My Love for Fly Fishing

September 19, 2022 / doubledacres / 10 Comments

“If one really loves nature, one can find beauty everywhere.”
Vincent Van Gogh

One reason I have a great love for fly fishing, is because when fly fishing one is surrounded by the beauty of nature. One has to seek out a body of water where fish live. You aren’t going to find them in a shopping mall. No, one has to venture to a lake, stream or a river.

When fly fishing, the angler ties a fly on the end of a monofiliment line and casts into places he/she think fish may be holding. The monofiliment line is tied onto a heavier line which helps to cast the fly. When fly fishing the angler tries to present the fly, which looks like an insect, in such a way, that the fish thinks it is real and takes the bait. I find fly fishing to be a lot more fun than using a spinning outfit. For one reason, even when you aren’t catching anything, you are still busy casting. It depends on an angler’s personal taste as to what they prefer.

I prefer a river or stream where I wade into the water presenting my flies to the fish, hoping to entice a fish into feeding on my fly. My presentation has to mimic the real bait. It really is a challenge and to me that equals excitement. I also find it relaxing and helps me to clear my mind and connect with nature.

My fly fishing buddy David Tripp fishing on the Big River in Missouri

Forty-five minutes of fly fishing at Bennett Spring in Missouri

Bennett Spring in Missouri, one of Missouri’s four trout parks

Caught this bass at Giessing Lake located in Engler Park in Farmington, MO

Some anglers like fly fishing and some don’t, for different reasons. As for me I love being surrounded by nature and the peace it brings. With the first cast I can feel the stress caused by everyday life begin to melt away and my mind leaves that part of life behind and begins to focus on the healing powers of nature. After a day of fly fishing, I leave the water recharged and feeling alive. It is a great feeling.

The St. Francis River

September 17, 2022 / doubledacres / 16 Comments

“The river has great wisdom and whispers its secrets to the hearts of men.”
Mark Twain

The St. Francis River is 426 miles long and is located in southeastern Missouri and northeastern Arkansas. It is only floatable in spring or after heavy rains. It passes through Wappapello Lake that was a result of a dam that was constructed in 1941. Anglers can fish for largemouth and smallmouth bass. There are also catfish, bluegill, sunfish, and crappie. The St. Francis is the most diverse Ozark stream.

The Hubb’s, golden and spothanded crayfish make the St. Francis their home and can only be found in the Ozarks of Missouri and northern Arkansas. The St. Francis crayfish is only found here and nowhere else in the world. Six mussel species are also found here.

Two state parks that the St. Francis River meanders through are Silver Mines Recreation Area and Sam A Baker state park and both have camping available. Sam A Baker has a separate equestrian campground. They also have hiking trails and picnic areas. Baker also has equestrian and bicycle trails.

High water over the bridge in Silver Mines

The water recedes

I have many fond memories of the river as an adult and as a child. I don’t know how many pounds of catfish we caught. We used to pay a farmer to cross his field to the St. Francis and we would set up camp. He had an old wooden boat he would also rent us. One night around 11 pm we were tight line fishing for catfish. Our camp was below Wappapello dam and too far away to hear the siren indicating they opened the dam gates. My mom stands up and said here comes a boat. Yep, you guessed it. Sure enough, our boat. We had pulled it up on the sand bar around the bend. The water had come up and set the boat free. We started trying to hook it and my dad finally hooked it and reeled it in.

My Photography

September 16, 2022 / doubledacres / 12 Comments

“There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are.”
Ernst Haas

I have two passions in life, photography and flyfishing. Tonight, I am going to share my photography. I am a landscape photography. I use my photography to promote conservation. I hope you enjoy.

Abandoned milling operation in St. Joe Park in Missouri

Civil War Reenactment at Fort Davidson in Pilot Knob

Abandoned building in milling operation.

I hope you enjoyed my photographs, and they didn’t bore you. Be kind to one another and spread the love.

