HTBT: June 2012

Table Rock Dam from Dewey Short Visitor Center

David calls these "Chrysler" flowers -- I can see it!

Blackberries on Lakeshore Trail

Butterfly weed - just beautiful

Buttonbush --- bumble bees love these!

Buttonbush

Queen Ann's Lace

Red Hot Poker

Grass with cottony tops line the roads of the Ozarks

Spider Wart - a periwinkle color - are really popping out in the wild right now
This is one of my faves. Almost as exciting as TX Bluebonnets!

Sumac

trumpet flower w/ berries

Queen Ann's Lace closing up

Ahhh, the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees and the moon up above........and a thing called l-l-l-l-love!

Painted Bunting

Male House Finch

5-28-12: Memorial Day: Worked today at the Dewey Short. Thought about all the family and friends who have gone before us today and have made such an impact in my life! We also noticed an overnight change in Branson this weekend! Tourist season is upon us!

David at Sight and Sound Theater

Date night

ORHF peeps at Sight and Sound

5-29-12: David and I met some of the ORHF peeps at the Sight and Sound Theater to see Joseph. Oh my gosh!! What a spectacular play! Great talent, awesome sets, and beautiful animals! And such a wonderful Old Testament story on forgiveness. I always need that! Def a must if you are in the area!

Taneycomo Lake near Powersite

Pretty Lake - Handsome Dude

Powersite Dam - Bull Shoals side

check out the size of those Moth Mulleins

Moth Mullein blooming

6-1-12: After spending a little time at the Taney Hills Library, David, Rocky, and I took a drive over to the Powersite Dam. It was built in 1913 by Empire Power Co. It divides Lake Taneycomo and Bull Shoals Lake. The drive out there was outstanding! We stopped at a scenic overlook on Hwy Y where we had a wonderful view of Taneycomo. Once we got to the Powersite Dam we walked around a bit and enjoyed watching the fishermen and listening to the Herons screech. As we went through Kirbyville, we noticed a Danna's and couldn't resist stopping for lunch. Took the "high road" (465) home. Beautiful drive!

Beautiful Aunt Bonnie

We lost David's sweet Aunt Bonnie today -- Linda Sue's mom. We loved her and will miss her smile and wonderful sense of humor at our family get-togethers.

American Goldfinch

Carolina Chickadee

Blue Jay and House Finch

Blue Bird

Cardinal

Morning Dove

"Beautiful" Turkey Buzzards

Awww, Mr. Sparrow feeding the Mrs.

Tufted Titmouse

White-breasted Nuthatch

6-2-12: Got a lot of birdwatching in today at the campsite.

Male House Finch

Mature and Young Male House Finches

sparrows, house finches, and squirrel who hangs out with the birds

Male House Finch posing for the camera

We saw red house finches (one of my faves - they have a sweet song),

Red-bellied Woodpecker - Male

Red-bellied Woodpecker sharing with a Tufted

love watching these guys take their seeds up to a limb where their lady is waiting for them

the stately red-bellied woodpeckers,

Painted Bunting showing off for a Tufted Titmouse

I could look at this pretty guy all day long!

Isn't he beautiful?

the rare to So Mo, Painted Bunting. Soooo, we decided it's time to get a new lens for David's camera. Got home from lens shopping and saw the woodpecker again and then a PILEATED buzzed through our site. No pic of that one. Yet. I thought at first it was a buzzard or a crow at least. Til he landed on a tree and we got a decent look at him. He didn't stay long. We see these guys on our walks on the Lakeshore Trail. Hopefully, we'll get a pic soon.

6-3-12: Worked today at Dewey Short. David did something I did a few years ago at Mt. Rushmore --- he got in a family's photo! Of course he didn't tell me until it was too late for me to ask for a copy!

