The End of One Adventure

Yep, the end of one adventure is the beginning of many more. Several days ago, Jameson and I packed up the trailer to begin the haul back to Hutto. We waved good bye to Hot Springs and Catherine's Landing, recalling the amazing times we shared drinking the water, hiking the Arkansas hills, listening to life stories by Jonny Steele and Chuck the Fishing Guide, fishing endless hours, diamond mining, swimming the pool at night and spending time with each other. There is no doubt the seven amazing days have been nothing shy of amazing!

On the way home we made a stop in Shreveport, Louisiana, to set up camp at the Tall Pines RV Park and for a bit of gambling. The hosts at Tall Pines were exceptionally nice, the park is well laid out and their RV store is better than many bigger commercial RV stores.  If you pass through Shreveport, this is a great place to consider!

http://tallpinesrvpark.com/

Instead of driving home, Jameson and I detoured towards Lake Livingston for a few days of camping with JoJo, JB, Mother "H", Walker, and Texas Ranger.  Why not spend a portion of our honeymoon with family? 

A honeymoon could not have been better spent. Heck!  If we can spend 10 days in a 29 foot travel trailer, we are certainly good for a lifetime of marriage!! xoox

You and me going fishing in the dark.....

Is there an ocean near by??

Fishing is a pastime Jameson and I share with each other but in an "oil and water" sort of share.  Our passion coexists within the same space, while Jameson is more of a salt water fisherman and I love fresh water. We both dream of pulling in the big lunkers, with Jameson's fish in the hundreds of pounds and mine in the tens of pounds. Please note while reading this blog - Fishing is expected to be relaxing; similar to a good spa treatment, a mind clearing walk or golfing (Jameson added golfing but is golf actually relaxing?!).


Happy to be canoeing on the water!!

Even before the ink dried on our marriage certificate, Jameson had our fishing poles and tackle box packed into the truck for a quick departure!  Our honeymoon destination - Catherine's Landing, Lake Catherine, Arkansas. Catherine's Landing is one of Hot Springs newest premium RV parks with a wine bar, saline pool, RV spots on the water, canoes for rent, plenty of dock.... yes, the ideal location for pulling in the lunkers.

Http://www.catherineslanding.rvcoutdoors.com/

Armed with Verizon 3G cell phone service, we were able to log into the Arkansas fish and game website to buy two fishing licenses and, within 7 minutes, Jameson and I had the state of Arkansas' approval to fish the river's limit. Incredibly easy!

Day 1 - 7:00 pm .... As the sun slowly dropped in the summer sky, the fish were screaming to be caught. Jameson and I grabbed our poles, a bucket of minnows, a can of worms, and made our way down to the Catherine's Landing dock. Once again we had high aspirations of catching the fish of the year (this appears to be a theme in our relationship - high expectations). Cast after cast from the dock resulted in great conversation and little fish biting action. The results after 3 hours - a well bonded couple and three really tiny bream.

Day One - 1 of 3 Monsters... all similar in size



Day 2 - 10:00 am .... Who starts fishing at 10:00 am?  No one who wants to catch a fish so I won't bore you with the details. The results after 2 hours - a newly wed couple with differing opinions of how to catch a fish but zero fish caught.  Tomorrow we will try a different strategy.

Day 3 - 8:00 am .... Different strategy - rent canoes! The canoes were peaceful and relaxing... ummm.... that is if you were to ask LoLa. For Jameson, he fought with his dragging minnow bucket, an uncomfortably stiff life jacket, the beating sun, competing poles and navigating his directionless canoe. The results after 3 hours - a relaxed LoLa, an aggravated Jameson and zero fish caught.  Tomorrow we will try a different strategy - hire a guide!

P.S. Perhaps I should add one small caveat my husband believes is relevant.  After fishing for several hours without a single bite, I mentioned to Jameson my deep love for fishing though my success rate continues to be less than 3%.  Hmmmm..... he thinks I am a jinx.
 

