As we have been traveling closer to home, we have enjoyed the beauty of Arkansas even in the winter. Last week we traveled to Petit Jean State Park for the day.  We did some hiking to the waterfalls and had lunch at the newly remodeled lodge.  It was a very nice day for February and it was a lot of fun.  We were both a little concerned about the steepness of the trail with our fragile knees, but all went very well.  So sharing some of the photos will be fun for me and hopefully enjoyable for you to see. Petit Jean is only a little over an hours drive for us so it makes a great day trip.  We would like to go up there for a couple of days sometime and stay in one of the cabins overlooking this beautiful gorge.

Eagle Watch at Lake Ouachita State Park in Central AR

This past weekend, as part of a Christmas gift to Robert, some friends went with us to Lake Ouachita State Park in Central Arkansas to view the eagles that winter in our area.  What a pleasant experience in 60 degree weather in the middle of January.  Enjoy some beautiful eagle photos. They were actually building a nest.  The eagle above was carrying a stick in his talons.

Life is always an adventure, sometimes positive, sometimes it drags one down a bit.  We had a trip to Hot Springs on Christmas day via ambulance as Robert was quite ill with a diverticulitis attack.  It was snowing and freezing, roads were horrible, many of you know the routine with winter weather.  Anyway, after discharge from the emergency room, roads were closed, cabs were not running, we didn't have a car, so we had to wait until one of the nurses got off duty to take us in her 4-wheel drive to the Austin Hotel downtown Hot Springs.  Thank goodness it was warm and they had power, not so lucky for many others.  In the morning we awoke to almost a foot of snow.  Apicture from the 11th floor of the Austin Hotel show you the beauty of the snow.  On the trip home, as some friends came to get us the next day in their 4 wheel drive, you will be able to see the downed trees and massive snow that caused many power outages.  Thankfully now, a month later, Robert is finally better, the snow has melted and the story goes on!