Spa 5K/10K Hot Springs, AR

On Saturday, Rosie and I drove to Hot Springs, AR, to run in the Spa 5K/10K. We were joined by our HSV friends Bob and Ana MacKendrick. Rosie and Ana ran/walked the 5K; Bob M. and I ran the 10K (~6.1 miles). The four of us are staying warm inside before the race begins.

Rosie and Ana are waiting at the starting line for the race to begin. It was a cool morning - in the 40'sF.

Bob and I are headed toward the finish line. I typically speed up when the finish line gets close; I want to get the "pain" over with.

Thanks to Bob pushing me so hard, I had a personal best for the 10K with a time of 8:17/mile. I'm not speedy. I came in 1st in my age group (60-64) and got a medal; I was so surprised. Rosie came in third in her division without even trying. Maybe next year she'll train...

Rosie, Bob and I are picking up some snacks after the race.

Lake Ouachita - Fall Colors

On Thursday, 11-NOV, Wayne Jensen and I went fishing on Lake Ouachita with guide, Larry Hurley. We arrived at the Ouachita state park at about 6:20 AM and were heading across the lake at about 6:40 AM. The morning temperature was in the low 50s as we zipped across the lake at 60+ mph in Larry's boat. The wind was chilly. Luckily I had on multiple layers.

The fishing wasn't great on Thursday. However, the fall colors around the lake more than made up for the lack of fish (hey - I have to be positive about this). Here are some photos from around the lake. The lake is about 8-10 feet below normal due to this year's drought. Interestingly, we could see the tree stumps that you don't see when the lake is at it's normal level. Based on what I saw, I will be much more careful when motoring around the lake. I think I've been lucky so far.Hope you enjoy the photos. FYI - We saw one bald eagle on Thursday, but didn't get a picture.

Welcome Hunters!!!!

Rosie and I are always amused (or maybe a bit surprised) by the Welcome Hunters signs at the local liquor establishments. Here's a typical sign:We have visions of "liquored up" hunters roaming around the woods shooting anything in sight. Hopefully this doesn't happen. However, hunting and liquor don't seem to mix from our POV - sort of like drinking and driving.

To paraphrase a drinking/driving slogan:

If you Drink - don't Hunt. If you Hunt - don't Drink.

Maybe we're just a bit paranoid (hey - no agreeing out there!)

Have a great day!

Bull Shoals, AR

On Monday, 08-NOV, Rosie, Sam and I towed the boat up to Bull Shoals for its regular service. For those who don't know, Bull Shoals is very northern Arkansas. In fact, Bull Shoals lake is in Arkansas and Missouri. To get to Bull Shoals by 9 AM, we got up at 4 AM and left at 5 AM.

While we were waiting for the boat to be completed, we drove down to the Bull Shoals dam and the fairly new visitor center. Here are some pictures of the visitor center.The dam was impressive. Also, the water in the White river and Bull Shoals lake was very clear. The White River is well know for trout fishing - especially brown trout.We packed a picnic lunch and ate in a state park next to the lake. Sam enjoyed getting some "people food." Here's a picture of the dam from the park; the visitor center is in the background.

We also drove through Cotter - a small historical town. Rosie took pictures of an old train bridge and a car bridge (completed in 1933).We left Bull Shoals at about 3:30 PM for the trip home. We got home about 8:30 Monday evening. We were all glad to be home and ready to stand up for a while.