Wild Ozark™

~ Nature Artist in Kingston, Arkansas ~

Category: Photography

  • Perseverance

    If there’s one thing to know about me, it’s that I’m stubborn and don’t give up easily. And I draw a lot of inspiration from nature.

    This snail is steadfastly going over obstacles that could proportionately be called boulders. I …

  • Comanche’s Eye

    My horse's eye

    There is just something special about the eyes of a horse. I can’t tell you what it is because I don’t know the words to explain it.

    I haven’t had a lot of time for blogging lately, so I think …

  • Imposter by Nature – Hognose Snake

    Valerie, don’t read this post… it’s about a hognose snake and there are pictures 😉

    Situational Awareness Lesson

    This is a negative lesson. Don’t do what I do. Luckily for me, it wasn’t as bad a situation as it could …

  • Ozark Backroad Photo Journey – Come Along for the Ride

    Whenever I go away from the house alone, I take my camera. A simple run to the post office or to town becomes an Ozark Backroad Photo Journey. I generally try not to do this when I have passengers or …

  • Slugs and Dragons and Ginseng, Oh My! Wild Ozark Creations

    I’ve been working on a few new Wild Ozark creations lately. This creative streak seems to have no end in sight, either, because ideas just keep coming and I keep feeling compelled to follow them through.

    Slugs

    This is the …

  • Mailbox and Back in Under an Hour

    Yesterday I brought my camera with me when I went to the mailbox. If I had walked, I know it would have taken more than an hour because I would have seen so many more opportunities to stop and take …

  • Homestead Work

    We’ve been busy doing a lot of outdoor homestead work since we came home from our gold panning trip to Colorado. That’s why there’s been no recent posts from me.

    The weather has been atrociously hot and I’m just too …

  • Avoiding Burnout: Fun Days at Wild Ozark

    Avoiding Burnout

    Anyone who has ever tried to build a homesteading life will know it’s a tremendous amount of work. So we also work at avoiding burnout.

    The list of things on the “to do” list is so long, our …

  • Dirt Road Photos – Ozark Sunset Silhouettes

    Scene from the dirt road in the Ozarks of northwest Arkansas.
    Scene from the dirt road in the Ozarks of northwest Arkansas.

    The Ozarks from a Scenic Dirt Road

    I was driving home from my daughter’s house this evening as the sun began setting on our beautiful Ozark hills. Just so happened …

  • Kings River Falls – Photos from our hike

    Kings River Falls – Photos from our hike

    On Sunday I went hiking with my two oldest children and their children, one of my daughter’s friends and her children, and my parents to the Kings River Falls. This trail is a little north and east of Fallsville, AR …

  • With a departing roar

    [Image of a departing storm] With a departing roar the storm rolled off to the east. Clear skies between broken clouds filled the southwestern wake.
    With a departing roar the storm rolled off to the east. Clear skies between broken clouds filled the southwestern wake.

    Nature is my muse.

    I’ve been working hard on my novel, trying to get the first draft finished by the …

  • Symbols of Warmth and Sustenance

    I brought the camera with me this foggy morning to capture some of the beauty that surrounded me in the hushed quiet of our little Wild Ozark valley.

    When I came back in I sat on the porch and listened …

  • Feeding critters under a gentle patter of rain

    This morning I was feeding critters under a gentle patter of rain. There are times when I am tired or don’t feel like going out on my regular chore round, but for the most part I enjoy this part of …

  • Beautiful Fall Misty Morning

    There is a silence accompanied by a misty morning that is unlike anything else.

    This morning I sat on the porch to have my morning coffee. The roosters refrained from crowing. The logging activity is either done or stopped for …

  • Rattlesnake at the Gate

    Rattlesnake at the gate

    Gnats have made it nearly impossible for me to stand being outside at my potting bench for very long.

    Yesterday I did the little bit of work I needed to do at it while trying not to breathe so the …

  • Unripe Fruit

    I have a hard time believing I have no pictures – at all – of ripe elderberry fruit. After digging through file after unfruitful file, I thought it might be faster to just go get a new photo.

    Not quite.…

  • What’s Blooming at the end of May?

    Wild Ozark plants blooming at the end of May

    I took a little walkabout yesterday to photograph some of the flowers that are setting berries, blooming, or getting ready to bloom right now.

    Yesterday’s post highlighted the orchid I’d been waiting …

  • Talk about Delayed Gratification! (Twayblade Orchid)

    I’ve been waiting a whole year to see this flower.

    When I first found the plant last summer there was only the two leaves. Without seeing a flower, it’s hard to positively identify a plant, unless that plant has something …

  • Sleuthing the Bellwort. Sessilifolia or Perfoliata?

    Sleuthing the Bellwort. Sessilifolia or Perfoliata?

    Sessilifolia or Perfoliata?

    Three species of bellwort are found in Arkansas: Uvularia grandiflora, U. sessilifolia, and U. perfoliata. The one I see most often around here is the grandiflora, or Large-flowered bellwort as it’s commonly called.

    Bellwort in the Ginseng

    …

  • Sun Splashes, Tree Silhouettes and Flowering Woodland Herbs

    The day was dreary for the most part, but just before sunset the sky brightened. And so I went out with the camera and managed to get a few photos of some of the flowering woodland herbs in the ginseng …

  • Beautiful Morning in the Ozarks

    I woke before dawn and dragged myself downstairs to get back to work where I’d left off with some last minute edits on the DVD near midnight last night. As the coffee brewed and my eyelids gained motivation to remain …

  • PawPaw Flower Bud

    The PawPaw tree is a ginseng companion plant, or ginseng indicator plant. It often grows where ginseng grows, but is also often found in areas with more sunlight. Here at Wild Ozark it is a fairly good indicator of great …

  • Sights and Sounds of Spring

    Sights and Sounds of Spring

    The sounds of spring fills the night air now. Spring Peepers are calling!

    The only visible signs of spring so far as I can see are the bits of wild onion grass growing with a bit more spright than usual. …

  • Ozark Inspired Podcasts

    Ozark Inspired Podcasts

    Prefer to listen to your stories more than read? Do you like Pinterest? I’ve created a Pinterest board just for Ozark related stories and essays. Do you write fiction or non-fiction that is inspired somehow by the Ozarks? Put …

  • Snow and Ice in the Ozarks

    Snow and ice are a common winter-time theme of my photos out here in the wild Ozarks. I like the balance of movement and stasis and implied potential in this photo of the snow capped rocks. The creek continues to …