Trading Post, Mountain View, Arkansas · Poster artwork by Garry Rone.
This poster by Garry Rone announced the October 10 gathering, presented by KWMV 88.5 FM and hosted by Al Timberlane, with local musicians and pickers and a special full concert by the Jacob Austin Band. Meet the artist behind our posters and artwork ↗
The stage was filled with friends and musicians.
There were Russ and Katie Phoenix, Trudy and her granddaughter Autumn, Barbara from Fifty-Six, Dawn and Elvis, Margaret and Bruce, and John Chitwood from the Jimmy Driftwood Barn on fiddle.
And, of course, Jacob, Liz, and David Austin of the Jacob Austin Band were there as well.
Katie and Russ Phoenix brought a bunch of great tunes from the 1940s, ’50s, ’60s, and even the ’70s. Russ’s cowboy-style voice and the great backbeat on his acoustic guitar set the pace, with Katie singing right along with her husband.
And those matching shirts were something else: guitars, cowboy hats, and horses. They brought their own style to the porch in more ways than one.
Katie is also an amazing photographer and videographer. We are glad she is here in Mountain View, filming so many musicians herself at the Jimmy Driftwood Barn and helping preserve the music as it happens.
The Jimmy Driftwood Barn hosts music on Fridays and Sundays from 7 to 9 p.m. Central—a continuing gathering place for the traditional sounds of the Ozarks. See the local music listing ↗
Dawn and Elvis brought the sound of Texas to the porch. Elvis played the stand-up bass, while Dawn’s acoustic guitar and beautiful soprano and alto voice helped fill the afternoon with great harmonies.
Trudy brought her spirited shout singing, traditional gospel, and that ’60s groove. Her granddaughter Autumn returned for her second appearance, singing beautiful harmonies on some old gospel tunes. What a pleasure to hear another generation finding its voice in this music family.
Margaret brought the sound of the spoons, and her husband Bruce’s backup harmonies completed the duo. They have been making music together in the Mississippi Valley for many years—joining gospel sings, gathering with groups, and taking part in jams in the great state of Mississippi.
They have invited us to Mississippi in 2027 to visit some of those “sings” and jams. We plan to bring the camera along as we catch up with some good old pickin’, gospel harmonies, and the people who keep that music going.
John Chitwood’s fiddle carried another direct connection to the old-time musical tradition of the Jimmy Driftwood Barn.
Sharon, the Horse Barn, and the Poe Ranch
Sharon shows off her cowboy outfit in this photograph taken by Sharon in the horse barn at O.K. Trading Post on October 10, 2026. An equestrian, she has joined us for many interviews about the Poe Ranch, where she stays.
As Al Timberlane recounts, O.K. Trading Post is part of the Poe Ranch, with Poe family history reaching back to the early 1800s. Sharon’s interviews help carry forward the stories of the family and their adventures around Syllamo Creek and the Blanchard area.
Sharon showing her cowboy outfit in the horse barn at O.K. Trading Post / Poe Ranch · October 10, 2026 · Photograph by Sharon.
Honoring Service, Music, and the Cowboy Tradition
It was a great honor to stand onstage with Denisa and present her with the Ozark Heritage & Community Service Award for her work at the O.K. Trading Post and her contribution to the traditions of folklore and folk music.
Her years as an equestrian, rodeo wrangler, and horseback-riding host are part of that story, too. Preserving the culture of horses, riding, and the people who carry those traditions forward belongs alongside the music we celebrate on the porch.
Denisa’s Ozark Heritage & Community Service Award, presented October 10, 2026, during America’s 250th Anniversary year. View the full certificate ↗
The certificate recognizes Denisa’s dedication to equestrian heritage, trail riding, and the warm hospitality of the Arkansas Ozarks—and her welcome to musicians, families, and friends of the Old-Time Front Porch Pickin’ Jam tradition. Her generosity helps keep the spirit of the Ozarks alive for generations to come.
Remembrance / The Cowboy Tradition
Remembering Samuel “Sam” Speaks and Following the Next Rodeo Season
I had the privilege of standing with Derek to honor Samuel “Sam” Speaks as an Ozark Mountain rodeo riding legend in this American Semiquincentennial year.
