Wild Ozark™

~ Nature Artist using Ozark pigments in Kingston, Arkansas ~

Category: Nature

No Water

This morning I turned on the faucet to put some water on my toothbrush.

Nothing but a few drops came out. Then, nothing. No water.

No Water

My thoughts immediately led to the question in my mind, which was “Where … Read the rest “No Water”

1 July 2016
Panning for Gold in the Rockies

One of Rob’s lifelong dreams, panning for gold in the Rockies, has been fulfilled.

After finding out how relatively affordable such a thing can be, we bought mining rights to a small claim, sight unseen except for photos, in the … Read the rest “Panning for Gold in the Rockies”

17 June 2016
Gold in them thar hills? Ozarkians in the Rockies

I doubt there’s any gold in them thar hills of the Ozarks. Right now, though, we’re on a prospecting mission in the Rockies.

Part of my soul lives out there where the mountains are a mile and more high. However, … Read the rest “Gold in them thar hills? Ozarkians in the Rockies”

14 June 2016
Cedar-Apple Rust : Invasion of Alien-looking Fruiting Bodies

Cedar-Apple Rust

Yesterday we went out to check on ginseng seedlings and found the cedar trees blooming with Cedar-Apple Rust fruiting bodies. It’s caused by a fungus and alternates each year on cedars or apple trees. If there aren’t any … Read the rest “Cedar-Apple Rust : Invasion of Alien-looking Fruiting Bodies”

29 April 2016
Photos of Plants – Medicinal & Useful plants down the Wild Ozark Driveway

I’m still mostly stuck in the house because of my knee (dislocated it a little over a week ago) but I took the four-wheeler and camera down the driveway to get a few photos of plants unfurling or coming into … Read the rest “Photos of Plants – Medicinal & Useful plants down the Wild Ozark Driveway”

25 April 2016
Chasing Windmills and Wildflowers in South Texas

My past week has been filled with family and friends in Louisiana and Texas. While in Texas I got the notion to gather a collection of photos of the old windmills that are out there. Most of these are in … Read the rest “Chasing Windmills and Wildflowers in South Texas”

14 April 2016
Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) Unfurling

The blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) is awake early this spring. I found some the other day, in three different stages of unfurl.

The one completely unfurled is in a pot in the nursery area, the other two are in the … Read the rest “Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) Unfurling”

29 March 2016
Dirt Road Photos – Ozark Sunset Silhouettes

Scene from the dirt road in the Ozarks of northwest Arkansas.

The Ozarks from a Scenic Dirt Road

I was driving home from my daughter’s house this evening as the sun began setting on our beautiful Ozark hills. Just so happened … Read the rest “Dirt Road Photos – Ozark Sunset Silhouettes”

20 March 2016
Stone Tool – Relic of a Long Bygone Era

I knew when I saw the rounded hand-sized rock that it was more than “just a rock”. It was a stone tool, & probably several thousand years old.

There is something special about holding a stone I know once was … Read the rest “Stone Tool – Relic of a Long Bygone Era”

5 March 2016
Coyotes at Midnight

I had trouble getting to sleep last night. Then there were coyotes at midnight, just as the drift of dreams was beginning to take hold. It went on for so long I had time to turn on the audio recorder … Read the rest “Coyotes at Midnight”

23 February 2016
Delve Deeper to Observe Nature

Take a moment from your day and delve deeper to observe nature. You’ll gain a sense of awe and wonder.

Delve deeper

Truly experience that moment. If it’s a plant you’re observing, reach out and touch it (be reasonable – … Read the rest “Delve Deeper to Observe Nature”

13 February 2016
Repairing Our Wild Ozark Spring Water Line

Today I repaired our Wild Ozark spring water line

Since I’ve learned how to do this myself, I figured I’d do it while Mr. Wild Ozark was at work. Later this summer we have plans to change out the entire … Read the rest “Repairing Our Wild Ozark Spring Water Line”

11 February 2016
A problem in our gravity feed spring water system

What is a gravity feed water system?

