Spiders & Snakes & Spooky 'Ole Trees

Mink that Sherryl spotted from the Dewey Short Visitor Center

September has been an exciting month of changes in the Ozarks!  Tho still warm at the beginning of the month, the middle of the month has brought us rain, cooler temps, and some interesting sights in and around the woods.  Cannot wait to see what the rest of the month and October has in store for us!

cool form

Gala noticed this cloud was a perfect arrow!  The bottom  fell out shortly after this.

hole in a tree

American Beauty Berry at the fish hatchery

this Tufted Titmouse has been attacking our camper window for a week or 2 now
-- evidently seeing himself and trying to show himself who is boss.

Rocky met one of his kind on the Lakeshore Trail

Rocky & Bo -- they greeted each other like they were kinfolk!

James Brolin came into the visitor center one day -- the "poor one"

there really is an Elvis on every corner in Branson!

Pinky, June, and me on the 165 overlook

sweet pic -- even with the bibs I made them!  

9-6-12:  Pinky and June revisited Branson this week, so today we got to hang out with them!  After they treated us to breakfast (thx, Ya'll!), we drove over to the 165 overlook. Beautiful day, so beautiful view! Then we drove them out to show them Table Rock State Park, Dogwood Canyon, Aunt's Creek and some of the sights between here and there.
June was loaded on allergy meds (something about Branson), and was ready to hit the sack once we got back to town.  So glad we go to spend some more time with them.  Hope to see ya'll this winter in the Hill Country!

Paul Harris

Tonight David and I went to the White House Theater to see Paul Harris and The Cleverly's! One of my fave shows so far.

The guys played a few tunes for us before they became the Cleverly Trio

I think they turned me on to Bluegrass!.

The Cleverly Trio

Paul signing autographs

"I like the way ya'll talk"

