Fielder's Choice
The next day I looked out the back windows of our cabin and watched a beautiful snowfall.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a more relaxing vacation.
Pam and I have always taken a few days off in March. Most years it coincided with our children’s spring break.
This time around Pam found a vacant cabin for a few days in one of our favorite spots, Lake Catherine State Park near Hot Springs, Ark. And the vacancy coincided with completion of our largest issue of The South Reporter all year, the Profile Edition.
I immediately said, “Let’s do it.”
Keeping an eye on the forecast, we were expecting a sudden change from Thursday to Friday.
Thursday, in almost 70-degree weather, we walked along the lake, sat on a bench overlooking the lake for a while, soaked up the sunshine, and enjoyed the beauty of God’s creation and the overall peaceful and quiet setting.
We watched a fisherman find the best spot. We watched birds dipping into the water in search of food. We saw ducks and geese and turtles. We had no worries — no stress.
It was a wonderful day.
I grilled hamburgers and sausages for dinner and met a nice family from Dallas, Texas, staying next door. They were staying one night on their way to the Memphis, Tenn., area.
That afternoon, Pam and I hiked to the waterfall at the park.
The next day, knowing the weather change was coming, we went to Hot Springs for a little shopping and a fabulous seafood lunch at Fisherman’s Wharf. I had the tilapia and Pam had the grouper. The menu was full of choices.
Shortly after returning to the cabin Friday afternoon, the snow started falling. And it fell really hard. It had to be the most beautiful snow I had ever witnessed – looking out over the beautiful backdrop of Lake Catherine.
The relaxing vacation was almost complete.
Each day of our stay at the cabin, Pam spent some time working on a large and challenging jigsaw puzzle.
She also brought along games.
Late Friday night, with adjacent cabins vacant, we played a couple of games of Yahtzee, one of our favorites. I won one; she won one; but I was the only one to roll a Yahtzee in the two games — bragging rights!
The snow melted quickly Saturday morning and oldest daughter Emma was able to visit from Little Rock. After some of Pam’s potato soup for lunch, Emma and I hiked to the waterfall and enjoyed a really special time together, catching up on things.
We talked to some LSU fans. And we met a nice gentleman from Arkansas, who kindly welcomed a Mississippi man to “The Natural State” and said, “Have a great time.”
It was our second trip to Lake Catherine State Park. I look forward to a third.
Arkansas is known for its abundant park and wilderness areas, with terrain encompassing mountains, caves, rivers and hot springs. It’s a beautiful state indeed.
And it’s a great place to visit to put the cares of the world out of your mind.