Happy Thanksgiving

We are so blessed, but often forget in our every day "busy-ness" (business) to stop and give thanks for the important things in life.  I hope you enjoy this story as much as I did and thank you for being a part of our lives.

HOW POOR ARE WE?

One day a rich father took his family to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son just how poor people can be.  They spent a day and a night at the farm of a very poor family.  When they got back from their trip the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"

"Very good Dad!" replied the son.

"Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked.

"Yes I did!"

"And what did you learn?" asked the father.

The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four.  We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden; they have a river that has no end.  We have imported lamps in the garden; they have the stars.  Our patio reaches to the front yard, they have the whole horizon."  When the little boy was finished, his father was speechless.

His son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are!"

Our outlook on life depends on the way we look at things. 
What we may think of as riches, others may not want.
What are the most important things in your life?

BIGGEST BROWN TROUT I'VE EVER SEEN

Call to Chivalry Fall Camp at White Buffalo Resort

Update on the Elk & Fall Color Events

The National Park Service is now conducting tours of the old mill in Boxley Valley in the mid-day. Visiting the old mill is a great complement to morning elk viewing, or plan your viewing for the late afternoon and tour the mill beforehand.

I also recommend a visit to the award winning Ponca Elk Education Center. It is open 7 days a week during October. Remember the annual Color Fest at the Ponca Elk Education Center will be held the 26 & 27th.

PEAK OF THE RUT!

Every October I try to get away from the confines of the office and get outside to enjoy the beautiful weather, the fall colors, and all that the Ozarks has to offer during this glorious season!  One thing I highly recommend to all our guests is a day trip to Boxley Valley or Lost Valley to view the elk herds.  This week they are in the peak of the rutting season and for those of you that don't know what that means- it involves determining which male elk gets to mate with the female elks- SO there is a lot of noise & wild fighting going on!
If you can manage to get away from YOUR office- there is a very handy guide put out by the Buffalo River Chamber of Commerce which shows up-to-date locations of the herds and info to ensure you get a good look and the best photo ops.

WHY NOT take in the Fall Colors & experience the cooler weather on the river during these last few weeks of unscheduled time before the holidays are upon us?  There's just something about getting outside with the family on those days when the sky seems extra blue and those nights huddled around a campfire when the stars seem to twinkle just a little more.  Remember- the most important things in life are your family, friends, health, and good humor! You can visit the Mountain Home Berry Farm just up the road for an ice cold glass of apple cider and a trip through their corn maize during their Fall Fest, visit Mountain View and attend their annual JUNK FEST, or just sit by the river and watch the falling leaves float by...

Camping on the WHITE RIVER

Many people ask the question, "How close are the campsites to the river?"

REVISE THAT NUMBER!

The couple that caught 102 trout yesterday went out again today on the same float and bettered their catch by a bakers dozen! That's right- you do the math- 115 fish!!!

102 Trout in a Day!

Floating from Rim Shoals to Buffalo City yesterday, one couple reported they "caught more fish on that float than we did over a three week period in Colorado!"  Just more evidence that we are a World Class Trout River...

HOME WATERS Art Exhibit

August 31- September21

Local artist Duane Hada will exhibit at Baxter County Library in Mountain Home paintings of the White and Buffalo Rivers and not-so-well-known Crooked Creek and Bear Creek.

If you are in town on opening night there will be refreshments and entertainment between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Blackbird Cafe, 300 Library Hill, Mtn. Home.

WHITE RIVER DAYS- Labor Day Weekend

Friday, August 31, 2012 - Monday, September 03, 2012

City:

Bull Shoals

Region:

Ozarks

Address:

Bull Shoals-White River State Park

153 Dam Overlook Lane

Bull Shoals, AR 72619

Contact:

Park Superintendent

Phone:

870-445-3629

Email:

bullshoalswhiteriver@arkansas.com

Event Details:

Celebrate the history of the White River! This weekend’s programs and activities focus on the ecology, history and prehistory of this beautiful area. Explore the river on guided canoe, kayak, and johnboat floats. Contact the park for a detailed schedule.

Admission:

Free, except lake, river cruises and powerhouse tours

Fire in the Sky 2012

 

TRANSIT OF VENUS

Hello Fellow StarGazers!
Just a reminder that today- June 5th -Venus will be transiting (crossing in front of) the sun. This only occurs in 8 year pairs every 110 years or so. The last one was in 2004, the next one won't be until 2117!
There is an EXCELLENT video and article at LATIMES.COM that explains what is happening and how scientists used the transit of Venus back when Captain James Cook was sailing to Tahiti (the last time it happened prior to 2004) to measure it for purposes of determining the distance from the Earth to the Sun.

The article also tells how you can view it safely. In Arkansas it is visible starting around 5 p.m.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-venus-transit-20120601,0,3065385.story

Astronomy is looking up! (but not directly up....at the sun, that is).