"I don't drink often.  But when I do, I drink sweet tea."
```The Most Important Woman in the World

3 out of the 5 of the Cleverly "Trio" - ha - are AR boys.  So they talked right and they were hilarious.  I'd highly recommend this show!! Branson had a mega-storm while we were there.  It actually rained on us INSIDE the theater. And really rained on the Cleverly's.  Power went out a few times, too.  But the show went on!  Paul is such a topnotch comedian that he handled it with perfect humor.  One of the first things he told us was not to worry, but if we saw the 5 of them running, to take shelter.

Sherryl always brings in something beautiful from her garden.
This is Passion Fruit

the bloom before it opens ... or is it after it closes?

none of us were brave enough to taste

the bloom!

9-8-12:  Sat out on the deck of the visitor center today to facetime Laura.  We ended up just talking instead.  But as we were on the phone, I enjoyed watching those "beautiful turkey buzzards" (as they call them in SD), and I saw another huge bird that I couldn't identify.  It was soaring higher than the buzzards, and from underneath looked white.  It's wingspan was every bit as big as the buzzards if not bigger.  Any ideas? Osprey? Wish I'd had David's camera with me.

ya never know what kind of wildlife you will see on the Lakeshore Trail

dead duck?

Table Rock Lake through a Sycamore

Mr. Turtle

9-9-12:  Had a nice, peaceful walk on the Lakeshore Trail this morning.  Cool temps, little traffic.  When I got to the picnic area in the state park, I heard a family singing "All is Well With My Soul" and they were harmonizing so beautifully!  I could've listened to that all day!

Met up with Joan and Patrick on the way back.  Fun visit with them!

Scott getting the fire ready to roast marshmallows -- under Brenda's supervision

Joan and Patrick from KY

Tonight, Scott and Brenda had us all over to roast marshmallows and make s'mores!  Yum!!!  And great company!  Love having such wonderful workampers around.  And it's finally happened!  David and I are no longer the youngest of the fulltimers we hang out with. Scott and Brenda are quite a bit younger than us.  It was bound to happen to us eventually!  But we had a good run.

9-11-12:  Never forget.

Goldfinches on the 165 Overlook

Nancy and me

looking toward the front of the C of O Chapel

looking toward the back -- a student was in the balcony cleaning and singing 

Our tour guide's info

9-12-12:  This morning David and I went on a 3 hour tour!  We took the All About Branson Tour with Nancy J. Town.  Is it a coincidence that her last name is Town?  Anyway, it's an historic tour of Branson and although we'd seen and researched most of the places she took us, we did learn a lot of new, good info. I would recommend this if you've never been to Branson, or if you'd like someone to drive you around and point out historical spots and allow you to ask questions about places.  Nancy knew her stuff!

LeRoy New and me -- I guess David's right -- I am always talking in pix!

ORHF Peeps!

Our idea of "the wave"

This afternoon Patrick, Joan, David and I met Sherryl, Greg, and Jennifer at the IMAX to see their neighbor, LeRoy New, perform his Tribute to Marty Robbins.

White Sport Coat & a Pink Carnation

Willie? Really? (say that 3 times fast) 

Marty Robbins!! (LeRoy New)

That man can flat out pick!!

Bass fiddle and electric guitar player

He had a sidekick that played guitar and bass that used to be with Jim Stafford.

Kenny

The keyboardist, Kenny, used to be with the Marshall Tucker Band.  Good entertainment.

Jennifer, Sherryl, LeRoy, and Greg

LeRoy dedicated Marty's song, Arizona, to Greg and Sherryl!  Good call on the show, Sherryl!  Great time!!!

9-13-12:  David's little brother, Doug, has joined the 50's Club!  Happy bday, Doug!

Heading down the Red Loop

this guy was a bright green -- kinda stood out amongst the brown

what kind of tracks are these? They are side by side

I think I could be one of those Branson goobers in the shows

cable from the dam construction

sparkly rock insides

David by some of the dam construction remnants. Note the rebar in the concrete.

cool wildflowers that the spiders seemed to love -- webs all over it

Persimmons

Honeylocust pod

dry creek

this guy was stretched out about 3-4  feet across the trail -- so pretty!
speckles on his back and almost a neon green or yellow underneath

Speckled Kingsnake

the speckles are easier to see here - beautiful snake!

Red Loop trailhead

lots of cool hardwoods out there

David and I hiked the Red Loop today on the White River Valley Trail System.  Pretty cool outside and nice and peaceful.  I think we were the first ones on the trail.  We did see a runner and biker eventually.  It's a beautiful hike and about 2.5 miles.

see anything unusual on this pkg of Scottish candy?

tasty!

Later today I was at the visitor center (where the experts identified our snake), and Morgan was back from her trip to Scotland!  So much for all talking with our Scottish accents.  I cannot pull that off. I could prob pull off a Cleverly accent, but not Scottish.  Anyway, she brought us some Scottish treats.  Yummy!

i think we experienced all on this checklist except crossing a road

my feller

leading us down the blue loop

9-14-12:  David and I did the Blue Loop today.

moss-covered rocks

David on the other side of a gulley 

an unusual, but pretty, grassy spot

The Dewey from high on the Blue Loop trail

 flyfisherman on the Taneycomo

would love to see this again when water is cascading through it

wildflowers on a field between us and the dam

3 miles of beauty.

ahhh, raining in the woods

And rain.  Yep, we hiked in a cozy drizzle!  It was so quiet and peaceful.  No phones, traffic, or politics!  Just God's nature.  And an occasional Branson tour chopper flying over. Love being in the woods with my honey!

David killing time while waiting for me

Though every now and then he'd get bored while waiting on me to catch up.

can you spot the dear stand in the back?

I thought this a little funny.  However, if you look behind it, you'll see a deer stand.  They open these trails up for hunting ---- soon.

pretty!

now THAT is a big monkey vine

tree monster

big ole tree -- and dead

the reddish woodchips are actually the remains of a tree trunk

We saw spooky, 'ole trees!

'shroom

And mushrooms.

Cactus growing in a rock -- see the bloom?

And even Prickly Pear Cactus -- way up here in the Ozarks!

this stuff looked like play-do

notice the circular critter to the right of the orange

Witches Butter!

Tarantula!

he was a big 'un

a little perspective on size

And a male Texas Brown Tarantula!!!

back at the trailhead

Whew! We made it through!  Wonderful day (and this would've been a good Halloween Hike!)

Falconry w/ Meagan

9-15-12:  Today, we went to the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery to attend a Falconry class sponsored by the MDC. Falconry is an art form and the most regulated sport.

not illegal to have feathers from other countries -- this is a condor feather

Squirrel Chaps -- her birds wear these so that the squirrels don't bite their toes off

Meagan is one of FOUR females out of around 150 falconers in the state of MO.  She is a student at Pittsburg State in KS and really knows her birds and hunting!

Autumn and a bit of her wingspan

her pretty red tail

good view of what she's hooked up to

Autumn is listening to her girl!

Autumn is her Red-tailed Hawk.  A little under 3 years old, Autumn is a mature female and expert hunter.  She and Meagan have a special bond!

Eric and Annie

Annie's pretty coloring

Got to watch Annie mantle rat lunch 

good stuff

now she'll pose

Annie is Meagan's American Kestrel, formerly known as Sparrow Hawks -- tho not a hawk at all.  Annie is cute as can be, but quite the hunter and was very vocal towards us all this morning!

We are looking forward to more seasonal changes here!!  And company's coming!!!  Cannot wait!!

Hope all of you are catching some decent temps now as we are!  Sure makes the outdoors more fun, right?

Much love,

The Picker, the Grinner, and Bo's peep