Wild Ozark™

~ Nature Artist using Ozark pigments in Kingston, Arkansas ~

Wild Ozark: Where Madison Woods paints with Ozark pigments … and talks to rocks, creeks, and trees.

Blog

Plants with Strange Names

Devil’s Walking Stick. Strawberry Wahoo. Green Dragon. Jack-in-the-Pulpit. Fire-Pokers… All plants with strange names.

Sometimes my friends and family think I make these names up.

I remember coming home one day after running errands in town. I always drive … Read the rest “Plants with Strange Names”

24 January 2015
Random Nature Connection – Old Things and A Force to Be Reckoned

Is Nature a force to be reckoned with and hopefully conquered? This post is a prompt to think about our relationship with nature. Join us!

I won’t have an essay today, just a few thoughts about this photo and the … Read the rest “Random Nature Connection – Old Things and A Force to Be Reckoned”

23 January 2015
It’s A Good Day to Plant Seeds in Winter
Yesterday I took a break from figuring taxes (yes, I’m still working on taxes) and went outside to enjoy the warm-ish winter’s day and plant seeds. On the seed list today:
- American ginseng
- Echinacea purpurea
- Echinacea tennesseensis
- Comfrey (officinale)
- Poppies
… Read the rest “It’s A Good Day to Plant Seeds in Winter”
22 January 2015
Life in the Dead of Winter

I enjoy seeing signs of life in the dead of winter. This week hasn’t been the typical dead of winter. Today was a beautiful day, sunny and nearly 70*F, and I became tired of figuring taxes. Time to go outside … Read the rest “Life in the Dead of Winter”

20 January 2015
The Nature of Still Water

We’re holding our breath here this morning at Wild Ozark, waiting to see what happens when the lines on the mountain thaw.

See, we’d insulated all the lines under the house and figured, hey, it shouldn’t freeze now under there … Read the rest “The Nature of Still Water”

16 January 2015
Random Nature Connection – Abundance in Nature

Vaccinium arboreum

Abundance in Nature

The other day as we were out scouting for new springs on the mountain, (springs new to us, not springs new in existence and another form of the abundance in nature out here), I looked … Read the rest “Random Nature Connection – Abundance in Nature”

16 January 2015
Torture of Taxes, Podcasts and Frozen Water

Today I’ve been undergoing the torture of taxes, podcasts and frozen water . I’m doing taxes for the business, repairing broken podcast audio files, compiling good nature blog links, and making the chickens happy today. Compiling the good nature blog… Read the rest “Torture of Taxes, Podcasts and Frozen Water”

14 January 2015
Ginseng, strawberries, and Google+ listings

Handy wild strawberry/ginseng comparison graphic

Yesterday I posted a handy image for those of you trying to tell the difference between wild strawberry and first year ginseng. I keep forgetting that when I post a new page to this website, … Read the rest “Ginseng, strawberries, and Google+ listings”

12 January 2015
Blustery Day in the Ozarks!

It’s so cold and blustery outside I had to suit up just to dig around in the freezer for some chili ingredients! Can’t see it in the pictures, but the wind is gusty and the snow is blowing. It’s frigid … Read the rest “Blustery Day in the Ozarks!”

4 January 2015
Tending our Wild Ozark Water

Springs at Wild Ozark

I’ve written before about how we are dependent on our wild Ozark water. This is a post from last year around this time of year and it’s one of my favorites. This activity of inspecting … Read the rest “Tending our Wild Ozark Water”

3 January 2015
Random Nature Connection – Do Animals Plan Ahead?

2nd Friday after Winter Solstice

This essay on whether animals plan ahead is the second of my Random Nature Connection posts. Read more about this meme here and consider joining me if you love nature, philosophical debate, and blog about … Read the rest “Random Nature Connection – Do Animals Plan Ahead?”

