It was a beautiful sunrise today - clear blue skies, bright sunshine and popcorn trees lit up all over the place. I was down in the hot tub when a lone hawk came soaring by. Actually he was flapping his wings quite a bit - there was no wind at all. He passed over Fox meadow, turned right at the corner of the cabin and headed on down the canyon.  Pam was watching the same guy from the loft - she had a much closer view. Cloudland is a place where you can be one with the hawks, soar in their feathers, and view the world from above.

Speaking of things soaring around, there have been quite a few beech and maple leaves floating through the air this weekend - and most of them were actually going UP - riding the currents. Some of them looked just like butterflies out there playing in the wind.

There were a number of bluebirds out playing as well, and hopefully looking for a place to nest. I  installed three bluebird boxes yesterday around the edges of Fox meadow.

While we were still all trying to recover from breakfast, Ron and Judy had to head north back towards Springfield. This was their first overnight stay here. Their next visit will tell me if they like it here or not - if they bring really good food, that means that our new home is OK to them. If it is left over pizza, I know to beef up my hospitality in a hurry.

Roy and Norma geared up and went on down for a few hours of rope work on the big bluff. Pam and I stuck around the cabin and played with her knobs. We installed 30 of them (brass) on the doors of the two new cabinets.

Aspen and his buddy Lucy always have a great time when they are together, especially out here. Today Aspen got off the main track a bit somewhere and picked up a bit of black mud on one foot.

The Superdog and his super-muddy foot!

Roy and Norma left, and so eventually did Pam. It was just the Superdog and I left to our own devices. After munching on a few leftovers, we headed out in the evening sunshine for one last hike around the place. We visited the new "Deer Meadow" that had been created back in March - it is located along the lane that connects the East and Faddis meadows. I wanted to open up a protected spot for wildlife, and will plant the area soon with all sorts of goodies for deer, turkey and quail.

As I made my way towards the Faddis cabin I heard a pickup truck, then hurried up to the road to see who it was. Some folks have a bad habit of ignoring posted signs and "no vehicles" signs and just driving wherever they choose. But this truck stopped and turned right on around when it encountered our property line. We met in the middle of the Faddis meadow and had a nice little chat.

He was an older gentleman from Pine Bluff, out looking for a place to turkey hunt (the season opens tomorrow). He had hunted in the area before, but had not been back since the cabin was built four years ago. I thanked him for not trespassing, and we both agreed that respecting the rights of others was the only way to make it through life. I have never been turned down when asking permission to hunt, fish or simply hike on private property. It is purely good manners to do so, not to mention the law. This guy had no intention of trespassing, and I really appreciated that. I told him that he was welcome to walk on our land - as long as he didn't shoot the big fat turkey that lived in the log cabin at the end of the road!

You know, most folks in this world are just downright nice - especially if you treat them that way in the first place.

It is nearly midnight now, and I am back at the cabin all snug and warm with a big fire blazing away in the fireplace. One of the things that I did last week was to create a private little reading spot in the cabin office area, next to the new pantry and bookshelf cabinets - this was Pam's idea, and boy was it a good one. Now there is an over-stuffed leather chair and ottoman in the corner with a lamp and a terrific view out windows and into the wilderness both left and right. It is just one of those out of the way spots where you can go and kick back and relax and spend some quality time at - just you and a good book. I suspect that both of us will spend a great deal of time there. I already used it once the other night - and read several chapters in one of the new novels here (Huckleberry Finn). Oh yea, Aspen has a bed right next to the ottoman. He hangs out there while I am typing away at the computer, which is right next to the big leather chair.

April is my favorite month of the year. This one will prove to be as busy as March was, but I relish the challenge of it all, and will wake each day with a spirit of wonder and adventure.

4/2/01 It was quite dark when I stumbled out of bed. The hillside across the way was completely black, but the tall popcorn tree right outside the window was glowing, now in full bloom. There were bands of delicate pink clouds way up high. A lone great heron appeared up there. He was working very hard moving those giant wings, and was streaking across the sky at a pretty good clip, heading due north.

I am sitting at the cabin computer now, and the sun is just poking up over the hill. It was a very quiet sunrise without fanfare. Yet that first 60 seconds had me captivated and I could do nothing else but sit and stare. That small orange spot on the horizon grew quickly and brilliant light filled the cabin. It was sort of like, well, heck, I really can't think of anything else in the world that is quite like a sunrise.

Birthdays. I have always been one of the poorest record keepers, and every time that I miss a birthday this fact hits me in the face. Saturday was Roy's and my sister's birthdays, and tomorrow is Pam's dad Ron's birthday. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you all! Pam's Honey Do list will help guide me through the year, but in return her my list for her is a long and complicated one - and includes helping me keep track of birthdays! So once again I apologize to all of you for missing your birthday once again this year, but know that NEXT YEAR I will remember!

The bright sunshine is no glaring in my eyes, and I have to get up and close the blinds. I guess that should tell me something - get dressed and get to work! It will be another day of work at the cabin today, and a chance to enjoy the great outdoors. Hey - it looks like spring weather today!

A stiff wind out of the east blew all day long. That usually means WEATHER, but the most we got was a few sprinkles. The gloom and doom that was supposed to be here all night and into the day stayed up north. We were working along the west side of the cabin, so didn't really notice the wind much until we worked out to the far end of the deck - where the blast from the east would hit pretty hard - this end is twelve feet off of the ground, and I nearly got knocked off several times.

There was a constant stream of buzzards sailing by up high - they didn't have to work too hard, and I do believe had a great deal of fun riding the wind currents today.

As darkness settled in we nailed up the last board. A total of 900 linear feet of decking, and none of it very straight. It took us about twice as long to put the boards on because we had to spend so much time straightening each one out as we nailed them on. But the end product is very nice, and will get a lot more use than I had first thought. We still have to attach 4 x 4 braces to the 6 x 6 support posts tomorrow, and then add log railings all the way around, but it will be a while before the railings arrive from Montana.. This will most likely be the last deck built here - at least until the real "mother in law" cabin is built.

4/3/01 It was pitch black when I got up and made my way down for a soak in the tub. The temp was 61 degrees, and that wind from the east continued. I dried off and sat on one of the tall deck chairs to watch the day begin. The hollows and hills slowly became visible. There was a lot of haze around - probably due to the 90% humidity. It was very quiet and relaxing.

There was the low rush of the river far below, and the sounds of birds playing. In fact, there were LOTS of different birds out there - the most that I have heard in quite a while. So many in fact that there songs and chatter mingled together and created a symphony of delightful music.

The lighter it got the more individual birds I could see flying. This little Fox meadow is certainly a mecca for wildlife, especially for the little birds of the forest - they require openings in the forest canopy for their daily routine, and are able to find much more food there than in the deep woods. Bats also like these openings, and I REALLY like the them flying around because they eat a ton of pesky bugs all the while they perform their acrobatic feats.

The temp continued to rise all day - into the upper 70's - and it got downright warm in the sunshine. There were even a few bugs out - hum, come on out bats! I sure do wish they would fly all day long too. The hillsides quite literally changed character each hour all day long - popcorn trees coming out everywhere. I counted 21 in bloom just around Fox meadow. And there were many dozens more in the distance - and many dozens more later in the day. Being out here in the wild and witness to the change in the season is truly a special thing to do.

Later in the afternoon I took off for a hike to collect the mail. I decided that I was going to count popcorn trees along the way. Since the main route of the hike was along the top of the big bluff - prime popcorn tree locale - I was kept busy. 50. 60. 75. 80. 90. 100 popcorn trees! And I wasn't even half way to the mailbox. I decided the chore was too great and left the remainder of my count up to Momma Nature. I must say that there seem to be more popcorn trees this year then normal - and they are coming out quicker, and are fuller and more brilliant white than normal. I guess you can say that it is an exceptional popcorn year in the Ozarks!

