Category: Nature
-
Guest Post: A Nature Enthusiast’s Guide to Southwest Missouri
A note from Madison: I get many requests by content providers to do guests posts here on the Wild Ozark blog. Most of the time, the subject matter isn’t closely related enough to nature or any of the site topics. …
-
Build your Herbal Armory!
Useful plants grow all around us. It’s time to start building your herbal armory of plant allies now. My book, 10 Common Plants worth Knowing in a Long-term Survival Situation, will introduce you to ten at a time. I’ll …
-
Day 9: Nature Journal Series
Grapevine & Insect Observation Nature Journal entry from Day 9. About this journal entry On Day 9 of my daily journaling stint, I didn’t feel like getting off of the porch and I wondered if I could find something nearby …
-
Day 8: Nature Journal Series
Acorn on Weathered Stick Nature Journal entry from Day 8. About this journal entry On Day 8 of my daily journaling stint, I couldn’t help reflecting on the sounds of trees dying in the distance. Chainsaws and crashing …
-
The Last Snow of 2017
This morning I woke to the sparkly glitz of snow flurries. We’ve hardly had any snow at all this winter so far. Just a bare dusting a week or two ago, and that’s it. When the sun came out, the …
-
Using a Spring for Water – Winter Issues
When you rely on a spring for water, you need a tank. This is our 1500 gallon water collection tank. Using a spring for water requires more effort than relying on tap water. Sometimes, just because you turn on the …
-
How Ginseng Stewardship Also Benefits the Landowner
Someone asked me yesterday about how ginseng stewardship benefits the landowner. It stumped me at first, because I’d never considered it from that angle. What is Stewardship? To steward something is to manage or take care of something. The short …
-
A Couple of Photos from Today: Mossy Oak Limbs and Our Dirt Road
I find certain trees are just as beautiful in winter as they are the rest of the year. This old tree with her mossy oak limbs is one of my favorite photo subjects. Mossy Oak Limbs Our Dirt Road Here’s …
-
Sun Sparkles
On this day in 2015, we had snow and sun sparkles. So far this year it’s been unseasonably warm and no snow so far. That could change this weekend, though – snow is in the forecast! Since we haven’t had …
-
Book a Forest Folk Workshop Near You!
Want a Workshop Close to You? If you’d like to host, or know somewhere good to have a workshop, get in touch. I’m willing to travel within 50 miles of Kingston, AR for groups of at least 10. Cost …
-
Through Ice and Mud We Go – Bringing Hay to Horses
Through Ice and Mud Whether through ice and mud, or snow, or rain or wind, kind of like the postman’s creed to deliver mail, we must deliver hay to the horses. It’s easy to stay in touch with the wheel …
-
Day 7: Nature Journal Series
Christmas Fern About this journal entry On Day 7 of my daily journaling stint, I decided to draw the Christmas fern. These ferns are often present in good ginseng habitat. So it’s known as a companion plant, or indicator …
-
Day 6: Nature Journal Series
Lobelia inflata in Late Summer About this journal entry Lobelia inflata is one of my most treasured wild-crafted herbs. It grows around us here like a “weed”, and most would never think it to be a useful plant. It’s …
-
Day 5: Nature Journal Series
Little Orange Mushroom About this journal entry It’s amazing how quickly an hour flies by when you are trying unsuccessfully to figure out how to do something. On another note, I’m finding that it is getting harder to focus …
-
Day 4: Nature Journal Series
Ground Cherry About this Entry The inklings of trouble is starting to reveal itself already. “This one will be much easier,” I thought as I settled on a subject for today’s entry. It is all mostly green, with hardly any …
-
Making Twig Art: Gumball Folk Bride and Groom
My granddaughter stayed the night with us last night and today I thought we could make some twig art together. She wanted us to make a bride and groom Forest Folk pair, so we went outside to gather some botanicals.…
-
Finding Ginseng After the Leaves Fall
It’s hard to find ginseng after the leaves fall. If you’re looking for more information about ginseng, or the prices forums for each year, check at the ginseng.wildozark.com blog or email me. I’ve moved most of the ginseng related …
-
Day 3: Nature Journal Series
Sycamore Leaf About the Wild Ozark Nature Journal I’m slowly scanning my nature journal entries and adding them to this blog. Some of you may have already seen these, because I started this a few years ago and then …
-
Day 2: Nature Journal Series
Asters Hanging Down About the Wild Ozark Nature Journal I’m slowly scanning my nature journal entries and adding them to this blog. Some of you may have already seen these, because I started this a few years ago and …
-
Day 1: Leaf and Rock, Nature Journal Series
Day 1: Leaf and Rock About the Wild Ozark Nature Journal I’m slowly scanning my nature journal entries and adding them to this blog. Some of you may have already seen these, because I started this a few years …
-
Last of the Fall Colors 2017
I spent a little time down the road today trying to capture the last of the fall colors for the year. The wind has been gusting pretty hard and many of the leaves have fallen. It seems that every year, …
-
Treasure Found on a Misty Autumn Morning Walk
Most mornings, after I feed the animals, I go for a walk down the driveway. Today I brought the camera, so it wasn’t as much for exercise as it was for pleasure and to gather treasure. I look for botanical …
-
Test Firing the Native Clay – Failure and Success
Yesterday I posted about cleaning the native clay and the test firing I planned to do once they dried out enough. I’m too impatient. I should have waited another day, maybe even longer because the clay was pretty wet when …
-
Rambling On about the To-Do List
Lots of things on my to-do list today, and I guess I should be getting on with *doing* them instead of rambling on about them. But talking about it like this helps me to figure out what all I need …
-
October Color at Wild Ozark
Here’s a couple of photos from this morning I thought you’d like. I love fall here in the Ozarks. Late October color is often quite nice. That’s when it begins to start turning noticeably. In the morning as the sun …