Brady Mountain Recreation Area

October 27, 2020

Donna and I took our annual fall leaf viewing trip to Brady Mountain Recreation Area on Lake Ouachita. As the date for the trip approached we were conflicted about forecast rain event for Wednesday. We decided to go ahead with our plans for the week and make a run for the lake on Tuesday before the rain. We took a route to Brady Mountain via highway 27 through Mount Ida on the west end of the lake avoiding Hot Springs. The drive was a few minutes longer but much less traffic and and pretty good roads.

We arrived at campsite #55 just before dark and decided to not unpack any outdoor stuff. This proved to be a good decision as a hard rain and wind came overnight and continued through the day on Wednesday. 

Campsites #55 and #56 are the only two sites on a finger of land that extended from the northern most point of the campground into Lake Ouachita. It was a great campsite except for the intermittent drone of the nearby campground sewage treatment facility (at least it was a closed process that didn't smell). Our next-door neighbor was a young man apparently staying with only his dog and leaving each afternoon until the middle of the night. We guess that he was maybe working and just living out of his trailer so for the most part we were that only campers in the area.  We could see across to another finger of land with the tent camping sites which were never occupied during our stay.

Wednesday we hung around camp watching it rain and listened to the wind blow.

On Thursday the wind continued to blow, but skies were clearing so we took an afternoon drive on the backroads to Blakely Dam and Hot Springs. 

Friday morning was a beautiful day and my birthday.  After breakfast I stepped out of the trailer and walked down to the water. I heard a ruckus in the tree above me at the point. When I looked up I saw a mature bald eagle takeoff from a tree and fly across the cove toward the marina. I guess I interrupted his fishing. Later I got my old man hiking stick and went for a walk around the park by way of the nature trail. I took some good photos along the way.

After a road trip on the backroads to Crystal Springs campground (opposite direction from the previous day) I got in some fishing time and Hammock time. Ended the day with a beautiful sunset, dinner on the grill and a campfire. Albeit quiet, it was not a bad way to spend my 62nd birthday. Life is Good!

Sunset and Full Moon Rise on Lake Ouachita

Lake Catherine State Park

October 4, 2020

We went for the second time in 2020 to Lake Catherine State Park for a few days with Donna's cousin Jeanean, her husband Gene and aunt Rose. Jeanene and Gene had just bought a fifth wheel trailer and this was going to be their first outing. The park was almost full, but we were able to get two sites relatively close to each other with Gene and Jeanean in #5 and us in #9. Gene had beat us to the campground and already had a campfire going when we arrived. Once we got our trailer setup Jeanean fed us chilidogs for dinner at their trailer.  While setting up camp we looked over our shoulder and saw deer browsing in the grass just behind the trailer.

On Monday Gene cooked burgers while we visited with family, friends and dogs. As it turns out Jeanean and Gene's friends were our old family friends David and Jane.

Monday Donna cooked a crockpot of soup and we made cornbread in the Dutch oven. Soup was good and the first attempt at Dutch oven cornbread was surprisingly good as well.

After a long day Donna and I retreated to our campsite and had a quiet campfire of our own for what would turn out to be our last night of the trip.

We were awoken early Tuesday morning with a phone call that we had been expecting, but none the less were dreading. Donna's brother Tommy had passed away after a year long fight with cancer. He was freed from the frailty and pain of his earthly body and now gone to be with his Noni. With heavy hearts we packed our campsite and headed back to Russellville. The remainder of the week was spent with family and friends in Pine Bluff and Warren.