#Ozarks

[oliviarosaline]

Northern Cardinal

Cardinalis cardinalis

Male

Shining in all his glory.

March 17th, 2024

Jefferson County, Missouri, USA

Olivia R. Myers

@oliviarosaline

[rebeccathenaturalist]

So I went on a phenology walk at Ozark Audubon today. We were mainly looking for any flowers that might have survived the freeze a few days ago, but we found some other neat stuff, too. This was one of the coolest! Look closely at the end of the branch--you can see where it has been neatly carved away, and then snapped in the center after the branch died.

That's the work of the female twig girdler (Oncideres cingulata), a species of longhorn beetle found in the east and midwest United States. She girdles the branch of a hardwood tree, lays her eggs in the branch, and then after it falls the eggs hatch and the larvae feed on the dead wood.

[sixminutestoriesblog]

the infamous Appalachian 'hey'

Out in the woods of the Appalachian mountains, there's a caution of advice that goes:

"If you hear anything while out in the woods - no, you didn't.

pawnsorkings

I would take a raven over a haint any day. That doesn't necessarily mean, if I couldn't spot a bird, I'd answer.

[federer7]

Sharecropper shack. Kitchen of Ozarks cabin purchased for Lake of the Ozarks project. Missouri. May 1936.

Photo by Carl Mydans, Resettlement Administration.

View full size

[aditchfullofchickens]

red. ♥️

[ginger-by-the-sea]

[thebonesofwhatwebelieved]

A Camper Like Me

She’s a camper like me 

But with curly red hair 

And freckles 

She’s young 

Shes happy 

Shes free

And I think she thinks she loves him 

Shes a little bit like me.

I know it’s just a camp crush or something fun and sweet

But the only thing that I can really see

Is that she is even more blind than me

He is not who he used to be.

And I always thought he was only ever mine 

And of course no, I’m not jealous of her

Just the forest that gets all his time

But I hope she knows how to keep her eyes open 

Peeled back for signs

I wish I had earlier 

Before those damn woods were the only thing on his mind

Because something tells me that’s where it will end for them too

Where everything will end for her

The sweet girl who comes from out of state

She doesn’t belong here 

She doesn’t know the forest 

She doesn’t know him 

She doesn’t know he’d stop giving her attention 

Leave her to the wolves of the forest 

If only to satisfy their whim. 

We have a lot in common

She and I 

I’d save her if I could

But in the end we’ll both be left 

Raindrops stinging our eyes

Pried wide open

Staring at the stormy sky.

[pagan-stitches]

Haw Creek Falls

[wandering-jana]

Bird's Foot Violet.

Pickle Springs Natural Area, Missouri

Explore:

[givemewinterpls]

Deer, Arkansas

[oliviarosaline]

Lepiota sp.

Aug. 14th, 2023

St. Louis County, Missouri, USA

Olivia R. Myers

@oliviarosaline

[rebeccathenaturalist]

I miss storms.

Growing up in the Midwest, I was scared of them. Tornado drills in school from a young age brought home the fact that one of these destructive maelstroms could come through and wipe an entire town off the map in minutes. Twister came out when I was in high school, fueling both fascination and fear when we watched it in a science class so we could pick apart the fact and fiction. And I was terrified of getting caught out in one if I had walked too far from home, and up from the southwest came dark clouds, wind, and a growl of thunder in the distance. Yet I also felt security as the winds blew around the house, tucked into my bed in the dark; so long as a tornado didn't snake down from the sky, I could rest amid the thunder and lightning, watching the trees blown back and forth by the wind.

But when I moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2006, I found after a few years that I began to miss them. It wasn't just that their relative infrequency had defanged them. Rather, I found that the part of me that curled up while the wind howled and the sky rumbled missed the feeling of safety amid the chaos. Sure, there was always the chance that factors would align to bring a powerful spiraling juggernaut racing across the land, but the vast majority of the time things passed without incident, other than perhaps a few small branches and leaves washed into the storm drain by a sudden torrent.

