Winter's Tears

Winter's Tears

A Picture Perfect Winter Morning

Yeasterday morning a little after dawn it was seven below, but Heidie and I took our morning walk. It was stiff legged cold to say the least. The weather people said it would warm up and with that in mind I enjoyed the walk even more. The hills and old cedar forest near our house was beautiful. When we returned to the house I notice long ice hanging from the porch and decided they were winter's tears for soon it would have to leave for awhile. The birds, deer and turkeys will be grateful, not to mention humans, dogs and cats. The winter has been rough on everything, but as always things get better until the next round and then Spring. Adios

As Time Goes By

A Little Mouse That Needed a Friend

A Crippled Red Tail Hawk Who Found a Home

An Old Friend of Long Ago

Indian Creek Smokey

We are in the tight grip of winter this morning, more snow and very, very cold. Adios

A Snowy Day

A Bit Cold Today

Hungry Birds are Welcome

Heidi's Day Bed

A Warm place For the Night

Beautiful Heidi

Who Goes There?

Bracing the snow

Heidi’s Winter
Winter in all its beauty has arrived for the New Year. It is a challenging time for all creatures that are exposed to the wind, lack of available food and to those who are weak. But on the other hand so are all seasons.
Heidi has bloomed into a beautiful and gentle dog. She is hardy and seems to enjoy the snowy days. She has become very affectionate in her own way, but still has moments when she remembers I guess the time when she was abused. A couple of nights ago when I was with her in her cabin and after I had prepared her bed for the night she placed both front legs on my shoulders and licked me on the face, but only after I removed my glasses. She loves to shake hands with me and lays very still as I rub her back and head. A little cup of chicken and bite size peanut butter sandwiches delights her just before I leave for the night. I shut the door and she safe and warm until morning, buried deep in her bed of old blankets, on top of an old sleeping bag and more old blankets and quilts. She is at last content and knows that we care for her a great deal. For the day she has a deep straw bed she uses on a little porch and can see everything going on around her. She loves to dig, but not as much as she did. I doubt if there are any moles left in the yard. Each morning and evening we walk together along a road. Heidi has come along way and I am so glad she is sharing life with me. Adios.

A Cold Reflection

A Time to Remember
Hardcase
By Ronnie Powell
Once again it is time to reflect on an event that brought misery to the Ozarks. The title above should be explained. The title Hardcase is not mine but belonged to Luke Short a renowned western writer and title of one of his many books. Hardcase has little to do with this story, significant only in marking the arrival of a devastating event that began about midday January 12, 2007 lasting for nearly two weeks. A massive ice storm entered the Ozarks and surrounding areas resulting in downed electric lines, fractured poles and trees, blocking roads and highways. For many hours Nature’s emissary tread heavily across the land crushing or damaging everything in its path; its foot prints will remain for years to come. And so with the above in mind I begin.
Even as a veteran of two other similar events I shuddered at the sounds of the storm that first night as limbs and tree tops fell on the house, yard and area around the place. Freezing rain rattled against the house and the crash of falling timber persisted the entire night and when the dawn arrived I crept outside dodging falling limbs to see a landscape broken and tortured, bleak and cold. But that was not the end of it, for the following night the rain came again and the giant returned destroying even more and then it was over resulting in twelve days of trying to survive.
We, my wife and I settled down in our house that had withstood the storm, with blessed heat, kerosene light, water and a store of food. Buffalo, Lebanon and much of Springfield were badly crippled and many of the roads were blocked. It was at this juncture I brought out my treasured books of Luke Short and Max Brand and took comfort in those writings of the old West. Hardcase was the first. With the light of a lowly kerosene flame flickering above my shoulder I began reading, lured back into the past where the author endowed the main character with larger than life abilities, strength and courage. The passing time was irrelevant as I shadowed Dave Coyle riding in pursuit of outlaws and hooligans, yet mindful of how fragile our existence on this Earth can be.
My wife and I ventured out on the sixth day traveling to Buffalo and found Wal-Mart and Woods Grocery store open. Many people were in both establishments buying needed supplies. Their carts were soon filled to overflowing with batteries, flashlights, lamp oil and other essential items. The faces of the people around me reflected the severity of the calamity that had befallen the population.
We soon had what we needed and headed back along roads littered with tree debris, phone lines and electric lines laying beneath shattered limbs. Many poles leaned precariously across the highway as if to topple at any moment. The forest along the way sagged under the weight of the ice; fences were down and birds darted franticly about looking for food. Man, at least temporarily had been dealt a crippling blow and the reality that Nature’s wrath has the strength to cast us back into the dark ages at any time.
In the following days and nights, Bounty Guns, by Luke Short, Rustlers of Beacon Creek, by Max Brand and Silvertip, by Max Brand along with four others kept me occupied. Why, didn’t I read something more beneficial, one might ask? I wasn’t in the mood for serious stuff.
On the twelfth day in late afternoon, my true love said to me, “The power is on.” Adios

A Brand New Year

A Beautiful First Day of Jan., 2010, but very cold

This old buck made it through the hunting season. I slipped up on him near the western edge of our very small town. He was with a doe. I hope he has a good year and maybe I'll see him again next year. Have a great year everyone. Adios

A New Year a Coming

As The World Turns
As everyone knows, or should, we mark time by the turning of Earth on its axis. It helps that we have four seasons. Man above all creatures; have since the beginning of time began making their days and the seasons and so history was born.
And now it is time to draw the last mark for 2009 and history will reveal much strife around the world, but look close and you will find that humanity still prevails and although it may seem fragile there is enough morals left, kindness, compassion and true faith that is held tightly by many people. We celebrate the New Year with much fanfare and rightly so, but I feel sorry for those who awaken with a horrible hangover for they will never truly appreciate that wonderful first day of a new year. I wish all a very great and happy New Year. Adios

A Christmas Greeting

Simply Christmas
There have many a Christmas day since I was born and I look back on them and always find a pleasant memory. Christmas day for many years was to awaken with anticipation of what I would find under the tree, although I knew it would not be much. Christmas day was a time to hurry along with the chores and return to the house to savor the aroma of Turkey or chicken in the oven, molasses cake, biscuits and fruit pies. Later around diner time, (lunch) company would arrive, Uncles aunts, Grandmother Carrie and Lula and cousins, some bearing gifts that were very inexpensive, compared today. Nuts, dried fruits and berries and homemade candy were set out with orders not to be greedy.

To put Christmas in perspective the days before Christmas were also very important. I always delighted in accompanying Mother out into the woods to find that perfect tree and then with painstaking care begin the trimming process. There were very few store bought decorations, most were hand made, but that didn’t matter, for we didn’t know any better. Christmas Eve was a time to attend Liberty church and enjoy a simple biblical play relating to the birth of Christ. Afterward a small brown paper sack was handed out to each child containing an apple and a handful of hard candy. It was a time to reflect on the Christ Child. Little was said of Santa; however he was something most children loved to hear about.

It was unheard of to receive a bad gift and of course no exchange was even thought of. Clothing was very important, or perhaps a pocket knife or a small colloid toy. Now all of this may seem humdrum to some people, but that’s alright. Christmas was for me a very special day and still is. Simply Christmas was without the Hullabaloo that seems prevalent today with flashing lights, loud noises and huskers trying desperately to take as much money from us as they can.
Christmas is not about you or me, but a child that became a savior who brought hope to man and paid a dreadful price for that. The spirit of Christmas is a gift to mankind and should not be lost or misplaced. A very Merry Christmas to all. Adios