River

In Memory of Meddlin’ Kate

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“Having a dog will bless you with many of the happiest days of your life, and one of the worst.” Unknown

“Dogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault, really.“

Agnes Sligh Turnbull

                        

They grieve, have feelings, listen, can fill a house with joy and give unconditional love. Yes, there are some dogs that have behavioral issues but there are people that do too. They aren’t perfect.

Kate was my ride dog, and we were basically together 24/7. She wasn’t just a dog, no, she was a family member. I have very fond memories with Kate. No one can take those memories away from me.

Meddlin’ Kate 1/1/2011 – 1/25/2020

Brrrr….Baby It’s Cold Outside!!

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Wow! Just wow. Once upon a time we were visited by warmer than normal temperatures day after day, even though it was officially winter. In the back of my mind, I knew we would pay for that nice weather. Then! Then it finally happened, and it wasn’t pretty. No sir ladies and gentlemen it wasn’t. We were enjoying highs in the 40s and 50s with lows in the upper 30s.

Quickly our highs went to highs of low 20s to single digits and lows from 5 to -10 with strong winds and the snow arrived. Accumulations were never above 5 inches. For the record I am one of those crazy people who love snow and the colder temperatures, but in my old age the cold air seems to have a bit more bite to it, then it used too. 

I did manage to get out a couple of times to hike. The first one was to Elephant Rocks State Park. When I headed out it was a balmy 22 degrees and by the time, I got back to the truck it was 18 degrees with a 20 mph Northwest wind. No snow on the ground but I did manage to get a few shots and one very interesting one. I called them “dirtcicles”. They originated from underneath the ground and formed icecicles with dirt at the very top. Picture below.

I also got a couple of other pics.

Then I really went off the deep end and decided to take a brisk hike up Hughes Mountain. That was my first mistake. When I got out of the truck it was a warm 8 degrees and a dusting of snow on the ground. Just enough to make walking challenging. Well against my better judgement I started up the trail. I soon ran into a section covered in ice. With some creative hiking I managed to get about halfway up and took a couple of pics overlooking the valley below. The first pic on my post was one of them. Now with the next two you will know how the valley looks at 8 degrees. I know deep down you really want to know, LOL.

Now it was time to head back. Apparently, my creative hiking had went somewhere warmer, because all of a sudden, my feet went out from underneath me, and I was headed downhill rather quickly. I’m sure it wasn’t a pretty sight to behold, and I’m sure if anybody heard my screams, they thought I was being attacked by a mountain lion. Gary Fultz, just how hard are you laughing right now? I finally came to a stop. I finally arrived home safe and sound.

Now what does this photographer do when he can’t get out? He hones his photography skills by taking pictures of birds. Lots of pictures. I will only bore you with a couple.

Thank you for stopping by and reading my post. You are very much appreciated.

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My Fascination With the Moon

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Moon over the St Francis River

“The moon is a friend for the lonesome to talk to.“

Carl Sandburg

As a child I remember staring at the moon looking to see the “Man in the Moon”. I always looked forward to seeing the full moon. It was always so peaceful perched high up in the night sky. It always had a calming effect on me. It seemed to be tugging at my soul.

As an adult it still has a hold on me. I love taking walks in the moonlight. I feel like God is telling me He sees me and is beside me reassuring me that I am not alone. It moves across the night sky in silence casting its light upon the countryside adding serenity to the landscape. The moon’s light has a way of making me feel warm and safe inside and nourishing my soul.

The glow of its light can be mesmerizing and cause excitement to fill my body and I feel closer to Mother Earth. It makes me feel special as if it is only playing just for me. My very own light show from heaven above, yet I know deep inside it is for everyone to enjoy. I can sit for hours drinking in the beauty it casts upon Mother Earth. It takes me back to the days I gazed upon its beauty as a child. Pleasant memories.

During our time as campground hosts at Silver Mines Campground, my wife and I would take a ten o’clock run through the park and we would stop on the old Highway D bridge that still crosses the St Francis River and admire the beauty of the moon. Our quiet time and time to reflect on our day.

Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read the ramblings of an old, retired farrier. I appreciate you all very much.

Boaters of Silver Mines

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The St Francis River flows through the Silver Mines Recreation Area and is the playground of a lot of kayakers and I had the honor of meeting several of them. The St. Francis River is the only river in Missouri that has been classified as “white water”.

The Missouri Whitewater Championships take place the third weekend of March and are subject to water levels. They begin at Millstream Gardens and continue downstream. The boaters have a choice of different events, slalom races, freestyle competitions, and downriver races.

