The bitter and the sweet

Nap time

At noon, Richard and I were close to our goal of 30 miles downriver and decided to pass up several sand beaches before lunch. That was a mistake. I failed to notice that we were entering the delta, where the White and Arkansas Rivers married up with the Mississippi. The entire area, with levees several miles from the river basin, was filled with flood waters. 

By the time we reached the White River, getting out of the boats was a high priority. Paddled into the confluence thinking there would be land access with drinking water, as was the case the last time I paddled this area. That was another mistake. Turbulent waters soon took their toll, forcing our boats into the huge eddy at the south side of the dying White River. Our attempt to paddle into the woods turned out to be a life saver. There it was - dry ground, with an old, abandoned cabin. Now we could rest and sleep a little to make up for the sleepless hours last night.

Those following SPOT can see where we stopped as well as where we ended up camping in a side yard of a weekend resort. Tried to get permission but wasn't until after we sat up tents that I realized why none of these beautiful homes were occupied.  The roads coming in were flooded. No way to access this community by vehicle. 

Prepared for a hot evening in the tent. The bitter and the sweet came soon after. Rain caught us outside under umbrellas. It fell in sheets, wind blew the tents sideways but sweet part was the cool air. When I was finally able to enter my tent, found it dry and reasonably cool. Thank God, for I would now sleep well for the evening.

Richard was not so fortunate. Wind and rain was so strong the fly mashed into the tent and, for those of you that camp, you know what happens when extra seam and fabric sealer is not applied before leaving home.

After this first downpour, it rained hard a few more times during the night. Unfortunately, with poor cell service, we were unable to access our favorite phone app,  "My Radar", to check weather conditions. As I write this blog, the sun is beginning to show signs of rising and I still don't know if Richard slept dry for the evening.