Day 4 - 7:30 am .... Chuck Emrick with "Fishing with Chuck on Lake Catherine" picked us up right on time in his bass boat. The foggy Wednesday morning and a boat full of poles were a positive sign we might catch something more than a few bream. Chuck's determined attitude helped us believe he could break my lifelong horrible fishing streak.

The day on Lake Catherine was beautiful!  Slightly overcastted, the lake was clear as glass with crappie doing air flips, gar sliding along the waters surface and turtles scurrying to shore. What a perfect moment.... now, let's catch some fish! 

  

Lines in the water, the three of us patiently waited for the first strike. Cast after cast, we looked for the first hit.  An hour passes... two hours pass... no tags.  No nibbles!  Fishing hole after fishing hole, skunked. Jameson was beginning to get a little discouraged.  Perhaps we should have gone golfing? I started to believe my own bad luck was a reality then Chuck got a hit. The pole was quickly passed to me to reel in the fighting monster. After a long 30 combative seconds, I was able to land the struggling 4 inch crappie into the boat. Not a huge catch (not even my catch) but the bad luck streak is technically over.

Jim's One of Two Fish - Crappie

The first few fish were caught by the guide. Jameson was the first between the two of us to snag a fish. Thankfully, the small crappie put up a good fight. Perhaps the little fish felt sorry for our pathetic fishing skills.  Perhaps the little fish knew we were on our honeymoon so he was giving his life for the great good.  Perhaps this is all BS and Jameson just got lucky. Shortly after the one crappie, Jameson was able to catch one more.

One Bass for the day



Eventually, my patience provided positive and I was able to pull in ONE fish. Yes ONE!  A cute little bass ready to be held on display.  At least mine was a game fish. Right?  No crappie for me but who is counting?  

Overall the day was a success, thanks to our fishing guide, Chuck. Chuck shared with us his love of fishing and his appreciation for Lake Catherine. He took us into his house and opened up a portion of his life to us for a few hours. Chuck is a good man and a guide we hope to use again! 



Fishing Guide, Chuck



Yes, fishing can be more frustrating than most care to admit.  Perhaps the last few days were not as relaxing as a "day at the spa", nevertheless, who could ask for more than spending time out on the water, sharing an event with the one you love, and having no expectations for your day.  Thankfully, Jameson and I don't compete with each other so it does not need to be stated who caught the largest fish of the day (Hint - LoLa).

Thank you for taking the time to read - - LoLa

Shiny Objects! Well... it is Saturday afterall

Getting distracted and following "shiny objects" seems to be a common theme in our days. Example - Jameson and I need to do chores, like go to the grocery store or mow the lawn or clean the garage BUT WAIT!!  Look..... there is a shiny object inviting us to a one day Wine and Cheese Festival! How could we not attend the Festival??   Attending the Festival is our duty! So, as fate would have it, the "shiny objects" lure us away from what is important (or perceived important) and draws us into what is more interesting.

So why should this past Saturday be any different? Early in the morning Jameson and I piled into the truck, drove about an hour through the thick woods of Arkansas and arrived at our destination, Crater of Diamonds State Park.  Our objective for the day (Yes, you've got it) find "shiny objects."

Crater of Diamonds State Park is 72 miles south west of Hot Springs Arkansas. This 37-acre park is the home of a former volcano and is the only public diamond mine in existence. Any person who pays to enter the park is permitted to search for their riches and keep their findings. The largest diamond found at the park was 42 carats, however, finding diamonds 1 to 2 carat in size is not uncommon. The diamonds range in color from brown, yellow to white. 

For further understanding of how diamonds are created and why the park exists, the following is from the Crater of Diamonds State Park website.