Having abandoned my count, I decided to veer away from the bluffline and head up into the woods. I landed on a wide, level bench that stretched out for quite a ways in all directions. The hiking was easy, and my mind wandered in all directions. Springtime his this unique smell and FEEL to it, one that will take you many places in your head - like back into your childhood. Spring has always been good to me, and this year is no exception.

My nostalgia was interrupted by a familiar sound - peepers! A TON of peepers! These are little frogs that like to hang out in pools this time of the year, and they all "peep" together when someone approaches their space - and that peeping gets louder with each step. I was approaching a pretty good-sized pond, and it sounded like a hundred peepers. Aspen, of course, ran and jumped right on in, dog paddling all over the place and looking for any peeper that he could find. He was a muddy mess but enjoying himself immensely. He is a great companion to take into the woods.

We left the peepers behind and returned to the deep woods. The flat bench gave way to a rocky and steep area - home to lush moss-covered boulders - and then up onto another, smaller bench. And then there was a flash of bright yellow in the distance. At this time of the year the woods are still mostly browns and greys, with the splash of green moss here and there. Yellow really stands out. I moved in closer and found a nice patch of daffodils - right out there in the middle of nowhere. Well, it was the CENTER of somewhere at some point in time, because these wonderful wilderness jewels marked the spot where a homestead once stood.

I spent the next ten minutes looking around the immediate area for sings of a cabin or root cellar, but found none. There were a couple of large cedar trees - another telltale sign of a homesite - but still no stone foundation. I was about to give up my search when another flash of yellow caught my eye. I hiked on up the hill to this second patch of flowers and found the cabin site. It was pretty small - just a small structure with a single fireplace - nothing left but foundation rocks now, and a pile that used to be the fireplace. I sat down for a moment and tried to visualize what it must have been like back near the turn of the century when this place was likely used. Most of the trees in the forest would have been cut down, so there would have been a good view in all directions. They probably had a barn somewhere, with chickens and perhaps a cow or two. Plus several hogs out roaming around in the brush. It was a hard life no doubt, but I could not help but feel that they too shared a smile or two as spring approached. Glad the harsh winter was behind them, yet the heat of summer still a couple of months away. And I bet someone went out a wandering one day and counted the popcorn trees as they burst forth to proclaim the arrival of spring.

On the way back I stopped at the office and spent a couple of hours catching up on paperwork - mostly paying bills. When I looked up it was dark outside. No matter, there was a half-full moon up high, and I finished my little hike in the moonlight. As a matter of fact it was just to wonderful out in the forest that I took the long way home.

Goodness, the woods were just to PERFECT tonight. That glowing moonlight to show the way - diffused even more by a thin layer of clouds up high, warm temps with a cool breeze, and soft leaves and earth underfoot. I just sort of wandered around along one bench, then down the hillside to another, then back up and around the nose of the ridge up to a nearby flat. I cannot remember such a wonderful ramble. Yes, springtime is a great season for sure.

There were no lights on in the cabin, but there was a sparkle coming from the tin roof and the moonlight to greet me upon my arrival. I once thought about installing a street light or night watchman out here, but never really gave it a second thought. There are several of them visible over on the next ridge near the community of Mossville, but I have never felt like I needed one at Cloudland. Besides, since all of our utilities are underground, there isn't a utility pole anywhere near the place to put one on.

I'm sitting here now inside the cabin, with my faithful dog curled up at my feet, sipping a glass of fine merlot and munching on a pile of chocolate chips (it is 72 degrees outside)s. The landscape is still aglow in the moonlight, and I believe I will return to the lower deck and end the day the same way I began it - by sitting there enjoying the wilderness in the dim light, and listening to the critters as they go about their daily lives.

4/4/01 The noise woke me from a deep sleep. I realize that my dog was up too, alert and wondering what the heck was going on. It was one of those times when you knew there had been a noise, but since you were asleep you really did not know what it was. So you sit there in the darkness and strain to listen for it again. The next noise that I heard was not too loud, and sounded just like a mouse trap going off down in the basement. I have had a trap line set out there for the past week, with no luck yet. It was obvious that something, or someONE, was down in the basement.

So I got up out of bed and stumbled down two staircases to the basement, turned the lights on but found all the traps in place and no mice. What the heck was it? Aspen was barking wildly and running around outside. And then I saw it - big and black and fuzzy - perhaps the largest one that I had ever seen. And it was coming right at me (no, this was NOT a dream). I had to shake my head a little to make sure that I was not dreaming and that this dude really was the critter that I thought it was. I was in no danger - it was a giant, black, hairy caterpillar crawling across the floor - actually called a "Woolly Bear." OK, so maybe they are coming out at this time of the year, but how in the heck did it get into the basement? The only thing that I could come up with was that it actually came in through the dog door - pretty smart little guy. So I rounded him up and set him down on the deck. Never did figure out what the noise was (unless it was the slap of the dog door as he came through it - but that would have really been strange).

I was back up again well before first light, writing and moving things around for a trip into town. It was very still out - not a wisp of breeze anywhere. It was cloudy, and as things began to lighten up, I could see that it was quite hazy too. Not fog, just thick haze. And then a startling sound broke the silence - whip-poor-will, WHIP-POOR-WILL! Son of a gun, the first whip-poor-will of the season! But aren't they supposed to be here in the summertime? I guess the heat of yesterday induced him to sing.

Later in the morning Scott arrived with the architects for the new Pack Rat Outdoor Center in Fayetteville. They are going to build a 15,000 square foot log building that will be one spectacular showplace for this part of the country. They wanted to get a first-hand look at some of the log joints and stuff.

While we were all outside admiring the view, it began to snow. Huh, it was nearly 70 degrees out. But the white stuff was coming down pretty thick. Then we realized that it was not snow but the individual petals of the popcorn tree next to the cabin. Looking out into the wilderness there were a number of popcorn trees "snowing" and creating quite a show. Darn, I really could use a foot of snow right now.

At one point a shaft of bright sunshine broke through the clouds and lit up the big bluffline way up Whitaker Creek. It was a wonderful sight to behold, but didn't last too long, as the sun retreated up into the haze.

The river is singing a lively tune this morning - louder that I remember hearing it in some time, even though the water level is way down. I guess the moisture-laden air may have something to do with the great acoustics. And there are dozens of birds out playing and flying all over the place - mostly smaller ones. Quite a few pairs of birds too, chasing each other across Fox meadow. I guess both spring and Love are in the air!

4/5/01 Pea soup today - heavy, wet fog, and even a few drops of moisture out of it all, but no real rain. But soon the white blanket burned off, along with some of the clouds overhead, and it turned into a wonderful spring day in the Ozarks (ALL are!). I spent much of the day working outside in the open, and ended up paying a price for wearing shorts - the white legs of winter quickly turned red. It remained quite warm, and windy.

Nightfall brought really high winds, which whistled and roared all night. And just a bit of rain right after dark.

I'm hoping for a nice long, soaking rain soon to help along wildflowers that I have been planting in Fox meadow. So far more than five million seeds have been planted, and there are several million more waiting to be sowed. Only a small percentage of these will come up and bloom this year, but as the years go by more and more will appear. These will be joined by lots of lush wildlife food, creating an even more inviting dinner table for the "locals."

Everyone has been surprised at how much dirt there is down in the meadow. At one time most of the topsoil in the Ozarks had been used up by farming and uncontrolled timber harvesting, but the 75-100 years since then Momma Nature has placed new soil and things are getting pretty rich again. Of course, there are also several billion rocks to go along with all of that dirt!