The Magic of a Bonfire

September 15, 2022 / doubledacres / 4 Comments

“We dare not talk of the darkness for fear it will infect us. We dare not talk of the fire, for fear it will destroy us. And so we live in the half-light. Like our mothers before us. Come to the fire. Feel it warm your skin. Come to the fire. Feel it burn in your belly. ***Shine out through your eyes. Come dance in the fire. Let it fuel your prayers.***

Lucy H. Pearce

Bonfire, is actually derived from Middle English “bonefire”, literally a fire of bones. Bonfires can be enjoyed throughout the year however autumn seems to be the most popular time of the year to enjoy them. Associated with bonfires is chili, hayrides, Halloween celebrations, singing and scary stories. Smores and marshmallows are a popular food staple around the fire.

In southern Louisiana bonfires are lit along the Mississippi River levees to provide light for Papa Noel to navigate along the river in his pirogue that is pulled by 8 alligators. In Texas a long-time tradition is the Aggie Bonfire. The students of Texas A&M University build a bonfire before their annual game against the University of Texas and dates back to 1909.

Bonfires are a good place for friends to come together and enjoy one another’s company. It’s a place where scary stories are told especially at Halloween parties and hayrides. The dancing flames easily mesmerize those who dare to look into the flames. Several pounds of hotdogs are consumed, and chili is usually found. It is a place to relax, slow down and enjoy life.

I hope you enjoyed my post and remember to be kind to one another and spread the love. Thanks for taking the time to read it. In the comments, please share with us the best bonfire memories in your life.

The Approach of Autumn

September 13, 2022 / doubledacres / 17 Comments

Soon autumn will be upon us. The air will be laced with the aroma of burning wood as good friends and lovers sit around a bonfire. The aroma of pumpkin spice will fill homes. It’s a time when you grab the one you love and embrace each other as you watch the dancing flames of the fire.

It’s the time of year when you reflect on the events of the summer and give thanks for all you have. Kitchens come alive as families begin canning the bounty of their gardens. Their reward for their hard work.

It’s the time of year to dust off the chili pot and dig out your chili recipes. Apple cider and apple pies are abundant. The nights become cooler and a chill is in the air.

Soon the countryside will display the beauty of the changing leaves. Mother Nature begins preparing Mother Earth for the coming of winter.

Autumn is my favorite time of year. The beautiful colored leaves and crisp autumn mornings wake my soul and I feel more alive this time of year than any other time of year. I am thankful that I have been blessed with the joy of another autumn.

This weekend we started our celebration of fall. Friends, bonfire, and homemade chili. It doesn’t get any better than this.

Be kind to one another and spread the love!

My Take on Photography

September 9, 2022February 7, 2023 / doubledacres / 17 Comments

“Every artist has a central story to tell, and the difficulty, the impossible task, is trying to present that story in pictures.”
Gregory Crewdson

Photography is an art, and the photographer is the artist. There are those that will say this isn’t true however I have to disagree. Both must have a passion for what they do, along with creativity and a good imagination. A photographer only has one time to snap a photo then that moment is gone forever and can’t be recreated.

When l am framing a shot, I examine every possible angle I can shoot it from, then I imagine what I want it to look like. It requires an eye for detail, patience and flexibility. Light is a key composition and can greatly affect the photo. In a studio one can use artificial light but in nature one must learn to use what light is available.

When I take a picture, the subject must excite me. I sell my photographs and I have to rely on people buying them. If I’m not excited, I can’t expect the viewer to be excited. I have to capture the viewers’ attention and hope they buy it.

In Bruce Barnbaum’s book The Art of Photography Mr Barnbaum lists 14 elements of composition. They are light, color, contrast and tone, line, form, pattern, balance, movement, positive and negative space, texture, camera position, focal length, depth of field and shutter speed. There is so much more involved than point and shoot.

I am basically a landscape photographer. I love nature and am mesmerized by a river. Sunrises and sunsets always grab my attention. It never seems to fail that I see the best ones when I am driving down the road. They can be short lived, and the photographer has to act quickly. When I go hiking, I always have my camera with me. Quite frankly I suck at portraits, and I am in awe of those who have mastered it. Wedding photographers I think have the hardest job. It takes a lot of patience and creativity with some imagination. I am in awe of them.

