Happy Eclipsing! Come Visit Again!

Never fear! The picnic basket’s always near! (Purchased with S&H Green Stamps in StL)

Impulsivity is a trait often frowned upon by those with structured, organized lives. I realize creatives can be organized and structured souls can be spontaneous, to cover my seemingly-always-at-loose-ends self. But, if fate has paired you, a spontaneous creature, with a heart on the other end of the habits spectrum, that could serve you both well if you find yourself in or near Ripley County, Missouri for the Total Eclipse on the Current.

Prepare for any kind of weather. It could be chilly or steamy, wet or dry or deluged, with skies of superb blue or steel gray, high winds or no winds. (We were blessed with mild temperatures, slight intermittent breezes, blue skies, occasional scattered clouds which did not interfere with eclipse viewing. Seems to have been made to order to viewing a total solar eclipse.) The super-organized might think they have planned perfectly for the totality event of April 8, 2024, but if Mother Nature throws a curveball, those off-the-wall folks who plan as needed when needed and not before, might not save the day but it will be interesting. Thank you, Mother Nature, for playing fair today!

Whether you're a native Ripley Countain, a transplant or a soul who visited just for the grand celestial experience, never fear. Being prepared for a picnic in the Show-Me State! It’s a magnificent melding of two varying approaches to outdoor fun.

Frolicking solo, I had tons of spur-of -the-moment picnics, running by a local business to grab food on the go, then following my nose to a new adventure. As now part of a frolicking duo, I’ve gained intriguing company without forfeiting impromptu jaunts in the midst of scenic Mark Twain National Forest, which covers 1.5 million acres. This duo is do-able because he (always organized and prepared) suggested we keep a basket of outdoor dining essentials in my car, to be quasi-ready for last-minute fun. Once in a while it’s even his idea!

Mom and Dad would find it humorous that the picnic basket she acquired with S&H green stamps goes with me everywhere stocked with plasticware, paper towels, the ever-present Lysol wipes, two glasses and a corkscrew. Whether we grab-n-go from our fridges or whiz by a grocery, we can be on our way with no fuss. He taught me the practicality of also keeping camping chairs with the basket. Some ‘perfect’ picnic settings in Current River Country are primitive but beautiful none-the-less.

With all the hullabaloo about how many might show up for this incredible, historic eclipse, we might find ourselves picnicking in stalled traffic or hemmed in a parking lot, or taking off in the opposite direction to avoid any of that, regardless of the weather. There were Facebook posts of backed-up traffic on I-55, so congested that it might have prevented some from arriving in time for totality. I've heard no estimates yet on how many might have chosen Doniphan and Ripley County for their eclipse adventure. It will be interesting.

Whatever your approach to adventure, do plan to visit our picturesque Current River area in the midst of Mark Twain National Forest again. Pack for a scenic picnic and head for one of these spots close to Doniphan: Fourche Lake, Ripley County Lake, Buffalo Creek, Float Camp, Deer Leap, Sand Pond, Fourche Creek Conservation Areas, Little Black Conservation Area, Grand Gulf, The Narrows, Pinewoods Lake, Miller Lake, Big Spring, Cave Spring, Rocky Falls, Falling Spring. That’s a short list for starters!

I don’t want to mar my reputation as gifted at haphazard living, but I crammed a road atlas…a paper one… in that picnic basket, just in case. Hope you had a stupendous Total Solar Eclipse Day from all of us in Doniphan, MO!

Jiminy Cricket said, so it must be true: “When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are ... .like a bolt out of the blue, fate steps in and sees you through.” (Lyrics by L.Harline and F.D Washington Jr.).