Well, sooner or later ever year there comes a point where it feels like winter has arrived. This week here at Wild Ozark marked that point. It’s been 19*F some mornings, but this morning was 24*F and that is plenty cold enough.
Frost flowers have been everywhere this morning, and previous mornings this week. They’re the most ephemeral of ‘flowers’, shorter lived than even the bloodroot and other true flower ephemerals that appear in spring.
Frost Flowers
They form when temperatures drop enough to freeze the sap in the lower parts of certain plants. The sap is squeezed out of the stem, freezing as it hits the air, resulting in very interesting ice patterns like these below.
Witch Hazel
The witch hazel by the waterfall on the driveway is about finished blooming now. There are two varieties of witch hazel in our area. The one that blooms in Oct-December are the Hamamelis virginiana. The flowers on these are yellow.
The ones that bloom closer to spring are the Hamamelis vernalis. That one is endimic only to the Ozarks. The flowers on those are more orange. Sometimes it still feels like winter when the witch hazels bloom. They’re one of the only true flowers I ca
Herding Cows
The first thing I did this morning was herd cows out of our yard, down the driveway, and out the gate. Now that it’s warmed up to a balmy 39*F, I’m feeling more up to the task of going out to check fences and make some patches wherever it looks like cows are taking advantage of gaps to get in.
Recent floods still have unrepaired damage on our own fences, so there’s work to be done there, too. Down by the gate at the front end of the driveway, where the fence crosses the creek, is the first place I think I’ll start with.
My temporary fixes involve haystring, lol, not barbed wire. I have a ton of it piled up in the shed, left from the bales I’ve been feeding the horses. As much as I hate that the strings are all plastic now instead of jute like it used to be, at least it holds up longer when used to patch old fences.
No Snow or Ice Storms, but still Feels Like Winter
The persimmon seeds all predict that it will be a snowy winter. Little shovels in every one we opened. I really hope not. But I’d rather have snow than ice or frigid wind chills. I’m glad our winters don’t last more than a few months. It’s always a relief to know spring is just around the corner. But during summer, I’m always looking forward to fall.
I don’t care anymore for extremes in anything – hot or cold, wet or dry, or in the highs and lows of life, either. A little more of the middle zones would be welcome on all counts.
ABOUT
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Madison Woods is the pen-name for my creative works. I’m a self-taught artist who moved to the Ozarks from south Louisiana in 2005. My paintings of Ozark-inspired scenes feature lightfast pigments from Madison county, Arkansas. My inspiration is nature – the beauty, and the inherent cycle of life and death, destruction, regeneration, and transformation.
Roxann Riedel is my real name. I’m also salesperson for Montgomery Whiteley Realty. If you’re interested in buying or selling in Madison or Carroll county, AR, let me know! You can see the properties that I blog about at WildOzarkLand.com.
Wild Ozark is also the only licensed ginseng nursery in Arkansas. Here’s the link for more information on the nursery
P.S.
There’s always a discount for paintings on the easel 😉
Here’s my Online Portfolio
And, Click here to join my mailing list.
Contact Mad Rox: (479) 409-3429 or madison@madisonwoods and let me know which hat I need to put on 🙂 Madison for art, Roxann for real estate, lol. Or call me Mad Rox and have them both covered!
https://www.youtube.com/@wildozark
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Author/Artist Info
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I make Paleo Paints from the lightfast pigments foraged from Madison county, Arkansas, creating under the pseudonym Madison Woods. Most of the colors I use comes from rocks gathered from our own creeks here at Wild Ozark. I outsource titanium for white, lapis for blue, and grow garden thyme for yellow.
My inspiration is nature – the beauty, and the inherent cycle of life and death, destruction and regeneration. My work is a partnership with the land. Immersing in her color, absorbing inspiration, taking communion. A painting begins with a foray to collect rocks, soot and bone. Each pigment, alone a portrayal of beauty, combined in a painting, becomes a whole reflection of the very soul of the Ozarks.
My Portfolio is HERE
Click here to join my mailing list.
I’m also a REALTOR® with Montgomery Whiteley Realty, under my real name Roxann Riedel. If you’re thinking of moving to the Ozarks of Arkansas and would like me to be your Buyer’s Representative, email, text, or call me at (479) 409-3429! And if you’re moving away from or selling property in Madison, Newton, or Carroll county, I’m happy to be your Listing Agent.