There was only about 10 minutes between these two photos, and it changed quickly. I took them in Silver Mines Recreation area. This is the St. Francis River that meanders through the park. It is located between Ironton and Fredericktown, Mo. Kayakers love this area and have kayak races here in the spring when the water is up. When the water level is up the kayakers head for the river.

I hope I haven’t bored you with my photos. In closing I am going to post a few more photos I took when hiking at Silver Mines.

The first two were taken of the trail and the last one was a photo of what is left of the damn that was built when the old silver mine was in operation. Thanks for reading and remember to be kind to one another and spread the love.

Time

August 29, 2022 / doubledacres / 18 Comments

“Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.”
Bill Keane

As I have aged I have become more aware of time. None of us know just how much time we have left to travel the road of life.

I have also learned how important it is to focus on the present.

I have seen so many who have talked about the past only to remember the low times they have encountered instead of the high times. It’s called the past for a reason. That time is gone. It no longer exists and there is nothing you can do to change it. What’s done is done.

Some will argue that time spent on the future is time well spent. Maybe it is to some extent but really it’s a shot in the dark. We have no control over it and we have no idea what will happen. We have no idea if our plans will succeed. No matter how well we plan there is no guarantee.

Wouldn’t it be better to focus on the present? The past is gone, the future is tomorrow and tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. We should focus on the present. Our actions and attitude can make it enjoyable or miserable. We are in control and it can be time well spent.

Right wrong or indifferent, I choose to spend time on the present. It’s a good time to be thankful and enjoy life. It’s a good time to enjoy life and be thankful and praise God for giving us another day to enjoy the present.

Life Is Like A River

August 10, 2022 / doubledacres / 11 Comments

On a recent visit to Silver Mines Recreation Area, I sat and watched the water of the river flowing under the bridge located in the park.

When we arrived at the park the water was up and running over the bridge I was sitting on, now watching the river run under the bridge. Like life the river has its lows and highs.

As I sat looking up river I watched as the river rolled past the rocks headed for its final destination. It rolled past the rocks so gracefully not letting it stop it or slow it down. These rocks could represent the obstacles in our life. We need to approach our obstacles in life like the river deals with the rocks. We need to learn to roll around them and leave them behind us like the river and be thankful they are behind us.

At the end of the rapids there are deeper pools of slow moving water. Those waters represent the slow, peaceful times in our life when we can relax and enjoy the peace in our lives. A time when we can reflect back on where we have been and what we have accomplished. A time to be thankful for surviving all the obstacles we have faced.

Shabby Chic Painted Rooster

July 23, 2022 / doubledacres / 3 Comments

Today the city of Caledonia had its Blackberry Festival, and the little town was flooded with visitors from out of town. We decided to take some time and go check it out. While walking around the little village the Shabby Chic Painted Rooster was able to grab our attention and we decided to take a closer look inside.

The shop is known for their famous Fragrance Cookie and Tart Melts, and Warmers, Goat’s Milk Soap, Lotion, Hand Crafted Sweatshirts, Vintage Items and Home Decor. Hours: Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday their hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m… They are closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. There was plenty to see and had a great selection of items for sale. You can reach them at 636-232-8509 and they are located at 129 S State Hwy 21, Caledonia, MO 63631. shabbychicpaintedrooster@yahoo.com

The Campfire

July 18, 2022July 18, 2022 / doubledacres / 8 Comments

“The campfire is the most important part of camping. It’s far more than just a source of heat or light. It’s the heart of civilization. All other activities revolve around the fire.”
David Lubar

Many a night I have sat in front of a campfire and watched the flames perform their magical dance. A campfire can calm the soul and renew the spirit.

It’s a place where stories are born, world problems are solved and some of the biggest fish are caught. It’s a place for singing with an acoustic guitar showing up occasionally.