Flint Hills near KS and MO line

6-4-12: Headed to Wichita for Bonnie's funeral. We traveled part of Historic Route 66. Then we took backroads through MO where we saw beautiful farmlands and green cornfields. Queen Ann's Lace lined the country roads and was almost as exciting to me as the Bluebonnets. The Flint Hills around the Fredonia, KS area are breathtaking! The expanse of the views allow such sights as the shadows of the clouds splattered along the mountains. Somewhere between Fredonia and Augusta, we saw one of the largest windfarms (turbines) ever! And we couldn't even see it all. I understand it serves the Branson area for one. We passed the Beaumont Historical Hotel and decided to make a day trip of visiting there in Nov.

Snatching some hugs on our quick trip to KS

We stopped by Douglass to grab some grandson hugs then headed over to Mac's house. Got to spend some time with Linda Sue and Greg tonite at their house after visitation. They are such a special couple. Really an inspiration!

6-5-12: After the funeral, we had to depart for our drive back to Branson. Took a similar, tho not exactly the same, route back. Got pix of the Flint Hills, watched the wheat fields being harvested, and enjoyed seeing pastures full of Queen Ann's Lace!

6-7-12: Played 18 today. Ok, I'll confess: David played 18 -- I quit after 7. I was still out there to witness one of his awesome shots: a beautiful chip into the cup for 2! Sweet!

Back in the classroom?

Our first slimers and nesters

6-9-12: I spent most of the day at work making SLIME and birdnests.

Alice and Stephen and a sleepy little girl

This baby looks so much like Travis!

Our wonderful friends from Texarkana, Alice, Stephen, and their beautiful new granddaughter visited us there. They are in Branson celebrating their anniversary. So great to see them!

6-11-12: Today David and I decided to take a little road trip to Springfield, MO to visit the original Bass Pro Shop, the Butterfly House, and Wilson's Creek Battlefield.

black bear and wild hog in a showdown at Bass Pro

Shoot 'em Jacob! (this guy was real)

Bass Pro Griz

a mill replica and some live trout

souieee!

the first Bass Pro is really like a museum!

Made it to Bass Pro. Anyone know where the 2nd Bass Pro was built?

Butterfly House in Springfield

Springfield Botanical Center

Botanical Center Gardens

Hosta Garden

Redbud Garden

Purple Cone Flowers

Cone Flowers

Not sure what these bags are all about

Lily Garden

Lily

Lily (love that word - my grandma Gentry's name was Lily)

One of the many playground pieces for children

The Butterfly House was closed, but we enjoyed the rest of the Botanical Center there.

Then we broke our calorie counting and had a dessert at Andy's and decided to catch the battlefield on the next trip.

6-14-12: Got a call from Edith's apt manager today letting me know that she had to be taken to the ER. Hard to be this far away at a time like this. But so thankful for Gus, Lacey, and Kathey who really stood in the gap for me! They each spent time with her at the ER and texted and called me throughout the day to lmk how things were looking. Thanks to all 3 of you! Thankfully, Edith was discharged and is doing great. God has blessed us with great family and friends!

Retro Taxi

John Sager singing to us over a burger

6-15-12: David and I had lunch at Jackie B Goods "Uptown Cafe". Cute cars and live entertainment (John Sager). We won't rush back for the food though.

A purple wildflower as tall as me

look closely -- spider or tarantula? I asked this man to put his foot by it for perspective

Lakeshore Trail

field of Queen Ann's Lace at Table Rock State Park

bug catcher at the state park

Peter Cottontail

Walking Stick

4.4 mile round trip

sneaky boogers

Did a 4.4 walk on Lakeshore Trail for the 2nd night a row. My feet are feeling it! Maybe my shoes are a little worn for this paved path. I have blisters on both footsies!

Tonite we watched Nik walk a tightrope over Niagara Falls. David found it very hard to relax while watching him. LOL. It was amazing. Not sure we would've felt the intensity of the feat had it not been for our visit there last summer and the stories we read about other daredevil attempts at the Falls. But Nik succeeded and praised God for his accomplishment.

Diane getting a little help from David

Can you see a fish in this pic?

Sarah and the ORHF gang

Ranger Jeremy

6-16-12: ORHF hosted a beginning fishing shindig today on the shore behind the centers. Really beautiful day for it. David volunteered to help with it. Rocky and I volunteered to go watch for a little bit. Rocky could've stayed all day long!

