Day 15
Mon 9th July Wetern Arkansa / Eastern Oklahoma
Decided to truck on and try for a long haul to one of the State parks on the OK/AR border. Hit out for Tenkiller lake in Oklahoma but stopped immediately at the Petit Jean waterfall where Lisa hunted down the cheque/check book I’d hidden in my bag, cancelling then uncancelling all the checks/cheques while I took pictures of the falls and the beautiful stonework walkways constructed by depression workers.
Toothache niggling. On the road again in high winds and Cornish landscapes. Oddly spelt signs (Common’ In, Kuntry Market) and rustic charm. Multi-car gardens mown around treasured wrecks. More armadillo roadkill - rain continues. Finally locate chav caps in 2nd Walmart of the day (this is where Sam started up - its the only shop around with real food) so now I have 3 spares.
Cross the border at Fort Smith, a city with many ugly faces and drive into Oklahoma which quickly settles into rural pursuits and cow/horse farms. It seems people are very poor or very rich. Got to the park by evening, picked out a pleasingly secluded but open spot high on a hill overlooking the lake and settled down for a splendid thunderstorm. Strike close by had Lisa scolding God. Brilliant skywide horizontal forks throughout the night. Suprisingly good signal. Caught up with the internet stuff. Take painkillers for tooth.
Dumped and sightseeing by 9.30 til i discovered lost checkbook. long involved search and 3 phonecalls to bank. Checkbook fiasco somewhat delayed day but it was probably the nicest weather and Hugh got great pics of falls while i found my self respect where hugh had dropped it in his bag and forgotten it. Rain and storms off and on all day with lightning ever closer. I feel more like God’s finger puppet every day. Tenkiller Lake state Park looks dull at the offset but we climbed up to the top RV site and found a wonderful spot. We are the highest and only overlooked on one side. Panoramic lightning bolts for a nightlight lulled us both to sleep with little problem. The Petit Jean flyswat works well. We decided that she must have had meningitis when she died and doesnt want anyone else to get it. Can text and internet at will, albeit at slower than snails pace, but voice contact comes and goes with the rain.
Must be major storms all round. Hugh had a nice chat with a computer called Jordan regarding the camera focus but nothing seems to have been resolved. He she it wanted it taken to Texas. We are both agreed that state parks rule and dont see the need to go to Rv parks apart from laundry facilities which have never been free so its just as easy to find a laundrette, and who needs to shit on board when the bathhouses are usually clean with hot running water.