About the Weather

Rain.  The forecasts for a week were for rain all day Sunday.  That was fine -- we would find a campground and hunker down for a day of rain.

So when we arrived at our forest service campground the host reminded us -- "we are due for some pretty bad weather."

 "Yes, rain all day."

Um.... rain and high winds and maybe a tornado.

TORNADO?  This was on Friday morning.

The host talked to us about using the 1920s stone bathrooms as a "shelter in place" site; but yes we could park Bessie down in the parking lot to minimize our concern about falling tree branches.

Saturday morning the forecast seemed about the same.  The challenge with being from "someplace else" is you just don't know what it really means and where do you go for anything better/safer.  We hiked and then got on line to look for ourselves at the local forecast.

YIKES!!!!  When I went to check weather for the little dot of a town 10 miles away a Severe Weather Warning popped up:  Rain, 2 inch hail, 60 mph winds, tornado threat.  I wasn't exactly sure what all the words meant but I knew enough to get going!

We figured since the most severe weather was in south and east Arkansas we would go north and west towards Beaver Lake (our ultimate Arkansas destination all along.)   But we had to laugh as we pulled into Horseshoe Bend Campground on the Beaver Lake.  Yes they had plenty of open spots -- everyone else was LEAVING -- due to the weather.  Most of those campers were local so I guess being home was better than being in an RV.

Again the camp host talked us through the emergency precautions and we found a spot.  And then nothing happened.  We had breezy conditions all day Sunday, but until the evening no rain.  Then lightening and thunder and a bit of rain.  We were so grateful.

And even more thankful when we heard on Monday morning about the devastation near Little Rock -- and all across the south.  Now we are visiting friends and the temps are really cold and it is windy.  But all is well.