Bull Shoals—White River State Park, northern Arkansas
The bumblebees like the flowering weeds on the hill beside the river (“weeds” — ha!). When they land, they bend the long stalks so that they almost reach the ground, and then they move on to the next one.
American Robins are singing in the canopy. And (of course) Mockingbirds. And Woodpeckers — Red-headed and Pileated. The birdsong is continuous. Just fifteen minutes on Merlin revealed chattering Indigo Buntings across the water and White-eyed Vireos and Cardinals (of course) and American Crows (not to be confused with the Fish Crows whose squawking echoed in the woods at Tompkins Bend Recreation Area). And Tufted Titmice (of course). And Grackles (oh well). That was just fifteen minutes, and the app missed the Swallows circling overhead and the Kingfishers swooping out over the water.
Yesterday, the Corps of Engineers was releasing water from the dam. Today the flow is slower but still swift. The water temperatures are in the mid 40s, and a thick fog hovers above the water. Around 8am, the White River Canoe and Kayak Race got underway — a 120 mile, 13+ hour event that starts just below Bull Shoals dam. The kayaks and canoes go by one by one (it is a timed race) and compete for the flatboats of fishermen who evidently appear on the river every morning, their motors roaring as slowly creep up the frigid swift-flowing water. By 10am, the boats and the roaring are gone.
Steve and his crew are pulling out this morning. He will drive his Coachmen Pathfinder diesel-pusher full of family from here to Cheyenne Wyoming nonstop without even getting gas. He brought us a jar of honey before leaving. That was almost an hour ago. It seems the not-on-time departures are the norm everywhere.
We will be here two more nights (a luxury) and then continue northwards. For the next several days, the only departures we need to worry about are for swimming.
