Back to the Delta

Billy, Kate & Paul

    Another trip to the Delta State University Triathlon was made recently by the intrepid Flounders, and as evidenced above, all were honored with trophies of athletic achievement.  We could have walked to the finish line together and still earned our awards, but that's not as interesting the memory of a great weekend trip with Ruthie and best friends, a great evening meal with fine steaks, wine and stories, a fun triathlon benefiting the DSU Swim and Dive Team, and a picnic in the gazebo on Sharp Street in Downtown Cleveland, Mississippi.

    I love these guys so much.  They have made my journey in the fitness lifestyle more fun than I could have imagined.

Ozark Mountain Labor Day Weekend

    Crawfish season has come and gone for 2010, but keep this outlet in mind if you're around Bentonia, Mississippi next spring.  It's just a few feet from this sign on Highway 16.   

    We passed the sign on our way to a cabin in the Ozarks, an eight hour drive away.  Ruthie wanted to get out of town for the long weekend, and on very short notice she was able to find a single cabin on an isolated farm near Ozark, Arkansas.  The property consists of the owner's home, a barn and stables for their 12 horses, a nice cabin on the back of the 80 acres of property, adjacent to Ozark National Forest.

Leaving Mississippi and entering Arkansas over the river at Greenville, we crossed on the new bridge.  (I know it's not a breathtaking photo, but it's documentation that we were there.)  I really enjoy road trips, especially when there's no hurry.  We left the house at about 8 in the morning, and got to the cabin at around 5.

 Though it wasn't a log cabin with a stone fireplace, it was very comfortable.  There were 2 bedrooms and 2 baths, one with a hot tub and the other with a large shower.  The kitchen was small, but if you didn't plan to do a lot of complicated cooking, it was fine.  There were thoughtful items like a toaster, books and magazines, binoculars, maps, and a cool journal that had entries by other visitors over several years.  The cabin had window unit air conditioners, which we didn't need since the weather was perfect during our stay.  We spent lots of time reading and watching hummingbirds on the deck, and just enjoying the quiet and the tranquil scenery. 

                                                           We did some hiking in the forest and down the mountain a short distance on somewhat rough trails.  We walked all over the beautiful meadows and sat in a swing.  We built a fire outside in a big fire pit and looked at the gazillion stars in the Milky Way.  We drank wine and took naps. And we got chiggers.  Lots of them.  Invisible little bugs that leave you itching worse than a mosquito.  Ruthie called this photo of the meadow "Chigger Country".

The itching stops after a few weeks, and hopefully we'll just remember the great fun we had.  Or when we go back it will be winter, or we'll take the appropriate bug defensive chemicals and clothing.