Missouri: Arrow Rock Camping, Part 1: Cold Coffee and Some Walks

Arrow Rock State Park, Missouri. May 2018.

I'm a bit of a camping Goldilocks, perhaps, in that I don't want to camp when it's too cold and I don't want to camp when it's too hot.

The first weekend in May was a splendiferous time for my first Missouri camping foray this year.

I chose Arrow Rock State Park.  I've been there before. I like that the state park is tucked up against the village of Arrow Rock, and it's pleasant to poke around town.

Cold coffee fixings, Arrow Rock State Park, Missouri. May 2018.

To keep things super easy for me, I decided not to cook a damn thing. Not even coffee. Whoa, wait a minute! Not that I'd do without coffee, for God's sake! Nope, I'd bring my favorite instant coffee, some sweetener, a flavored creamer, and shake it all up in cold water each morning. Damn good stuff.

Arrow Rock State Park, Missouri. May 2018.

When I arrived at the campground, I nabbed the second to the last available campsite. Hoo-wee, that was lucky! The Audubon Society was hosting a weekend birding event, so I got there in the nick of time. I saw a lot of big-rig camera gear. Impressive.

I took several walks over the weekend.

Arrow Rock State Park, Missouri. May 2018.

One of the coolest things I saw was this tree being consumed by beaver bites.

Beaver teeth markings, Arrow Rock State Park, Missouri. May 2018.

Beaver teeth markings, Arrow Rock State Park, Missouri. May 2018.

Beaver teeth markings, Arrow Rock State Park, Missouri. May 2018.

Beaver teeth markings, Arrow Rock State Park, Missouri. May 2018.

I had the thought to record morning birdsong at my campsite and see about adding that to a slide show for my youtube channel. Below is my result:

Ferguson: First Day of May

First day in May, Ferguson, Missouri. May 2018.

On the first day of May, I took a walk in Ferguson.

First day in May, Ferguson, Missouri. May 2018.

It seems spring has finally arrived.

First day in May, Ferguson, Missouri. May 2018.

First day in May, Ferguson, Missouri. May 2018.

A cumulative slide show of Ferguson below:

First day in May, Ferguson, Missouri. May 2018.

I think I hear angels singing.

Missouri: Three Creeks Hike

Three Creeks Conservation Area, Missouri. April 2018.

I joined a hike at Three Creeks Conservation Area hike, hosted by the Sierra Club.


As winter continues to hang on, the morning began overcast and chilly. Begrudgingly, it did lighten and warm some as the day grew.

Nevertheless, petite wildflowers made a showing. Two adept identifiers, the hike guide and one of the hikers, named spring beauties, wake robin (trillium), sweet william, wild plum (tree), pussytoes, toothwort, lousewort, Dutchmen's breeches, bluebells, false rue anemone, [true] rue anemone, yellow violet, common violet, large bellwort, and a couple I'm forgetting.

Wake robin (trillium). Three Creeks Conservation Area, Missouri. April 2018.

We saw the foliage for future blooming may apples, wild ginger, wild geranium, and colombine.

Paw prints. Three Creeks Conservation Area, Missouri. April 2018.

It wasn't just wildflowers. I added two carcasses to my carcass collection: 

Dead frog. Three Creeks Conservation Area, Missouri. April 2018.

A video:

And a fossil. 

Crinoid parts. Three Creeks Conservation Area, Missouri. April 2018.

And a prosaic hiking sight, poop. (I so love how such a pretty, poetic word as prosaic describes something ordinary.)

Poop. Three Creeks Conservation Area, Missouri. April 2018.

 A fruitful walk.


Below, a slide show:

Three Creeks Conservation Area, Missouri. April 2018.

St. Louis: Castlewood State Park: Spring Signs

Castlewood State Park, Missouri. April 11, 2018.

A slow walk on a Castlewood State Park trail on a sunny, warm Wednesday.

The trees haven't leafed out yet, but there are several varieties of wildflowers waving in the breeze - deep purples, some flashes of underside-fuschia, white, periwinkle blue.

Dismembered carcasses of trees pounded by last year's flooding lay atop the grasses.


A sweet, breezy video below of white wildflowers:

Ferguson: Spring Gone Missing

Bringing Spring home. Ferguson, Missouri. April 2018.

Oh, where is Spring?

Bringing Spring home. Ferguson, Missouri. April 2018.

It snowed on Easter.

Bringing Spring home. Ferguson, Missouri. April 2018.

 Unacceptable.

Bringing Spring home. Ferguson, Missouri. April 2018.

I had to take matters into my own hands.

