Let Every Nation Know...

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty."- John F. Kennedy

Thank you to those that have, are and will lay their lives on the line for this very idea...

Taken With A Grain of Salt...

Every year Springfield hosts the annual Arts-Fest near the downtown area on historic Walnut Street. I love going to this. Each year I try to talk with as many photographers as possible in hopes of picking up a tidbit of information that I can apply to my own technique. Man, are there a lot of tidbits out there! By the time I leave I can honestly say that I've heard so much about digital versus film and black and white versus color and the hundreds of editing programs that are out there that I just feel like crawling back into my camera and letting the shutter fall where it may. I guess that I have my own style -to an extent anyway and maybe I'm looking too hard for concrete answers. I think that styles evolve and develop with time and of course everyone's photography is unique to themselves.
So maybe I should just relax and let it come as it may. For the most part I feel satisfied with my work and as time passes I'll get more comfortable with my style and hopefully it will be recognizable as my work.
As I was leaving the Arts Fest I came across these musicians and I stopped to watch , especially this man. As I watched him I began to think about how he had probably been playing for years and although I'm sure he enjoys listening to other fiddlers he more than likely just takes it all with a grain of salt because he knows what he likes to play and he knows how he likes to play it!

Getting Acquainted...

We have a friend across the street that tends to another neighbor's horses. She invited me and my wife to go down to the pasture with her this evening - one, so I could take some pictures that I'd been wanting to do and two, just so we could experience the closeness of the animals. My wife has been around horses a good part of her life but me well, I've never really been a "horse person" - that is to say I don't ride horses and I've never actually had much to do with them aside from the occasional petting across the fence. Don't get me wrong, I think that horses truly are magnificent animals but throughout my lifetime I've just not had that many opportunities to ride or actually get acquainted with them. At times like today though, when we watched as she fed and watered the horses and then just found a comfortable spot to sit and watch the young ones gallivant around while Mom and the others kept a watchful eye I could just feel the power and gracefulness of each animal there.
I may never ride a horse but that's ok with me I guess. I do plan on spending more time at the pasture when I can and I'm sure, taking more pictures but really I think that I'd just like to hang around.

Colors, Lines, Curves and Chrome!

One of the things that I look forward to in the spring and summer are the car shows- especially the ones that are a part of a bigger celebration. You know, the ones with lots of food and preferably live music.
Now I'm no gear head (and I use the term with the utmost respect for those of you that are) but I do enjoy just looking at the cars. The colors, the lines, the curves and the chrome all capture my attention as I cruise the parking lot admiring the endless hours of work that I know goes into each and every one. Even though I do have some appreciation for the the horsepower it's more the look on the owner's face as he or she explains how many coats of paint the final masterpiece took or the stitching in the upholstery or any number of personalized extras that make it as unique as any fine automobile could be!
These people are true artists in their field and art in whatever shape or form is what I'm all about.

But On The Other Hand...

As I posted below sometimes after sitting and becoming immersed in my surroundings the colors all seem to fade. I can't say what the difference might be but on some occasions the complete opposite happens and the colors just seem to get brighter and brighter!
These leaves, for example, were from some unknown ground cover that I've waded through on countless hikes never really paying much attention to it. On this day, however, I happened to notice it . The more I looked at it, the green just seemed to get greener and greener. The sunlight shining off of the leaves made the furrows of each leaf deeper and deeper. But the most interesting part I think, was the blackness underneath it all - that unknown region of life that lived there.
For those that can let your mind wander once in a while, the woods and I guess the just the outdoors in general is a great place for travel without ever leaving your seat!

The Shadows...

Sometimes when I'm out in the woods I become engrossed in the feel of the woods. When I'm fortunate enough to find a good resting spot I'll plop myself down and and just slowly take it all in. Eventually the colors all seem to fade and the shadows and their movements take over. What was once a colorful scene has become a kaleidoscope of darkness and light bouncing off of one another, constantly changing and morphing from shape to another until it seems that I'm no longer in the same place that I found so tempting...

