... Just About a Mile from Texarkana ...

We actually did see them old cotton fields, but they weren't back home, they were in central Missouri. We however, ARE back home... in Texas! Right now we're on the eastern shore of Wright Patman Lake, near Texarkana, Texas. This part of Texas is known as the Piney Woods Region and it encompasses most of the eastern portion of the state. Weather-wise it's late Summer-like with only the earliest foliage beginning to yellow. We'll be meandering about the region until just after Election Day.

On our way here we spent a couple of days at another COE campground in Missouri. This one was at Wappapello Lake in the Mark Twain National Forest. Very nice park.

While we were there, we did a little sight-seeing at the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. According to http://www.nps.gov/ozar/index.htm

 Ozark National Scenic Riverways is the first national park area to protect a river system. The Current and Jacks Fork Rivers are two of the finest floating rivers you'll find anywhere. 

Spring-fed, cold and clear they are a delight to canoe, swim, boat or fish. Besides these two famous rivers, the park is home to hundreds of freshwater springs, caves, trails and historic sites such as Alley Mill.

The park is really big; almost 81,000 acres of forested land along 134 miles of it's two rivers. We only visited one site, Big Spring. 

Big Spring produces over 280 million gallons of water a day, enough to fill Bush Stadium (in St. Louis) in only 33 hours! This makes it one of the largest spring in the United States, and among the 10 largest in the world. 

When rainwater containing carbonic acid, (from water vapor combining with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere), percolates through the ground (from up to 41 miles away), and comes in contact with limestone deposits, it dissolves the limestone, forms caves, underground streams, and creates a calcium bicarbonate solution. When the water collects, the calcium bicarbonate in it mixes with oxygen releasing the carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. This leaves calcium carbonate suspended in the water. This mineral suspension gives the water its milky blue hue. When the water flows out of the ground, it becomes the spring. The Current River maintains this milky blue appearance for miles.

You have to see it to believe it, but since you're not there, click on the pictures below, and BELIEVE it!

Big Spring emerging from its source underground (from opposite riverbank)

Big Spring emerging from its source underground (from above)

Big Spring becomes a mineral laden, slightly acidic river

and then heads off to become part of the Current River

Big Spring flow at 1/4 second

 We want to go back and explore the park in depth and maybe paddle both rivers. It's a must do!