4/6/01 High winds all night, and not much rain. Very high humidity though, which makes things kind of hazy at first light today. The big birds love to soar around in all of the wind, and while it takes a bit more effort for them, I believe the little birds enjoy it too - there are about a dozen of them right outside my window right now playing in the trees and darting off across Fox meadow.

The river continues to drop, and is nearing summer levels. Yet there is still song and laughter drifting up from below. A group of biology students from a university in Iowa is encamped at Bob's two cabins this week and weekend, and I suspect there will be a bit of laughter coming from them as well! Ahhhhh, springtime in the Ozarks - it doesn't get any better!!!

Boy, the wind sped on at top speed all day long and now into the night. It was in the 40-50 mph range all day, gusting and swirling all over the place. A few black clouds passed by overhead, and there were plenty of white and grey ones around, but no rain. The temp remained in the low 70's, and except for a cloud or two of pesky little biting flies, it was a perfectly delightful day in the Ozarks.

And Holy Smokes did SPRING rush forward today!!! I swear that trees were popping out GREEN right before your very eyes. Many of the serviceberry trees shed all of their white blossoms in favor of green leaves, but it appeared that dozens of big oak and hickories out there in the wilderness began to leaf out too. The serviceberry trees were a bit late in flowering this spring, but the oaks are early in coming out.

And across the way a single redbud tree showed its colors. That was 10am. By noon there was another one out. By three there were five. And by six there were a dozen redbuds in bloom! The scene quite literally changed every hour.

I went out to get the mail and passed a ton of wild plum trees that had blossomed since yesterday. These things are SO FRAGRANT! Walking through a stand of them is quite overwhelming. In fact, one particular batch of them was so sweet that they completely overtook the stink from a dead skunk in the road. We don't see too many skunks out here, but this guy had to be the unluckiest one in the world - he was run over on a road that gets maybe two cars a day.

There was lots more work outside for me today, and it was a joy to be able to be right in the middle of springtime. I found several different species of wildflowers popping up in Fox meadow that I had planted a couple of years ago. And TONS of wild sunflowers - these guys will fill the edge of the meadow and up the hillside with bright yellow blooms this summer. Some of them got up to eight feet tall last summer, and they are getting an early start now.

With all of the commotion of the high winds, Aspen has been sticking rather close lately. And to make sure that he got noticed and a bit of attention, he swiped my water bottle once and wandered off with it. When I didn't notice him at first, he made a pass close by, his head hung low, just to make sure that I saw him.

It is way after dark now, and the winds are still howling. The near-full moon (tomorrow is the full one) is trying to see through a layer of clouds, but I think it is timid tonight because of the raging winds. The fox in the meadow is pointing due south, although sometimes swings to the southwest.

A blue note. It looks like a pair of bluebirds are beginning a nest in the old snag right at the edge of Fox meadow. They were here a couple of years ago, but their eggs/young were eaten by a climbing black snake. I hope they fare better this year. Just knowing they are around really puts a smile on my face and a song in my heart. There are three man-made bluebird houses around the edge of the meadow too, but so far, no takers.

I get to play dad this weekend, and am really looking forward to it. Amber and I plan to plant her little garden/wildflower spot down in Fox meadow. We will probably go for a hike or two, and maybe even try to spot some wildlife. I suspect that she will beat the tar of out me in a couple of board games too. It will be a nice, relaxing family weekend for me here.

I'm playing a little trick on Pam tonight. She is driving down late, and I asked her to pick up my mail. Hidden in the mailbox is a glass vase filled with daffidols and sprigs of wild plum and this neat red-flowering bush. AND a note telling her what I really think of her.

Hum, some of the deck furniture just made a very noisy trip across the back deck. The breeze is about 45mph. My glass of merlot is empty, and my chocolate chips are all gone. I think I'll wander on down and see if the water is hot...

On the way to the hot tub I realized that the moon was bright and spectacular, so I detoured a bit and headed out into the woods for a hike. It was absolutely PERFECT for night hiking! There was a thin layer of haze up high, which diffused the moonlight just a bit and caused even light throughout the forest. It was warm, with a LOT of wind, and the trees just danced and danced on like crazy. No need for a flashlight.

Before I knew it I was more than a mile away from the cabin, just wandering around and enjoying the moonlight. The trees swaying all over the place, and I found myself mesmerized by their motion. Entire trees were moving, not just the tops.

And the sounds they made! High pitched squeaking, low moans, longing cries for help, and laughter - lots of laughter. I decided to make an instant study and see if the size of the tree had anything to do with the level or pitch of their voice. One would think that the tall, skinny trees would have the high-pitched voices, while the fatter ones would be lower. So I went around and kept track of about 25 or 30 different trees and the sounds they made (hey, what else are you going to do alone in the middle of the night out in the moonlight?). After about twenty minutes of sampling, I decided that the size of the tree had absolutely nothing to do with its voice. Some study huh. But I got to know them a little better in the process, so my time was not wasted. I is anytime in the woods ever wasted? I think not.

I returned to the cabin about 11:30pm, and was sitting on the front porch swing when Pam and Amber arrived. Pam found my little treat in the mailbox. We did a quick tour of all the neat new stuff at the cabin, then all crawled into bed - Amber on the couch up in the loft because the high winds were kind of scary. It was really good to all be under the same roof, even if that roof was about to blow off!

4/7/01 The air roared all night, and when I awoke I felt movement next to me. It wasn't Pam - she was on the other side of the bed. I rolled over and found Amber all snuggled in deep under the covers. I was kind of thankful for all that wind.

We slept in a bit, then hit the hot tub for an eye-opening splash in the hot water. The wind kept up its non-stop assault.

One main project for the day was to build a covered wagon for Amber's school project. With lots of scrap lumber and many power tools around, I was quite happy to pitch in and help out. We worked on it several times during the day, and ended up with a pretty darn nice little wagon if I do say so myself. It consisted of cedar, pine and aspen boards, coat hangers, an old t-shirt, and lots of screws and glue. Any pioneer family would have been proud!

Another project was Amber's flower garden down in Fox meadow. We spent a bit of time raking and getting the bed ready, then carefully planted a ton of wildflower seeds that she had specially picked out. A few sprinkles came down about the time we finished up, but no real rain.

We all went on a tour of the flowering trees around the place, including some wild peach trees along the lane, and lots of wild plum trees. Man these species have just exploded this last couple of days! The peach trees are very small - in fact all are broken because of the heavy fruit they bore the last couple of years. And the fragrance of wild plums is soooooo sweeeeetttt!

After a huge dinner we all settled in for a while of reading, writing, and popcorn consumption. Pam and Amber took up residence in the new reading chair in the library, with Lucy in their lap. This little gal is a very sweet dog, and I swear looks exactly like a fox as she runs through the woods or across the meadow.

All in all it was one wonderful spring day at Cloudland. The wind is still strong and making a lot of noise, but all is snug and warm inside - in more ways than one.

4/8/01 The winds finally died down during the night, and are mostly calm at first light this morning. Still lots of clouds though and no rain. The soaring birds are taking a break from a couple days of constant high-altitude play, and the air is void of them now. The hillside across the way has taken on a green hue as more and more big trees are beginning to leaf out. If we could ever get just a little bit of rain, things would really explode here in a hurry - even faster than they are doing now.

The wind has picked up a bit now and the air is filled with the sounds of birds singing and playing and chasing each other all over the place (I spent a bit of time chasing my lovely lady across the deck and into the swing as well). The sun is burning off the clouds and lighting up the distant hills and hollows - quite a light show going on! And it is well after daylight and my daughter is still sound asleep - that is very rare for her. I guess a full day out here in the mountain air working and romping up and down the hillside will wear a person out. Oops, I just heard those little footsteps heading this way - guess I had better get this posted.....