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

I've already decided that I couldn't do my mother justice with whatever I could write about her. There's too many things I could say - too many things I should say. She, in all probability, won't see this for some time. She's long given up on computers and all that goes along with them so I'll have to wait for her next visit to our house to show her. She does, however, give me constant encouragement for my photography and every now and then I'll update her digital frame with some of my photos. (All the while listening to her tell me how I'll be successful at it some day-she just knows it!)
As a matter of fact, I can't remember a time in my life when she hasn't encouraged me. I firmly believe that if not for her prayers, encouragement and love down through the years (and there were a lot of years that I needed it) I would be nowhere near the person I am today. Thanks Mom, I love you.
This photo by the way, was taken last year at the capitol building in Jefferson City, Missouri. We traveled there so she could be presented by the Missouri Catholic Conference with the 2009 Citizen Recognition Award for her tireless efforts to abolish the death penalty. I couldn't have been prouder to know that she has fought for what she believes right to the point of statewide recognition. That's the type of person she is- that and much, much more...

A Member Of The Orchestra!

In my last post I mentioned the tree frogs that I like to listen to out back. Today I happened to run across this photo of one of the members of the orchestra while looking for something to post. These guys(gals) are really cool. They've got the fine art of camouflage down pretty well, don't you think? Occasionally one will somehow find it's way into the house (although, I don't know how...)and sometimes even climb up the nearest house plant.
One night I darn near broke my neck avoiding what I thought was a leaf until it hopped about three feet to the left! They're not much over an inch in length so I really didn't give it much thought until it did hop. Anyway, I like them so when one does come in for a visit I do my best to accommodate it. Hopefully they'll be around for a long time- I can't imagine a summer's night out on the patio without them.

Sweet Music...

I think that the one thing I love most about the warmer months are the evenings. There's no real way to explain the feeling that I get when I sit out on the patio at the end of the day and just relax. Don't get me wrong- a winter evening can be beautiful especially when there's snow on the ground but really, the sun going down on a winter's day just signifies the end of the day whereas a spring or summer sunset seems to be bringing on a whole new part of the day.
I think that I could sit outside and listen to the crickets or the frogs off in the field for an eternity. Probably another one of those things that goes back to my childhood I imagine. We had a pretty large family and sometimes just to escape the heat of the house we'd spend many a summer's night out on the front porch just talking or listening to the sounds of the night. Sometimes we played games until it was too dark to see and then we played a little longer usually until someone ran into someone else and ended up with a bump on their head! But I've got to tell you.When the sun sets and the birds give one last short song and the crickets and the tree frogs start in-that's sweet music to my ears.

The Privacy Fence

Recently we and our neighbors decided that the short section of old privacy fence between our properties had to come down. It wasn't very stable and it didn't even run the length of the property. They have a little girl and that fence was really just an accident waiting to happen. So reluctantly, I helped. I say reluctantly because along with the fence we had to take out the shrubs and vines that had intertwined themselves between the privacy fence and the wire fence that had been installed years ago -probably before the privacy fence. ( I wonder if there's a story there...)
Anyway, these vines and shrubs provided an abundance of greenery that, along with the weathered wood backdrop made for some nice photos and the occasional portrait setting.
Well it's gone now. So be it. I guess that the good thing is, is that we have good neighbors like them and we don't need a barrier between us.
And you know, some days it even seems a little sunnier than it used to...

Princess Mia

Mia sure is growing quick. As all children do, she just seems to be getting bigger and smarter every day! She's quickly becoming part of our family just as all the kids do that my wife baby sits, some more than others. But she does have an edge. Living next door we tend to see quite a lot of her.
She's my sweety, though. Let there be no doubt about that -that is, unless my wife asks her whose girl she is then all of a sudden she's her girl and no amount of begging from me will change that. But when Mom or Dad comes to pick her up there's no real debating whose girl she is!
Fortunately for us there's enough princess in Mia to make us all feel special. And we do...

Look Out Below!

I can remember when I was a little boy playing outside, usually with my cowboys and Indians or my army men. My brothers and I would have the best time finding things that fit the scenery for our miniature worlds. Gravel would easily be boulders, tiny twigs would be logs and leaves could be anything from rooftops to blankets for the weary warrior resting just before the ambush!
I still like to look as close as I can at the ground beneath me- just to see what there is to see. There really is a whole other world down there. And yes, it is fascinating! You never know what (or who) you might find if you look close enough.

The Absence of Color...