At approximately 2:45 p.m. on October 10, 2026, a commemorative medallion and Certificate of Remembrance were presented posthumously to the O.K. Trading Post in honor of Samuel “Sam” Speaks. The remembrance honors Sam, his sweetheart, rodeo mom Autumn, and the fellow cowboys carrying this tradition forward.
Sam’s sweetheart was 15. Autumn, who is in her 40s, is the rodeo mom to all the young cowboys. She protects them, looks after them, and treats them like a mother.
His love of horses, his life as a cowboy and wrangler, and the friendships he built remain part of the story we want to preserve.
Derek accepted the certificate and medallion on behalf of the cowboys, who had to leave to get ready for the rodeo. As I recall, Keaton was the number-one wrangler, and Jackson was number two. They had a rodeo to prepare for, and it was time for them to go.
Sharon, the equestrian, was there and filmed the presentation. Denise was also present. Together, they made a well-rounded representation of the O.K. Trading Post, alongside our well-respected and powerful musicians of the Ozarks.
It brought the horse and rodeo community together with the music community—a fitting gathering to honor Sam and the friendships he left with us.
The Certificate of Remembrance
Presented to O.K. Trading Post in remembrance of Sam Speaks, “Sam I Am,” on October 10, 2026, in Mountain View, Arkansas, this certificate is part of The Ozark American Songbook’s observance of America’s 250th anniversary, 1776–2026, with Folk Music Rewind and KWMV 88.5 FM.
Certificate of Remembrance · Sam Speaks, “Sam I Am” · Presented October 10, 2026 · O.K. Trading Post, Mountain View, Arkansas. Select the certificate to read the full-size original.
The certificate reads:
“With deep appreciation and gratitude for the friendship, support, and home away from home you provided to Sam Speaks throughout his years in the Ozarks.
The O.K. Trading Post was more than a store — it was a gathering place for cowboys, musicians, travelers, and friends, and a special part of Sam’s life and legacy.
His memory and his spirit will always be part of the O.K. Trading Post and the Ozark tradition.”
The certificate bears the signatures of Joe Hart of KWMV 88.5 FM and Al Timberlane, host and producer of Folk Music Rewind and The Ozark American Songbook.
A Full Season on Film in 2027
Next year, we plan to follow these cowboys through the entire rodeo season for a full film. We want to preserve their work, their progress, and the people who stand beside them as they compete.
Supporting the Cowboys in 2027
Timberlane Entertainment also plans to sponsor them in 2027, contributing up to $500 toward equipment and vests to help them continue their rodeo work.
Al Timberlane with three mounted cowboys outside the McSpadden Dulcimer Studio at KWMV 88.5 FM in Mountain View, Arkansas. Photograph by Al Timberlane · Capture date to be confirmed.Derek accepts the medallion and Certificate of Remembrance on behalf of the cowboys, honoring Samuel “Sam” Speaks at the O.K. Trading Post Front Porch Jam. Approximately 2:45 p.m. · October 10, 2026 · Photograph by Becky Thomas Timberlane.
A Moment at the Rodeo
Rodeo footage shared by Al Timberlane · Approximately 1 minute 23 seconds.
And all afternoon, the porch reminded us why Mountain View remains such a special place.
Someone brings a guitar. Someone brings a fiddle. Someone finds a harmony. Someone tells a story. And before long, everybody is part of it.
OK Trading Post Front Porch Jam · October 10, 2026
Photographs by Becky Thomas Timberlane · Saturday, October 10, 2026.
The KWMV 88.5 FM banner at the OK Trading Post Front Porch Jam. Photographs by Becky Thomas Timberlane · October 10, 2026.Becky Thomas Timberlane, Al’s wife and personal assistant, helping set up microphones and cameras. Photographs by Becky Thomas Timberlane · October 10, 2026.Jacob Austin and Elvis on the porch — Elvis dressed like Mario. Photographs by Becky Thomas Timberlane · October 10, 2026.Al Timberlane making announcements from the platform. Photographs by Becky Thomas Timberlane · October 10, 2026.Al Timberlane addresses the Front Porch Jam gathering. Photographs by Becky Thomas Timberlane · October 10, 2026.Musicians gather to play on the OK Trading Post porch. Photographs by Becky Thomas Timberlane · October 10, 2026.Derek accepts the medallion and Certificate of Remembrance on behalf of the cowboys, honoring Samuel “Sam” Speaks at the O.K. Trading Post Front Porch Jam. Approximately 2:45 p.m. · October 10, 2026 · Photograph by Becky Thomas Timberlane.
