Little Bluff remote cabin cam MAY 30 - too much work to do at our campsite and I had to stay another day - wild roses started blooming today!

Journal updated on the 29th

Print of The Week special (above - NEW 16X20 PRINT ON SALE TOO!) click here

05/01/20 Yesterday we put in a long day working outside - probably the first full day outside in a long while. When I say “we” - I mean Fireman Jeff. Well, I was outside all day with him but he did most of the work, haha. First order of business was to cut down a giant dead pine tree that had begun to lean towards the gallery, and had it fallen it would have smashed in part of the building. Jeff used our 35’ extension ladder to attach a 92’ rope high in the tree. I lined up the tractor and with the rope attached to it pulled on the tree as Jeff did the chainsaw work. Worked like a charm and the giant tree came down pretty much exactly where we wanted it to go - right alongside the driveway instead of on top of the building!

Next project was to install an 8x8” treated post (Jeff had to dig a 24” deep hole first) that will be the anchor for a future gate. Then he began a long trimming project with a specially-modified weed eater to cut out the corridor around our loop trail - some of it had gotten really grown up. Several dead trees that had fallen across the trail had to be cut out too. Last project of the day was to drop several trees that were in the way, and then the 5pm bell rang. While I didn’t do too much actual work, it was great but tiring to be outside all day on my feet - I normally require several naps, but I had to keep an eye on Jeff to make sure he didn’t do too much extra work - he is a beast. THANKS JEFF!

05/02/20 One of our sunrise-watching chairs...

05/03/20 A burst of color at sunrise...and nice wildflower color in the forest too!

During one of my hikes back and forth to the office I realized there had been a mushroom massacre. All along the trail were scraps of dozens of mushrooms - all were fresh, and freshly ripped apart. It didn’t appear a critter had eaten them, but rather just tore them up. I could understand maybe a chipmunk or squirrel or rabbit tasting one to see if they liked it, but not EVERY one! And come guys, how many eons have you not liked mushrooms? I do see this around the forest from time to time, but not SO many of them, and all torn up. Including one that had been carried up onto a log and then disassembled. I’m sure someone knows who is doing this, so let me know if you know.

05/04/20 FOGGY!

THICK, heavy fog arrived overnight and hung around most of the day. It was not the standard fog we get when the sea of fog from below rises up as it’s burning off. It was pea-soup fog that wasn’t going anywhere. And while I normally like hiking in fog, I LOVED hiking in this fog! Have you ever seen those early videos taken at the bottom of the ocean a mile or two deep (or more?) when there is no natural light, only the light from the robot submarine. As the sub moves along the ocean floor, only a few feet in front is illuminated by the lights, with everything else being too dark to see. It keeps ya watching to see what will come into view next - often a weird and sometimes unknown sea creature! No weird creatures in the fog here, but it was marvelous to just ease my way through the forest only being able to see a few feet ahead of me at a time, with more and more trees, bushes, and flowers coming into view as I moved forward.

And the music of the thick fog was equally as beautiful! There was actually almost no sound - other than the whisper-quiet drop and landing of small “fogdrops” - water that gets squeezed out of the fog and gently falls to earth. Stop and close your eyes and just listen. Oh my, it was wonderful!

There were a few spider webs out - including this one double-double-decker. Not much of a view from Pam's swing, but the foggy view of it was pretty nice!

05/05/20 We saw the sun again today and it got warm in the afternoon. We spent a good bit of time out on the back deck soaking up sunshine. Actually it was mostly just me - my lovely bride was up in her studio working on a multi-week project to complete a special pastel that she’s had inside her head for years. She had been struggling with it but finally had a breakthrough during an intense multi-hour session at the easel. She’s still a ways from being done with it, but this afternoon she brought it down to the cabin to set it up on the mantle - that’s where some of her paintings rest for a few days while she “lives” with it to get a sense of what to do next.

LOTS of individual wildflowers in the woods still and also along the edges of the forest, like this spiderwort.

This evening I went for a hike in the moonlight - it was AMAZING! The moon is so bright already, even though it won’t be full for another couple of nights. I guess this will be the 4th “supermoon” of 2020, whatever that means any more. All along the way I was escorted by the first whippoorwill of the year (I think) - he seemed to be looking down and calling out to me. I did not respond, but I did wave!

