Perseverance
This snail is steadfastly going over obstacles that could proportionately be called boulders. I watched it for a little while as it went over, under, or around whatever stood in the path blocking him from his destination.
Photography
Comanche’s Eye
There is just something special about the eyes of a horse. I can’t tell you what it is because I don’t know the words to explain it. I haven’t had a lot of time for blogging lately, so I think I’m just going to post a photo with a line or two, or nothing at …
Imposter by Nature – Hognose Snake
Valerie, don’t read this post… it’s about a hognose snake and there are pictures 😉 Situational Awareness Lesson This is a negative lesson. Don’t do what I do. Luckily for me, it wasn’t as bad a situation as it could have been. I stepped off the driveway to get closer to a deciduous magnolia sapling …
Ozark Backroad Photo Journey – Come Along for the Ride
Whenever I go away from the house alone, I take my camera. A simple run to the post office or to town becomes an Ozark Backroad Photo Journey. I generally try not to do this when I have passengers or am myself a passenger. It seems that stopping as often as I do when I’m …
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Slugs and Dragons and Ginseng, Oh My! Wild Ozark Creations
I’ve been working on a few new Wild Ozark creations lately. This creative streak seems to have no end in sight, either, because ideas just keep coming and I keep feeling compelled to follow them through. Slugs This is the latest drawing I’ve done. The digital and print rights (for business branding, not art prints) …
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Mailbox and Back in Under an Hour
Yesterday I brought my camera with me when I went to the mailbox. If I had walked, I know it would have taken more than an hour because I would have seen so many more opportunities to stop and take a picture. There’s Never a “Quick Trip” Anywhere Out Here My intention was to make …
Homestead Work
We’ve been busy doing a lot of outdoor homestead work since we came home from our gold panning trip to Colorado. That’s why there’s been no recent posts from me. The weather has been atrociously hot and I’m just too worn out by the end of a day to even type. But I figured I’d better …
Avoiding Burnout: Fun Days at Wild Ozark
Avoiding Burnout Anyone who has ever tried to build a homesteading life will know it’s a tremendous amount of work. So we also work at avoiding burnout. The list of things on the “to do” list is so long, our list is more of a scroll than a list and it has no end. So …
Dirt Road Photos – Ozark Sunset Silhouettes
I was driving home from my daughter’s house this evening as the sun began setting on our beautiful Ozark hills. Just so happened to have my camera with me so I stopped for a few photos along the county road.
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 in Madison county. Here’s a link the Arkansas Natural Heritage website for the trail. Kings …
With a departing roar
Nature is my muse. I’ve been working hard on my novel, trying to get the first draft finished by the end of March. I want to be submitting it by the end of summer. The rain last night and the way the storm departed this morning as if grumbling and slamming doors behind it gave …
Symbols of Warmth and Sustenance
I brought the camera with me this foggy morning to capture some of the beauty that surrounded me in the hushed quiet of our little Wild Ozark valley. When I came back in I sat on the porch and listened to the sapsuckers discussing the next leg on their journey. Mist muffled crows cawed and …
Feeding critters under a gentle patter of rain
This morning I was feeding critters under a gentle patter of rain. There are times when I am tired or don’t feel like going out on my regular chore round, but for the most part I enjoy this part of my day. Even in the rain. Or maybe especially in the rain. I like doing …
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 a break. Only the occasional drip of condensate from the porch could be heard. I …
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 pesky little buggers wouldn’t go up my nose. I pretty much needed to close my …
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. The berries aren’t ripe yet here at Wild Ozark. But maybe they are on top …
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 to see bloom. The ginseng pics were also added to the “Ginseng Habitat Through the …
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 about the foliage (or some other distinguishing characteristic, like scent, bark pattern, or root appearance) …
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Sleuthing the Bellwort. Sessilifolia or Perfoliata?
Sessilifolia or Perfoliata? Three species of bellwort are found in Arkansas: Uvularia grandiflora, U. sessilifolia, and U. perfoliata. The one I see most often around here is the grandiflora, or Large-flowered bellwort as it’s commonly called. Bellwort in the Ginseng Habitat Bellwort often grows in the ginseng habitat, which makes it one of the ginseng …
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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 habitat before it got too dark. Diversions While Checking the Mail I’d gone to check …
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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 open I noticed it was becoming a very beautiful morning in the Ozarks.
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 ginseng habitat, but it also grows prolifically on the edge between forest and field, marking …
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. And the chickweed is making my garden look like it already needs to be weeded. …
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 them to audio recordings and join my board at Pinterest. Ozark Inspired Podcasts I’ve started putting …
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 flow no matter how cold or frozen the surface becomes, even if it must do …