Aaron was able to take some time away from the new field office in Texas, so we decided to head out of Texas into southwest Arkansas for a couple of weeks. We did not go too far, because we would have to make our way back to the Dallas area. I was excited because Arkansas was a state we had not yet wandered into during our travels. There is a ton of outdoor recreation in the state, and I look forward to eventually exploring further than the southwest corner. But for now, I am happy to have the ability to explore this small piece of Arkansas.
We set up house at White Cliffs Recreation Area, run by the Army Corps of Engineers. The campground sits next to the Little River, and alligator warning signs are scattered throughout. There were a few other campers around, but none close to our site for almost our entire stay.
We were a little concerned when we first arrived, as the river was high and the road behind our site was flooded. We were nervous that we would have to move sites, like we did when we were in Oklahoma a few months ago.
Fortunately, the river was receding and not rising, and by the next day, the water was almost completely gone. A few days later, we woke up to another surprise. A huge branch had fallen at the site next to ours. It made me very thankful for our good fortune and grateful that we were not at that site.
After the start, there was no more drama created by nature, and we really enjoyed our stay. Murphy swam, there were wild flowers, we did some very minor exploring, and Aaron was working from home again. I do not think he liked commuting to the office like a normal person. It is much more comfortable to work from home, avoid fighting traffic, and have Murphy there to assist with writing emails.
As usual, Murphy and I spent a lot of time down by the water so he could swim and play. He really enjoyed splashing and kicking up muddy water. While he was making a mess, I was enjoying the plants and a pretty little dragonfly.
I am not sure what type of plants the ones above are, but I don’t need to know their names to appreciate their beauty. My favorite picture, taken on the bank of the Little River, is the one below of the lily pads. I took these with my phone, and it got me inspired to pick up my camera again. I have not pulled out my camera in quite a while, and it was time to get to using it again.
Murphy and I also enjoyed watching boats go by.
Due to the alligator warning signs, I kept a vigilant eye on the water, making sure Murphy and I did not have an alligator encounter. The last time I took him to swim, one was floating by in the middle of the river. I got Murphy out of the water, on his leash, and we started heading away from the riverbank. I ever so briefly considered taking out my phone and getting a picture, but that was a stupid thought. The dog and I returned to the camper safe and sound. On a different day, Aaron and I drove around the campground and came across another alligator. I had my camera with me, and we stayed near the truck in case we had to retreat. I got a few snapshots of the gator coming in to investigate us.
He decided we were not that interesting and swam away. We did keep the dog in the truck so that the alligator would not want him for a snack.
The White Cliffs
White Cliffs got its name from the cliffs in the area that are made from white chalk. At one point in Earth’s history, Arkansas was at the bottom of an ocean. When marine algae and other tiny marine organisms died, they sank to the bottom and formed what is called an ooze. This is made primarily of calcium carbonate, which will eventually form chalk, a type of limestone. Of course, Aaron and I wanted to check out the cliffs.
The viewpoint was actually at the top of the cliffs, and we had to look down the cliff to see them. It was also a really nice view of the river.
At the viewpoint, there were examples of the marine life that eventually turned into chalk. There was also a stinging caterpillar, and, of course, we had to see if the chalk was really chalk, so we wrote our names. Since it is chalk and will wash away, I didn’t really think of it as vandalism. You can see the piece of chalk we picked up off the ground to the left of my name.
Murphy had a great time running around while I paused to take some more wild flower pictures.
I even caught a spider in one shot and a bee in another without knowing until I was editing the pictures!
We had a really interesting stay in Arkansas. We avoided flooding, falling tree branches, stinging caterpillars, and curious alligators. We also learned about the natural formation of chalk and enjoyed our time on the Little River. I cannot wait to return and explore more of Arkansas. I do not know when that will happen, but that is part of the beauty of our life; anywhere is possible, and the unknown is guaranteed.
Thank you all for coming along with us and reading about our wandering life.
Wandering Cindi 