Double Rock – A fish tale in Gulpha Gorge Arkansas
He looks through the camper window and gazes at the rippling stream cascading beside him. He opens the door and seems mesmerized by the sounds of the splashing water. I tried to stay still to see if he would come to the shoreline and talk with me, but the current kept tugging. The sun was finally shinning. It was a long night. I was hungry and the tree that hung over my favorite restaurant was no doubt loaded with some of my favorite morning treats. I start my swim up current and pass by a few other minnows like me and I do a side ways twist to cast my awesome blue scales. It’s how we say hello. No one replies. I guess they were still snoozing so I cruise on past and find myself the first customer at my favorite diner.
I went to my usual table and just like clockwork the almighty chef delivered. Oh my, a mayfly for an appetizer. I love how the zesty wings tickle a little as I pull them in. What’s next oh great tree? I didn’t even have time to burp up the remains and suck them in again when the chef delivered the main coarse. A fat Stone-fly with a side of a tiny midge and a crunchy caddis bug. Could there be a better God then this? I swim back from the table a bit to let it all settle. I may have fallen asleep for awhile since the shadows on the water seemed to have moved a bit since breakfast, but there he was in the distance walking to my creeks edge. What is it about my home that brings so many here?
Yesterday I couldn’t stop laughing as I watched three boys climb down the rocks and slowly stick their toes in. I’ve seen it time and time again and I knew what was going to happen. First a toe, then a foot and before I could flap my gills three times they were splashing each other and falling down and sticking their heads under water where I could really see them. I even swam up and kissed one of their toes to let them know they were welcome here, but soon after I could see them back on the shore and running to the sounds of someone yelling something in the distance.
There’s also been times I’ve had to stay perfectly still and try my best to puff myself up and look like a stone in hopes I would blend as that mean ole’ water snake came floating down. He ate my cousin and I’ve heard tales that he can even swim on land. I love it though when the deer and the raccoons come down to sip from my home. I think they understand that these waters are sacred. They always sip quickly, look around to make sure no one else needs their spot and quickly leave without a trace.
I was taught to always swim upstream and to only let the current take me back to what we call the “safe place” and in no circumstances should I ever let myself drift downstream past the DOUBLE ROCK. Sure there were incredible stories of what had happened beyond the double rock. I’ve had a cousin or two swear they swam around it. An uncle boasted of the time he went downstream past the double rock and ate his belly full of the largest stone-flies he had ever seen, but I knew beyond that double rock was the unknown.
The man by the creek was a bit blurry from where I floated, so I used the energy from my awesome breakfast and gave it everything I had, from my nose to my tail, and swam up through the crest of the waters and into the air and it felt like time stood still. As I came splashing back I couldn’t believe my eyes. I swam in a circle trying to put it together. How could he? I jumped again.
I went back to my safe place and kept looking up at him? “Hey you!!! Please put it back. ” I thought about jumping once more and flipping my amazing blue scales into his eyes, but I was starting to get hungry again and thought I should conserve my energy in case I can’t get a table this evening. And just then, he leans low to the water and with the top of the mighty DOUBLE ROCK in his hand, he skips it three times down the stream.
I float, I ponder, thought about jumping again but then saw something with wings land on the water 🙂 …… maybe tomorrow I’ll just let the current drift me downstream past single rock and see if there are any new restaurants opening up down there. 🙂
Where is Gulpha Gorge?
This beautiful campground is located in Hot Springs National Park in the mountains of Arkansas. Blue fin and his little tale was inspired after spending an afternoon in the Gulpha Gorge creek, which flowed behind our campsite. We watched the minnows do their sideways dance. We splashed each other. Spent moments just being mesmerized by the sounds of the water…. that was until the mean ole’ water snake snuck up on Sharon 🙂
The Gulpha Gorge campground is first come first serve, so arriving early in the week you may be able to snag our site #43 or any of the other great creek side full hookup, 50 amp sites. There’s a two mile hiking trail that will bring you right into town if you don’t feel like driving. Actually there are many other great trails right from the park that will keep the nature lovers happy. For more information here is our review and others on Campendium.
This is so cute… if not a little fishy;o)) What a beautiful place to spend time with nature!!! Sharon…that snake was a friendly snake;o))