We are fortunate to have our very own spring fed water source that runs all year long. It is a spring that pumps out enough water, without fail, to serve our household with … Read the rest “A problem in our gravity feed spring water system”

7 February 2016
Kings River Falls – Photos from our hike

On Sunday I went hiking with my two oldest children and their children, one of my daughter’s friends and her children, and my parents to the Kings River Falls. This trail is a little north and east of Fallsville, AR … Read the rest “Kings River Falls – Photos from our hike”

2 February 2016
The Sound of Winter

Some sounds are distinctly “winter”. Sometimes the sound of winter is marked by the absence of sound. Maybe it’s more correctly described as the “silence of winter”.

I am often reminded of how grateful I am to have my sense … Read the rest “The Sound of Winter”

21 January 2016
Meet our new team mates – Bat Cave Botanicals

Wild Ozark is pleased to announce that we’ll be working with Bat Cave Botanicals to bring wild Appalachian ginseng roots and leaf products to our online shop.

About Bat Cave Botanicals

My partner & I are fortunate to live
… Read the rest “Meet our new team mates – Bat Cave Botanicals”

20 January 2016
Warm Egg on a Cold Day

There is something quite satisfying about finding a warm egg in the henhouse on a blustery 15*F morning.

I tried something new to help me wake up a little earlier this morning. It wasn’t until 5 a.m. when the strange … Read the rest “Warm Egg on a Cold Day”

10 January 2016
What is Humanity’s Role in Nature?

Humanity’s Role in Nature

Have you ever thought about humanity’s role in nature? Our various mythologies and religious origin stories offer some ideas that are generally accepted by many, but those are conflicting and I still wonder. Are we here … Read the rest “What is Humanity’s Role in Nature?”

7 January 2016
Snow is Beautiful but Hoar Frost is Magical

The sight of hoar frost makes me smile because it brings a memory to mind, one with imagery that could have been ripped from the pages of a fairy tale.

Hoar frost happens when fog freezes on the trees and … Read the rest “Snow is Beautiful but Hoar Frost is Magical”

4 January 2016
Exercising Outside on a Crispy Ozark Morning

A crispy cold morning, great for exercising outside

I did my exercising outside this morning, jog/walked to the mailbox in under 20 minutes – a milestone for me!

Exercising Outside

Feeding the critters acted as a warm-up spell, but it was
… Read the rest “Exercising Outside on a Crispy Ozark Morning”

2 January 2016
Did you know Osage Oranges evolved with wooly mammoths?

Osage

Maclura pomifera, also known as Osage Orange, Bois d’Arc, Hedge-apple, or Horse-apple, the osage tree is native to our area. Even so, there aren’t very many of them in our particular neck of the woods.

A bedraggled osage tree.
… Read the rest “Did you know Osage Oranges evolved with wooly mammoths?”

24 December 2015
With a departing roar

With a departing roar the storm rolled off to the east. Clear skies between broken clouds filled the southwestern wake.

Nature is my muse.

I’ve been working hard on my novel, trying to get the first draft finished by the … Read the rest “With a departing roar”

23 December 2015
Winter Solstice 2015 – A Widdershin sort of Time

Winter Solstice 2015 occurs tonight at 10:03 p.m. CST

It’s a widdershin sort of time, an unwinding, a releasing. A loosening of the grip on things I need to let go of.

Actual New Year’s Eve

It’s Winter Solstice, the … Read the rest “Winter Solstice 2015 – A Widdershin sort of Time”

21 December 2015
Finding Lost Fungi

I brought the camera today to get some photos of fungi I’d spotted a few days ago.

When I rode out with Rob the other day I saw the mushrooms on a log and figured I’d come back and get … Read the rest “Finding Lost Fungi”

18 December 2015
Looking forward to solstice

Pulled this one from the archives. It’s from when I worked in Bentonville, leaving before dawn and getting home after dusk. I hated that and am glad to be working from home now, but I still look forward to mid-winter’s … Read the rest “Looking forward to solstice”

15 December 2015