Downtown visit: September 2026 · Shared in the journal October 13, 2026 · By Al Timberlane
These photographs are from downtown Mountain View just last month. Sasquatch Cave, our neighborhood coffee shop and restaurant, is two storefronts down from us. We love their coffee.
Like KWMV 88.5 FM and the McSpadden Dulcimer Studio, where our radio station resides, Sasquatch Cave is directly across from the Stone County Courthouse. It is a well-known stop here in Mountain View, and when the downtown festivals bring people to the square, plenty of those visitors find their way in for coffee.
The owner was a little shy about having her photograph taken. She and her family have made this shop part of our downtown community, and I’m glad to share a glimpse of their place.
Where the Music Keeps Gathering
In the photograph outside, I am at the courthouse-square gathering place, where generations have come to play music, pick and jam, square dance, and jig dance. This is a historic place, and the music is still part of its everyday life.
Our big downtown festivals bring that tradition into the streets. Fall also brings the Bean Festival, with cauldrons of beans cooking downtown and the outhouse races—another memorable part of Mountain View’s community life.
I wanted to preserve these everyday moments as part of the archive: the coffee, the people, the courthouse square, and the places that welcome musicians and neighbors.
Al Timberlane at the downtown courthouse-square gathering place beside an America 250 banner. September 2026 · Exact day not recorded · Shared by Al Timberlane.Al Timberlane visiting the counter at Sasquatch Cave. September 2026 · Exact day not recorded · Shared by Al Timberlane.The coffee station, mugs, and Sasquatch Cave sign. September 2026 · Exact day not recorded · Shared by Al Timberlane.A visit with friends at the Sasquatch Cave counter. September 2026 · Exact day not recorded · Shared by Al Timberlane.Al Timberlane and friends sharing a moment at Sasquatch Cave. September 2026 · Exact day not recorded · Shared by Al Timberlane.The owner of Sasquatch Cave beside the coffee station. September 2026 · Exact day not recorded · Shared by Al Timberlane.
Joe Hart — Founder of KWMV 88.5 FM
The man standing next to the old car is Joe Hart, founder of the station. This family photograph, remembered as his Christmas photograph from around December 25, 2025, belongs with the story of the people behind our radio work.
Joe Hart, founder of KWMV 88.5 FM, standing beside an old Chevrolet. Around December 25, 2025 · Photograph by family · Shared by Al Timberlane.
During the weekend, we also met some of the Ozark Arkansas influencers who were visiting the area to help tell the story of the O.K. Trading Post, Blanchard Springs Caverns, and the larger tourism heritage of the Ozarks.
That gave me another opportunity to share stories about Jimmy Driftwood, Sylamore Creek, Blanchard Springs, and the work surrounding preservation of the Buffalo National River.
I also shared some of the remarkable history connecting Mountain View with Johnny Cash, Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton, and the Jimmy Driftwood Barn.
Those stories matter.
History has a way of disappearing when nobody tells it. Our job is to keep telling it.
From the road
Music on the Journey
Then the week changed direction.
Becky and I boarded a Southwest Airlines flight and headed north to Michigan. We traveled through Little Rock and Nashville, and somewhere in the Nashville airport I turned around and saw Brian Allison performing live at Ole Red Nashville Airport.
There he was — a working musician performing in the middle of an airport terminal while people traveled across the country. That made me smile.
You Never Know Where You’ll See a Musician
I was pleased to find live music at Nashville International Airport. Brian Allison was singing and playing guitar at Ole Red Nashville Airport—a welcome musical moment along the journey.
You never know where you’re going to see a musician. Sometimes a stop between flights becomes a chance to enjoy a live performance.
Brian is a Nashville-based Americana singer-songwriter originally from the Chicagoland area. Ole Red’s airport venue brings live music to travelers in Terminal C.