Some subjects just seem to scream black and white! Although it may be hard to tell by my photographs, I am a huge fan of the B/W photo. Someday I hope to become a more accomplished photographer in the black and white field.
There's something about the mood that a B/W photo sets that's really an amazing thing, especially considering the absence of color.
Now I won't continue to try and talk about the intricacies of B/W photography like I really know what I'm talking about. Usually, as in a lot of my pictures, I just get lucky and I'm happy with it. There are plenty of B/W photographers out there though, so check them out. They're not hard to find but once you do they're definitely hard to leave!

It's Here!

Yes it is, it's here! It's time to start getting my hiking fix once again. I am definitely ready to start getting back out in the woods and seeing what there is to see. I know that the winter time has it's share of awesomeness in the woods and I guess that I got a pretty fair share of winter hiking in but man there's just something about the woods in the spring and summer months. Getting out in it and and being one with nature is a heck of a lot easier when the temperature is comfortable.
This photo is exactly what I'm talking about. Having the time and patience to see all there is to see. Some days I think that I could find me a spot and stay there all day and never get tired of the things I see. Hopefully I'll be blessed with enough spare time this summer to get out in it and find as many new sights as I can snap a shutter at!

April Showers...

I'm pretty sure that it's not just me when I say that the seasons are changing. I don't think that we can really depend on the old adages anymore like April showers bring May flowers or out like a lion, in like a lamb (and vice versa). It seems like when I was a kid you could hang your hat on those things. These days, though, it's 70 degrees in December, 95 degrees in June and the rainy season is now the icy season. This April we've gotten relatively no rain to speak of (yet, anyway) and although we are loving the warm sunny days, in the back of our minds we know that it's probably not a good sign.
I'd like to say that we're doing all that we can to help reverse the effects of global warming but the truth of the matter is even though we recycle and try to do the other things that we feel are necessary I know that we're a far cry from doing all that we can.
Now, I'm no expert on global warming and I'm really not trying to get on my soapbox but I do know how much I love this planet and all it's beauty. So let's all work together on this one and hopefully we can get things back on track and hopefully it can be in our lifetime!

Just Inside!!

Springtime in southwest Missouri, as in most other areas of the U.S., means baseball. In 2005 we got the Springfield Cardinals, the Double-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. It was a chance, once again, for the area population to root for a team where the players have the opportunity to advance to "The Bigs".
Way back in 1932 the St. Louis Cardinals moved a team here until it relocated to St. Joseph in 1946. Along the way such players as Stan "The Man" Musial, Dizzy Dean and Pepper Martin got their cleats dirty in our town before becoming legends of the game.
Most in the Springfield and St. Louis organizations consider this team an extension of it's predecessor displaying championship banners from the 30's and 40's!
Anyway, this was definitely one of those lucky shots. I was actually hoping for a big hit and had no idea where the ball had frozen until I later viewed the shot! I'd like to say that I planned it that way but you know I'm not that way.
So here's to the upcoming season and the Springfield Cardinals - Play Ball !!

Happy Easter!

You know, I thought about doing a post with a real springtime kind of picture or maybe a sunrise or even some flowers blooming. It's been (other than really windy) a very nice day- spring is definitely here!
My wife, son and I arose especially early and went to a sunrise service at the Cowboy Church. It was our first visit but I'm sure, not the last. It was a simple, down to earth kind of service that we really enjoyed followed by a pancake breakfast.
Later in the morning my wife and I went to services with our respective mothers followed by dinner at my sister's. I'm still full!
With all of this going on I can say that I'm very fortunate that I have a family that does not lose
sight of the real reason that we celebrate Easter.
Mathew 28:6- He is not here; he is risen, just as he said.

Tree Buddin' Time...

Man! It was into the lower 80's today and I'm noticing more and more trees budding. Our neighbor's maple tree was the unfortunate victim of the utility company's tree trimming campaign last winter and we've been missing it ever since- not to mention how much we will this fall.
Our red bud tree, even though it was right beside it, was spared and we're reaping the benefits of the 70-80 degree days right now. That's definitely the prettiest time of the tree.
But anyway I'm hoping that the vacancy left by the maple tree will allow more sunshine for the red bud and give it enough of a growth spurt that in time the area won't seem quite so empty.

Many Thanks...