Table Rocky!

For the first time in his 10 year life, he fetched sticks in the lake! He loved it. He didn't actually swim, but he'd go out til it was over his head, then ease back. I'd throw more sticks and he'd go out again, tail wagging like crazy. Sometimes, even reaching for them with his paw wouldn't help him retrieve them, so he'd have to wait til they washed back up. He is the cutest and happiest dog in the world!

I went with David to the driving range today (everyone there seemed fully clothed this time), then we went shopping for walking shoes. Lisa S recommended the new Reebok Zig Techs. She says they are like walking on marshmallows. So David and I found a great deal for 2 pair and each got one. Except for the blisters, they really do feel much better on my feet. (I even have blisters under toenails. no pix posted of this)

My pop

6-17-12: Father's Day at the visitor center. David never takes his phone to work, so he came home to lots of love on his voicemails and text messages this evening!

Magic

And a professional magician visited us today. Not to do tricks, but just to check out the center. Can't remember his name, but his mom was the creator of a famous salad dressing. It'll come back to me.... He did try to show me a magic trick but it failed. Sooooo, I showed him mine! The dollar bill, Wing Wing, Wing trick. It's a no-fail trick. I think he's gonna use it!!

6-18-12: Small world: while working today, I met a visitor, Mary, who knows Bill, Pam, and Laci!

Reebok Zigs

6-20-12: Lisa, you are a genius!!! First walk with my new Zigs (had to wait on the blisters to go away) and it really IS like walking on marshmallows.

Lake Honor at C of O

Bald Cypress trees adorn the campus

Williams Memorial Chapel on campus

It used to be called School of the Ozarks

3 things dear to my heart in this pic!

6-22-12: David and I visited College of the Ozarks this afternoon. Impressive! Wall Street Journal called C of O, "Hard Work U". The campus itself is immaculate! Young men and women are everywhere on campus working: in the gardens, in the fields, in the barns, the gift shops, mill, museum..... you get the idea.

front gate of C of O

They work hard!

Edwards Mill at C of O

Edwards Mill

Edwards Mill w/labeled millstones

French Millstone

3 adults can sit in this basket which was woven here at Edwards Mill

old mill equipment

a small millstone found when basement was escavated that leads them to believe it
was pre-Civil War

one of many old pieces of equipment in the mill basement

looms at Edwards Mill

me and my new basket-weaving peeps - students at C of O

love the poem

design in the side of the mill

We visited the Edwards Mill which is like a step back in time!

original Beverly Hillbilly car

Rolls that met a lotta famous folks

antique violin or mandolin

antique tractor

Not a bowling ball - it's a Hog oiler

wonder how many animals it took for this chair

A Southern Missouri Polar Bear

Griz

old gun

Buffalo Bill stuff

cool old guns - there are about 3000 or so in this museum

and more guns

not sure this one was dead

this is what I need for my next parade

what bear?

David and Mr. Moose

extremely old pottery

Here is the story

Dewey Short's "office"

Bullwinkle

Then we went over to the Ralph Foster Museum. He was a famous radio personality back in the day. The museum? WOW!! I highly recommend this place. For a minimal fee, you can browse 3 floors of memorabilia. The original car from the Beverly Hillbillies (donated by Paul and Ruth Henning) awaits you as you first enter the museum. And it only gets better from there.

the path to Point Lookout

chillin' on Point Lookout

Lake Taneycomo from Point Lookout, MO

We left the museum about closing time and walked over to the lookout (this campus is considered to be Point Lookout, MO). Beautiful view of Taneycomo.

Visited Jigglin' George's

Still have tons of stuff on our list to do up here from now through October! It's only June and the temps are already hitting the triple digits. ( I believe they are breaking 1950's records with the heat.) So we are slowing down a bit with our outdoor activities, trying to walk and play golf early mornings, as well as visit outdoor places.

Totally excited about visits in July from friends and family!