"Ever wonder why the earth produces diamond mines and why we have a field in Arkansas where diamonds are found? The story of the diamonds found at the Crater of Diamonds State Park begins over 3 billion years ago with the formation of diamonds as the stable form of carbon in the earth’s mantle. At the tremendous pressures and temperatures some 60 to 100 miles below the earth’s surface, diamond crystallized from carbon, and under those conditions it remained stable.

"During the past 3 billion years, many geologic changes have taken place on the surface of the earth. Crust formed and was destroyed, continents formed and migrated, and mountain ranges were built and eroded away. About 300 to 250 million years ago, the continent we now call South America collided with the southern portion of present day North America. This collision formed the Ouachita Mountains from sediments that were deposited in a deep ocean environment. The Ouachitas began to erode and during the Cretaceous Period (144 to 66 million years ago), the southern area of this eroded mountain range was covered by seas and the area of the Park was near-shore, but under shallow seawater. About 100 million years ago, an instability in the Earth’s mantle caused the movement of gas and rock to the surface. This volcanic vent, known as the “Prairie Creek” diatreme by geologists, rose rapidly through the upper mantle and crust, carrying with it fragments of mantle and crustal rocks and minerals, until it came near enough to the surface to explode due to the release of gases. When it exploded, it created an 83-acre funnel-shaped crater with sides sloping inward at about 45 degrees. Much of the airborne material formed by the initial explosion fell back into the vent. The speed of rise of the mass allowed the diamonds to be preserved in this material.

"Geologists calculate that only about 160 feet of the original vent has been eroded away, concentrating the heavy minerals, including diamond, in the present day soil. At the Crater, diamonds are often found loose in the soil, having been released during the rapid weathering of this unstable mantle rock."

www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com

Full of dreams and high expectations of hitting the diamond mother lode and enough knowledge to launch our expedition, Jameson and I rented a set of buckets, four screens and two shovels. Walking out onto the field was overwhelming. The 37-acres field was huge! Where do we start?  Go where the most people are digging? No... We need to follow our instincts.  We need to go with our intuition! We need to allow our gut feelings to determine where we will begin digging!! Onward, James!!!

After wandering the field for a few endless minutes, the ideal spot found us.  Jameson and I squatted on the turned over dirt, pulled out our mining shovels and began sifting dirt through the screens. With the sun beating down and the field feeling more like a day on Venus, the heat is getting to us.  Bucket after bucket we sifted through dirt with no diamonds found. Moments turn into longer moments. Sweat pouring down Jameson's face; we ponder our possibility of failure.  I, sweating in a very unladylike fashion, determined we needed to change direction. Wet screening!

Wet screening is a similar process to regular dirty screening; instead, water is used to separate rocks from loose dirt. This process is good for finding smaller diamonds. Additionally, wet screening is performed in a small water trough in a covered building.  Considering the incredible heat, adding water and overhead cover to the equation was an excellent idea we both quickly welcomed. Once again, bucket after bucket nothing. Frustration set in.  Hours had passed when Jameson finally found a rock we felt was worthy of saving.  Shortly thereafter I found a rock we felt worthy of saving. At the end of 4 tiresome hours, Jameson and I proudly collected 10 rocks we felt worth saving!! Hurrah!!! 

Tired, frustrated and a little excited to identify the names of our riches, Jameson and I picked up our mining tools and called it a day.  We returned our tools, then placed our treasures on the local geologist's desk. Anxiously we waited to be told the enormous value and identity of our gems. She methodically poured over our stones, carefully placing each into one of two categories. With an exaggerated breath and small smile, the geologist revealed our findings - Jasper and Calcite. No diamonds. Value - Very pretty rocks. Laymen break down - River rocks.

Alas, nothing shiny. Nothing of monetary value. Though riches were not made, our day together was beyond any measurable value. As we drove home discussing "what could have been," our conversation quickly died when we noticed a huge sign selling 12 oysters for $10!  Oysters in Arkansas? Why not?!?! Yep, "shiny objects" misdirected us again.

Thank you for reading!!  LoLa  xoxoxox