Category: Departures
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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. And now, of course, there’s no water running from my faucet when I …
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Eye of the Storm – 2nd Nature Fantasy Painting
This one was an experiment to see if I could let go of my self-imposed restraints a little. I wanted to produce something different. Both of my sons took one look at it and shuddered. “You should stick to birds, …
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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 …
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Nature Fantasy Paintings? Click through to see the start of my new series.
Ordinarily I paint real things that have a photograph backing them up to give me some guidance. But in between those paintings, I like to deviate a bit and paint nature fantasy. I get to indulge in my love of …
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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. While this post was originally created in 2016, I still enjoying seeing and using these aromatic plants. My own use of them …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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! Rosy colored variety of Pedicularis, with a bumble bee visiting. A pale yellow-colored lousewort. Some lousewort, showing …
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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 …
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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 …
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Vernal Witch Hazel Flowers and Hazelnut too!
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by
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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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Using a Spring for Water – Winter Issues
When you rely on a spring for water, you need a tank. This is our 1500 gallon water collection tank. Using a spring for water requires more effort than relying on tap water. Sometimes, just because you turn on the …
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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 …
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New Tax Rule – Arkansas Sales Tax on Digital Products
This year there’s a new tax rule that will affect the people who buy digital goods from Wild Ozark. We have to pay retail sales tax on ebooks that I sell in our online shop as of January 1, 2018.…