Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Weather Conditions
High: 77
Low: 62
Skies: Showers this AM then scattered thunderstorm developing during the afternoon. Chance of rain 60%.
Wind: S 10 to 15 mph
Today’s mileage: 0 (rain day)
Total: 39 miles
Where we stayed: Tyler Bend
A distant rumble of thunder and a small lightning flash awakened me at about 1:00 a.m. Boom. Flash. Yep, a storm was on the way. I decided walking to the restroom before the storm would be smart. It was! Lots of wind, rain, booms and flashes.
Around 6:30 a.m. instead of the song of a Whippoorwill waking me, the caw of a fish crow interrupted the silence. I prefer the Whippoorwill or its cousin. Where have all the Whippoorwills gone…?
Around 7:30 the voices of our neighbors reminded me I was in society. I got up and dressed for a day on the river.
As we ate our breakfast, we discussed our best and safest choices. Again, the sun was shining as we made our decision to stay at least another night. The river rose a foot last night and storms were in the forecast for around 5:00.
The light breeze, chirping birds, and the few clouds dotting the sky didn’t help ease the disappointment of not returning to the river today. People, probably day paddlers unconcerned with being stuck on the river, paddled past the campground, making it even harder to sit on the bank while the river floats by. But we want to be safe not sorry.
We used our time wisely—showers, laundry, relaxation, journal.
We walked to the river about 2:30. Even though the river had come up, the boats still rested high enough. A group had just pulled off the river. The leader, Asa, and the high school students put in at Ozark, which is about two miles above where we launched in Pruitt on Sunday. They had planned to be on the river one more day but called for a ride early because of the potential weather. They didn’t want to be stuck on a bank either.
We started buttoning down the hatches about 3:00 to be ahead of the rain. An alert on the phone “Rain starting in 5 minutes” about 4:15 convinced us to climb into our tents. Thunder rolled! Asa and his group were still by the river, waiting on a ride. I don’t know when someone retrieved them, but I’m sure the rain soaked them.
After the wind blew, rain poured, clouds boomed, and lightning flashed (I journaled, John slept) for what seemed like hours, I checked the time—only 5:30. Judging by the dark sky, I expected the time to be 8:00. The temperature had dropped at least ten degrees. How could John sleep through this?
At 7:15, three hours after the first raindrop, Linda invited us to dinner under the tarp Gary had put up to keep us dry from the drizzle. Of course, wine and bourbon included.
While dinner was rehydrating, John, Gary, and I walked to the river to check the water level, the boat’s safety, and view the stunning red sunset (sailor’s delight). After three hours of rain, the river had risen three to four feet. The once blue water was now muddy brown. John and Gary bailed out the boats before moving them to higher ground.
The whippoorwills bade us goodnight as we were finishing our dessert.
I have a strong feeling this may be our home again tomorrow night.