05/06/20 Today was trash day, and I was up early to sit outside with my cup of java and smoothie before I had to pack up the recyclables and get them to the highway before the pickup truck ran. The first sound of the darkness came from Mr. Whippoorwill again - it’s as if he had been sitting up all night waiting for me to get out of bed and come wave to him. I did. The colors at dawn before sunrise were SPECTACULAR!

05/07/20

05/08/20 Heavy rain (3/4") and thunder-boomers overnight rocked the cabin and brought the landscape a much-needed a gulp of moisture. Interesting fog and clouds at dawn..

05/09/20 The cabin was kinda chilly when I awoke at first light and for a moment I thought about getting the fireplace going. But then I realized is was mid-MAY and the fireplace was not allowed! Outside temps were supposed to have been freezing or below, but it only got down to about 42 at our cabin. I put on my stocking cap and bathrobe and curled up on the couch with my hot java and two furry puppy dogs to watch the approach of day.

The variety and COLOR of our bird life has realty sky rocketed this past week or two. It has been fun to watch as the flocks of male goldfinches turn from blah to bright YELLOW! Cardinals seem to be brighter RED. Several BLUEbirds are nesting in our boxes, and cris-cross our sight line all day. ROSE-breasted grosbeaks are spending a lot of time at the feeders and in the nearby trees. Woodpeckers with RED heads frequent too, often upsetting all other birds on the feeders when they land. And just this week, brilliant ORANGE Baltimore orioles have arrived, and Pam was ready with at first one plate of grape jelly, but now it takes two plates as more and more orioles arrive. We also have INDIGO buntings. And sometimes there’s a SCARLET tanager that hangs around high in one of the triple oak trees in the yard - that lone guy always perches out of sight but sings his heart out.

Somehow a large (32 ounce) frozen smoothie did not fit with the chilly conditions this morning, so I baked up a pan of hot cinnamon rolls instead. Not quite a part of the healthy diet plan, but what the heck, it’s Saturday.

HAPPY WEEKEND TO YOU - get out and enjoy the sunshine!

05/10/20 THANK YOU ALL MOMS ON YOUR SPECIAL DAY!

I received a nice note from a fourth grade student recently and she attached this colorful 3-D butterfly sticker that I thought was wonderful. My mom LOVED butterflies, and in fact wore a life-like butterfly 3-D pin on her shoulder most of the time. I'm going to place this little butterfly on her gave today to wave at all the butterflies passing by...

So I made a quick run into the National Cemetery in Fayetteville were my parents are buried to install the colorful butterfly sticker - but it could only be there for a few minutes since nothing is allowed on the headstones. The butterflies know my mom quite well, and they’ll be able to find her without the sticker, but it felt good to see a butterfly on my mom once again! (Military spouses are buried in the same plot with the non-military spouse listed on the rear of the headstone).

Monarch butterfly snacks (milkweed) are blooming!

05/11/20

*Our friend sent us the following virus-related info that is a GREAT read and makes a whole lot of sense and is based on actual research data - very interesting and helpful - 

This guy is a highly regarded epidemiologist who lays out the facts from fiction as he sees it regarding what risks to avoid and how to do that.

http://erinbromage.wixsite.com/covid19/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them

05/14/20 HEAVY WINDS TODAY, but a nice blast of color at dawn...

05/16/20 Pea soup fog, warm, and light rain...

05/20/20 A blaze of brilliant sunshine let up the road ahead at sunrise today - this is at our mailbox looking out towards civilization - best time of day!

05/20/20 beautiful colors at dawn!

05/25/20 Memorial Day USA honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military - heroes who gave their lives so we could be free - we owe them - everything...

05/26/20 Angry skies this morning and LOTS of wind. But not much weather to go along with it. In fact, even though we’ve had some very HEAVY downpours lately, our rain total for the past three days is less than one inch! So the rainfall has been quite spotty even though the big-bad fronts moving through were intense and widespread, just not much rain on top of us. They are caling for several inches more rain this week, but hopefully not any flash flood conditions as some areas experience over the weekend - and AS ALWAYS - any rain that falls will eventually make it into a river and flow downstream, so downriver areas can be dangerous with blue skies upstream (and vice-versa).

05/27/20 - an amazing view early this morning as I left the cabin to head west...

05/28/20 My plan was to leave at 6:30 this morning and make a quick, marathon run out to our little campsite in Colorado (933 miles), fix a cow fence that got torn up by a herd of elk over the winter, then drive 933 miles back home - all without having contact with any other humanoid. Kind of funny but Colorado folks think a lot like Arkansas folks - they live off tourist dollars but don’t want to see ANY out-of-state car tags right now because of the pandemic.