Brian Allison · Ole Red Nashville Airport. Photograph by Al Timberlane.
Lori T. and Legend — faithful companions, always forward together. View full artwork ↗
The reason for our trip north was family.
This edition of the Good Morning Ozark Journal is dedicated to Lori T.
Lori T. has a story of her own, and there is so much more to the person than any single chapter.
She is strong. Independent. Thoughtful. Determined.
She brings her own voice, experience, and determination to her story.
Beside her through much of that journey has been Legend, her faithful service dog.
If you look at the photograph of Lori T. and Legend, you see something simple. A woman. Her dog. A smile.
But behind that photograph is an entire life.
Travel. Independence. Family. Faith. And a determination to keep moving forward.
That is part of why this Good Morning Journal is dedicated to her.
Not because this is a medical article. It is not. This is a family journal. It is about remembering that behind every complicated story is a person.
Behind every chart is a life. Behind every long week is somebody trying to get home.
And sometimes, after the music stops and the traveling is finished, the most important thing you can do is simply be there.
Moments from the visit
Companionship, kindness, and a moment together.A warm welcome: “Therapy Dog — Please Pet Me.”
Art / The People Behind Our Work
“The Fiddler” — Artwork by Garry Rone
All of our posters and artwork are done by Garry Rone, the artist behind Timberlane Entertainment Company’s visual work. This is one of his pieces, “The Fiddler.”
With its colorful, wide-eyed fiddler and lively Ozark character, this piece brings music and art together in Garry’s own style.
“The Fiddler” · Artwork by Garry Rone · Image shared by Al Timberlane.
We’ll be featuring Garry in the near future and sharing more about the artist and his work.
Building the Timberlane Entertainment Network
That brings us to the next chapter.
The Good Morning Ozark Journal is being developed as another part of the growing Timberlane Entertainment Company LLC network.
Alongside it are our music, radio, archive, film, and entertainment-news projects, including ImagineVision™, our film and cinema identity.
We are continuing to build the Timberlane Entertainment News Network as a place where these different stories can come together — music, film, broadcasting, history, travel, community, and the people we meet along the road.
There is also another side of the company family.
Littlebit™ Trailers
Our sister operation, Littlebit™ trailers, is moving forward as well.
Earlier this year, a refurbished 1998 Fleetwood trailer was sold for $6,000.
That project helped demonstrate something we have been working toward: taking trailers with good bones, rebuilding and refurbishing them, and creating useful, affordable trailers with a Timberlane touch.
The first Littlebit™ trailers are now being developed, with anticipated selling prices generally ranging from approximately $4,000 to $8,000, depending on the trailer, construction, equipment, and level of finish.
We expect to begin offering the first of them before Christmas.
At the same time, we will continue looking at larger trailers that can be remodeled, refurbished, and returned to useful life.
It may seem like trailers, radio, folk music, films, archives, and an Ozark journal are very different things. Maybe they are.
But they all come from the same idea:
Build something worthwhile. Preserve something worth remembering. Help somebody along the way.
Ozark places / On location
Blanchard Springs — A Window into the Caverns
Join me, Al Timberlane, beside the natural opening where Blanchard Springs flows from the mountainside. A walk through the Blanchard Springs recreation area brings us to this beautiful place—a glimpse of the underground world beneath the Ozarks.
On-location footage · Approximately 1 minute 48 seconds
The spring opening and the cave’s vertical natural entrance are different routes into the cavern system. Early explorers descended through the vertical entrance; later scuba divers explored underwater through the spring. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas records professional exploration by Hugh Shell and Hail Bryant in 1960 and scuba exploration through the spring entrance in 1971, including the mapping of underwater passages and air-filled chambers.
Exploring caves is often called spelunking, or caving. The guided Discovery Trail inside the caverns follows early explorers’ routes for 1.2 miles, passing beneath the natural entrance and alongside the cave stream.
Jimmy Driftwood, the Caverns, and the Stories Our Friends Shared
Oral history · Recollections shared by Al Timberlane
This story belongs here. It comes from conversations with friends who knew Jimmy Driftwood and Cleda, and who shared their memories with me. Joe Rowe, an Ozark banjo player, was one of the men who talked to me. Nellie Branscomb, Bobby Mack Harder, and others also helped carry these stories forward. To me, their personal accounts are meaningful confirmation. The history we preserve includes what our friends told us, whether or not those conversations can be found on the internet.