Many thanks to my friend Claudia at In linii mari for giving me this award. I really appreciate any acknowledgment I get from fellow photographers. I'm pretty new to the world of photography so these things mean a lot to me as encouragement.
A while back David at One Foote Closer sent me an award and in turn I was supposed to award fellow photographers that I thought worthy. I dropped the ball on that one and I apologize.
So here's my list. Please look them up if you're not already familiar with them. It's quite a diverse group- all very worthy.


1. http://amatamari.blogspot.com/
2.http://ruthikenneyphotos.blogspot.com/
3.http://justamomentpixels.blogspot.com/
4.http://www.fiftypercentchanceofrain.com/
5.http://david-foote.blogspot.com/
6.http://blog.highton-ridley.co.uk/
7.http://oneloosenut.blogspot.com/
8.http://hb-foto.blogspot.com/
9.http://przekornie.blogspot.com/
10.http://photographyrobzabroky.blogspot.com/

Typical Sunday...

You know, sometimes I just don't have much to say. It's been kind of a busy Sunday with church, out to lunch, home to watch a movie, getting a workout in and taking Brendon for a couple of games of bowling (I've started calling him The Dude ala The Big Labowski). That's pretty normal for us though- we don't seem to stop for breath too often. So I guess I've been left speechless (or thoughtless or maybe just clueless!)
Anyway here's another "no particular reason" picture. I was just going back over some older pictures and this is one that I've always liked- I hope you like it too.

Ladieeeees and Gentlemen !

The Shrine Circus came to town the other night and although Brendon thought that he was too old to like it -he's almost eleven! - we all had a good time. It's been a few years since we last went so I didn't really remember what to expect. I would guess that in the "big cities" the circuses are well, bigger. But this circus had just about everything you could want under the big top. There were clowns of course. There were tigers jumping through flaming hoops. There were performing elephants and there were, among a variety of acts that took place high above the circus floor, these ladies. Situated at intervals around the perimeter each lady did a variety of twists, turns and "falls" each at her own pace so that you had to constantly look from one to the other in order to take it all in.
When the last act had finished and we waited for the crowd to thin I thought about how cool it was to be at the circus. I felt a little different than when I first walked in but yet I knew that I'd had this feeling before. I think, yeah I think I felt... almost eleven!

St. Louis Blues Hockey !

Notice the exclamation point after the title. That's there for a couple of reasons. One being- I love St. Louis Blues hockey and the other is , well you really have to be there. Hockey is not easily explained to those that don't know the sport. I mean there's cross checking, there's boarding, there's icing, there's face offs, there's off sides (probably the easiest to explain) and a whole list of other infractions and rules that seem to be unexplainable to those that aren't already familiar to the game at least a little bit.
Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of having a large fan base that I can relate to here in southwest Missouri. There are some fans but we seem to be awfully scattered out.
At any rate, my family took our annual trip to St. Louis for a Blues game this past Sunday and unfortunately didn't get back in town until around midnight so I'm posting tonight. (By the way, that was six hours of driving in the rain and sleet.)
OK imagine this- a 6 ft. 2in. man (somewhere around 220 lbs.) skating as fast as he can from one end of the rink to the other and coming to an abrupt halt with shaved ice flying. As he stops he passes the puck backwards between his legs to an on coming team mate who in turn skates forward and passes the puck to another player waiting to bank the pass to yet another team mate who one times it ( that's a shot off of a pass without stopping the puck) to another player that manages to get his stick at just the right height and just the right angle to get the puck into the net past a, by now, very disappointed goalie that seems to cover 90 percent of the goal opening all in just about the amount of time it took to read this scenario.
That's hockey! Exclamation point!

'Possums (Or Opossums)

OK, this isn't exactly what it seems. I could tell you some story about stumbling across this 'possum (or opossum if you prefer) in the woods one day while on yet another great hike but I won't. I like to be honest with my stories, that way when something really unbelievable does happen you'll believe me.
This was the second 'possum that I managed to trap out behind my shed. The thing is, my shed is 20ft. by 30 ft. and in the process of becoming my man cave. In addition to the two 'possums there's also an armadillo and at least one groundhog that have decided to make their homes under the future man cave! Besides the damage that the armadillo and the groundhog do to the foundation and the yard in general I just can't have them as tenants- I want them gone. So being the humane type of person that I am, I decided to trap them. Actually the 'possums weren't really doing any damage that I know of (other than driving the dog crazy at bathroom time) but they needed to go so I could get to the armadillo and groundhog.
I'm hoping to see the armadillo in the trap in the morning so I can move forward to getting that dang groundhog! We'll see. By the way, the 'possums were released in the woods at the same spot so hopefully they can reunite and make a new home together and have hundreds of little 'possum (or opossum) babies!