Bringing Spring home. Ferguson, Missouri. April 2018.

On Monday, I picked up a bouquet of Spring from the local grocer. I put it next to the long-ago deflowered paper whites from official winter, which I clip every once in awhile to create the illusion of Spring to come.

Bringing Spring home. Ferguson, Missouri. April 2018.

 No, no, no, no. I am finished with winters in cold lands.

Bringing Spring home. Ferguson, Missouri. April 2018.

I am already planning my next annual home. It will be a warm and sunny place.

In the meantime, these yellow and red-cheeked tulips sustain my spirit.

Arkansas: Lake Catherine State Park, Part 4: The Ethereal

Early evening, Lake Catherine State Park, Arkansas. October 2017.

October 2017
On the way to Missouri

Lake Catherine State Park


On Tuesday afternoon, I took a short walk. Dewy webs and fungi were on the stage.

Lake Catherine State Park, Arkansas. October 2017.

Look at those tiny leafen universes in the drops above!

Lake Catherine State Park, Arkansas. October 2017.

For those who collect wild hearts:

Lake Catherine State Park, Arkansas. October 2017.

I'd like to have broken off the bread-like slab below and eaten it, but .... maybe it would kill me?

Lake Catherine State Park, Arkansas. October 2017.

Besides, I didn't have any salt with me. ..... Hahahaha! That's a joke. Of course I had salt with me!

Lake Catherine State Park, Arkansas. October 2017.

Mmmm, brown sugar with a sprinkling of roly-poly:

Lake Catherine State Park, Arkansas. October 2017.

Lake Catherine State Park, Arkansas. October 2017.

I am curious about the cutting striations and also the waxy-pimply rounds on the base of this plank:

Lake Catherine State Park, Arkansas. October 2017.

I think of constellations and galaxies below, the whorls and swirls and stretching nebulae:

Lake Catherine State Park, Arkansas. October 2017.

And an ear cocked against the body of a tree:  

Lake Catherine State Park, Arkansas. October 2017.

At night came the full moon. A video:

And some stills:

Full moon, Lake Catherine State Park, Arkansas. October 2017.

Full moon, Lake Catherine State Park, Arkansas. October 2017.

Full moon, Lake Catherine State Park, Arkansas. October 2017.

Full moon, Lake Catherine State Park, Arkansas. October 2017.

Good night.

Big Bend National Park: Bee Brush and Beetles

Beetle and bee brush, Chisos Basin Campground, Big Bend National Park. Texas. September 2017.

In my campsite, a perfume slipped in and out of my sensory peripherals. A tease. Honeysuckle? Not in the fall. But something like.

Bee brush, Chisos Basin Campground, Big Bend National Park. Texas. September 2017.

On a guided walk during my time at Big Bend, a naturalist pointed out bee brush, the source of the delicate sweet fragrance.

Later, on a walk around the campground, I saw a gathering of black beetles in a bliss of sweet heaven.

Mmmm, they groaned.

El Paso: UTEP: Orange Bench

Orange bench and flowers, UTEP, Chihuahua Desert Garden, El Paso, Texas. May 2017.

May 2017

When I go to my classes, I usually cut through UTEP's Chihuahua Desert Garden. Every day the garden serves me a new dish to savor.

Orange bench and flowers, UTEP, Chihuahua Desert Garden, El Paso, Texas. May 2017.

On this afternoon in May, the daily special was a newly-painted orange bench, with persimmon-and-blue blossoms on the side.

Orange bench and flowers, UTEP, Chihuahua Desert Garden, El Paso, Texas. May 2017.

Tasty.

Orange bench and flowers, UTEP, Chihuahua Desert Garden, El Paso, Texas. May 2017.

El Paso: UTEP: Red Burlesque

Flower burlesque, UTEP, El Paso, Texas. May 2017.

A morning on the UTEP campus one sunny May day.

Flower burlesque, UTEP, El Paso, Texas. May 2017.

Splashes of red peeked through long, slender stems.

Flower burlesque, UTEP, El Paso, Texas. May 2017.

Teasing.

Flower burlesque, UTEP, El Paso, Texas. May 2017.

Tantalizing.

Flower burlesque, UTEP, El Paso, Texas. May 2017.

Titillating.

Flower burlesque, UTEP, El Paso, Texas. May 2017.

Now you see me; now you don't.

Flower burlesque, UTEP, El Paso, Texas. May 2017.

Feathery boas.

Flower burlesque, UTEP, El Paso, Texas. May 2017.

Flower burlesque, UTEP, El Paso, Texas. May 2017.