As I remember the account, Jimmy talked with senators and a committee put together by the House of Representatives. I remember it being described in connection with the years when Jimmy Carter was president. Jimmy explained the story of this area and why it mattered. What Joe Rowe and others told me was that musicians were there to speak with representatives and committee members about preserving the area and keeping it from being flooded. They also told me that a committee came to see it.
Music beside the cave entrance
Another part of the Jimmy Driftwood stories concerns photographs he had of musicians performing there on December 6, 1941—the day before Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7. As the story was shared with me, they played beside one of the major cave entrances we know today. The musicians knew of the caves long before later exploration and mapping brought the underground passages to a wider audience. That knowledge was part of what Jimmy could bring to the committee.
A place worth preserving
One detail stands out in the account I was told. Jimmy drew the committee’s attention to the caverns and their significance to Native Americans. The words I remember being passed along were:
“And I don’t know if you were aware of it, but there are also natural caverns that are sacred to the Native Americans.”
Jimmy Driftwood’s words as recalled in the oral account shared with Al Timberlane.
That is a key part of this story for me. According to the account Joe Rowe and others shared, the representatives said they would explore the caverns. They described a compromise following that visit: preserving the area, protecting the caves, and making the Buffalo River a national river instead of flooding the landscape. There was a great deal of land, water, and history to preserve.
The account also described responsibility passing to the Department of the Interior, with the cave area becoming a park in Stone County, separate from the national river system, and management coordinated with Native American tribes. I am recording that description here as part of the story told to me.
These are connected stories in the Jimmy Driftwood oral history I have gathered. The dates, committee details, and description of agency responsibilities above are presented as recollections from those conversations. They preserve the account as it was shared with me.
Jimmy’s legacy reaches beyond the music. It lives in the people who knew him, the stories they entrusted to us, and the natural places they cared about. Our job is to keep those voices in the story.
The Good Morning Ozark Journal will eventually have its own home.
For now, you will see these early editions on TimberlaneMusic.com and TimberlaneArchive.com while we develop the new site and continue refining what this journal will become.
It will be part journal. Part entertainment news. Part history. Part travel. Part music. Part family story. And always rooted in the Ozarks.
There will be more stories about musicians. More stories from the road. More history. More films. More radio. More people worth meeting.
And over the next several weeks, we will also introduce you more fully to Lori T. — not simply as a patient, but as the remarkable person her family knows.
This is only the beginning.
Good morning, everyone.
I’m Al Timberlane, and welcome to the beginning of the Good Morning Ozark Journal.
Imagine tomorrow today. Put your faith in God, and He will move mountains for you.
— Al Timberlane
Coming interview / Unedited footage
Meet Lori T. — Her Story Continues
This is an example of unedited footage for an upcoming interview: “Meet Lori T.” A conversation about the person, the system, and the continuing story.
Twenty seconds. One question. Who will listen, connect the pieces, and help find answers? 🤔
The person. The system. A continuing journey.
Meet Lori T.: a continuing search for answers, and moments of companionship along the way. Her story continues.
Unedited footage · A moment with the therapy dogs
6 minutes 29 seconds · Original sequence and audio, compressed for web playback.
Visit footage · Clip 2
Approximately 8 seconds · Unedited
Visit footage · Clip 3
Approximately 16 seconds · Unedited
Hats / Therapy dogs
Therapy Dogs in Cool Hats
Scooby-Doo, surfer-style hats, and just plain cool hats. This small segment joins our interviews around the therapy dogs—and the smiles they bring along.
Approximately 1 minute 6 seconds · Original sequence and audio, compressed for web playback.
A lasting collection of people, places, music, and memories. Follow the journal one day at a time. Photographs and videos share the same gallery; a play symbol marks each video.
The first entry / Day 1
Eight photo collections · 63 photographs · 3 video clips
Journal entry date. Individual photographs may document earlier visits or historical objects.
