Leave the Water On
You’d think by now I’d remember to do that when the first true cold snap arrives. But no, I always forget, just like I forgot last night.
Departures
Eye of the Storm – 2nd Nature Fantasy Painting
“Eye of the Storm”. She is the Wind Worker – driven by passion, enamored with chaos, oblivious to danger and energized by storms.
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Down Time Ahead for all Things Wild Ozark
I’ve almost got all of my loose ends tied, my office-studio is newly reorganized, and the house is almost as clean as it ever gets. The frenzy of getting ready for a few weeks of down time is nearing the end. Relaxation, fun, and the joy of companionship with Mr. Wild Ozark is about to …
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Nature Fantasy Paintings? Click through to see the start of my new series.
I’m working on a series of nature fantasy paintings in Ozark pigments with my handmade watercolors. Click the title to read more…
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Wild Mountain Mint – Whiteleaf Mountain Mint
Wild mountain mint grows in abundance here at Wild Ozark. This particular variety is called White-leaf Mountain Mint. (Click the title to read more…)
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An End of Year Post: Things going on at Wild Ozark
It’s been a busy past few months at Wild Ozark. I haven’t posted as often as I normally do, and when the blog goes silent, it’s usually because there’s just too many other things on my plate. Just in case I don’t get a chance to make another post to commemorate the end of the …
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Yay! Wild Ozark is back online!
After 3 days of being in website purgatory, the site is finally back to the light of day. Just thought I’d make a little post to shout out about that. You guys have no idea how much grief I’ve gone through trying to get it here, lol, unless you’re also of the geeky persuasion. I’ve …
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Nearly Dry
We’ve had some rain lately, but not enough. The creek that runs through our land is nearly dry now. Thankfully, there are still a few constantly refilling pools here and there, or else I’d have to carry water to the horses. Even the spring puddles on the way to the back gate are completely dry. …
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Oh no! The Virginia Snakeroot babies are all gone!
I went out to check on the Virginia snakeroot nursery the other day and was mortified to find nothing. Not. One. Plant. Virginia Snakeroot … What’s That? Now, you might be wondering just what’s so important about a plant that really looks like nothing much more than a weed in the woods. It’s a plant …
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RedBubble iPhone Wallet: It’s beautiful! It’s Useless!
The iPhone Wallet from Redbubble Update 5/28: The Support Team and I have exchanged several emails. I am still convinced none of them were real people, but help bots that chose the most appropriate responses from a queue of options available to them. So frustrating! Anyway, they assured me that they are sending me a …
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Lousewort, Bumblebee Food and Medicinal Herb
Lousewort (Pedicularis canadensis) is an interesting plant. It’s a medicinal herb said to be effective at muscular pain relief. The bumblebees love it! An interesting find In May of 2014, I noticed an interesting plant. Well, I’m *always* noticing interesting plants, so it wasn’t the first time to notice an interesting plant, but the first …
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My first fiction book, First Hunt
Just posting to let you know, my first fiction book is now available at most retailers. The first book of the Renegade Agents of A.R.S.A. trilogy, First Hunt, had been exclusive with Amazon since I published it last year, but now it’s available at almost all eBook retailers. Many of you who follow this blog …
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Finding the Horses on a Drizzly Easter Sunday Morning
On Sundays I generally sleep late. The alarm goes off every other day at 0500, but on Sundays I have no alarm at all and my body takes full advantage of that fact. I do not ordinarily wake up planning to go off on a walkabout mission finding the horses. Finding the horses is never …
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Vernal Witch Hazel Flowers and Hazelnut too!
Today I went out to take cuttings from the Ozark Witch Hazel in the hopes of rooting them. I wasn’t looking for an American Hazelnut, but that’s what I found! I found the Witch Hazels, too. But I already knew those were there. New finds are always so exciting to me, but I think most …
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Things I’ve Learned (Since Moving to the Country)
These are the things I’ve learned since moving out here to Wild Ozark. I used to think I lived in “the country”, before we moved out here. That was thirteen years ago and I quickly realized once we burnt the bridges and sold our house, that we had no clue what it meant to live …
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Hiking to the Wild Ozark Corner Bluff
A while back, I posted about our exploration of the bluffs along the driveway. This time we went hiking to what I call the “Corner Bluff”. It’s not far away, either, but takes a bit of effort. Getting to this one is fairly difficult if approached from the ground level, so instead of climbing up, …
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Product Review: Rada Kitchen Knives and Cutlery
The best thing about Rada knives – well, I can’t say that. ONE of the best things about these knives is that they’re made in the U.S.A. The other best thing is that they’re terrific. Read on to find out why I think so. Of the set, I only have the paring knife, apple peeler/potato …
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Build your Herbal Armory!
Useful plants grow all around us. It’s time to start building your herbal armory of plant allies now. My book, 10 Common Plants worth Knowing in a Long-term Survival Situation, will introduce you to ten at a time. I’ll help you make allies of them, enabling you to build your herbal armory. All-Heal Beebalm Echinacea …
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Simple Survival Skills: The Multipurpose Pashmina Shawl #survivalhack #homesteading
A scarf by itself might not be enough to keep you from freezing to death in extreme temperatures. But a large scarf, known as a shawl, can serve multiple functions aside from keeping your neck warm like a scarf. It takes up little space in a glove compartment in your car. Keep one in your …
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Product Review: A Quiet Computer Mouse by Mossy Oak
My old mouse recently died and I had to get another. The next time we went to Walmart I picked up one of the least expensive ones I could find. It was around $10 and I thought that’s not too bad. At this point, I didn’t have any other requirements in mind, except that it …
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Simple Survival Skills: Limited Water Washing
I forget, until I have to use them, how many simple survival skills I’ve used since moving to this remote and rural Ozarks life. Washing dishes with limited water is one of the most useful things to know. Simple Survival Skills This post will seem silly to some people, especially people who have washed dishes …
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RIP Bobbie Sue. You were a good Farm Dog.
Bobbie Sue was a dog we got as a pound puppy from a shelter in Harrison, Arkansas during our first year here at Wild Ozark. She had probably been abused or severely neglected before she went to the rescue. She wouldn’t come out of her crate for days when we brought her home. When she …
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Using a Spring for Water – Winter Issues
Using a spring for water requires more effort than relying on tap water. Sometimes, just because you turn on the faucet, that doesn’t mean the water will come out like it’s supposed to. Yesterday, while Rob worked on changing the O2 sensors on his truck, I burned some calories. It was only twenty degree as …
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Long Dirt Road: Why it Takes me an Hour to Drive 12 Miles
This is a post from a few years ago that I love, so I’m reposting it. We live down a long dirt road. This little facet of our lives is the main thing that makes or breaks most newcomers to rural life. It takes a long time to go anywhere, if you go slow enough …
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Through Ice and Mud We Go – Bringing Hay to Horses
Through Ice and Mud Whether through ice and mud, or snow, or rain or wind, kind of like the postman’s creed to deliver mail, we must deliver hay to the horses. It’s easy to stay in touch with the wheel of time when you repeat a certain activity outdoors throughout the year. I like this facet …
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