The competition also draws a lot of spectators. There are some areas designated for spectators to watch the competition or they can watch from the riverbank. The boaters give them lots of action to watch and the crowd gets into cheering them on. Competitors are from all over the country and come in young and old.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog.

Silver Mines 2023

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St Francis River inside Silver Mines.

Silver Mines is located in the Mark Twain National Forest on the St Francis River in Madison County near Fredericktown, MO. There are 67 campsites, 11 sites with electricity, the rest are primitive. There is a group site that can accommodate up to 75 people. It is normally open from March to the end of October. Amenities include picnic tables, vault toilets, water spigots, campfire rings and lantern posts.

Picture of old mine building. Picture given to me by one of the camp visitors. No idea when picture was taken.

Looking up the St Francis River.
Trail going to the damn and Turkey Creek.
Another section of the trail.

Section of trail.
Early morning looking down river.
Sun setting in Silver Mines.

There are 3 Day Use areas where visitors can park. They are open from 6 am to 10 pm and there is a fee of $5 per vehicle. There is also a covered pavilion that can be reserved. There are also 6 vault toilets located in the park. There is an abundance of wildlife in the park and the fishing is good. The trails are what I would call moderate. There was a 90 year old man that hiked both trails this year.

Doe crossing road at Turkey Creek gate.

This fawn got use to our golf cart and got pretty close.

I took a whole lot of photos that I plan on sharing with everyone. It is truly a photographer’s paradise. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. It is very much appreciated.

Silver Mines dam

Silver Mines a Missouri Gem

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Believe me when I tell you as a campground host in Silver Mines, that you won’t become rich in a monetary sense, but you will leave rich in memories. Part of our job was to lock the gate into the Turkey Creek Day Use Area at 10 pm and unlock it at 6 am. I would leave at 5:30 am to go unlock the gate. I loved that part of my job. The deer became use to our golf cart and would let me get pretty close to them. I also saw some beautiful sunrises.

Bulletin Board at Turkey Day Use area. The pay tube is to the right of it.
River Loop Campground Bulletin Board. There was electric at these sites.
Sunrise on the St Francis River in Silver Mines

Steps on the trail leading to the Summit Campground.
One of the trail signs.

We would police the park for trash every day. I wish I had a penny for every cigarette butt we picked up. We probably picked up a coffee can full a week. Soda cans, beer bottles, Wal Mart bags, fast food wrappers, and even dirty diapers along the road were also a problem. We worked hard to keep the park free of litter.

Water over the old highway D bridge.
Flood water rushing over the rocks, on the St Francis River.

It was a weird year as far as the weather. The first week we were there in March we had a lot of rain causing the river to rise. The river came up pretty fast and then it crested. That was a teaser because a couple of hours later, it started rising again with a vengeance, rising 2 foot an hour. We almost had to move the camper to higher ground, it was close, very close, but at the last minute, it started dropping. The river got over the old highway D bridge 5 times this year.

Thanks for stopping by and reading. It is very much appreciated.

Campground Hosts at Silver Mines

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What does a campground host actually do? I can only answer to what we did at Silver Mines. To be accepted as campground hosts, we had a background check, got fingerprinted and signed a Volunteer Agreement. We read it but we don’t remember what it said, it was back in March, and we never did get a copy of it even though we were told we would get one.

Our duties were to clean firepits and bathrooms, empty the garbage cans, keep the park clean, police campsites, (picking up any litter left by campers), and stock pay envelopes. Campers and day use, users filled out the envelopes, put payment inside the envelopes, sealed them and put them in a tube where forest service employees would come by and collect. This was done on an honor system. As volunteers we weren’t allowed to touch the money. We didn’t nor the forest service know if these people had paid or not.

We were also responsible for posting reservations on the campground site. We couldn’t take reservations, they were done online. Reservations were faxed to us on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Then as soon as possible we would post them on the proper campsites.

We also made sure campers abided by the rules. We rode through the park 2 to 3 times a day and the last we did at 10:00 pm to see if everyone was observing the “Quiet Time”. We helped campers find their sites, answer any questions that they might have. We gave out trail information, we hiked all of them to familiarize ourselves with the trails. The trail that goes to the Einstein Mine seems to be the favorite.

On a good note, we did get to meet a lot of good people, make new friends, and see some beautiful sites. There is an abundance of wildlife in the area. Beaver, herons or egrets, racoon, squirrels, and possums and its cousin the armadillo.

Thanks for reading.

March in Review

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I took a job as a camp cohost in Silver Mines Recreation Area, near Fredeicktown, Missouri. The following are pictures I took in March. We were almost flooded out at one point.

We are ready for some dry weather for a bit. It got close but we didn’t have to move.

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.