Last evening in the Ozarks....Lasting memories...From my lens to yours

  (Written late Wednesday evening)

The "Arkansas" Cabin

 As they say, all good things must come to an end and our stay in Newton County where I was born and raised, is quickly coming to an end.
 I will never forget the time spent here in Ponca and the Boxley Valley.  Tomorrow will end our time in the cabin with spectacular views. Our daughter-in-law, Lee Anne, is a nurse, and duty calls.  While the rest of the crew are in bed, I'm reflecting on the week and how blessed we have been to spend time with our 8 month old grandson along with his parents. We have had great quality family time and have made memories that will last a lifetime.

We got up early this morning and made the short drive (one hour) to Branson. We shopped for a few hours and stopped to eat at  Steak and Shake on the way back to the cabin. Steak and Shake is my favorite place for a burger and you can't beat their price.

We returned to the cabin around 3:00 in the afternoon, took a nap (I could get used to this), and then decided to go to the Low Gap Café to eat.  Let me just say, the food is great at this little café tucked away in the middle of nowhere. It is a "hopping" place.  We have friends who drive up from Russellville just to eat here. It is definitely worth the trip and you also get to enjoy incredible views along the way. 

We, once again, after dinner, decided to drive through the valley to see the elk.  Even though it was getting dark, several were grazing in the fields.  We saw one elk running frantically through the pasture, tossing her head from side to side.  We came to a complete stop and saw a baby elk on the opposite side of the fence.  He found a hole, went through it,  and ran up to his momma.  There was an immediate calm to the mother.  It is amazing that all mother's (including animals), have that motherly instinct and go into panic mode when their child is missing  Motherly love is hard to explain until you experience it. 

We then drove up to the little white church in the valley at Boxley.  The sun had just gone down behind it and the colors in the sky were beautiful.  Of course, the chasing sunsets part of me took over and I had to take several photos of it.  Such peacefulness surrounds this place.  If you visit Boxley Valley, you must drive up to the church.

Even though we're sad to be leaving we are thankful for the time we have had here together.  I sure have enjoyed this simple life and I'm definitely going to miss it.  I hope we get to do this a little more often, even if it is a weekend getaway. 

We do have plans tomorrow, so I hope you check back.  I plan to get up at the crack of dawn to go check out the elk for one last time.

I have enjoyed blogging and posting the photos and hope you have enjoyed them as well.

Until tomorrow, from my lens to yours.

 

 

Elk, Twin Falls, Steel, Creek The Glory Hole and Hiking....A Very Eventful Day....From my lens to yours

Yesterday was an eventful day.   Our day started off with the usual big breakfast of eggs, biscuits, gravy, sausage, hashbrowns, orange juice and milk.  Some may think it is crazy to cook on vacation, but I love to cook and I enjoy cooking for people who like to eat. 
 
 


It was a beautiful day for sightseeing so we decided to take full advantage of it.  We took the shorter route to Twin Falls so that Jackie could hike in with us. We then decided to drive into Jasper to eat lunch at the Ozark Café.  I always enjoy eating at the Ozark.  It is a place that has stood still in time and takes me back to yesteryear. 

As we were driving back to Ponca, we stopped by Steel Creek.  The river was still rolling due to flooding from Monday's storm.  The peacefulness of the valley and the beauty of the bluffs along the river, never cease to amaze me.

The morning activities wore us out and we decided to come back to the cabin for a quick power nap before we got our second wind of the day.  We then decided to go to the Glory Hole which is on Hwy 21 just south of Swain.  While on the way, God blessed us with a great view of a big bull Elk as we passed through Boxley. 

I called my sister, Kathy, to meet us at the trail that leads into the Glory Hole.  She brought two of her grandchildren, Brent and Briana, and they along with Seth, LeeAnne, Porter, and myself hiked the trail to the Glory Hole.  The way in was a breeze, but the way out (uphill) was not quite so easy. We stopped a couple times to get our breath and made it out before sunset and in time to scout for elk again in Boxley Valley.

As we entered the valley, we were blessed again with a herd of elk grazing in the pasture.  I was able to take several photos of the cows and their babies. I commented to Seth and LeeAnne that we have a mini Yellowstone right here in Arkansas.

We drove to our cabin enjoying the beautiful sunset along the way.  We arrived at the cabin to barbequed hamburgers, thanks to my husband, Jackie.  Our evening concluded with a lounge in the hot tub with Porter. 

Once again, thankful to be living the simple life....feeling blessed and not wanting it to come to an end.

I hope you get a glimpse of our day thru my lens.

 

 

 

A cool, crisp July morning in Ponca...From my lens to yours

It is a cool, crisp morning here in Ponca, Arkansas.  It feels like fall instead of the 15th of July. I quickly found out I will be enjoying my coffee from the convenience of my couch this morning rather than the front porch.  I have no way of telling the temperature but I know it is in the 50's.


Yesterday was a rainy and stormy day in the Ozarks.  Our son and daughter-in-law, along with her sister and friend, decided they would float the Buffalo.  We were blessed to babysit Porter and had a laid back kind of day.  Rain, thunder and lightning made for a good day of sleeping. Jackie and Porter took advantage of it.  While they slept I got to watch a baby deer in the field below us.  When I got too close, he fled. 

The mist and fog rising from the river after the rain was absolutely breathtaking.  We sat on the front porch taking in the view.  Jackie, who doesn't even like photos, told me to go get my camera to take a picture.  Who could resist such beauty.

Jackie and I decided to drive down to the Buffalo last evening after dinner and was amazed at how high it had risen from the night before.  The water that Porter had played in was no longer clear, cool and calming.  Instead, it was raging and no longer inviting.

As we drove to Boxley, the rescue helicopter was parked at the Elk viewing area with the pilot awaiting the return of the crew.  We never did hear the type of rescue.  We had watched from the front porch of our cabin as it circled to land.  Of course, my first thought was a water rescue, but up here it could have been a fall, 4-wheeler accident or a number of other things.  Just praying all is well for those involved.

God's beauty surrounds us here in the Ozarks.  We drove from Ponca to Compton and I stopped several times to take photos.  The fields, valleys, mountains.....nature itself, are just a few of the reasons I love this place.

Enjoy your day.  Planning to hike to a waterfall or two today.  I hope to post pictures tomorrow. Until next time....from my lens to yours.

 

 

Vacationing in the Ozark Mountains....From my lens to yours.

We have arrived at our destination, Ponca, Arkansas where the population is 13, the breeze is cool and the water is crystal clear.  It is a laid back kind of atmosphere.

We love our cabin.  It sits on a mountain with an awesome view.  This morning I walked out,
sat on the front porch and enjoyed the fog rising from the valley below and watched as the sun peeped through the trees.  While everyone else is in bed, it is just my time to sit here and meditate and thank God for his creation.  The birds are whistling, saying it is a beautiful morning. Yes, this is the simple life I have been longing to experience.

Last evening was pretty laid back.  We watched a momma deer and her two fawns graze in the clearing below the cabin.  We then decided to make the short trip to Boxley to look at the elk.   We stopped by the Buffalo River and let Porter (our grandson) play in the cool clear water.  It is great making memories with family.
 


Yes, I am blessed this morning to be living the simple life.

Hope you enjoy the scenery through my lens.