Take A Deep Breath...

This is actually a continuation of the last post. It seems like it's been rainy, cold and dreary ever since that front moved in. Spring is almost upon us so although the weather is not what we want, we also know that there's not much of it left. These cloudy wet days eventually take a toll on one's psychological well being so I'm just being pretty blah lately and I don't have much to say. You can bet though, that when the sun finally comes out and the temperature starts to climb into the 70's ( and I know that it will soon) it will be reflected in my pictures and words. Until then I'll just take a deep breath, think about sunny days to come and wait...

Hang On Tight...

It was what you call a gorgeous day in the Ozarks today! The temperature got up to 73 degrees from what I gather. Unfortunately when the temps rise at this time of year it usually brings with it the big storms. As we speak (or I guess as I write) the weather over in the Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas corner is getting pretty rough.
I can sure understand the exhilaration that the storm chasers get when they're in the midst of a big storm. I get a real kick when I'm out in it taking pictures. I've yet to have the opportunity to photograph a tornado though. I think that it would be a hell of an adrenaline rush but at the same time I am aware of the damage they inflict and the lives that are lost every year to the storms. That being said I wouldn't wish a tornado to ever show up just so I could get some good pictures - I'm just saying if I had the opportunity...
At any rate it's soon to be that time of year so grab a hold of something and hang on tight.

Baxter Springs, Kansas

Every now and then I may refer to something or someplace as a "Mayberry" kind of thing or place. Hopefully you understand that this is in no way a slight to this particular thing or place. As a matter of fact it is, in my mind, a very high compliment. (For those that aren't familiar with Mayberry you should Google Mayberry, RFD or Andy Griffith - just to get the whole feel of what I'm talking about.) At any rate I don't know if it's because of the age I am, the life style I used to live or what but I find myself being drawn more and more to places that go at a little slower pace.
Now, don't get me wrong I'm no expert on Baxter Springs but this last weekend my wife and I did get a chance to eat at a very good restaurant there called Cafe on the Route (named for the fact that it sits on the old Route 66) and afterward take a walk in the historic district. I left feeling like I had a pretty good picture of life there in general, or at least hoped that I did, and I liked it! I There's just something about the old buildings and the neon signs that just make you want to hang out there.
Unfortunately we did not get a chance to check out the soda fountain but we did grab a soda pop from the Coke machine in front that still cost only 50 cents. That's what I'm talking about!

The Field Behind Our House...

The field behind our house has been a great place for me to catch some really nice sunsets and various other weather conditions that happen to roll through. Our neighborhood used to be a row of houses, mostly on one side of the street, surrounded by fields. Unfortunately the fields are shrinking and the houses are multiplying. There has been four, yes four subdivisions rise up in our immediate vicinity in just the last three years.That's way too much, way too fast! I can see some day having to find a more secluded area to live- maybe when I become a "successful" photographer. But for now I'll keep climbing the fence out back to get a good view and every time I see the man that comes twice a year to mow I'll reiterate my plea for him to hold onto his land and never give in to the urge to sell.

A Good Sign

Well today is the last day of February and in my way of seeing things, spring is just around the corner. March, being the month of spring, is the first step towards warmer months. I say this in part as some sort of encouragement to my friends on the east coast- we all know that they've seen more than their fair share of snow and harsh conditions.
When summer turns to fall and fall turns to winter everything is cool - for awhile. It must be the temperatures that tend to slow me down, I guess. I don't know but by January I'm just plain tired of it.
Anyway this Crocus popped up the other day and just the mere sight of it seemed to give me hope that the trees will start budding and the flowers will all start blooming any day now. ( I know that it's still winter and even in spring it gets cold and can snow plenty but work with me here.) It is a sign though and a good sign at that.

I'll Get The Shot...

