nature

Snow: You Either Hate It or Love It

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I happen to be one who loves the snow; however, the snow fall here in southeast Missouri doesn’t stay around real long. If I had to deal with it all winter long, like those in the deep north, I may be on the other side of the fence. Even if you are a hater of snow, you have to admit; it is quite beautiful.

NOTICE: All pictures are the property of Double D Acres LLC and cannot be used, reproduced or copied without written permission from Double D Acres LLC.

The Love of Flyfishing

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My friend David Tripp an avid flyfisherman.: The Love of Flyfishing

“If you’ve got short, stubby fingers and wear reading glasses, any relaxation you would normally derive from flyfishing is completely eliminated when you try to tie on a fly.”

Jack Ohman – Fear of Flyishing 1988

I can relate to what Jack Ohman is saying. I wear reading glasses, and have short stubby fingers riddled with arthritis. Bending over and picking up the fly, that I thought I had passed the line through the eyelet on the fly only to find I wasn’t even close, however is good exercise.

Another favorite of mine is when you have spent 20 minutes tieing the line onto the fly, and you tighten the knot down snug. Now you grab your clippers and snip off the extra line on the tag and you also snip the line to the fly! Arghh! Time to sit down, calm your mind and start all over again.

Now one of my favorites. It’s 100 degrees and you have sweat rolling into your eyes and you are attempting to tie on a fly. You work diligently tieing on your fly and with one setback after another, to your amazement you have finally accomplished your mission. You walk to the water and begin to make your cast. In your excitement of finally succeeding, you failed to survey your surroundings to make sure you could make your cast without any interference. Whoop, whoop, BAMB!!! Your fly manages to wrap itself around a limb. To free it you are going to have to break the line and lose your favorite fly (Note: When you lose a fly it is always your favorite). I have seen this happen several times, to the point I have thought about just showing up with a step ladder and for a fee, retrieve their fly. Then I could buy more flies . Awww, the joys of flyfishing and I didn’t even touch on the subject of tieing a tippet to the leader.

Thanks for stopping by and remember to be kind to one another and spread the love.

Don Robinson State Park

/ doubledacres / 10 Comments

My fiancé and I decided to check out Don Robinson State Park on New Year’s Eve. We arrived around 9 a.m. and it appeared that it was going to be an unusually warm day in January. The park opened January 26,2017 and this was our first visit to the park. Recent rains had left the trail pretty muddy in spots and we found that the trails weren’t marked very well but we didn’t get lost. It turned out to be a very nice day. Good hike.

There are 3 trails located within the park. 1) Sandstone Canyon Trail: Rated – Moderate/ 3.9 miles – Estimated time 1 hour 39 minutes 2) Sandstone Canyon Western Loop: Rated – Easy – length 2.3 miles – Estimated time 56 minutes 3) LaBarque Hills Trail: Rated – Moderate – Length 2.9 miles – Estimated time 1 hour 16 minutes.

Each trail has its own unique views. You can walk along a trail atop a sandstone canyon overlooking the LaBarque Creek. You walk past caves, cliffs and glades, through dry woodlands with oak.

Don Robertson State Park is a public recreation area that consists of a little over 800 acres located in Jefferson County Missouri. The entrance gate opens at 7 a.m. and closes one-half hour after sunset. There are 42 species of fish found in LaBarque Creek. There are nearly 650 species of plants and numerous songbirds can be seen within the park. There is a public bathroom.

After the Shot

/ doubledacres / 9 Comments

With new technology and computers, the art of photography has changed immensely. Adobe and many more companies have added editing tools to enhance the photograph. The possibilities seem endless. I was a hold out until recently. I refused to use these tools until another photographer named Dave Shultz got me to think outside of the box.

Now photographers aren’t finished after the shot. It is just the beginning. I prefer Adobe’s Light Room. It is loaded with many possibilities. Like anything in life, there are those that love it and those who don’t. It does things that you can’t do with just a camera. New photo editing software has changed the world of photography. Good or bad, I think it will be around for a while. What say you?

Thanks for reading. I would love to hear what others think.

Life Changes

/ doubledacres / 19 Comments
St Francis River

We were created from dust and one day we will return to dust. We are a part of Mother Earth.
I sit here drinking in what God has created and it leaves me speechless. Such beauty.
Temp is hovering around 30 degrees. I can feel the sun’s warmth on my face. Not a cloud in the sky.

I am so blessed to be able to enjoy what God has created. The feeling of peace and healing is within me. The sound of the river mesmerizes me and I get lost in the music the St Francis River is playing.
It’s a sad day though. It is our last day however we will return on March 1st.

St Francis River

News Flash! There has been a big change in my life. I am engaged to Evelyn Zarbo. We met in the 7th grade and were reunited at our 50th year Class Reunion. Her brother and sister-in-law are Camp Hosts at Silver Mines. Next year we will be co-hosts. We will live there for 8 months. we are excited about joining them. Reception is lousy, so it is tough to get internet service.

Evelyn and Me
Woke up to this on November 11, 2022
St Francis River

Autumn Has Arrived

/ doubledacres / 22 Comments
Silver Mines Recreation Area

“It’s the first day of autumn! A time of hot chocolatey mornings, and toasty marshmallow evenings, and, best of all, leaping into leaves.!” – Winnie the Pooh; Pooh’s Grand Adventure

Here in Missouri, autumn arrived with cooler temperatures and rain showers. Leaves have begun turning and some dropping to the ground. Some persimmons have started to ripen. Stores have begun stocking apple cider and caramel apples. It’s starting to look a lot like autumn.

As a child I loved raking leaves. I would make huge piles and run and jump into them. I managed to entertain myself for hours. My father tricked me into biting into a green persimmon. OMG! I didn’t think I would ever be able to spit again. Please don’t try that. Take my word for it. Soon the sky will be filled with the sounds of geese headed south for the winter.

Big River

Stores have already begun stocking Christmas decorations and it isn’t even October yet. Halloween will soon be upon us. I love Halloween. There was a time I would be planning a Halloween party. I used to have a hayride followed by a bonfire, chili and karaoke. Here in Missouri deer hunters will head to the woods and start scouting the woods for deer sign. Bow season is already happening. It won’t be long and there will be frost on the pumpkin.

This is the time of year that people start reflecting back on the year and see the things they have to be thankful for. Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. Families and friends will gather together and celebrate. I enjoy cooking the Thanksgiving dinner. I have a Dutch Oven big enough to cook a thirteen-pound turkey in, it weighs 45 pounds. There is nothing better tasting than a turkey cooked in a Dutch Oven. I also cook the pies, dressing and other vittles in the Dutch Ovens. I have a fairly large assortment of them.

left to right- dressing, turkey, and sweet tater pie

It also begins the bonfire season. I do love me a good bonfire. I love to watch the flames dance and the smell of wood smoke. I usually have three or four fires a week. I love to camp this time of year also and I think the fishing is better than it is any other time of year. I do about 80% of the cooking outside so I enjoy the cooler temperatures.

I love a bonfire, how about you?
My cook area plus I have a Blackstone griddle.
Cooking a pot of beans

To those like me who enjoy the fall, I say Happy Fall to you! May your refrigerator be full of apple cider, your cupboard filled with caramel apples, and you have plenty of wood for the fire. This is also the time of year when a big bowl of chili tastes best. Be kind to one another and spread the love.