Have a great weekend! Oh, what to wear to the transit.....

MEMORIAL DAY 2012 SLIDE SHOW

WHITE RIVER WALLEYE

Look what they are catching in the low water!
This is an 11.5# walleye caught around Crooked Creek on the White. And more customers are catching smallmouth on our stretch of the river than ever before...

Water is wade-able to the Buffalo River and all along the shore below the cabins.

Tribulation Trout

Saturday had low water and the big ones were biting!

OUR NEW SIGN!

 We are very excited about the new sign being created for the resort.  After five years of patching the old one, the termites finally won the battle and we gave in...

It looks very much like our old sign, except that the rivers will be blue, the star (indicating the resort) will be red, and of course, the buffalo remains white.

Look for it when you arrive for your next visit "where the rivers meet".

See you on the river!

Hike to the Cross

IF YOU DON"T HIKE THE MOUNTAIN YOU CAN"T SEE THE VIEW

I have posted various times about the old rugged cross that overlooks Buffalo City from the top of the bluff that rises straight up from the opposite bank of the White River across from the resort. We have an article in the office that gives the history of it back to the mid-30's. Many customers make an annual trek to the top at some point during their stay, and now people come from all over just to be ferried across the river so they can climb and find the geocache hidden somewhere up there.

On Leap Day- when the high winds came through- the cross disappeared from view and we didn't know for certain whether it had blown down or blown away. Many people stopped into the office to express concern that the cross "was missing". We made arrangements with our church youth group to hike to the top and assess what needed to be done to ensure the cross would again take up its post, but before they managed to plan it, two anonymous hikers re-erected it just in time for Easter.
Next time you are headed to the resort, make you sure you look for it from the road because once you arrive, you'll be too close to see it unless you do the hike.

We're Havin' A Heat Wave...

We're breaking records today and yesterday with the high temps. (Clear and currently 84 degrees!) The weather is really nice for our Spring Break guests. Everybody is catching lots of fish- we had a guided fishing trip out this morning, several jonboats rented, and plans for canoe & kayak rentals tomorrow.
We are selling lots of firewood because tonight is going to be gorgeous! Jupiter and Venus are still visible just after sundown and Mars and Orion can also be seen. Our friend is bringing his high powered telescope down to the resort and has offered to let anybody who is interested participate in the star gazing party. There's not a cloud in the sky...
After dancing toward each other in the sky for months, the two bright planets finally come together tonight (March 13) in what's known as a conjunction. At their closest point this evening, they'll be separated by a scant 3 degrees as they hover above the western horizon. (Your clenched fist held at arm's length covers about 10 degrees).
Wish You Were Here!!!

TERRY'S BIG BROWN

This 26" was caught and released on Saturday at Buffalo Shoals. Terry got a Trophy Trout Release Certificate and pin from the White and North Fork River Outfitters Association.

Learning to Fly Fish (once again...)

John and I are often dismayed at the lack of people out on the water in the winter- especially since we had such incredibly mild weather the last few months.

We have been wanting to learn to fly fish since we bought the resort and even took a continuing education class offered at ASU- Mtn. Home back in 2008 BF (before the flood). We never actually got out on the water after that to try our hand at it...until this past week when our resident fly fishing instructor Ron offered to show us the ropes and motivated us to go through all the steps from assembly of our rods, to practice casting in our field, and then "on the water" instruction on the gravel bar just below the campground.

The weather on Thursday was a gorgeous 77 degrees, but it was really windy so we were challenged (in a good way).

I landed a baby brown and John got a rainbow. That didn't even matter so much as the fact that we were out on the water and enjoying the best this area has to offer!

Call us to arrange a class for yourself the next time you visit.

MARCH MADNESS

CAMPERS: Receive 10% off when you book a stay in a campsite or Camper Cabin during the month of March!
Call for details and tell your friends!

Night Fishing

One of our faithful customers and friends landed this 33" brown trout at dusk last weekend!

Brush Off Your Binoculars...

I thought I would continue the thread from my post on bald eagles for all you bird enthusiasts and bring it down a notch or two to feature some of the more common species found at and around the resort. All these pictures were sent to us by our customers.
A morning...afternoon...or evening watching these winged-wonders from the front porch of your cabin is a whole lot better than any time spent in front of the television!

Eagle Watching at White Buffalo Resort

This nest is just upriver from our dock.

When you hear the distinct call of these majestic birds- look up and you will probably catch a glimpse of one of them swooping up or down the river in search of a trout.

Surveying the lay of the land.

Their size is incomprehensible from a shot like this.

Attention All Artists!

A chance to get out on the river with your easel & paints-
the White River Artists are sponsoring their PLEIN AIR on the WHITE RIVER once again on May 3,4, & 5. Stay with us and treat yourself to some of the prettiest images imaginable.