Celebrating at the River

Memorial Day seems to be the official start to summer. It's a time to think of military personnel that serve presently and to remember those veterans of past times. It's a time to remember those we love who have passed. We celebrate in a number of ways. I'm always moved by patriotic programs, music, and the display of waving flags. I put out my own decorations at home. Little country churches will always have "Decoration Day" services and the placement of new flowers in the cemeteries. This is the case where my grandparents are laid to rest, but I think it is a tradition that is swiftly fading. There are community picnics, the swimming pools open, and individual families plan family reunions, cookouts on the grill, or they make travel plans to a variety of places, or maybe to sporting events. Bryan played in a golf tournament Monday, but Collin and I headed to the river with our truck and camper.

We headed to the White River at Cotter as soon as I could get home from school Friday afternoon. Collin took the day off and he was waiting for me to get in. We traveled with our friends, Dennis and Regina. Denton's Ferry was our destination and we had a fabulous time. Friday night, we found a quaint little out-of-the-way place called Nima's Pizza. We had heard rave reviews about this tiny (and I do mean tiny) place. This was undoubtedly, the best pizza I have ever eaten. If you're at Cotter, you must look the place up and give it a try. You will NOT be disappointed. From our camp site, we had hamburgers from the grill and chicken from the smoker. Here we were enjoying dessert time; the choices were brownies, and my personal favorite, strawberry shortcake. The berries were fresh from Regina's patch and I supplied the can of Reddi-Whip. YUMMY!

There was plenty of time for fishing. This is the trout capital, you know. Regina and I found a walking trail that was great. And then, we would just sit, relax, and visit. The change of scenery was beautiful, the weather was great, and we didn't have to set an alarm to get up or look at our watch for the time. All too soon, it was time to come home.

The good news? Memorial Day signals the beginning of summer. We've got the entire season ahead for more camping.

Let the good times roll,

Marcia