While we were sitting in the hot tub, a giant hawk or something flew slowly overhead. Amber crawled up into my lap as we watched it together. Just one of those wilderness moments that I have never had in my life before - my daughter in my lap trying to figure out what sort of critter it was.

It was another windy day out here, and quite warm. Lots of visitors, including Pam's parents, Terry F. and his wife and several friends, and Glenn and Stacey. Plus, Amber even had a couple of visitors - Ashley and then later Elizabeth. It was amazing to see these strangers instantly take to one another - and I do mean instantly. It was great to see Amber out here with other little girls enjoying the wilderness.

4/9/01 The wind had died down somewhat at first light, but it was rather warm still - 70 degrees. I spent the day in the woods building hiking trail, getting sunburned, and generally working myself to the bone. But every time that I would sit down in the leaves, exhausted and gasping for breath, I would be stunned at how incredibly beautiful the spring woods are right now - everything is popping out, from wildflowers to trees. We saw yellow lady slipper ORCHIDS coming up - several weeks early. The REDBUDS are just amazing. And DOGWOODS are coming out white now. The area where we were building trail had a dozen - no two dozen different types of wildflowers up and blooming, or just about to bloom. And most all trees are beginning to leaf out now - the entire forest scene is quickly changing from an overall brown color to green. All in just a couple of days. And without any rain!

But redbuds are the stars right now. They are everywhere, and really nice color this year - that makes two years in a row for that. It also means that the redbuds and dogwoods will be in bloom at the same time, which does not always happen. The redbuds are kind of late blooming, while the dogwoods are early. This next week in the Ozarks will be the best spring in all the country - if you have any vacation time coming to you, I suggest that you DITCH work and get out into the woods!

Another thing coming out now are ticks. I've been pulling ticks off of Aspen ever since the ice thawed back in January, but today was the first time they have showed up on me this season. It does not appear that the cold winter really had much impact on them at all. It was a cold winter in relation to the ones we have had this past 6-8 years, but not really cold enough to do much for the bugs.

And here is a little tidbit that some of your might enjoy. The local county paper is one of those weekly papers that contains quite a bit of gossip from locals. And tons of mistakes. Even sometimes more than I make in this journal (which is a LOT! - although my text is not edited nor sold to the public). One glaring error that has appeared for years on the front page of the paper is the word "Official" Newspaper of Newton County. They have always spelled it "Oficial", with the one f missing. Kind of embarrassing, especially since it has been right there in the main title of the paper. But I have come to realize that it must have simply been a joke all this time. Well, the joke is now over because there is a new editor, and his very first edition is out - with Official spelled correctly. And after looking through the paper - an edition that is much more professionally laid out - I find that I kind of miss the old fashioned one with all of the mistakes.

It is getting late now, and I hear the wind howling once again. I believe that I will open up all of the windows and let the breezes send me off to sleep.

4/13/01 It has been a very long and exhaustive week for me, but springtime has just been FABULOUS!!! Worked from daylight to dark and after on trail Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, then a 15 hour work day yesterday - much of it on the road servicing bookstores around the state. Today was another long day on the road, but ended here at Cloudland just before sunset.

My new bride and I spent the last 30 minutes of daylight hanging out in the wedding present that I got for her - the Amish-made gazebo that we recently built down in Fox meadow. We watched a pair of bluebirds whose nest is just a few feet from the gazebo - they were busy bringing in materials for a new soon-to-be occupied nest. Then a lone dove landed in a nearby tree. He sat there and called out again and again for his mate, but never an answer. Hum, I really felt for the guy - that is what I have been doing here for nearly four years. I reached over and put my arm around the lovely Mrs. Cloudland who was sitting next to me in the swing and drew her close. The dove zeroed in on us, bobbed up and down on the branch a time or two, then shook his head to signal to me that he indeed understood that if he looked long enough, he would find his perfect mate. And then he flew off to continue the search.

The western sky began to light up with these incredible colors of pink, orange and FIRE red, all against a deep blue sky. Cloud banks stretched from one horizon to the other, and all were lit up at one time or another. It was about 70 degrees with a slight breeze. I must tell ya - this was one perfect moment for me. The world was at peace, and putting  on quite a light show. It was good to be home, and with my life mate.

The sky got more brilliant with every breath - it looked like someone had poured gasoline on the clouds and struck a match. And then all of a sudden the red and orange began to turn to grey. Within a minute the entire sky had been sucked free of color - it really did happen that fast. And just as we gathered out things up and began to hike the trail up to the cabin, a whip-poor-will in a nearby tree struck up a conversation.

Let me pause here for a moment to say that while I do enjoy hearing these wonderful birds out here from time to time, I do not like TYPING their LONG name all the time! So from this point forward this year I will refer to them simply as "whips."

It is much later now, and I have opened up the very last bottle of merlot from the wine rack (THANKS SISTER!). I am savoring each drop, along with a handful of chocolate chips. My dog is laid out on the floor to my right, and my bride is in the big leather reading chair in the corner of the library. There is no music on, only the delicate sounds of the breezes through the screens, and my noisy keyboard.

So MANY of you have sent along well wishes to Pam, I would like to update you on her condition a bit. After a month of NO progress, she finally got rid of her quack doctor and got a second opinion. It turns out that the treatment she was getting from the quack has been very bad for her, and not what she needed at all. With her new doctor she is finally making a bit of progress, and while she is not out hiking yet, she is in somewhat less constant pain, and her spirits are much higher. Right now she is sitting over there with a full-length heated vibrating pad under her, reading a book, with her dog Lucy at her feet, and a big smile on her face (that smile could be from the muscle relaxer that she just took!). At any rate, she is finally on the road to recovery, and it won't be long before she is out there in the woods, heading off to some unknown destination.

Spring has really hit here this past week, and most of the trees are beginning to leaf out. The big bluff across the way on Beagle Point has disappeared - we won't see it again until the colorful leaves begin to fall off in late October. Dogwoods are continuing to flower - many more new flowers to come in the next week or two. There is a nice dogwood right outside Amber's window that has white blossoms on it. And since we finally did get a bit of rain the other day (7/10ths of an inch), I suspect things will green up even more now.

The river below is making a bit of noise, and is a nice green color, but it still is running pretty low for this time of the year. We still need a LOT of rain, but I guess that will always be the case. It looks like my waterfall guidebook will be put off until next year sometime - I hope to be able to get enough photos this spring and next winter to be able to publish it next spring - stay tuned.

Pam just passed on the following quote from the "Dear America" series of books that she is reading - a little girl asked her mom "why did God let mosquitoes on the Ark?" Good question! Of course, the answer is to feed bats.

4/14/01 Today I got to spend the entire day alone with my bride, and it was wonderful. We did quite a bit of work outside around the cabin, and even Pam got in on the act, although she had strict orders from me that she was not to overdo it. It was a terrific day out - clouds and wind and sort of cool - just my kind of day! The air and trees and bushes were filled with birds of all shapes, sizes and colors. Black & white warblers, bluebirds, buzzards, doves, downy (or hairy) woodpeckers, and several hawks. They all seemed to have very specific tasks at hand, yet still carefree and enjoying the day.

Pam found this really fat lizard right out in the middle of Fox meadow. It was her job to keep the lizard out of Aspen's mouth and away from the big tires of the tractor. We decided later that since this dude was so fat and slow and friendly (we picked it up and had a nice chat), it must have been a female filled with babies. Tis the season you know.

We got a nice little shower in the middle of the afternoon, although it did not last too long, but did get the ground wet. Black clouds swirled around overhead, and were a sign of things to come. By dark it was sort of chilly, so we built up a fire in the fireplace - perhaps the last one of the season. Gosh, the next time that we build a fire here so many things will have changed - both in and outside of the cabin. I will have a daughter in school, and a full-time partner working with me during the day. And there will be an entire forest filled with the brilliant colors of autumn. It will be great getting to that time, but I eagerly look forward to each and every day between now and then.

