Wild Ozark™

~ Nature Artist using Ozark pigments in Kingston, Arkansas ~

Category: Musings

This is an index of posts that fall into my “Musings” category. Usually it’s on a topic that has no other defined focus, but sometimes these are also my philosophical-type posts. Subscribe to Wild Ozark™ » Musings by Email

Do Your Dogs Sing with the Chickens?

Badger howling at coyotes.

We have singing dogs. Every morning at sunrise when the rooster crows and the hens wake, and during the day when the chickens get all a-cluck over an egg laying, the dogs break into song with … Read the rest “Do Your Dogs Sing with the Chickens?”

28 June 2015
Egg-napping Marans

I have two black marans setting eggs.

Each hen was in a separate box, sitting on her own clutch of eggs. There are other boxes for the other hens to lay eggs in, too.

I haven’t been finding eggs in … Read the rest “Egg-napping Marans”

21 June 2015
The Impermanence of Things

We’ve had a lot of rain in the last days here in the Ozark Highlands. 7 inches in a few hours Monday night. That’s too much rain for our little creeks and hollers.

Lots of folks have lost homes, cattle, … Read the rest “The Impermanence of Things”

17 June 2015
Rattlesnake at the Gate

Gnats have made it nearly impossible for me to stand being outside at my potting bench for very long.

Yesterday I did the little bit of work I needed to do at it while trying not to breathe so the … Read the rest “Rattlesnake at the Gate”

12 June 2015
Unripe Fruit

I have a hard time believing I have no pictures – at all – of ripe elderberry fruit. After digging through file after unfruitful file, I thought it might be faster to just go get a new photo.

Not quite.… Read the rest “Unripe Fruit”

10 June 2015
Rainy Days are Writing “Bounty Hunter” Days

It’s been raining off and on here since last night. It seems like it’s been raining every day since I can’t remember when. I’m tired of it and will be glad when the ground is dry and the creeks are … Read the rest “Rainy Days are Writing “Bounty Hunter” Days”

24 May 2015
Dragons Hatching, Clematis Blooming, and Feeding Horses in the Rain

Dragons Hatching!

Last fall I collected seeds from a large Green Dragon. I put the berries directly into pots and kept them overwinter in the ginseng nursery. The other morning I noticed they were hatching – er, sprouting! The … Read the rest “Dragons Hatching, Clematis Blooming, and Feeding Horses in the Rain”

8 May 2015
What’s that plant good for?

“What’s that plant good for?”

A curious thing I’m noticing by selling plants at the market is that people almost always have the same question, phrased in various ways.

It’s often the first thing they ask, in general about any … Read the rest “What’s that plant good for?”

28 April 2015
An Entourage of Green Ambassadors

Show and Tell

I took my little assembly of show and tell items, and a small entourage consisting of three Green Ambassadors on the road yesterday. We, or at least *I*, had been invited to speak to the Olli Group… Read the rest “An Entourage of Green Ambassadors”

17 April 2015
The cost of doing (DVD) business with Amazon

Ever wondered how much an author makes per book or product through Amazon? Royalties aren’t bad for books and e-books. I get 70% on the ones that are listed exclusively through Amazon if the price is over $2.99, and 35% … Read the rest “The cost of doing (DVD) business with Amazon”

18 March 2015
Raising the Bar at Wild Ozark

Today we were gifted with more snow. Yesterday when I got out of bed, the sun shown brightly with promises of warmth at least from direct sunlight. So I let the horses out to scrounge around for what little grass … Read the rest “Raising the Bar at Wild Ozark”

28 February 2015
Snow and Ice in the Ozarks

Snow and ice are a common winter-time theme of my photos out here in the wild Ozarks. I like the balance of movement and stasis and implied potential in this photo of the snow capped rocks. The creek continues to … Read the rest “Snow and Ice in the Ozarks”

19 February 2015
Random Nature Connection: Liminal Spaces

Thimbleweed grows often at the forest edge, where it could have full sun or partial shade or deep shade. It is one of those plants that like the liminal spaces.

This post is about liminal spaces. If you want to … Read the rest “Random Nature Connection: Liminal Spaces”

30 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
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
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
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
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
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
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