Category: Nature
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Heroine to a Hummingbird
This morning I became the heroine to a hummingbird. While I sat on the porch enjoying my coffee, a little hummingbird hovered in front of my face for a spell. I thought maybe the feeder was empty. They tell me … Read the rest “Heroine to a Hummingbird”
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New Things I’ve Seen and Learned
The past several days have been exceptional. That’s because of the amount of new things I’ve seen and learned in such a short span of time. Orchid flowers I’ve never seen before and learning new building skills as I work … Read the rest “New Things I’ve Seen and Learned”
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What is Nature Farming? What does a Nature Farmer Grow?
What I mean by ‘Nature Farming’ is not the same as ‘natural farming’, ‘organic farming’, or ‘natural farming methods’. Explanations for all of these things come up when you do a search online for ‘nature farming’. But nothing turns up … Read the rest “What is Nature Farming? What does a Nature Farmer Grow?”
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Wildlife Crossing At the Seep
Where the creek enters our property there is a spot on the ground that stays wet even during droughts. There’s a spring that exits beneath a rock just uphill. We call this wet spot ‘The Seep’, or as my husband … Read the rest “Wildlife Crossing At the Seep”
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Barn Swallows on the Porch, Condor on a stump, things that make me smile.
It’s always busy at Wild Ozark, but this time of year seems to have more tasks that need to be done, as opposed to tasks I *want* to get done. But during breaks, one of my most enjoyable things to … Read the rest “Barn Swallows on the Porch, Condor on a stump, things that…
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I Don’t Pull Them All – The Weeds I Keep
To most gardeners, they’re definitely ‘weeds’. But some of them offer beauty and interest in my garden. So these are the weeds I keep. Something about them makes me regard them with a lot more affection than I would for … Read the rest “I Don’t Pull Them All – The Weeds I Keep”
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Groundhog that lives under the shed
For several days lately I’ve been hearing a squeaky ‘weeee’ sound coming from under the shed. Today I also heard wood being gnawed. There’s a groundhog that lives under the shed, and I think she has babies. The old shed … Read the rest “Groundhog that lives under the shed”
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What Nature Interactions have you had lately?
I know everyone is busy with springtime activities, now with summer getting closer. But I still want to hear about your nature interactions lately 😀 Here at Wild Ozark, nature tries to reclaim EVERYTHING at this time of year. Taming … Read the rest “What Nature Interactions have you had lately?”
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2026 Orchid Watch
Yesterday I detoured from my usual path to do my morning walk/jog. Instead of going down the driveway, I went through the horse’s gate to see if there were salamander eggs at the spring seep. There were not. But what … Read the rest “2026 Orchid Watch”
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Ramble on: Orchids, Old Homesteads, and Garden Cleanup
It’s hot here today (94*F), and it’s hard to believe that just last week we woke up to (18*F). I hope the heat isn’t an indicator for what’s in store for summer. It’s only March right now. Yesterday I decided … Read the rest “Ramble on: Orchids, Old Homesteads, and Garden Cleanup”
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Indoor Nature Connection
Nothing substitutes for being in the actual presence of nature. But indoor nature connection, even without outdoor physical interaction is good for mental health. And physical activities like hiking, jogging, or walking in nature is excellent for physical health while … Read the rest “Indoor Nature Connection”
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Woodpecker Holes & Mushrooms
These are the types of little things that catch my eye while I’m out and about. Woodpecker holes and mushrooms. Of course, that’s not the only things that stop me for a photo, but it’s an example of the sorts … Read the rest “Woodpecker Holes & Mushrooms”
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Pulling a Tree, Hunting Salamander Eggs
The other day I helped Rob with pulling a tree out of the woods by the driveway. It’s one that fell last year, but we are just now getting around to retrieving it. During a break, I went hunting for … Read the rest “Pulling a Tree, Hunting Salamander Eggs”
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Subtle Signs of Spring
Before the dandelions, or the first ephemeral flowers appear in the shady nooks and crannies among the rocks there are subtle signs of spring. Dead Skunks on the Highway Unfortunately, this is probably the first of the subtle signs of … Read the rest “Subtle Signs of Spring”
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New Fairy Swing Mushrooms are Coming Soon
These adorable little fairy swing mushrooms are some of my past Fairy Swing Mushrooms. I’m getting ready to start making them again for a class at Skool.com 🙂 Each of the Fairy Swing Mushrooms are handmade and one of a … Read the rest “New Fairy Swing Mushrooms are Coming Soon”
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It’ll be fun, she said…
Famous last words. It’ll be fun, she said… At least our adventure today brought us good laughs. I’m glad I didn’t wait until Friday to try and get groceries – the shelves in stores look like they do when coastal … Read the rest “It’ll be fun, she said…”
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My Daily Mile and the Creek Dragon That Derailed Me
This is a post I started a couple of years ago… <begin draft post I try to walk a daily mile. The goal is to do this without stopping to smell the roses so that I can keep the blood … Read the rest “My Daily Mile and the Creek Dragon That Derailed Me”
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How to Make Handmade Watercolor Paint from Rock or Clay | DIY
The instructions below are an old post about how to make a rough watercolor paint. There’s a link farther down to go to the info on how to make a refined/smooth watercolor. If you prefer to have more guidance, I … Read the rest “How to Make Handmade Watercolor Paint from Rock or Clay |…
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a beaver dam with no mud
By the time I saw the flock of turkeys lifting off from the top of the hill on the way to the beaver dam, it was too late for photos. I wish I would have been quicker and could have … Read the rest “a beaver dam with no mud”
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Looking back on 20 years of roughing it in the Ozarks – Happy Thanksgiving 2025
This is a gratitude story about surviving the hardships of making the leap from a suburban life to rural and remote. I wrote this post in 2015 to celebrate a decade out here at Wild Ozark, and these are all … Read the rest “Looking back on 20 years of roughing it in the Ozarks…
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Checking our Spring Water Tank and Autumn in the Ozarks
Unless there’s a problem and we have to go up the mountain sooner, we usually check on our spring water tank before winter sets in. Today we went out among the beautiful leaf colors. Autumn in the Ozarks isn’t always … Read the rest “Checking our Spring Water Tank and Autumn in the Ozarks”
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Garter Snakes in my Garden
There are some garter snakes living among the rocks in my garden. I made a short video of doing nothing really, just visiting with the snakes. They watched me while I watched them. And that’s about it. Wild Ozark Garden … Read the rest “Garter Snakes in my Garden”
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The kinds of things I notice
Saturday morning, after coffee, breakfast, and feeding the horses and chickens, we discussed the task list for the day. And here’s a story that shows the kinds of things I notice while going about an otherwise typical day out here … Read the rest “The kinds of things I notice”
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Old Witchgrass and Autumn in the Air
I know it’s going to get warm again soon, but for now I’m loving the sights and feel of autumn in the air. I bet you’re wondering what old witchgrass is, though. This is a new plant discovery for me! … Read the rest “Old Witchgrass and Autumn in the Air”
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A Poem by Joanna Macy
Yesterday I learned that Joanna Macy died on July 19, 2025. I heard about it on For the World podcast (a podcast I highly recommend, by the way!) Here’s a link to it: https://forthewild.world/listen/joanna-macy-on-the-world-as-lover-and-self-homage 2016 original post: This is an … Read the rest “A Poem by Joanna Macy”
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