A Busy Month

As this been a wild month for me!

Girls Weekend Outing--  We had a great time in Eureka Springs, AR.  We stayed in a beautiful cabin with just enough room for 5 women.  We drove down the gravelly, winding road with a sign stating this was a "secret place" and it was with no cell phone service, Internet and barely a TV signal; they even gave you DVD/ VCR movies to watch.  It was nice to just lay back and enjoy the scenery.  Before we ever checked in we saw 6 deer in the garden just walking around and enjoying whatever they could find.  Then once we checked in we found our cabin which was close to the water (ponds).  There were boats and we could have taken them out or just went fishing.  There were several hiking trails in this place and they would have provided maps.  There were picnic areas for our use.  This place is used for weddings and family gatherings as well.

Mountain View Blue Grass Festival--A group of us went to my first Blue Grass Festival in Mountain View.  I've been to out-door Blue Grass music gatherings before but not like this.  It was great and I enjoyed the music a lot.  There were several singers I liked.  If the opportunity percent's itself I will go back.  This occurs every year the second weekend of November.  Make a mental note-- 2nd thought write it down!

Thanksgiving Week --My step-children are here from out-of-town plus my niece from PB. I hoping to be able to spend quality time with all of them since we don't get to see them much out of the year.  They all came in on Saturday and was here the whole week.  On Tuesday my niece and I went to HS to get Christmas Decorations and would return in time for church on Wednesday evening.   On Wednesday my husband and his two children headed for his mother's house in Fountain Hill.  On Thursday I headed to PB to drop off my niece with intentions of picking her up on Friday by 2pm and returning to LR before meeting up with her brother in JX and have an evening meal with him at the Western Sizzler.

And this is only the 23rd of the month.

I hope each of you will have a great Thanksgiving and will get to spend quality time with your family.  Remember its going to be a great week--weather wise--so get outdoors and have a great time in the Wilderness. 

All the Fall Colors

On Friday I went toward Harrison and around to Ponca and Boxley. The oranges, yellows and reds are bursting everywhere:

This is in the Maplewood Cemetary.  The colors are like this down every row.  Its beautiful and Jasper is the same way but then when you head further north mostly all you see is the yellows and a little red.  Its pretty but not what I expected. 

On Saturday, the Pioneers ( a group at my church) went to Mount Magazine and there was hardly any colors up there.  We could hardly believe it!

Today (Monday) I decided to go toward England, Scott, and Keo.    The color is there. . . . .

Guess what else I found not only color but a lot of Pelicans on the Arkansas River. I was able to get close to the river banks and get some pretty good shots. There was a large group of Pelicans (had to be close to a 75 or so)with a few egrets and coots mixed in.

Well I hope you have had has great a weekend in the Wilderness as I have! ! !

Trip to get Colors

Today I must go to Sheridan to restock my photos.  It wont be an enjoyable trip because I have to rush so.  This evening we will be leaving to go to Richland Creek.  We plan to leave around three which means we will be driving in the dark and will not be able to see all the beautiful colors that are up north.  From what I understand the color is exploding in the Ozark and I want to see it.  We will spend a day there before we have to head back but I'll be able to get a few photos. 

I plan to spend most of the day at Richland Creek.  There are several low lying branches hopefully in bright colors of orange and yellow and enough running water in the creek for cascades.   This is what I look for all year and I have a few places to go but none of them have any color and I don't think this will be the year for it.  I have a few barns with hardwood trees around them that will make beautiful photos if the color comes in.  This is how you use that calendar or logbook I told you about earlier. 

Well I must go.  Its a beautiful day here now but from what I understand the wind is suppose to get wild so I guess it will be a good day to be in the car traveling and not out in the Wilderness walking around which I enjoy a lot.

Have a great day!  

Its Monday!!

Today is Monday! ! !  This is the best day of the week.  Your starting the week off and you've got all week to get it done.  First thing today I went to Bedford.  I plan to put some of my photos in a little store in Sheridan and had to have some prints made.  These were some shot many years ago so I only have slides of them.  Before they can make my prints for me I wanted them made into digital negatives and then enlarged into prints so I could mat and frame them.  It's been awhile but I am finally getting back into the business.

It's a beautiful Fall day and so much is happening in the Wilderness. This past week I was at Hot Springs and the color is just beginning to turn. Lake Ouachita is just beginning to turn and in a couple of weeks the color in Mt. Ida will be great. I want to go back and re-shoot several of the photos I took last week

There were lots of places like this.  HINT:   When you find something that you think would make a great photo opt.  Take a picture.  In your calendar or log book write down the photo number and make notes as to when would be a  good time to come back and make a real photo of it.  That way you have photos to take all year long.

Also, your project for the year is:  pick out a particular place ie:  Mt. Magazine or
                                                       an item ie:  Old Places
Take as many photos as you can of that particular thing and then after all 4 seasons see what you have; maybe, enough for a book or calendar or notebook calendar-- you never know! 

Hope you have a great day in the Wilderness.  There lots to do at this time of year.

Columbus Day

Today is Columbus day--Hope you had a great day and was able to get out and enjoy the Wilderness.

Lots of folks are off today and with this type of weather nothing would be better than a hike in your area.  The Ozark Society's club offers several guided tours through out the year; nearly on a weekly basis.  I didn't know this until today but you do not have to be a member in order to go on these hikes and they have them all over the state  ie:  Hawksbill Crag, Steel Creek (two of my favorite places to go).  If you have never been to either of these two places then you owe it to yourself to go.  Check it out at ozarksociety.net.   The Ozark Society club is not the only hiking club there are several mention on the Internet and I'm sure you can find one to your liking.

If you don't do anything but take a hike around your neighborhood do that you'd be surprised at how much better you'd feel. Enjoy you Wilderness!

Snakes

 

It was such a beautiful day in the Wilderness that I thought I would go out into the woods and take some photos of the many different mushrooms I've been seeing around the yard. While exploring I found a turtle and took several pictures of him and got lots of photos of mushrooms of all color. I also found a copperhead luckily, my husband had a rake with him and could control him rather well. He told me it was because snakes react to heat and the rake was cold.

 

 

 

Doesn't he look friendly.  I thought so I ran and would not have come back but my husband said he would not let him get me and I was dieing (really) to get some photos. 

Later that day I got some good photos of birds but nothing matches those of the snakes!

See you in the Wilderness.

Day before Fall

Wow what a great day or maybe its the mood I'm in.  Last night was the night of our photo meeting at AOPC and I all wound up.  I WANT TO GO TAKE PHOTOS BUT I can't-- I've got company coming and a ball game to go to tonight--the SALT Game. 

In Nov. Tim Earnst will be coming to our club to show his latest photos but I want  get to go because that is our "Girls" weekend (no men allowed).  There is going to be a hot air balloon gathering in Hot Springs in Oct. and I want to be there  I got to get info on this and will  post it as soon as I get it.  ALso I've got to start looking for info on MAPSYSM in Eureka Springs.  Gee so much to do! 

Well, I guess I'd better get on out into the Wilderness if I going to enjoy any part of it to day.  The air is so clean and crisp today.  It has turned off cloudy just right for picture taking of  birds and small creatures.  I hope you're able to get out into the Wilderness and enjoy it some.  Have Fun.