Speaking of color, good grief there must be twenty shades of GREEN outside right now. Within 30 feet of the cabin there are at least seven trees leafing out just outside the window - and they range in color from very light and bright green to a dense, dark green. And sticking up in the middle of it all is a dogwood tree in full bloom - those WHITE blossoms really do stand out against all that green!

We had a grilled dinner in front of the fireplace, then retired downstairs to watch a movie that neither of us had ever seen - and one of the greatest movies of all time - Casablanca. First movie I had seen out here in quite a while - just no time to sit back and enjoy the tube these days much anymore.

4/15/01 The wind was howling pretty loud at 2am when Pam woke me to say that there was a great deal of lightening going on. It was accompanied by booming thunder, then soon heavy rain - YIPPIE!!! And then the power went out. It would stay out for the rest of the night and into the morning. We got a total of about 3/4 of an inch more of rain, with winds topping out at 43mph. A classic spring storm.

Multitudes of new clouds were born and were all gathered up down in the valley at first light, waiting to be set free by the warmth of the new day. A classic Cloudland scene. We watched the cloud bank move around below for nearly an hour, then the sun awoke and burst through and sent all of the newborns off into the world. Within minutes all of them were gone. I like to think that many of the clouds born here in this valley eventually make it out into the bright blue sky and become puffy white clouds that fill many photos.

Oh, by the way - HAPPY EASTER! Aspen celebrated by chasing a little bunny all the way across Fox meadow and into the woods. I do believe that the bunny won.

It was a couple of hours after daylight before the power came back on again, and when it did, there was a mad dash in the cabin to get everything cleaned up - we had company coming in from the north - way up north - and didn't have much time.

Pam's dad Ron and uncle Ted drove up in a pickup filled with dirt and gravel and two culverts - a wedding present for us!!! Boy, we really do need lots of work done on the road into here, and a couple of culverts would be a terrific beginning. Ted is from Wisconsin (and his wife Bonnie and son Zach - who would arrive shortly), and like Ron, is one of those guys who can do just about anything. They quickly backed up the pickup to the worst spot in the road and began to work on the culvert. Pam and I took off into the woods to hunt for a morel mushroom to use as a centerpiece (we didn't find any).

The rest of the crew arrived and we had just a terrific Easter Sunday at Cloudland, which included a big lunch, a hike or two, and a whole lot of time spent out on the back deck just hanging out, conversing, and enjoying the great view of spring before us. The sky had cleared off in a hurry and we had nothing but bright blue skies and sunshine.

After lunch Ron and Zach headed off on a hike to Hawksbill Crag, while the rest of us went out in search of morels. Judy and Bonnie are big morel people, while neither Pam nor I like mushrooms in any way, shape or form.

We weren't very far from the cabin when low and behold Judy started screaming, and son of a gun, there was a nice, juicy morel mushroom right there at the edge of the trail. I was quite relieved because I had promised my new mom a morel, yet I had not laid eyes on a single one this year.

We wandered on around through the woods and meadows for another hour or so, inspecting tiny wildflowers and hoards of dogwoods and redbuds in full bloom.

Then it was back into the chairs on the back deck for another hour or so. Aspen and Lucy made the rounds - no shortage of dog lovers in this crowd.

MUCH too soon, everyone loaded up and drove away, leaving the Superdog and I to fend for ourselves. Then I had a big decision to make - take a nap, go for a hike, or install a trash compactor and new cabinet in the kitchen. An hour later there was a shiny new trash compactor and the last of the new cabinets solidly installed, and a proud owner looking on. Trash has always been a big problem out here, and I am hoping that the compactor, along with a good recycling plan, will take care of it all.

Then it was back outside for an hour or two of yard work for me, while Aspen romped around in the woods chasing butterflies and lizards.

Another fine weekend has come and gone, and I sit here with no sound at all but the hum of the computer and printer. I just stepped outside for a minute to water the flowers and found a sky filled with a million shining stars. Hey, where is that big telescope?

Spring is marching on full speed ahead, and this week will be one of the finest in history in the Ozarks. Next week will be pretty good as well. And the week after. One thing you can always count on here in the Ozarks - springtime will be a magical time of the year.

4/18/01 The thermometer next to the bed showed 31.4 degrees. That was sort of warm considering they said it would dip down into the low 20's - I was glad they missed the forecast once again. That was just before sunrise. A few minutes later the first brilliant rays topped the distant ridge and immediately began to warm the air. 32, 32.7, 33.2, 35! Within a few minutes the temp had risen more than ten degrees, and it was in the low 40's. Time to crawl out of bed and go splash into the hot tub.

It was a SPECTACULAR spring day! Deep blue skies, no wind, fluorescent green new leaves everywhere, and birds, birds, BIRDS!!! The were several in every tree it seemed, and they all were having quite a grand time. One of the bluebirds that is nesting right next to the gazebo swooped down and nearly clipped my ears - as if to tell me that HE was already up and working - then zoomed on down, swung up and darted into the tiny hole in the old dead snag where their nest is.

The last two days have nearly killed me, so I decided to take a day off from the constant pounding of trail work and attempt to get some chores done around the cabin and up at the office. Often when I am out the door before daylight and don't return until after dark the only business that I get done is answering e-mails - they have moved up the priority list, as anyone who spends time out here will tell you. But today I needed to get after the rest of the business that has been piling up.

This little trail that I have been building has required some of the most difficult trail construction that I have ever done. Like yesterday for instance. The section that I was working crossed a very steep bit of hillside, and I had to make seven or eight passes with my tools - each time digging into the hillside and cutting away more roots and rocks and compacted dirt. The finished product looks and walks very good, but the mountain is beating me down. I am close to the end of the project though, with only two or three more days of work this next couple of weeks to do.

And the very last part of the trail will pass right next to a stand of 50 or more wild yellow lady slipper orchids. The trail route was laid out long before we ever knew the orchids were there - just dumb luck really. But now for a few weeks a year the owners will be able to stroll along this wilderness land and marvel at the incredible and rare beauty of these orchids (this trail is being built on private land).

By the time I was finished with my soak this morning the wind had picked up and it was a bit chilly on my dripping backside as I stood out on the deck admiring the view. Good grief, how much the scene had changed in a week!

I grabbed my brief case and hiked on up to the office, passing a bunch of wildflowers along the way. The wild comfrey were swaying in the wind - very large plants and leaves but with tiny blue flowers. The spring beauties seemed to be a little smarter - they were all mostly curled up tightly, waiting for a bit more sunshine before welcoming the day.

It was tough to spend the morning inside, but I managed to get a lot of work done up at the office and back down at the cabin. I laid down for a quick nap before deciding what to do after lunch, then heard a knock on the basement door. It was a couple of young ladies from Missouri - "Where is the trail down to the river?"

Alice and Ruby were staying at cabins in Ponca for a few days, and were out trying to find every single trail that was not listed in any guidebook. I had met these two explorers before, and was happy to point them in the right direction. When we got down to the bluff we found an incredible display of shooting star wildflowers, all crowded around the slippery tops of the bluffline. I was surprised to see so many in bloom right now, but I guess were are running a little bit ahead this spring.

We hung out for a while at an incredible overlook near the cabin (they decided not to go to the river today), then I bid them farewell and headed out for a hike of my own. Right after I left them I found a whip-poor-will sitting on a nest within 40 feet of the gazebo. I wondered if it was one of the babies that had been born nearby last year (and were photographed for this journal)? I will keep a close eye on her as the days and weeks go by and see what happens.