My plan worked just fine for the trip out, although I had to make a quick stop at the Ft. Smith Regional Art Museum along the way to deliver a last couple of canvas prints before my big print exhibit opens there (members only for the first two weeks). I have a system where I can stop and fuel up without stepping out of the vehicle - the fuel filler door is in the driver door pillar, and by using a doggie bag as a glove I don’t even have to touch anything. My lovely bride stocked the pantry and frig with enough food to last me, so I don’t have to go to a grocery store or restaurant, and I’m too tall to go through a drive-thru anyway.

It was an easy 933 mile drive across Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Colorado, and sure was great to see the mountains with snow in them. Very lush and spring-like at our campsite, which is on a steep burned-off hillside above 9000’ just outside of South Fork, Colorado, in the San Juan Mountains (the back of our little property is national forest). Lots of wildflowers, and the young aspen trees are that special brilliant green of new growth. Temp was in the 60s all day with a light breeze.

There is a mountain lion prowling the immediate area, although I’ve not seen him nor any scat. Lots of big bear scat though. And the mule deer here look to be the size of ELK! As I’m typing there are five young mule deer bucks grazing on wild rose bushes within 100 yards of me. Lots of hawks and birds of all kinds everywhere. I’ve now been here working all day and have not see nor heard another person! It is SO quiet here.

So I spent much of the day repairing the wire fence that a herd of elk tore up over the winter - they do that each year. I made a 1.5-mile loop hike just before dinner and was surprised that I was able to do it without running out of breath or getting an altitude headache, but I took it full speed and it felt GREAT! (especially after sitting on my rear end for 933 miles). Dinner was ramen noodles and a small can of peas, along with a small coke and jigger of whiskey.

As the sun began to dip low in the west I decided to make a run at the big hill - just to see how well my geezer legs and lungs would hold up. I really had only planned to go up about half way, but when I hit that point and was still going full speed I kept on going and in no time was at the very top of the hill above our property - never broke stride or lost my breath. Not bad for a geezer now on medicare!

05/29/20 It’s 37 degrees at dawn and the five big mule deer bucks (antlers are just starting to grow) are grazing just a few feet away from the van. I stepped outside once to take a picture of the distant hills and chased them off, but a few minutes later they came right back and even closer! Sorry guys, no treats from me today! I’m gonna test my mountain lungs and legs once more and head back to the top right after breakfast, just because...

Journal Archives - previous months

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 2016 Journal • May 2016 Journal Part B • May 2016 Journal Part A • April 2016 Journal

March 2016 Journal • February 2016 Journal • January 2016 Journal • December 2015 Journal • November 2015 Journal

October 2015 Journal • September 2015 Journal • August 2015 Journal B • August 2015 Journal A

July 2015 Journal • June 2015 Journal • May 2015 Journal • April 2015 Journal • March 2015 Journal

February 2015 Journal • January 2015 Journal • December 2014 Journal • November 2014 Journal

October 2014 Journal • September 2014Journal • August 2014 Journal • July 2014 Journal Part B

July 2014 Journal Part A • June 2014 Journal Part B • June 2014 Journal Part A • May 2014 Journal

April 2014 Journal • March 2043 Journal Part B • March 2043 Journal Part A • February 2014 Journal

January 2014 Journal • December 2013 Journal • November 2013 Journal • October 2013 Journal

September 2013 Journal • August 2013 Journal • July 2013 Journal • June 2013 Journal B • June 2013 Journal A

May 2013 Journal B • May 2013 Journal A • April 2013 Journal • March 2013 Journal

February 2013 Journal • January 2013 Journal B • January 2013 Journal A • December 2012 Journal • November 2012 Journal

October 2012 Journal B • October 2012 Journal A • September 2012 Journal B • September 2012 Journal A

August 2012 Journal • July 2012 Journal • June 2012 Journal

May 2012 Journal B • May 2012 Journal A • April 2012 Journal B • April 2012 Journal A

March 2012 Journal B • March 2012 Journal A • February 2012 Journal • January 2012 Journal B • January 2012 Journal A

December 2011 Journal • November 2011 Journal • October 2011 Journal • September 2011 Journal • August 2011 Journal

July 2011 Journal • June 2011 Journal

September 1998 Journal • August 1998 Journal • July 1998 Journal • June 1998 Journal • May 1998 Journal

Older Journal Archives