Wild Ozark™

~ Nature Artist using Ozark pigments in Kingston, Arkansas ~

Category: Nature

Rain or Hallucination?

So brief it almost feels now like it was hallucination, rain fell this morning while I was out feeding the critters. The chickens were all like “what’s that wet stuff coming down from the sky?”

It’s been many weeks since … Read the rest “Rain or Hallucination?”

9 October 2015
Nature Sketching – Day 17 “Grape Fern and Fall Leaves”

It gets hard to find a subject to draw that doesn’t include dead leaves at this time of year.

I at first wanted to draw this pretty beech leaf nestled on a darker sycamore leaf, but decided against it in … Read the rest “Nature Sketching – Day 17 “Grape Fern and Fall Leaves””

7 October 2015
Nature Sketching Day 15 – American Ginseng in early October

I went out in search of beech drops for today’s sketch. I didn’t find any. On my way up the path toward the pond, though, I found something exciting.

Today’s nature sketch features American ginseng in early October. The leaves … Read the rest “Nature Sketching Day 15 – American Ginseng in early October”

6 October 2015
Beautiful Fall Misty Morning

There is a silence accompanied by a misty morning that is unlike anything else.

This morning I sat on the porch to have my morning coffee. The roosters refrained from crowing. The logging activity is either done or stopped for … Read the rest “Beautiful Fall Misty Morning”

5 October 2015
Nature Sketching Day 14

At this time of year it’s even harder than usual for me to make a quick trip to town and back. If I bring my camera with me, it’s a guaranteed impossibility.

Today I had to stop for photos … Read the rest “Nature Sketching Day 14”

5 October 2015
Nature Sketching Day 13 – Green Grass in Fall

I always like to see green grass in fall among the dead leaves.

Yesterday I missed my sketching. I missed the day before that too, but had taken a photo of the leaf so I could draw it later. But … Read the rest “Nature Sketching Day 13 – Green Grass in Fall”

3 October 2015
It’s beginning to look like fall here at Wild Ozark

Yesterday it really felt like fall, and it does again today, too. It was almost 40*F this morning.

I took a few photos yesterday, but was in a hurry to get somewhere so didn’t bring the monopod and the quality … Read the rest “It’s beginning to look like fall here at Wild Ozark”

2 October 2015
For all the little acorns

May they grow to mighty oaks

For the past several weeks one of the first morning sounds have been that of heavy equipment moving into place on the mountains to our southeast. Later, as the sun rises, it’s chainsaws. And … Read the rest “For all the little acorns”

29 September 2015
Nature Sketching Day 8

Yesterday’s Nature Journal entry was created today because a new grandbaby of mine entered the world the night before and I slept through my usual drawing/entry time.

There’s a post that corresponds to this entry at the main site. You … Read the rest “Nature Sketching Day 8”

28 September 2015
Nature Sketching Day 6 – “Lobelia Inflata”

Today I went out on foot, backpack loaded with my towel and cushion to sit on, sketch journal, and pencils to do my daily entry for the Wild Ozark Nature Journal.

Once I found my subject, this aging Lobelia inflata … Read the rest “Nature Sketching Day 6 – “Lobelia Inflata””

26 September 2015
Busy Days at Wild Ozark

I’ve been busy lately, but you wouldn’t know it from my lack of posts to the blog. New projects started (Wild Ozark Nature Journal) and a new website to go with it, new products, and new adventures. Last Friday I … Read the rest “Busy Days at Wild Ozark”

26 September 2015
Nature Sketching Day 3 – Sycamore Leaf

Each day I’ve picked what I think will be a simple subject. Today’s was a single sycamore leaf with no effort to include background, foreground or any other difficult or distracting thing.

Then as I settled in and began my … Read the rest “Nature Sketching Day 3 – Sycamore Leaf”

25 September 2015
Nature Sketching Day 2 – Asters Along the Driveway

Today’s nature sketch is of the purple asters that were growing along the driveway. Each day I try to make an entry with a pencil drawing.

25 September 2015
Is it Ginseng Root, Tree Root, or what?

Do you know what kind of roots these are?

The other day I got an email asking for some identification help.

From the photos, I do not believe it’s ginseng, but I can’t tell what it is. Some of them … Read the rest “Is it Ginseng Root, Tree Root, or what?”

23 September 2015
What Happens to Ginseng in Too Much Sun

Why is this ginseng turning yellow?

UPDATE 10/5/24 This is an old post from when I first started observing ginseng in the wild and among my wild-simulated patches, and thought I knew a lot more than I did. The ginseng
… Read the rest “What Happens to Ginseng in Too Much Sun”

19 September 2015
This Beaver is One Heck of an Optimist

This beaver must possess tremendous optimism. Either that or he’s a long-term strategist, or both!

Most farmers dislike beavers with a passion bordering hatred. The reason why that is, at least for the ones I asked, is because they’re always … Read the rest “This Beaver is One Heck of an Optimist”

25 August 2015
Spider Stick

Anyone who has ever ridden, or rather, *driven* a four-wheeler on a tree-lined path will know exactly why this four-wheeler is sporting a lovely branch of wilted leaves.

It’s a “spider stick”. And it’s the person in front, if you’re … Read the rest “Spider Stick”

19 July 2015
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
Rattlesnakes and Dogs don’t Mix – Snakebit dog

A WildOzark Timber Rattlesnake

They’re not aggressive. Really.

This one just wanted to be left alone. It’s the second one I’d encountered that week, and both were relatively calm. Badger even stepped on the first one and didn’t notice until after … Read the rest “Rattlesnakes and Dogs don’t Mix – Snakebit dog”

26 June 2015
The Slow Descent of an Ozark Mountain Landslide

I’ve been observing and recording our slowly descending Ozark landslide. Leaning trees and driveway encroachment, photographed day by day.

Since the flood last Monday I haven’t done a whole lot of cleanup. The main reason for that is the landslide.… Read the rest “The Slow Descent of an Ozark Mountain Landslide”

23 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
What’s Blooming at the end of May?

Wild Ozark plants blooming at the end of May

I took a little walkabout yesterday to photograph some of the flowers that are setting berries, blooming, or getting ready to bloom right now.

Yesterday’s post highlighted the orchid I’d been waiting … Read the rest “What’s Blooming at the end of May?”

31 May 2015
Talk about Delayed Gratification! (Twayblade Orchid)

I’ve been waiting a whole year to see this flower.

When I first found the plant last summer there was only the two leaves. Without seeing a flower, it’s hard to positively identify a plant, unless that plant has something … Read the rest “Talk about Delayed Gratification! (Twayblade Orchid)”

30 May 2015