Category: Nature
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Sun Splashes, Tree Silhouettes and Flowering Woodland Herbs
The day was dreary for the most part, but just before sunset the sky brightened. And so I went out with the camera and managed to get a few photos of some of the flowering woodland herbs in the ginseng … Read the rest “Sun Splashes, Tree Silhouettes and Flowering Woodland Herbs”
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Solomon’s Seal Unfurling
Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum) There’s a nice patch of Solomon Seal at the front of the driveway that was so choked out last summer that I don’t think any of them got a chance to bloom. I was … Read the rest “Solomon’s Seal Unfurling”
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Arnold’s First Rooster Crow
Arnold is a Fall chicken. He hatched from an egg, along with his three nestlings way back in October (I think). The clutch of eggs that had hatched shortly before his fell prey to a large black rat snake. You … Read the rest “Arnold’s First Rooster Crow”
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Beautiful Morning in the Ozarks
I woke before dawn and dragged myself downstairs to get back to work where I’d left off with some last minute edits on the DVD near midnight last night. As the coffee brewed and my eyelids gained motivation to remain … Read the rest “Beautiful Morning in the Ozarks”
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PawPaw Flower Bud
The PawPaw tree is a ginseng companion plant, or ginseng indicator plant. It often grows where ginseng grows, but is also often found in areas with more sunlight. Here at Wild Ozark it is a fairly good indicator of great … Read the rest “PawPaw Flower Bud”
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Sights and Sounds of Spring
The sounds of spring fills the night air now. Spring Peepers are calling! The only visible signs of spring so far as I can see are the bits of wild onion grass growing with a bit more spright than usual. … Read the rest “Sights and Sounds of Spring”
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March Snow in the Ozarks
Traffic is always crazy when there’s snow in the Ozarks. We had to go into Fayetteville this morning. It was raining and I knew the colder weather was coming in, but we figured we should be able to get there … Read the rest “March Snow in the Ozarks”
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Ozark Inspired Podcasts
Prefer to listen to your stories more than read? Do you like Pinterest? I’ve created a Pinterest board just for Ozark related stories and essays. Do you write fiction or non-fiction that is inspired somehow by the Ozarks? Put … Read the rest “Ozark Inspired Podcasts”
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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”
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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”
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Snowy Day in the Ozarks
It’s our first snowy day for the season. First it sleeted about an inch or so, then it snowed. It’s still snowing today. Not too much but enough to make everything look pretty. It’s about 20*F, so no danger of … Read the rest “Snowy Day in the Ozarks”
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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”
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Ever Heard of Herbalism for Plants?
Is herbalism exclusively for animals and people? Why not herbalism for plants? I’ve never heard of anyone else using herbs to treat plants. There’s lots of information about how to use plants to treat people (and animals), but not for … Read the rest “Ever Heard of Herbalism for Plants?”
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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”
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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…
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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”
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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”
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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”
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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!”
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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”
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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?”
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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”
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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.
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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”
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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”
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