LAKE OUACHITA, ARKANSAS

Wow... what a wild ride.  As we were preparing to leave Greer's Ferry Lake when the camp host came by and informed us the park was closing. Then we learned that all Government Parks and Campgrounds we closing due to the Government shutdown. Oh no... that shot our plans out of the sky. The only thing we could do was head down south to the Ouachita Lake and the Hwy 27 Fishing Village. Even though the park is just outside of the fishing village it was made by and is advertise as an Army Corps campground but it is privately own by the owner of the fishing village. The corps owns the land but it is run and maintained by the owner of the village due to his winning a lawsuit. So he had to lower his fees to match theirs and he has to honor the Senior Passport. This card is what we use to get the rates at half price. We came straight down to this park and were the first here but it has since started filling up. I don't know if it is local fishermen  or full time campers like ourselves. I tend to think most are local.

I have not been able to get on the internet because of poor reception... and I mean very poor...1 bar..no bar. But I was able to get a couple of emails out. We have no telephone reception... no how...no way. So please forgive the slowness of my writing the blog. Also, I cannot upload but a very few photos if any.

We are about twenty plus miles from Mt. Ida, and about twelve or so from Story, Arkansas.  Mt. Ida is known for their quartz crystals. It is where we have always come to get our crystals.  I absolutely love the energy here. It is so nurturing and healing for mind, body, and soul. But I am not sure I want to winter here because it gets cold... ice and snow country.  Guess that depends on what the government does.

I have been busy harvesting chestnuts and roasting them. There are three large trees that are loaded. The deer hit them at night and we hit them during the day. And there are still plenty on the ground... a bumper crop. They have to be dried before they can be stored. That is a chore but worth the work. Phil had his first taste of fresh chestnuts and he is hooked...lol. I really don't mind as he is helping with the collecting of them and putting them up.

This photo is the view that we have in front of us.  I took it the day we arrived...

This is the same area but I was standing just pass the bench in the above photo. It was taken the next morning...

 

Directly across the lake lives an American Bald Eagle. I just happened to have my camera in hand when he started harassing the herons. What you don't see in the photo are the two bluejays that were harassing him lol...

 

I love this photo of Phil fishing from the bank...

 

Except for the park needing  to be mowed the area is beautiful and serene. We are on the west side of the lake. On the east side is Hot Springs.  This is a large lake and my photos only show this tiny area...

 

 

And here is a photo of our campsite. We sit on a bluff with the lake a few feet below us...

 

Even though we feel chained to this area until there is a "change" in the government.... we are still dancing.... Hope that you are too...

 

KEEP ON DANCING