The few true thunderstorms that raged when I lived in Portland, and then on the coast, became special occasions. Unless I was absolutely uninterruptible, I would stop whatever I was doing, turn off the lights if it was dark, and bear silent witness to the passing of the flashes of light and their resultant chorus. Sometimes there would be no more than one or two distant disturbances to the south or the north; other times we would get a few minutes that almost--but not quite--felt like being back in the Ozarks on a muggy summer evening. These times became so special to me that if my partner were awake later than I was as was often the case, and a storm rolled in, he would gently wake me and sit with me while we enjoyed the show together, before I drifted back to sleep.

So now that I come back here a couple of times a year, I always hope that there will be a storm or two. And as I write this, the southern edge of a storm brushes past Rolla, following I-44 toward St. Louis. It's not an especially wild beast here; the leaves barely move, the rain drops sluggishly, and the thunder only occasionally speaks a ways away. But I am curled up in my old bedroom, blinds open to watch the lightning flash, listening to spatters against the windows.

[the-trans-folk-witch]

The Dog Days of Summer- Booger Dogs and Shapeshifting.

The dog says of summer are July 3 - August 11. These days are believed to be the hottest time of the year in the northern hemisphere. They are based around the Sirius (Cerberus) star system reaching its highest point. In the old Ozarks they were believed to be times to avoid feral dogs as dogs may be more prone to rabies on these days. animal attacks by wolves or coyotes were considered common as well.

Another event happening during this time was the appearance of the “booger dog.” Whose etymology derived from “bogey man” or “boogy man”. The booger dog was a monstrous and spiritual creature who was believed to be a witch, shapeshifter, or haint. It was a maligned spirit that attacked people as well as stole milk and other riches from common folk. It was essentially an ozark version of a werewolf. Only it was around all summer from the point of sundown to sunrise.

As a witch based in the Ozarks I have adopted this season into my practice. During this time I join the witch ancestors and haints alike in the form of a shadowy beast. It is truly a time for gluttony and other selfish acts. To quite literally run with the wolves and eat the living. As slipping out of one’s skin and shapeshifting, it’s common to feel the tendons and flesh release. [ or even tear if the trance is deep. ] Running into the mountains as a black creature of vile grandeur is cathartic and addicting. It’s truly a time to be alive. A time for the witch to rule the hot summer nights.

For those new to shapeshifting, the dog days are the best time to do it. The animalistic nature of the witch is unleashed with ease during the dog days. During this time witches may develop strange behaviors after shapeshifting. These altered states of consciousness change behavior to be very canine-like. Craving meat or blood is a common occurrence for those running among a pack of booger dogs during the season of Sirius. In fact, a true professional knows that these side effects actually aid the witch in more accurate shapeshifting states as the maligned season progresses. It is helpful to use the bones, pelts, or other parts of a black dog or wolf to aid in shapeshifting. My preferred method is traveling in spirit through a pelvic bone of a black dog. As my spirit mingles with the bone it takes on its properties.

It is common to hold a piece of dogwood bark in the mouth like a bone when shapeshifting. This plant ally is very tied to booger dogs. It can help make them and repel them. It is believed that throwing a piece of dogwood away from you when pursued by a booger dog could save your life. This folk belief never confirms if this is tied to the idea of dogs playing fetch or not. But I can confirm that I would be very interested in anything that appears to be running away from me in that state. A flying stick would draw my attention with much success.

Happy dog days, boogers!

Side note: On July fourth, a time for fireworks and loud noises, it could be said that these loud and light filled celebrations are to keep the booger dogs away.

[adventurecoreadjacentbabe]

rocky falls in mo, in the ozarks in january

[ozarktrailerparkdykefag]

Keep seeing those like hyper patriotic alpha type blogs with lions, wolves, bald eagles, America flags, lighting, guns, everywhere and big bold hyper conservative or libertarian DNIs with some toxic whatever the hell Facebook memes. So here is my trans Dykes on Bikes white tiger patriot PFP, just to fit in my own way haha.

Hi I'm a PATRIOT. True southern, true American. I believe in my freedoms and the right to fight to have them. Right to bear arms, Women's rights are human rights, I can choose to be whatever gender I want, I can love whoever I want, practice (or not) any religion I want, BLM, Ima true rebel, bootlicker hater, love my nation and work to address its flaws. Don't agree? Upset lil whiny snowflake conservative? Move to another country. This is AMERICA, land of the FREE.

Vote, stand for something, stand up for others.

Is this parody? Sorta? I actually like it.