I took this picture one morning at Drummond Lake. I actually went there to see if I could get a good picture of this Great Blue Heron. As far as I know he (she?) is the only one there which I find hard to believe because I found that they normally nest in large colonies of up to several hundred pairs. I can only assume that they tend to venture out alone to do their hunting because in several visits to Drummond Lake I've only seen one - possibly not the same one but probably so. At any rate getting this one's picture was an exercise in, well, exercising! It didn't take long to spot it and apparently it spotted me. Just as I was focusing in it took flight- all the way to the other end of the lake. I kept it in my sight as I made my way to the other end. As soon as I got close I slowed my pace as not to spook it again. This time the heron's head was down so I eased closer - you know what's coming here- just as I again lifted my camera and started to focus off it flew- all the way to the other end. This went on more times than I really want to talk about.
I followed it back one last time only because it was on the way out. Like I said, I got a couple of pictures but not near the close up I envisioned on my way to the lake. I did get a few shots from a distance and my stay was a little longer than you can tell from this post but all in all it was not a very fruitful day. Some day I'll bring my lunch and find a nice place to sit and wait and wait and probably wait some more but I'll get the shot I want- I will!

The Sleddin' Hill

Well for now the sleddin' hill is bare - bare of snow that is. For now... It's still winter and it's still February and the weatherman is still predicting a chance of snow in the next couple of days but for now there's no snow. We've had an extra amount of the white stuff this winter and I'm not so sure that's it's not a developing trend for future winters but then again it seems like every winter when I was a youngster it snowed and snowed and snowed. So maybe it's a recurring weather pattern(once every one hundred years!)I loved it then and I guess that I love it now - to an extent. I just seem to tire of it a little quicker than when I was a youngster.
My son thinks that there's something wrong with me when I mention that spring is just around the corner with a smile on my face. "Why does that make you happy?!"I guess I don't really have a good reason it just does...

And Now For Something Completely Different...

As most of you know, Monday was Presidents' Day and school was out. I happened to be off work that day so we felt that a trip to the Discovery Center was in order. (It also didn't hurt that our neighbor works there and she provided us with free tickets.) But even so, it's a place we like to take Brendon to and a place that he likes to go.
So on a cold and blustery day (as most of them seem to be these days) we went. We had a lot of fun with Brendon and Mia checking out the kinetic wheel, making giant bubbles, printing newspaper articles with pictures, walking through the giant mouth and building towers as tall as we could reach.
At one point as I was left behind and making my way from one floor to the next to catch up I sat on the stairs to change my lens (you know that I had my camera!) I looked up and this is what I saw. Dizzying to say the least but really cool . Needless to say, I spent the rest of the afternoon shooting stairwells, block glass and assorted structures from any and all angles.
I think that I like this form of abstract architecture- if that's what you call it. I'm sure I don't know but I do know that I think I'll be taking a little side journey every now and then into it and just getting into something completely different!

Happy Valentines Day

Here's a rose to all of you for Valentines Day. As it is Valentines Day I have better things to do than sit on the computer and type some long winded post. So here's to you (and me) and here's hoping your day is all that you wanted it to be!

What It's All About...

I can't write much tonight because unfortunately, I'm getting over a short bout with the stomach flu! No major deal really but I'm worn out.
Anyway here's my daredevil just hitting the bottom of the hill. He loves the cold and he especially loves it when it comes with snow. On this particular day he ended up with a sprained ankle. There just happened to be a curb at the bottom of one sled trail. Fortunately (and unfortunately)he wasn't traveling head first that time!
I guess when you're 10 years old that's what winter is all about.

A Simpler Life...

For some reason people seem to have a fascination with barns- old barns, new barns, painted or weather worn- it doesn't matter much one way or another. They just want a good barn picture. I don't know why that is but I do know that I'm one of them.
Maybe it takes us to a simpler time. You know- Andy and Barney and Opie and Aunt Bee(that's pronounced Aint Bee by the way).
This is a barn that I stumbled across one morning when the fog lifted and I was trying to find my way back to the main highway. I sat at the cross roads and took several shots before turning around and retracing my route. I guess that's part of the fun of photography though-stumbling across the unexpected and being lucky enough to have your camera with you when you do!

The War Eagle Mill

This is the War Eagle Mill and the War Eagle Bridge on War Eagle Road next to the War Eagle Creek near- yep, War Eagle, Arkansas. Which, by the way, is on the National Register of Historic Places for those of you (like myself) that aren't "in the know".
At any rate, the mill here is pretty well known around the northern parts of Arkansas and the southern parts of Missouri too. It's chock full of history-way more than I could fit in this post.
So look it up, check it out and go visit it. It's a great place with a big commitment to your health and the planet as they explain in detail on their site.
As their slogan says, "Rising above the daily grind since 1832"!