The next couple of hours were simply glorious - the wildflowers had gone WILD!!! I mean everywhere you looked there were wildflowers. Wild iris, shooting star, spring beauty, phlox, fire pink, and on and on and on. THOUSANDS of wildflowers. I don't recall seeing as vast a display in the Ozarks before. It was really quite remarkable.

And I found this one GIANT mayapple flower - it was more than three inches across!

And, of course, the dogwoods were going great guns too. They were quite stunning against the backdrop of that pure blue sky. I found a pretty good sized stand of young buckeye trees that were flowering too.

The air was clean and sweet smelling, the sunshine was warm on my face, and the wilderness was ALIVE with color and movement and LIFE!!!

4/21/01 Today was a photo workshop day for me, and I was up and into town by first light. The wind was howling, dark clouds swirled around overhead, and the temp was rather warm.

We had a great group of photographers - some more novice than others with a few really good ones - but everyone along to visit the Ozarks in spring with cameras in hand. We stopped first at King's River Falls Natural Area, where we found a "ground rattler" next to the trail. This little snake had beautiful markings and was quite friendly, although we mostly stood around and talked about how to photograph him - only a couple guys shot quick pictures before he crawled off into the brush-.

The water in the river was at a pretty good level, and there were lots of clouds still above, so the first half hour of shooting went really well. Then the sun came out and the light got harsh.

One of the things that we do during these workshops is have everyone shoot a roll of film at the same location, have it processed during the day, then critique them at night - really tells a lot about the way everyone is shooting.

We found a couple of other snakes on the way back to the vans - one was a large cottonmouth right on the trail that I just stepped right on over without noticing.

Next we headed to Sweden Creek Natural Area, where there is a neat waterfall, tall bluffs, and lots of ferns and other things to see and photograph. The clouds returned and we all got some very nice images from there. Then it was on to another favorite spot of mine - Cloudland!

When we arrived we found that there had been a great deal of work going on in my absence. Pam's dad Ron had spent several more hours working on the new culvert that he had put in last weekend - including building short rock walls on either end of it, mixing cement to divert water, etc. It was obvious that he knew what he was doing, and had put a GREAT deal of work into the project (something I have needed to do myself for many moons).

And then when we got to the cabin, the three ladies there laid out a large platter piled high with the BEST oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies I had ever eaten (I had five of them myself), plus a pitcher or two of sassafras tea. I do believe I married into the right clan!

Even though we had to battle the strong winds all day long (tough to photograph wildflowers that are constantly moving), and most of us were exhausted from a tiring day in the woods, the workshop went very well and everyone had some great shots to look at that night. It was after midnight before I made it back to the cabin.

One of the photographers on the trip (Brian Harris), took a few digital snapshots during the workshop and has posted them on his website at - http://216.98.161.140/bhp/WebPage/index.htm

4/22/01 The wind howled all night once again - that makes a week or two or three in a row - it just won't stop. And still no rain - not a drop for a week. But it was a beautiful morning just the same, and my little family all enjoyed an extended dip in the hot tub just after first light. I went back to bed soon after, and was awakened by a plate filled with fresh apple turnovers - my first breakfast in bed at Cloudland!

Later in the day Amber and I took off on a hike, while Pam went down to Fox meadow to survey all of the new growth coming up (her back is better, but she still can't do too much hiking). Amber is getting pretty good and identifying plants - especially knowing the difference between poison ivy and Virginia creeper.

And then we came across a green snake. These are about the friendliest snakes that I know of, and I always enjoy picking one up and have a good little chat. Even though they are basically just one color - green of course - they are a beautiful snake.

Like most kids, Amber is not a natural snake lover. But after a while she was right on over with me stroking the snake. Hum, I detected a future animal person in there somewhere, so I suspect this will not be her last conversation with a snake.

Soon we were wandering around up in Aspen's meadow, dancing on the deck, and looking around for Indian artifacts (we found several new arrowhead flakes). The wind howled on, and we had a great little hike in the spring woods and meadows. Pam reported several new species of wildflowers coming up down in Fox meadow.

I had been keeping an eye on the yellow lady slipper orchids over on Bob's property, and knew that they would be in bloom today, so we loaded up in the truck and inched our way along old log roads until we came to the bright yellow flowers. I continue to be amazed at how wonderful these things are - just stunning! (I brought my digital camera along, but left the disk in the computer back at the cabin, so no pictures). I was proud of my little truck as it bumped along the narrow, steep, sometimes non-existent route with no problems at all. Good thing this truck has a low range or we might not have made it up a couple of grades, nor through the creek!

Later in the afternoon we found a good crop of morel mushrooms, and picked a few to send back home to Pam's mom Judy who just loves them (like me, neither Pam nor Amber want to be in the same room as a cooked mushroom). As we drove along we spotted quite a few umbrella magnolia trees in full boom - and these fragrant white blossoms are VERY large - looks like another good year for them.

Before I knew it Pam and Amber were driving off back home without me, and I was left with only the raging wind and thoughts of a great life.

Aspen and I made a pass down through Fox meadow to see how things were going, and to swing a bit in the gazebo while the late sunshine lit up the hills and valleys of the wilderness before us. I snuck around and got a peek at the whip-poor-will sitting on her nest. I did not want to disturb her so don't know if she has produced any eggs yet, but I bet she is keeping a couple of them warm and safe. I will take a closer look later this week and see what she has been up to.

It is getting late now, and the wind is still pounding and moaning and screaming. The radar shows a line of heavy thunderstorms heading this way. I hope it dumps a pretty good load of water, then blows itself out so that I can get a few days of peace and quiet! Seems like ages since I've heard the music of the river below. I need to get one more picture of a waterfall for a calendar that I am working on - about an inch or two of rain tonight should do it.

Shhhh, wait a minute - the wind just stopped. Wow, total silence! Hum, I wonder if this is the calm before the storm?

4/23/01 I got a wild hair this morning (is it hare or hair?) and jumped out of bed and put on all of my rain gear and headed out into the rain. It should have been close to sunrise, but it was still very dark - more like first light. Just a few drops here and there coming down, but it had rained a bit in the past hour, so everything was wet. There were black clouds all around.

The forest was very still and quiet, except when a drop splattered. Sometimes a drop would hit a mayapple dead on and make quite a thud - this sent the big leaf flopping back and forth. The more I hiked, the more the drops gathered. After ten minutes it was coming down pretty good and I was soaked.

My destination was magnolia canyon. I don't know, I just wanted to go on over there for a few minutes this morning and see how it looked in the rain. But as I was making my way down the steep slope towards the canyon, the dark sky opened up and it began to pour - I mean REALLY pour! The noise was deafening, and the drops were hitting me all over with a bit of weight. Visibility was reduced to twenty yards or less.

One thing that I could see pretty well was the Superdog. He had been running way out in front as usual, exploring everything that he came across. But the heavy downpour sent him back to within a few feet of me. He would take a few careful steps, then glance back at me for directions, with this "what did you get me into" look.

I had another reason to make it to the canyon now - there was a small cave there that would shelter us from this heavy downpour. I love hiking in the rain, but this was a bit much.

CRACK!!! An ear-splitting bolt of lightening landed somewhere nearby with a bright flash. The ground rumbled, and the rain came down even harder. If I had not been over this same route dozens of times before, I probably would not have made it to the canyon. But I was able to find my way, and before long - much too long though - we were at the canyon and safely into the mouth of the cave. It was DRY in there!!!

Aspen ran in and shook off two or three times. There was a pile of dry leaves off to one side of this little cave, which is where he headed. Actually it is more of a crevasse in this giant boulder than an actual cave, with the lower part of it opened up a bit. BOOM!!!!! Holy smokes, the ground and the boulder and my bones all shook with the next lightening strike.

