Sunday, 11 April 1999
Cedar Lake, Oklahoma
I'm home and using a great deal of willpower. I started weeding through all the lovely photos that we took over the weekend and have it narrowed down to about thirty favorites. I wonder how long it would take to load a page with thirty photos? Ok, I'm adding (37) make on-line photo album to my todo list.
I'm content just to be outdoors, but throw in a good patch of woods and a few 
mountains and I transform into Ms Bliss. We did a good deal of driving around in the Ouachitas and I was grinning most of the time.
Finally we settled on a lovely campsite at Cedar Lake State Park near Heavener, Okla. I've been camping there for nearly 30 years. This is the view we had from the 'door' of the tent. Ahh, the smells, the wildflowers, the butterflies (the poison ivy was even pretty coming to life along the trunks of the pines.)
Behind us, the view was as spectacular as anything one could hope for. We had 
a vista overlooking the lake through the pines to the mountains on the other side of the lake. It was lovely, even at night. We had a spectacular sunset, although this photo doesn't do it justice.
We got to Mena about 2:00AM and finished the business early Saturday morning. We decided to have brunch at the Queen Wilhelmena Lodge which is located at the 
east end of the scenic Talemena drive - a steep, sometimes winding roadway that cuts across the tops of the Ouachita ridges east/west from Mena, Arkansas to Talahena, Oklahoma. I'll never tire of that drive.
Although the wildflowers weren't out in full force yet, there were plenty to keep me occupied, touching and smelling and photographing. The dogwood was magnificent -- like little white flying saucers dotting the woods.
Jason surprised me when we got home by asking me how to do laundry. He did a small load of his things, hovering by the washing machine until if finally stopped, then put them in the dryer. I ~hope~ this newfound knowledge becomes a habit for him.
Now, if I could only train him to take a bath and wash his hair.
