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.

Winter Dramas

The sunsets always seem to be more , I don't know, dramatic in the winter months. The colors are more brilliant, the clouds are more turbulent and the sky changes so quickly that every shot is a whole different scene. There's something about standing out in the field (or on top of my house as in this case)with the wind whipping around you and the cold slapping your face that just getting the picture is an adventure in itself.

Whitewashed!

Well we got our first snow today. Not really a snow snow-more like a dusting. But the snow that did come down came hard and fast and horizontal, painting the landscape as it went and leaving the countryside spattered with a fresh coat of white .

Sweet Dreams...

Every now and then the words just don't seem to come to me. I always try to add something to the picture that makes the post a little more interesting. I could even go so far as to say that at times I agonize over my lack of content.
And then sometimes I get a picture like this.
This is Brooklyn...

Helianthus strumosus

This is the Helianthus strumosus - otherwise known as the paleleaf woodland sunflower. I know this because I finally found the web site that is the know-all and tell-all of Missouri plant life. It's called, believe it or not, Missouriplants.com. I just wanted to share that with you. I know that when you're trying to identify flowers color is very important but at this time of year I figured that a black and white was more suitable- kind of like an image in your mind of past memories. Memories that you feed off of until the time comes when the real thing is once again available.

A Splash of Red

Wow, what a blur the last five days have been! I wanted to have a extra special post on the many things that I'm thankful for last Wednesday but Thanksgiving rushed right in. The holiday weekend brought us a lot of extra family time with a lot of extra family. We have quite a large family and our get togethers are always a good time. So I guess that even with all of God's beauty that I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by what it all comes down to is family. I have to say though, even with all that said I'm always thankful for a splash of red on an otherwise dreary, drizzly day!

My First Award!

The Best Blog Award!!
Many thanks to my fellow blogger David at One Foote Closer for bestowing this award upon me. I'm pretty new at the blogging business so I'm feeling especially appreciative. David has been very encouraging in my pursuit of the perfect blog (if there were such a thing!) with his comments.
Click on his link and begin enjoying his work. Don't forget to become a follower!
I have been instructed to choose 15 blogs that I feel are worthy of this award to pass it on to. Check back in soon to see who they are.
Thanks again to David!

Rocket Man

"Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids
In fact it's cold as hell
And there's no one there to raise them if you did
And all this science I don't understand
It's just my job five days a week
A rocket man, a rocket man
And I think it's gonna be a long, long time
Till touch down brings me round again to find
I'm not the man they think I am at home
Oh no no no I'm a rocket man
Rocket man burning out his fuse up here alone"
Elton John
- I used to think that I was a rocket man. As a matter of fact it took me way too many years to find out that I wasn't nor did I really want to be. What a waste of spirit... Anyway, I'm pretty happy right here on God's green(red, brown, yellow, blue...) earth these days. Whether it's two feet squarely on the ground or flat on my back watching the skys there's no place I'd rather be and no other way I'd rather be living it!

The Song Sparrow

Usually when I'm out on a hike I don't get too close to the wildlife. Not that I wouldn't like to but I'm not trying to be especially quiet, I'm just looking for the cool shots and enjoying the time out. My equipment is not that good for any really long range shots so wildlife photos are just bonus.Birds seem to be especially tricky- they let you sneak up on them and just as you're about to "capture the moment" they flit off just out of range(or sight).
Fortunately for me, this one was a little over confident about it's camouflage and sat still long enough for me to get a couple of decent shots.
This, by the way, is a Song Sparrow. By my count there are roughly forty three different types of sparrows inhabiting southwest Missouri at one time or another of the year. And I thought that a sparrow was just a sparrow!
Everyday that I get out in the woods I learn something new and that's just one more reason to be out there. I doubt that I'll ever become an ornithologist but I can certainly see why people do. You can find out more about the Song Sparrow and just about any other bird you can think of at http://www.allaboutbirds.org/- it's a great site for the bird lover in all of us.

Those Were the Days...

You might remember a few posts back that I said that I was looking forward to going back to Compton Hollow in the fall. I didn't quite make my goal of checking out the fall foliage but I made it back none the less.
All of that aside- I decided to check out the watering holes and try to locate a couple more than I had already seen. Well my friends, this is the watering hole that I've been looking for. (figuratively speaking of course) I don't know- something about this pond just engulfed me. When I came over the ridge at the edge of the pond in the middle of the woods and saw this sight it just seemed to take me somewhere else. I thought about places and times that I hadn't thought about in years as I sat on the edge of the pond. The spot you can see to the far left of the picture is where I daydreamed for some time before finally deciding to pull myself away.
I could get really philosophic here but I won't. I could continue to get sentimental - but I won't. Maybe it wouldn't have affected you as it did me. I somehow think that it would have...

