In the third weekend of September, David and Lisa came for a brief visit. Basically, they had three days of fairly steady rain, but they were able to squeeze in a kayak trip down the North Fork River. Below the dam the North Fork is very cold and has become a nationally famous trout-fishing stream, so a float down it always includes a chance to see plenty of decked-out fishermen--often in the process of reeling in a big one. Usually one can also see many fish, a few happy herons, and the occasional bald eagle. This fall there were also plenty of wildflowers in bloom--though their names escape me at the moment. The accompanying snapshot shows David and Lisa as they were about to set out on their float.
While they floated the river, Sue and I biked in the area. We both warmed up on River Road, which runs for four miles along the bank of the White River. It's a very pretty ride--both because of the river with its dramatic bluffs and because a couple of the home-owners are enthusiastic and successful gardeners whose yards are always luxuriant and colorful. Sue stayed below in the flatlands while I completed my ride by climbing Matney Mountain. Matney is one of the best climbs in northern Arkansas--two miles uphill culminating on a ridge that provides lovely expansive views of the Ozark National Forest spread out below. The downhill cruise is fast and fun taking me to the 40 mph range that I try to maintain as my upper limit. Any faster and I start to get very scared.
Because of the plentiful rain, the four of us entertained ourselves playing ping pong on the table that I built from plywood siding salvaged from residing sections of our home in Jonesboro. Note the steady red-eye focus as David gets the ping-pong ball perfectly centered on his paddle.
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