It continued to rain hard and loud. I hunkered on down in the leaves with my dog. He has curled up under the leaves until only his nose was sticking out. I thought about how early man must of hung out in such places during thunderstorms ages ago, and wondered if anyone had ever been in the same spot where we were.

The temperature had dropped quite a bit once the heavy rains started, and me being soaked to the bone and just sitting there not moving made matters worse. I began to shiver. My rain gear covered me from head to toe, but no rain gear could keep you dry under such conditions, and certainly not warm.

Fortunately, just about the time that I had decided to make a run for it, the rain began to let up. I nudged Aspen and we were off, out into the canyon. It had been pouring so hard when we entered the canyon that I did not notice the beautiful magnolia blossoms in full bloom - they were quite spectacular! This little canyon is filled with magnolia trees that tower high above. But today they were not enough to keep the heavy rains from pouring down.

The chill in my bones quickened my pace, and before long the cabin was back in sight - and the rain had all but stopped. It was quite a way to start the day - no mocha needed to wake me up today!

After I dried off and changed clothes, we headed out towards Sweden Falls. The downpour brought a half inch of rain, which would be enough to make the falls look pretty nice - and I need one last picture for my waterfall calendar.

The sky was still pretty dark when we arrived at the falls, and it was raining just a bit. Sure enough, the quantity coming over the 80 foot ledge was about double from Saturday during the workshop. The rain stopped completely, the sky lightened up a bit, and I took over 100 pictures of the thundering waterfall. Perfect conditions for a waterfall photographer! This really is one of the most beautiful falls in Arkansas, and one of the tallest.

On the way out I came past several morel mushrooms. I bet there are thousands of them up today after the rain. Too bad I can't stand to eat them!

After spending most of the rest of the day in town, I am back at the cabin now and it is a wonderful night outside. Cool and crisp and STILL, with splendid starry skies. The rains wiped away every trace of haze. Since there is no moon right now, the stars really stand out against a coal black sky.

4/24/01 It felt like an autumn day this morning, although it only got down to 46 degrees here at the cabin instead of the 30's like in many other places. There is just something about that crispness in the air, no matter what time of year!

It was still dark when I left to do trail work, but out there in the dim light I could see several new clouds being born down in the valley. It was a very thin layer of white - a quarter mile wide and about a mile long - hovering about half way up the side of the canyon. I hated to leave and miss the show that would happen once the sun rose, but I had a lot of trail to build today, and needed to get an early start.

It turned out to be the last day of construction for this new hiking trail near Eureka Springs - thank goodness! It was a splendid spring day in the Ozarks, and I did enjoy getting to be out in the fresh air for every minute of it. But the work was pretty tough, and I am exhausted tonight. It took a total of 15 days work to complete this little trail of about 3/4 mile in length.

It is getting dark now, and I just took a short stroll around Fox meadow. Lots of thick green growth coming up, and birds and other critters playing about all over the place. Before long the night sky will come out, and a zillion tiny dots will light up the wilderness - just a little bit. Wandering around in the forest with nothing more than starlight to guide you is a fine experience, and one I highly recommend. Many folks are afraid of the dark (I used to be), but there is really nothing out there that isn't there in the daytime - except perhaps for a few more critters. But those critters are mostly afraid of people, and cause no harm.

Neil Compton sat on my back deck one evening and told me of the first time that he ever visited Hawksbill Crag. He found a pile of what he thought was "feline" scat nearby, collected a sample and sent it off to a lab to get it analyzed. Turned out to be mountain lion scat sure enough. You should have seen Neil's eyes light up when he told that story. Anyway, I know there are cougars out there in the forest, and they move around at night, but I have never seen any sign of them, nor heard them scream (which I've been told can wake the dead!). It is enough for me to know that they are out there somewhere, sharing the same haunts as I, and navigating by those tiny dots of light. Think I'll head out right now, and see if I can hear any purring.

4/25/01 Very calm, clear, and a bit cool this morning. The air was so CLEAR that Beagle Point across the way looked like you could just reach out and touch it. I slept in until daylight, then got up and went for a short hike around the area. I sat down up against an old hickory, closed my eyes, and just let the forest sweep me up into it for a while.

Everything smelled very fresh, but what I noticed most was all of the sounds. There were several layers of bird noises - from bluebird chatter nearby, to a dove cooing to a potential mate, and then way off in the distance, a barred owl hollered, and another answered back. This second one was way, way out there. Aspen must have disturbed a chipmunk because I could hear one chipping away up the hillside, obviously annoyed at something. Also a pair of squirrels barking off in the opposite direction. The wilderness was alive and well this morning, and getting on with the business of the day.

My business today was to lay around as much as I could, get a bit of paperwork in, and generally take the day off for once. There was a lot of computer work thrown in there - answering e-mails, working on the hiking club newsletter, and beginning to lay out the 2002 waterfall calendar.

That last chore turned out to be a lot of fun. I dug out several images that I quite literally had never seen before - at least not up close on the light table. A couple of them were from last June, when we had all of that water. I had taken my big camera with me when I went to Tea Kettle and Double Falls to shoot digital pictures for the waterfall book. Images of both waterfalls will be part of the new calendar - they are both breathtaking! I had completely forgot about these images until just this morning.

After doing a quick edit to select the best image of each (I shot about 75 pictures of Tea Kettle Falls, but only had one roll to shoot for the big Double Falls - so 32 pics of it), I scanned them both and sized and cropped and placed them into the calendar pages on the computer.

I made a number of trips back and forth between the cabin and office throughout the day - some things work better on one computer than the other, and vice versa. Each time I took a different route through the woods, sometimes taking the long route just for fun.

Aspen was stirred up all day long. Several times he would let out a blood curling bark and run out into the woods, only to come running back again a few minutes later. It was possible there was a bear out there roaming around - they are out now and looking for food. And the second year males are being kicked out by their moms now, and the older bears are sending them off to find their own territory. The next couple of months is when a majority of bear problems happen - often because of these young males are searching for their own spot in the world.

I also spent a bit of time on poison ivy control. I am not allergic to it (yet), but many others who frequent Cloudland are, including the two new residents. So I tried to attack as much of it as I could find in the immediate vicinity of the cabin and Fox meadow, and on the trail up to the office. Low and behold I found a morel mushroom right next to the trail down to the meadow - within 50 feet of the cabin. Judy, come help pick mushrooms!

The cloudless sky was a perfect blue all day, although with no wind it did get a bit warm in the afternoon. But the hammock was never far away, and I managed a nap or two or three. It was quite a sight  - a man and his dog sleeping in the hammock, with the entire wilderness as a backdrop. It was a lazy kind of a day, one that I really needed to recharge the batteries.

Oh yea, I almost forgot. As the evening advanced I snuck down to check on the mother whip-poor-will. There she was alright, having weathered the big storm over the weekend just fine. I spent a bit of time studying her with the binocs, and I swear that she has markingsjust like one of the chicks that was here last year. I bet it is the same bird, returning to her home to have her own babies! She flew off the nest for a few minutes to let me have a look at her eggs. They usually lay them in pairs, and nest right on the bare ground, with no cover what so ever. I guess the eggs don't have any scent, so predators (including Aspen) seldom find them.

The nearby gazebo is becoming a nice hangout. It is sheltered on two sides by trees - can't really see out much, not even down to the river. But you can hear the river, and the breeze through the trees, and it is quite a relaxing spot, a place to lay back and reflect on life. The meadow is greening up nicely, and soon wildflowers will appear (a few already have).

It is late evening now, and outside my window there is one incredible light show going on. The sun is low, casting long shadows deep into the hollows. Everything is in full spring green dress, and birds of all flavors are playing in the trees. I saw the first pair of goldfinches flying over the meadow today - what bright YELLOW that male was! And tons of butterflies - mostly yellow tiger swallowtails and a few zebra swallowtails. I think I'll go have one last stroll through the woods for the day...