The Tufted Titmouse

Well as the weatherman accurately predicted, it snowed-lots. And even though it has snowed and reached below average temperatures before this our bird feeder hasn't had very many patrons this winter. I don't know why they've been absent but they're making up for it these last few days. The nice thing about it is that we're seeing a lot of different varieties that we don't normally see. Along with this Tufted Titmouse the regulars include a Red Headed Woodpecker, a Downy Woodpecker, several Dark-eyed Juncos and plenty of Cardinals.
I sat inside behind the sliding glass doors and got a few good shots over the weekend - I guess that's a testament to my wife's window cleaning.
Anyway I hope that they'll stick around for awhile because we really enjoy watching them.
And by the way, I did refill the feeder after this shot!

Makin' a Fog Run

Here's a spot I stumbled across when I made my last "fog run"- I believe that I mentioned it last week. Anyway I'm not sure that I could get back to this place without a little searching. I was on Hwy. 13 trying to go fast enough that the traffic would not barrel down upon me and slow enough to spot any possible shots. The fog was thick- so thick that I decided that it wasn't really safe to be going 50-60 mph like everyone else seemed to think it was so at first chance I peeled off of the highway onto a side farm road. Fortunately this pond caught my eye fairly soon after my exit from 13 and I was able to pull far enough off the road that I wasn't too worried about any traffic coming over the hill. It's a cool place to be sure. I think that there's a house on the other side of the pond which makes me a little envious to say the least. I'm sure that I'll find it again when the weather changes maybe in the spring but who knows- it's supposed to snow again tomorrow...

The Beauty of Winter

The snow's all gone for now and that's fine by me. After the big freeze we all had and the subsequent thaw I'm ready for springtime. It's too easy to forget that we're still in winter and it's supposed to be cold when the temps start to rise into the 50's. I'm sure that we'll have to endure another bout of frigid cold and probably some more snow before springtime actually does arrive and I know that some followers are thinking that I don't know what real cold weather is and that's just fine by me too. But in the meantime I'm thankful as always that there are places like this that only tend to magnify the beauty of winter and I'm around to see it and hopefully capture a part of it.

Burnin' Ball of Fire!

This is our dog Tabasco. The "book" says that a true chihuahua should be 6 lbs. or under- I didn't know that and apparently he doesn't either because he's a chihuahua and he weighs a whopping 7.5 lbs.! Now, normally he's a burnin' ball of fire. No really he is. It's just that in this picture he's just got finished being a burning ball of fire and he's letting his jets cool a little. Probably plotting how to cut his angle next time he's going after that smart alec cat, or that sneaky 'possum or that really unfriendly skunk that for some reason didn't turn tail and run-he just turned tail! I guess that's another story for another day...

Lake Drummond

This is Lake Drummond in Close Memorial Park on Springfield's south(west) side. We awoke to a
heavy fog the other morning so I decided to try and get some shots of the lake (I call it a pond...)with the fog hanging over it. Unfortunately by the time I got around and made my way across town the fog had lifted. The weatherman said that there would be a heavy fog advisory until mid morning! I'm really ill prepared some days to be an actual nature photographer but it was a nice walk in the park. The frigid temperatures that had enveloped the nation were finally rising (which, in turn, brought on the fog) and people were coming out of their cubby holes.
Not to worry though, it was foggy again this morning and I hopped straight out of bed to wander through the back roads in search of "the shot".
I'll share them another time.

Before "Civilization" Arrived...

I'm not sure where my head was at last night. For some reason getting a new post up completely slipped my mind. I think maybe it was the fact that my son had a test today that he needed a little nudge to study for. Social Studies- the American Revolution and the French and Indian War to be more precise. I like that stuff.
A lot of the time when I'm out in the woods I tend to think about life in the early stages of our country. And every now and then I find myself in a spot that makes it easy to imagine what life was like there before "civilization" arrived. I'm sure the spirits of early settlers and the Native Americans that once roamed the hills, valleys and forests of this land of ours are still there and probably thankful that "civilization" hasn't made it there yet...

