We got set up in our site in the Gobbler Loop campground of the state park, where you couldn't even tell we were close to a lake. To get our first look at Greenleaf Lake, we had to walk a half-mile down to the other campground loop.
We had this shore to ourselves on this blue-sky week day. Well, we did have to share it with three different feathery families. First were the youngest goslings with their new down feathers.
Denisa watched as their parents escorted them all the way to the lake edge before the entire family swam away in a perfect line.
Then we watched as this family with goslings a bit older foraged for food beside the water.
These goslings were a bit older. We could see their tiny wings tucked close to their sides. These birds grow quickly, and it won't be long before those two-inch flaps become two-feet wings.
The final family obviously hatched the earliest. Their down is beginning to turn to feathers, and they eat constantly as they move along the grass.
The last two families entered the water at the same time. It was fun to watch as they formed family lines as they swam away.
We are easily entertained by simple scenes from nature--especially in the spring when young families are enjoying the beautiful weather.
We followed the shore line of Greenleaf Lake. We were a bit surprised to find cypress trees here, along with cypress knees that grow in the water. We really thought this phenomenom was limited to states further to our south.
This state park was once a CCC camp, and we saw evidence of their famous rock work in the cabins overlooking the lake. Walking by this row of cabins, we couldn't help but think that these fire places looked like they were melting into the hills around them.
The signs at the entry of the park mentioned this was an award-winning state park. They do offer several activities besides the lake and marina. There is a children's fishing pond, and an 18-hole miniature golf course . . .
and a brand new splash pad that is scheduled to open this summer.
It was a beautiful blue-sky day, and we would have normally been readying for a spin around Greenleaf Lake in our kayak. But we knew that bad weather was coming our way, including rain that evening.
But the biggest storm blossomed up the next morning. All that record-breaking cool weather from the last several days was colliding with the warm weather from the southwest. In Oklahoma we know that is a perfect recipe for severe weather. We watched the local weather to see the band of lightning and wind heading our way.
We also followed the storms on our phone weather apps. It's a bit unsettling to see tornado icons pointing straight toward that blue dot that marked our location in the motor home.
We were in a torrential rain storm with high winds for much of the morning. Looking back on it, we probably should have taken shelter in the cinder block bath house at the bottom of our hill. We appreciated a good phone signal that allowed us to keep track of the storm. We saw that a tornado dropped down out of the clouds about ten miles away, destroying several homes and buildings.
It's times like this that we question why we are traveling in tornado alley in the spring. Our plans have certainly changed in 2020. We're supposed to be approaching Maine about now in our planned trip to the Canadian Maritimes. But the coronavirus has changed our plan. For now, we are finishing another tour of an award-winning state park in the rain. After a week of rainy weather, we can see how this "Green Country" section of Oklahoma stays so green.
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