4/26/01 Another work day at the cabin and office. I must have made a dozen trips between the two, and today I was more focused and had to beat a quick path and not roam around. It was bright sunshine with a bit of wind outside, blue skies and brilliant green new growth everywhere. Tons of birds in the trees, on the ground, and in the air.

Poor Aspen. Every time that I got up to do anything he got so excited and thought that we were heading out for a hike. Long about the middle of the afternoon he made it clear to me that he had had enough of this. I was busy typing away on the club newsletter when he forced his way up into my chair. His front paws were in my lap, back feet firmly on the floor with his body arched and taught, and his shortened tail swaying back and forth. This dog has eyes like no other I have ever seen - they can penetrate right into your very soul when he wants them to. "Enough of this work stuff - LET'S GO OUT AND HIKE!!!" How in the world could I resist?

In less than a minute we were headed into the woods - a forest that quickly grew darker with each step. I have gotten used to the openness of it all these past six months without any leaves, but now that they are coming on strong, much of the midday light is blocked, leaving a dark green tunnel to hike through.

One of the very first plants that pushes up through the brown forest floor in the early spring is the wild comfrey flower. It has very large leaves and a tall stalk, but the flowers are tiny - three or four delicate blue things way up on top. And they last a while too. Today there were many of them along the trail, smiling as we passed.

Wild comfrey flowers and plant

Then we hit the open meadow and back into bright sunshine. Growing along the edges were hundreds of wild strawberry plants - they produce small but sweet fruit. I decided that one of Amber's jobs will be to go harvest a bowl of wild strawberries for breakfast! They should be ready about the time she moves in.

Wild strawberries

Another fruit flowering now is the dewberry. A bit smaller than blackberries, they are prized by the locals for jam.

And dewberry

Someone asked me the other day if the pawpaws were in bloom yet - I had not noticed. So today I got off of the trail and into the thick woods to see - yep, lots of pawpaw blooms! One reason most people don't ever notice them is that the blooms are very dark and muted and don't stick out like other flowering trees. And the blossoms hang straight down on the limb, hiding from the sunshine. I'm really getting to like this tree, and look forward to many years of harvesting their fruit. The orchard will be right next to this stand of pawpaws - which is next to the wild peach and pears and strawberries and dewberries. It will be the fruity part of the mountain!

Pawpaw bloom

While I was down on my hands and knees trying to take a picture of something, this beautiful butterfly landed on a flower right next to me. I swung the camera over just as he took off - camera shy I guess. Small and fast, I was never able to get a picture, even though there ended up being eight or ten of them around me as I made my away along the lane. Looked kind of silly - me chasing these little critters while holding my digital camera out in front. They were so very distinct because they were white with bright orange wing tips. I just looked them up in the book and found out they are called "Sara orange tips" (very well named). The book says that they normally are found in the west. That is pretty typical of the Ozarks - a true melting pot of species that are at the far end of their ranges.

While I was taking great delight in butterflies and wildflowers, Aspen was having a ball out in the deep woods and open meadows, running and romping and chasing whatever he could find. No living thing ever born enjoys the outdoors as much as this dog. And then he ran over and sat right down in the middle of a nasty mud puddle!

I directed him on over to one of Bob's ponds, where he got in a good swim - and got rid of all that mud. This pond is filling up rapidly with tadpoles - first time I've seen them in there. Did you know that frog legs taste just like chicken?

4/29/01 Today began as a wonderful day with blue skies and birds singing and my wife and I on a hike, holding hands. The day has now turned to horror, and a potential tragedy. Shortly before noon, a six-year old girl who was hiking at Hawksbill Crag with her grandmother and friends got lost - it is now midnight, and she has not been seen since. As I sit here and type this just after midnight there are nearly 100 brave and caring volunteers out in the woods continuing the search that has gone on since noon. I have never seen such an incredible display of caring in my entire life - there are sheriff departments from four departments, the state police, search and rescue teams, forest service & park service officials, game and fish officers, fire departments, as many as six teams of K-9 units, plus literally dozens and dozens and dozens of other volunteers all out here looking for this little girl. There have been two helicopters criss-crossing the area - and they even flew for several hours after dark, and may take off and continue at any minute.

The little girl's parents are here at my cabin now, trying to cope with it all, and it is just so sad. Their daughter quite literally just disappeared, and the search began within minutes, but no trace has been found.

This precious child needs a prayer from you right now.  I know she is out there somewhere, wrapped around a tree and scared to death and shivering, and counting the seconds until first light. It is not too chilly tonight, and if she is not seriously injured she has a good chance of making it through the night and being found alive and OK. But she needs your help. And while you are at it, please add a bit in there for all of the volunteers who are giving so much of themselves for someone they have never met - their very lives are in danger out there in the dark. Thank you!

4/30/01 Update. It was a very long, or actually short, night for everyone involved. The traffic to and from the cabin was heavy, and not much sleep. At one point we got a report that four of the search dogs all headed over the same spot in the bluffline on a hot trail - one of them quite literally over the bluff (he landed on a ledge below and is OK). The teams sent guys over the edge with ropes, and they worked the bluff all night. At first light the helicopters took to the air again, and ground teams were sent out. Other teams that had been working all night returned without any good news. Steve and Kelly (the parents of the little girl) and close friends and family are back here at the cabin trying to keep away from the sea of concerned people up on the main road. It is a very difficult time for everyone.

At one point this morning one of the helicopters was working the bluffline right below the cabin. Most everyone at the cabin stood or sat on the back decks in silence with their attention glued to the plane. It was a very surreal experience to say the least.

So far no news at all this morning, but hopes are still high that Hailey (the little girl) will appear with tears streaming down her face, a few scratches, and a cry for ice cream.

The long day continues. Hopes soar, then fall back again. No news. No news. No news. The last update that we got here at the cabin was that there were 120 searchers in the woods right now (probaby more like 300), three helicopters, several dog teams. The search area has been expanded three times during the day. The national guard has been called out. The number of family and close friends of the family here at the cabin continues to rise, along with the support they are getting. The phone rings constantly, and we have been running back up to the office to scan photos of Hailey, fax maps, etc. There has been a great deal of traffic to the cabin, although most has been stopped by the authorities. Several search teams have come by on their way into or out of the woods. Pizza just arrived from Jasper. Volunteers are working overtime. Law enforcement has been working overtime. I have heard there are satellite trucks lined up along the road in Boxley, and a great deal of press on the scene (they are being kept away from the cabin area). Lots of tears here, but still a great deal of hope for the young angel out there fighting for her life. At one point today we heard that a walking stick that Hailey using was found at a point that had already been searched yesterday - no new update on that.

The weather has been warm and windy. Those brave young men in their flying machines have been doing some incredible feats - much of it right before our very eyes out there in the wilderness. Searchers come out of the woods exhausted and sweat soaked and their clothes and skin all torn up, with long faces, yet full of hope that the next sweep will find a smiling little face.

There have been so many volunteers that there is an official sign-in sheet and waiting list for anyone who wants to help - there is a long line. We have heard that by tomorrow morning many of the volunteers will have had to return to town, so they will need a fresh supply. I still have not been to the command post, in fact have not been out of this immediate area except on foot.

Right now as I am typing this eight horses w/riders just emerged from the forest and are crossing Fox meadow, there are two four-wheelers in the driveway, and at least a dozen folks on foot are sweeping through within sight - and this is just one of many search teams on the ground right now. It is one monumental operation be conducted by the most wonderful people in the world. I am going to try to post a picture of Hailey for those of you who have not seen on, and will post again when I get the time, and have something to say. Until then, keep those fingers crossed and prayers coming.

May 2001 Journal