Day 1 / Collection 01 / Hospital Visit
A Visit to the University of Michigan Hospital
Sixteen photographs from the main lobby, a visit with therapy dogs, a medical history exhibit, and a portrait of Lori T.
These are glimpses from the main lobby of the University of Michigan Hospital, where we sat down with my daughter, Lori T., to talk about her hospital stay.
While we were there, we met therapy dog handlers as they were ending their day. They had visited patients on different floors and shared their recollections of the smiles—and the difference—these very special dogs had brought to the people they met.
Lori’s portrait was taken that day for a future story woven through our hospital visit. We will talk about this unique and wonderful place, the people we met, and our hope for the care our daughter Lori will receive.
The older objects shown here are part of the hospital’s historical medical office exhibit. They invite us to reflect on the early medical care given in Michigan as communities took shape. The related photo journal identifies the office display as A Michigan Doctor’s Office, Circa 1908.
Rayne Magill · October 12, 2026 · 01 / 06Rayne Magill · October 12, 2026 · 02 / 06Rayne Magill · October 12, 2026 · 03 / 06Rayne Magill · October 12, 2026 · 04 / 06Rayne Magill · October 12, 2026 · 05 / 06Rayne Magill · October 12, 2026 · 06 / 06
Day 1 / Collection 03 / History along the Journey
A Michigan Doctor’s Office Circa 1908
A look at a historical office exhibit, its furnishings, and the stories told through its display panels. Twenty photographs supplied by Al Timberlane.
Select a photograph to view it full-size. Use the arrows to explore the collection.
Day 1 / Photo Collection
OK Trading Post Front Porch Jam
Saturday, October 10, 2026 · Eight photographs: seven by Becky Thomas Timberlane and one by Sharon. Music, announcements, and the people behind the cameras.
Select a photograph to enlarge it. Follow its story link to the related article.
Four festival photographs by Lori Thomas Timberlane from Saturday, September 5, 2026, and two clips from the spontaneous recording and rehearsal.
Photographs: Lori Thomas Timberlane, who also helped film the interviews. Interviewer, director, coordinator, and producer: Al Timberlane. Timberlane Entertainment Company LLC attended by invitation from Rayne’s Muzic Fest, founded by Rayne Magill.
Festival dates: September 4–7, 2026. Photo date based on Al Timberlane’s recollection and the 2026 festival listing ↗. The video clips document earlier moments before the show.
Two photographs by Lori Thomas Timberlane and one rodeo clip, collected with Sam’s remembrance and our plans for a full-season film in 2027. The presentation photograph was taken October 10, 2026; the Dulcimer Shoppe photograph’s capture date is awaiting confirmation.
Select the photograph to enlarge it, or select the video thumbnail to watch. Both link to the related story.
Derek accepts the medallion and Certificate of Remembrance on behalf of the cowboys, honoring Samuel “Sam” Speaks at the O.K. Trading Post Front Porch Jam. Approximately 2:45 p.m. · October 10, 2026 · Photograph by Becky Thomas Timberlane.Read the remembrance ↗
Journal entry date. Six downtown photographs document September 2026; Joe Hart’s family photograph is dated around December 25, 2025. Photographer credits will be added when identified.
Day 2 / Community & Radio Archive
Downtown Mountain View Coffee, Music & Friends
September 2026 downtown visit, plus Joe Hart’s family photograph from around December 25, 2025. Images shared by Al Timberlane.
A Concert, a Friendship, and a Story Worth Preserving
By Al Timberlane · From the Timberlane Archive · September 2026 concert
What began as a ten-minute commissioned concert film became something much larger. In September 2026, I traveled to the Chris Wilson Pavilion at Potawatomi Park in South Bend, Indiana, to film the Van Dyke Revue. By the time the cameras stopped, we had preserved the full concert, roughly two and a half hours of coverage, and a special moment of recognition for the musicians.
The “Sundown” performance above is one window into that evening. Around it is a story of friendship, working musicians, and songs that keep finding new audiences.
Returning to an old musical circle
For me, this was a return to friends. My connection with John and Dave Van Dyke reaches back to the early 1990s and Stochastic House, an independent band that grew out of friendships around Bethel College. We shared rehearsals, performances, and a love of acoustic music shaped by alternative rock and country influences.