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge

One of the very cool things we did on our New Years vacation was to go to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, just down the road from Eureka Springs Ark. What makes this place so cool is their mission. It is, and I quote, "To provide lifetime refuge for abandoned, abused and neglected "Big Cats" with emphasis on Tigers, Lions, Leopards and Cougars."
There really is way too much information to tell you everything so please look it up and check out what they have to offer. One thing that we found interesting though, is the on site lodging. I'm thinking that it would be mighty awesome to fall asleep with the big cats roaring off in the distance.
I do have a friend though, that related a funny story to me about his family stay there when the power went off and his wife and kids hearing the lions' constant roaring had visions of a Jurassic Park type breakout and spent the night in the attic while he sat on the deck and enjoyed the night...

A Day Too Soon...

In my opinion the only thing that makes winter bearable (other than Thanksgiving, Christmas and my birthday) is when it snows. It seems that most days it's dreary and gray with highlights of brown. I think that most of you know that I find beauty in everything so I hope that you can sense the sarcasm in that last statement but still when it snows everything transforms into a whole new dimension. This was the view from our balcony during our visit to Arkansas. Unfortunately, it came during our last night so our excitement was short lived.Thanks to a few reluctant drivers though, the drive home through the winding, hilly highways was at a snail's pace so we didn't miss a bit of the beautiful Arkansas landscape!

Still Life

I don't have too much to say tonight. We just got back from our New Year's vacation down in the Arkansas Mountains. I do want to say though, that we had a great time- a very relaxing time- and I shot bunches of pictures that I'll be sharing with you all soon.
It's a new year-2010. Let's all make the best of this one!

Happy New Year!

I'll be out of town for the next few days so I wanted to get a post in. I hope everyone has a very happy and safe new year and don't make any resolutions that you can't keep! This is Megan, by the way. You should recognize her from a couple of previous posts -she's my sweety.
Happy New Year!

Whew!

I, for one, am glad this weekend is over. I always enjoy Christmas and most of the hustle and bustle but there seemed to be a lot more hustle than bustle this year. Christmas Eve after running around all day we went to the children's mass at St. Agnes Cathedral with my mother and then out to dinner. On Christmas morning we had family over for breakfast and then went to my sister's for dinner later in the day. Saturday my oldest son and the grandkids came to stay for a couple of days and we had another Christmas with them. As if all of that didn't keep me busy enough I had to replace a busted water pipe Saturday afternoon that ended up blowing out twice more and therefore needed to be babysat for most of the night to make sure it was good. (and yes - if I'd have done it right the first time ...)
I'm tired. I hope you like the winter sunset over Truman Lake- I did...

It Just Doesn't Get Any Better...

Well, tomorrow is Christmas Eve! Everything is coming together for the big day. I personally am done shopping- something I can't always say by this time. Although I still have ideas for something else to chase around town trying to find, I believe that I'll let it rest and call it good.
In just a matter of a few days our chance for snow has went from 12% to 3-5 inches predicted for tomorrow! That's the crazy weather of the Ozarks but you know I'm digging it.
I'm definitely looking forward to a white Christmas -it just doesn't get any better than that...

The Next Best Thing...

We made our annual trek to see the lights at Silver Dollar City this past week. If you're ever in this part of the country at Christmas time you should do yourself a favor and go there. The whole village - and I mean the whole village is lit up with what is probably millions of Christmas lights. Every building, every pathway, every light post and every tree is adorned with lights. The air is filled with Christmas music from one corner to the next. It's an experience that you and ( if you have them)your children should not pass up. If you're having trouble getting into the spirit of things then you surely won't be by the time you leave. It's the next best thing to the North Pole at Christmas!

So You're Saying There's A Chance...

Well, last I heard we have about a 12% chance of snow on Christmas. Yes, I'm one of those people. Actually I wouldn't care if it snowed all year as long as it snowed for Christmas. I like the cloudy days with flurries while I listen to my Christmas music and sip my cappuccino. I guess that in a lot of ways I'm pretty old fashioned- at least at this time of year. I want to hear Bing Crosby and Dean Martin and some really mellow jazz. And always, always Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown Christmas!
I imagine that for now I'll just have to settle for frost on the ground and some chilly temperatures while I'm waiting for the chance of snow to improve.