2 January 2015
Random Nature Connection – Ozark Spring Water

Our house runs on gravity fed Ozark spring water. This was a new experience to us when we moved here in 2005 from an urban town in south Louisiana. We had so much to learn about what it means to … Read the rest “Random Nature Connection – Ozark Spring Water”

26 December 2014
An Ode to Nature

I don’t often get in the mood to write poetry, but this time of year it sometimes happens. Not sure what it is, perhaps the approach of mid-winter, perhaps the shifted angles of light.

15 December 2014
Cover and Sample Page

Here’s the cover and sample page for “Forest Companions”, the last book in the “Into the Ginseng Wood” series. Should be at Amazon by the weekend! If you want to catch up on the others, heres a link to the … Read the rest “Cover and Sample Page”

9 December 2014
First Thoughts

What is the first thought that enters your mind on waking? Are you savoring vestiges of pleasant dreams, or do you wake up already planning the day…or is there a sense of ‘oh no, not again” ?

Sometimes the first … Read the rest “First Thoughts”

6 December 2014
Frosty Hills

Frosty hills are pretty and the Ozark hills are sporting white capes this morning! See the distant mountain with the white hoar frost?

The 4-wheeler was also decorated. A light coat of ice had the key and brake lock stiff … Read the rest “Frosty Hills”

2 December 2014
My Results from the Humanmetrics Jung Typology Test™

The Humanmetrics Jung Typology Test™ was a fun, free little online test, sort of like the Myers-Briggs test to determine personality types: https://www.humanmetrics.com/index.htm#intro.

After you’re done and when you click on the “Career Choices” info button, it gives some … Read the rest “My Results from the Humanmetrics Jung Typology Test™”

2 December 2014
Broomsedge, not Fescue

An Author’s Corrections: It’s Broomsedge, not Fescue

When I wrote No Qualms I described the shadeling as having hair that resembled fescue. That’s because I’d always thought the grass I had in mind was fescue. Recently I learned that it … Read the rest “Broomsedge, not Fescue”

1 December 2014
Hunt Food, Gather Firewood

This year we’ve been proactive about a stocked freezer and our supply of firewood. Last year and the years since we’ve moved up here, we’ve always had a steady supply of venison, but we seem to always need firewood at … Read the rest “Hunt Food, Gather Firewood”

26 November 2014
Photos of a misty day in the Ozarks

For you from Wild Ozark™ 🙂 Grab a cuppa & enjoy!

A Misty Day in the Ozarks

One of my favorite kinds of trees, the beech, keeps leaves long after the others have disrobed and gone into winter’s sleep.

Almost … Read the rest “Photos of a misty day in the Ozarks”

22 November 2014
How Far Removed – Predator and Prey

Out here we have a healthy balance between predator and prey. Squirrels crowd the treetops, mice are at home in sheds and even in our house if we aren’t diligent. Snakes lurk everywhere.

Predator and Prey

Coyotes are plentiful. The … Read the rest “How Far Removed – Predator and Prey”

21 November 2014
The Ent Trees of Wild Ozark

Special Trees

Two special trees grace the dirt road where I live. There are more trees like this here and there on our own acreage, tree-beings, or trees that appear and do more than trees appear to normally do.

Of … Read the rest “The Ent Trees of Wild Ozark”

18 November 2014
Where do Writers get Ideas? My Ideas Come from the Gaps

People often ask me where I get ideas for my stories. I’d never really paid attention to it much, because I’ve always had a fairly active imagination and it comes naturally to think of the things I write. Where do… Read the rest “Where do Writers get Ideas? My Ideas Come from the Gaps”

17 November 2014
Winter is Here in the Ozarks

First it was the frost flowers. They showed up last week during our first really cold spell.

Then yesterday as we were on our way home from grocery shopping the first sleet began. Soon after the plinking sounds of tiny … Read the rest “Winter is Here in the Ozarks”

17 November 2014
Welcome to the all-new Wild Ozark™ website!

Today’s my birthday and it’s the coldest one I can ever remember having! Temps have barely gotten above freezing today and snow clouds are building overhead.

I’ve been working hard since I got up this morning to bring this new … Read the rest “Welcome to the all-new Wild Ozark™ website!”

15 November 2014