For a time, I also played with the Van Dyke acoustic group. We often rehearsed at John’s barn home, surrounded by his artwork. Returning with cameras in 2026 brought those memories into the work we now do through Timberlane Entertainment, Folk Music Rewind, and KWMV 88.5 FM in Mountain View, Arkansas.
Keeping the whole evening
Three cameras captured the performance from different perspectives. Rain moved the continuous master camera beneath a canopy farther from the stage, while closer views preserved faces, instruments, and the exchanges between musicians. A compact four-track Zoom recorder and Audio-Technica stage microphones captured the concert sound, later mixed in Cakewalk.
Recording the complete concert preserved more than the songs selected for a short film. It kept the introductions, transitions, audience reactions, and moments between performers—the small details that give an evening its place in history.
A moment to honor the musicians
A still from the South Bend concert record: Al Timberlane addresses the Van Dyke Revue during the recognition presentation. From Al Timberlane’s footage, September 2026. View full-size ↗
During the concert, I had the privilege of presenting John Van Dyke with a Lifetime Achievement Medallion from Timberlane Entertainment Company LLC and KWMV 88.5 FM, commissioned by Joe Hart and me. Each member of the Van Dyke Revue also received a limited-run American Semiquincentennial 250th Anniversary Medallion in appreciation of their contribution to live music.
Those presentations are part of the preserved concert record. They connect our American Songbook work in the Ozarks with musicians who have carried their music through South Bend, southwest Michigan, and beyond.
The people behind the sound
The band’s official press kit describes the Van Dyke Revue as a four-piece rock-and-soul group with more than 25 years of performances from Chicago to Florida. Dave’s earlier Folk Music Rewind interviews add another dimension: the songwriter, author, and storyteller behind the stage performance.
The archive article also outlines a hoped-for oral-history interview with John and a possible larger documentary, built with his invitation and permission. Those remain plans. For now, the concert film preserves a meaningful chapter—and the friendships behind it.
Music at the Chris Wilson Pavilion, Potawatomi Park. Photograph by Al Timberlane · September 2026.The details behind the sound. Photograph by Al Timberlane · September 2026.The band, the park, and the people who came to listen. Photograph by Al Timberlane · September 2026.
Adapted from Al Timberlane’s The Van Dyke Revue Concert Film and Lifetime Achievement Tribute, Timberlane Archive, September 2026. Band description and public booking details checked against the official Van Dyke Revue press kit ↗.
Timberlane Entertainment / Films & Stories in Development
IMAGINEVISION™ Film Network
Al Timberlane serves as producer and usually as one of the camera operators on Timberlane films. Individual project credits identify the photographers and camera operators who worked with him.
Another division of Timberlane Entertainment is the IMAGINEVISION™ Film Network—a home for films in development and a scripting house for future stories written by Al Timberlane, with collaborations with other writers.
From adventures like Sir Lancelot and the Mountain of Doom to science fiction like Legend: War and Peace™, we are imagining the stories we want to bring to the screen.
Adventure / In Development
Sir Lancelot and the Mountain of Doom
A film project being developed through Timberlane Entertainment.
Science Fiction / In Development
Legend: War and Peace™
An IMAGINEVISION™ science-fiction project from Al Timberlane.
Imagine Tomorrow. Then Journey There.
An IMAGINEVISION™ storyworld of original science-fiction worlds, characters, machines, and ideas from Al Timberlane and Timberlane Entertainment Company LLC.
IMAGINEVISION™ Storyworld · Shared by Al Timberlane.
This is an example of experimenting with film and learning what the editing software can do. Nothing fancy—just trying ideas, working with pictures and sound, and seeing where they might lead.
It includes the IMAGINEVISION™ logo, an early first for Timberlane Entertainment Company LLC. Every beginning gives us something to build on.
Early editing experiment · Approximately 4 minutes 25 seconds · Shared by Al Timberlane
Help Build the Network
As this network develops, we will be looking for sponsors and people who would like to advertise with us. We are building toward an entertainment company that brings music, films, and original stories to audiences across America, starting right here in the Ozarks.
If you would like to discuss sponsorship, advertising, or a writing collaboration, get in touch with Timberlane Entertainment Company LLC.
