WINTER GETAWAY 2026 - DAYS 8 & 9 - CRAIGHEAD FOREST IN JONESBORO, AR

It's Happy Valentine's Day!

I know this blog is coming a little bit late for Valentine's Day, but we were doing some relaxing.  I am adjusting to some new medications from the doc the week before. Blogging just wasn't on the top priority of my list for a few days. 

But that's okay, you'll still be able to read these in order and I might be able to catch up by next week. It's not easy to blog and post YouTube videos all within the same day or two while we are camping. So please excuse me if there's a little lag in timing.

I woke up first, and left Steve sleeping in a little bit. I mixed up some blueberry muffins and got the coffee ready. Usually Steve makes the coffee. So this was my little Valentine treat to him.  The smell in the camper was amazing.

Our little Canadian neighbors were back again. They were clustered out in front of the motorhome and we could watch them through the windshield. They were very busy scrounging around on the ground for who knows what that was there on the surface of the grass.

I whipped out my bigger camera to take better photos of them than the ones I posted the other day. Now I could pick up more details amongst their feathers and their beaks and their feet as they waddled around in front of our motorhome.

Some of them chose to stay out in the water and paddle around in groups. I'm not sure exactly what they were looking for, I would imagine there were some little fish here and there or maybe some frogs.

Pretty soon there was a whole flotilla out there, bobbing along in the water. It wasn't very windy so they found nice refuge in the bay right near the camping area. This is such a wonderful park with diverse areas to occupy. We really enjoyed the camping loop because nobody else really drives down here. It's pretty peaceful.

It was fun to watch the geese while we sipped our coffee and ate our muffins. Now, if only they didn't leave their little slimy packages behind on the grass, it wouldn't be so bad. We hated stepping in it and heaven forbid if Nick ever decided to stop, drop and roll! So far, so good.

But they were rather pretty, with their striking contrast of colors on their cheeks and their head compared to the rest of their body.  We noticed that this one had been tagged on his leg. Probably part of some sort of migratory bird record-keeping. Either that, or he's part of the witness protection program?

It was turning into a beautiful day. We thought perhaps the weathermen would be wrong. They had forecast rain. So far we saw a blue sky and we thought maybe we got lucky. We really enjoyed the views from all three angles of the motorhome from our campsite.

While we are looking at these views in these photos, I'll mention that our whole goal of this entire trip is not to go see a bunch of "tourist things". Really, our intended purpose is to just get somewhere warm, relax in our lawn chairs with a beautiful view, and maybe take some walks or bike rides. We aren't asking for a lot.

So maybe if it seems like we're not really doing anything this week at this beautiful park in jonesboro, it's because we aren't!  Our biggest endeavor was to leave the park on the bikes and go pick up our Amazon package and a few things at Aldi. Yep, that's about it.

Otherwise, we are spending time relaxing, reading, or I have sewing and some knitting along. Steve is looking at things on Marketplace or reading various articles online about things of interest. We have our Starlink so we can connect to watch our favorite YouTube channels. There's not a lot on network TV that we are interested in. We do tune into local stations to check the weather. But we also check the weather on apps on our cell phones too.

Speaking of weather, the weathermen were right. By later afternoon the clouds started rolling in. It was getting drizzly and rainy and I think it was time to curl up inside.

We did manage to do two loads of laundry up at the shower house. It was pretty easy to buzz back and forth each time a load was done. There are two washers and two dryers here. The washers are $1.50 each. The dryers are a dollar each.  We do have a small portable washing machine that we carry in the shower stall. It was too rainy to hang anything out on a wash line to dry. Using the park laundry facility was more convenient, only a few campsites away. By early afternoon, everything was done and folded and put away.

Before we knew it, (and after a nap), it was time to start supper. I got out my ULU knife from Alaska and my concave cutting board. It's just perfect for chopping up vegetables. I cut up the celery and then I cut up some onions. I got out the chopped garlic and thawed a hunk of hamburger from our favorite meat market back home. It was time to make some chili!

I brought along a precious jar of my homegrown canned tomatoes. Nothing can beat a jar of my wonderfully canned fresh tomatoes from the garden to put into a pot of chili. I pop open the top and breathe in the wonderful smell. Then I take the first fork full out to eat before the rest of it is dumped into the pot. That is my reward for standing in a steaming hot kitchen in August and September to process all of those tomatoes! Ahhhhhh the little things in life that can make me very happy.

I simmered up the onions and the garlic with the celery until they were softened. Steve took care of chopping up the meat and browning it. That's something I've never liked to do. So Steve takes care of that part for me. See? As Valentine Sweetheart's, we cooked together. Perfect!

(Yes we like to put noodles with our chili. That's the German side of us) 

The motorhome smelled so good with our meal. We were satisfied to sit back and enjoy the evening with full bellies and watching some of our favorite shows on youtube. We didn't need to go to a fancy restaurant anywhere, or exchange luxurious gifts. It's just a gift to be together and to be cozy and warm in our little motorhome. 

It continued to rain throughout the evening, and I snapped this one photo before dark. The sun was trying to set underneath the edge of the clouds. Did you ever get that little shaft of sunlight right before sunset that sneaks in under the clouds and shines across the ground?

It makes me smile. 

Here is the video that goes along with this blog:

0 miles traveled today 

764 miles total so far