Area parks looking good! Shadowrock, Empire Park and River Run!

Empire Park aka Osage beach

Shadowrock & River Run

Forsyth MO. -  A drive through three local parks on April the 5th under hazy skies, light winds and mild temps (65°F) was a pleasant experience early this spring 2019. I visited Empire District Park on Y Highway, Shadowrock Park off Highway 160 and it's sister park across Bull Shoals known as River Run. And while work

was going on to renovate the showers and bathrooms at River run, Shadowrock was up and running and was filling up with RV's! I had the impression that a good number of the people I say at both locations were fishermen taking advantage of the mild weather. The water levels were near normal levels at 659 feet and rain appeared to be limited for the next couple of weeks, so flooding was really of no concern.

So now would be a good time to get down and enjoy all of these wonderful locations. You can reach the park attendant by calling (417) 546-2876 to see about reservations in Shadowrock Park. River Run, when it opens, can be contacted at (417) 546-3646.

New signs at River Run Park!

OK, these new signs just erected by the two entrances to River Run Park located near Forsyth Missouri and which are currently under Federal control, leave me somewhat puzzled! In the past, I would have shrugged something like this off, trusting in the Corps to their work. These days, however, this just makes me wonder what our fearless President and his minions are up to now?

River Run Park has been flooding ever since the Powersite Dam was first built back in the early 20^th Century. When it does flood, it does so relatively slowly, giving everyone (locals and visitors alike) plenty of time to relocate. However, last year the Corps installed thousand dollar plus gates (at taxpayers expense) for those occasions when the felt they needed to close the park for either environmental, safety or political reasons. For instance, the Park was closed most recently, when one official told me that a ten foot wall of water was coming – it never arrived. Before that, they closed the park and thousands of other like it due to a failure of Congress to raise the National Debt ceiling – a move done solely to irritate citizens all across the nation by our fearless leader. Really! (Do we need this kind of BS from the people that work for us)?

OK, back to the sign. Just when and how it might be used is a matter of some conjecture. Perhaps there will be a great flood someday. A flood of such magnitude and scale that not only will the entrance have to be sealed, but anyone approaching the park area will be warned in plain language THAT THE PARK IS FLOODED! As though we – each and everyone of us are too stupid to surmise such an event for ourselves! 'Hey! Look Helen, there's water down there in the park! Maybe we should not drive down there!' - Duh! Look, if the park ever does get that flooded - then just close the gates!

Seriously, I strongly support my federal government, our leaders and our politicians! What I do not support is needless waste, incompetence and political games at a time of national crisis!

On a positive note - it appears that a Park Attendant has just arrived today and that the the power and water supplies to the camp sites is in service!

Have a new Weber grill, will travel...at least as far as my driveway!

You'd think what with a nice river, just a stones throw out my back door, I'd be spending my spring days hanging out in that vicinity. After all, there's even a park there! It's call River Run and I've written about it often in this blog. The park is run (abet somewhat poorly) by the Corps of Engineers. Although there is a movement afoot to kick them out of some of the states. I'm not sure if Missouri is on that list, but I can understand how local officials could probably do a much better job at managing it than the Federal government ever has. This year, I'm not even sure River Run will be open – things have gotten just that screwy with the Feds as of late! Even though they work for us, they still can't seem to find the time to let anyone know what's going on... man, if I had my way, I'd fire the whole bunch!

So, for this day at least, I decided to break in my new little Weber grill right there in my driveway, close to all the comforts to which I've grown so attached. (The grill had come yesterday and as soon as I got it unpacked and put together – I ran over to a local grocery store and bought myself a bag of quick light charcoal. Hey! - Nothing but First Class for this little baby)! I had planned to deflower it's virginal grilling surface by cooking a single hamburger patty – an all American food full of grease and other artery clogging substances. So, there I was at noontime – sitting in my little folding chair, a freshly lit and smoking grill at my side, some distant music playing... taking in a spring setting complete with warmish weather, birds singing and all that! Life was feeling pretty good right then! But, now it was time to get my aging ass up and make that f'ing burger!