The Barn in the Woods

It was a fairly odd sight. Smack dab in the middle of the woods with no roads or paths for any 4 wheeled type of transportation there it sat. The infamous "barn in the woods". Now,
I'll try to make this story as short as possible. After taking several shots from as many angles I decided to head back to the car. I do realize that I'm an adult but it was a little spooky- in a Blair Witch sort of way. I knew where I was so I took the quicker trail back as it was getting late. Wanting to get one last look at the woods though, I peeled off of the trail for a quick look around. It should have only taken 15 or 20 minutes. Forty five minutes later I'm actually starting to think that I may have to cut right through the brush and head for the sounds of the highway. Funny thing is those sounds were starting to fade and my imagination was starting to grow. I made up this story in my head about the "pull" of the barn and how people went in but didn't come out! Just as I was starting to laugh at myself, out of the corner of my eye there it was - the barn! I'm sure I jerked a major case of whiplash in my neck when I saw it too. Somehow, I'd managed to stumble across that barn a second time, something I'd been unable to do even once in several previous hikes. Once again, I knew where I was and where I needed to go. This time the 15 or 20 minute hike took no more than 5 minutes. No side excursions this time. Well I'm sorry this post got so wordy but I thought that it was a funny story and I don't mind laughing at myself once in a while. I haven't been back to the barn in the woods -at least, not yet. Maybe some bright sunny day...

Did You Know?

In 1906 the first forward pass was thrown. The first NFL football field was 360 yards long and 225 yards wide! The first college football game took place on November 6, 1869 and was between Rutgers and Princeton. Although Rutgers won that contest 6-4 Princeton won the next 68 games in a row from 1870 to 1938!
These are just a few of the game's facts that my son Brendon has, on occasion, chosen to inform me of. At 10 years old, he's the walking, talking Wikipedia of football trivia- especially the early years. So this year's Halloween costume was an easy choice. (Now if we can just figure out how to get that tooth back in...)

From Brilliant to Gone...

Well a lot of the leaves have already went from brilliant to brown and from brown to gone. It is November after all and I guess that they are supposed to be gone by now, but man fall just seems to come and go so fast. I know that officially autumn is still here for a few more weeks but sometimes I wonder what the point is after the leaves have had their annual show.
We can take comfort in the fact though, that there is plenty of beauty all around us still, just waiting for the click of a shutter and a nice spot on the wall to be forever immortalized.

Happy Halloween!

Yeah yeah, I know. Halloween was yesterday but I can still say it! (besides I'm only posting on Wednesdays and Sundays) And seeing how I wanted to incorporate something with some fall colors I went over to Maplewood Cemetery for my annual fall color shots. This is one of the prettiest places for fall colors in all of the Springfield area. There are a lot of nice areas in the fall
around here but not too many have the peacefulness that permeates this place.

Plea For Help!

OK well, I had intended to write something at least a little entertaining but wanting to acknowledge the subject of my photo I took a side journey into the internet trying to identify these purplish flowers. I'm sure that I should know what they are
but, for the life of me,I couldn't find them anywhere in the very short list of Missouri wildflower "handbooks" that was made available to me.
So this is an open invitation (more like a plea for help!) for anyone with knowledge of a good web site about Missouri wildflowers to to let me know about it.
I have, as I'm sure you realize, an abundance of wildflower photos and in order to sound a little like I know what I'm talking about I've got to be able to identify these beautys. My email address is in my complete profile at the right. Thanks in advance-Jeff

Hole In The Wall

This is Valley Water Mill and this little hole in the wall is actually a place of historic significance. In the middle and late nineteenth century it was used as a grist mill and pond and then in the early and middle twentieth century as a water supply for the city of Springfield,Mo. The grist mill was in service until 1898.
This approximately 100 acre area contains a 17 acre lake, wetlands, a spring-fed stream, caves, sinkholes, glades and forests. There is a 2 1/2 mile trail to take all of this in by.
Pretty cool to take in all of this beauty and get a history lesson too. It's truly awesome to live in the Ozarks!

Just Give It a Minute...

Recently I visited the Bois D'Arc Conservation Area. The trails there aren't as intertwined with the landscape as most. What I mean by that is the trails are wide enough to drive a truck through- a big truck. Great for a walk, but not neccessarily being "one" with nature. I enjoy being in the midst of the woods or fields - as I said before, not knowing what's around the bend.
As I sat pondering whether to go off the trail and into the woods this guy fluttered in and sat next to me on this musk thistle. I must have watched him for several minutes because by the time he flew off he had quite a dusting of pollen. I guess this story really isn't going anywhere other than to say that nature is all around us. If you don't think so just give it a minute- it'll come to you.

Bottoms Up!

This chicory doesn't seem to know that summer has come and gone. It seemed to be pretty darn healthy when I saw it recently. I wonder if that has anything to do with it's reputation for making a relatively stout drink. I understand that one can roast the root of the plant and either drink it or use it as an additive for coffee. I doubt that I would go to all of the trouble to roast, grind and brew a cup but I wouldn't mind trying it. Maybe some day I'll be feeling all Ewell Gibbons (remember Mr. Grapenuts?) and I'll give it a try.