On this inaugural grill day, I decided to conjure up a classic DanO Burger! (A hodge podge of various ingredients – none of them particularly good for the human body, but which when combined between two Pepperidge hamburger buns are sheer heaven to eat! Special ingredients in hand, I approached the diminutive little grill, lifted the lid and deposited a palm-sized hamburger patty on the now glowing grill surface. Immediately, there was a sizzling sound as fat juices met the hot coals and a raging little inferno ensued! Alarmed, I put the lid back down and fiddled with the little vents, trying to close them in order to prevent the now ongoing cremation that was my main meal! The vents, now fully closed, did nothing to stop large amounts of smoke from pouring from every crack and fissure. Inside the grill, I thought for a second that I could hear screaming, but I'm sure that was just my imagination. It was at this juncture in the now rapidly developing chaos, that I did what all men do when faced with similar circumstances – I went to the fridge and got myself a beer!

Fast forward a few more minutes... Back in the garage with a beer now in hand, I carefully grasped the top handle of the Weber lid and was somewhat troubled when I felt how hot the handle had become. Cautiously, I lifted the lid and dimly, through a rising veil of smoke I saw revealed a small blackened object that looked for all the world like a blackened hockey puck! Taking a pair of tongs, I carefully lifted my little 'char burger' and placed it on a bun where it now assumed the appearance of a cancerous mole on some white person's body. Thankfully, a large leaf of lettuce and an onion slice quickly covered it from view. I then added a squirt ketchup and a dollop of mustard, before entombing it fully by placing the top bun over the whole sad affair. For some reason or other, another beer or two seemed now in order.... I approached the fridge contemplating whether or not my dental insurance was fully paid up...

Three beers later, found me sitting at the dining table looking at my world famous DanO Burger and thinking that 'geesch that baby had seen better days'. Oh yes, much better days. What was most troubling to me was the sheer sogginess of the thing! Grease had migrated from the burger into the bun in copious amounts making the entire affair sag when I attempted to lift it from the plate. A cursory inspection of the little burger with a fork revealed a rock hard surface with no give what so ever. 'No way is this going in my mouth', I thought glumly and tossed it in the trash. I then sat down at my computer to send Weber a little descriptive feedback - anyway, the beer was pretty good!

The enigma of the campsite canopies!

It would seem that like God, the Corps of Engineers must work in strange ways. At least that would seem to be the case at the River Run location just to the east of Forsyth Missouri!

Back in December of 2013, the Army corps of engineers decided to remove 14 canopies that shielded the picnic tables that ran along Bull Shoals. These were dumped at two locations and there they have sat ever since. When I asked other laypersons why this was done in the first place, the most logical answer I heard was that they were removed due to the fear of flooding. OK...but if the park were to flood, what's to keep these light weight aluminum structures from floating on down the river?

Seriously, it cost us taxpayers money to take these down and it will cost even more to put them back up. What gives? If this group of government employees is at a loss for things to do, then perhaps they could donate time to the City of Forsyth, which I'm sure could use some free help.

There were a few warm days in March of 2013

March 2013 was not all cold days. Here is a picture of some people camping at the River Run Park in Forsyth, MO on a pair of days that were warm and which gave the promise of better days ahead.

River Run October 2010 Update

I thought it best to get as much walking in as possible before things get too cold. Even though the park is now officially in off season, the Core  of Engineers are allowing camping to go on without the amenities of trash pickup, electricity or water. Even so, there are plenty of RV’ers still hanging out and enjoying the last nice days of fall.

As I did my walk, I noticed that many of the sycamore trees which dominate the park are now beginning to turn color. I’m guessing that most of the trees will be bare by the end of the month. This is always a sad time, yet before you know it, Spring will come and all will be well with the world.