This is definitely a weird time to be alive. I speak with many people each day and the common denominator seems to be fear and uncertainty. Encompassing the Left, Right and Center. I avoid “echo chambers” at all costs and believe that healthy, rational and logical debate is a means forward. I refuse to be afraid and I refuse to accept things at face value. That being said, I would like to share 10 quotes that I have been pondering over and over as of late…
I generally abhor politics. I blame politicians for most of the ills of the world. I am not a blank check or perpetual ATM where you can spend our money at will, but that’s how it seems these days. It is NOT about facts, it is about CONTROL. I remain steadfast in using logic, deductive reasoning, rational thought and scientific facts that have been thoroughly reviewed and tested and sourced. I question everything. And I refuse to be afraid.
I hope you find these quotes interesting or thought provoking. Continue to be a decent human being and stay safe out there…
Fall is my favorite time of year and with a morning temperature of 27F and frost on the ground, I decided to hunt for rabbit. The wife opted to tag along to get some photos. So after hunting through an area I agreed to let her take pics. It felt weird to be honest…I just wanted to hunt, instead it felt like a fashion shoot or something. But seeing as how we are both learning photography and experimenting with light and composition I figured why not.
a Rabbit hangout
We saw plenty of Dove and Grey Squirrels but not a single Cottontail. Oh well, I still enjoy getting out on cool fall mornings.
I have a slant towards the nostalgic so I rarely wear camo clothing while hunting. I much prefer wool and cotton duck/canvas. At least for small game or upland species. I remember hearing about my Grandfather hunting rabbits with his single shot 16ga and his Beagles. I still have his J.C. Higgins shotgun! Some things don’t need to change I suppose.
Some people aren’t keen on hunting and I get it. But I much prefer wild game to anything that can be purchased in a store. Also, you will never see me do fist-pumps and jump up and down smiling after a kill. I much prefer to honor the quarry and give thanks to the Creator. Hunting and taking a life is a solemn and humble occasion. I take only what I need and nothing more…
The wife and I got up early this morning and took a stroll around our property. We had storms last night and as usual, we like to check the place over to make sure there weren’t any trees that had blown over onto our fencing.
It was a crisp 42F and damp, but the sun was up and it felt really nice outside. I took the camera along to take a few pics since the seasons are changing and fall colors are starting to appear.
I still have much to learn about photography but it has been fun learning so far. And it was nice to sit in the sun and contemplate the seasons and the correlation to the human life span. Until next time…
3 years ago I decided to upgrade my wet weather footwear from cheap rubber boots to more expensive Muck boots. I paid $40.00 for my first pair at Academy Sports.
$40.00 rubber boots
I needed a boot that was easy to put on and take off since we’re constantly doing various chores around the property. These worked well and have actually held up really well…they are 10 years old.
We started wearing them while fishing and noticed that we needed more aggressive tread and a better heel. We opted to try the Muck boot brand since our local Ag and Feed Store carried them. Fast forward 3 years after purchasing these and now the soles are coming apart. To say I was disappointed is an understatement.
To me this is unacceptable and I will definitely not be buying these again. Our friends have been telling us about Le Chameau boots and I have decided to try those. So far they are EXTREMELY comfortable and are a joy to walk in.
Le Chameau Chaseur Neo Side Zips
I opted for the Chaseur model with neoprene lining and side zips. Time will tell how well they perform and last, but I plan on giving them a good workout in the future.
The wife and I decided to take a walk this morning along the Arkansas River Trail. I took the Canon T7 along just to play with and get some field experience taking pictures. We saw 3 Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) which was neat.
Bald Eagle
I definitely need to get a telephoto lens and a macro lens for this camera. As we looked out into the river bed, what we saw disgusted us. Discarded tires littered the bed.
Discarded Tires! Oklahoma is one of those states that has trash laying everywhere. It’s sad.Discarded Fishing Line! This pile was too big and heavy to drag out. Frustrating!
Enough with the depressing stuff! I did try to photograph some of the local flowers. You can still find natural beauty if you look.
I am always dragging stuff home much to the wifes dismay. One of these days our house will be full of specimens. We have shelves full of jars, rocks, bones etc.
Yesterday while we were driving along the route we chose, I noticed several Osage Orange/Bois d’Arc trees bearing fruit and commented to the wife that I would like to gather some to plant on our property. As luck would have it…we found some!
Bois d”Arc/Osange Orange (Maclura pomifera) fruit.Also known as Hedge Apples, Horse Apples, Brain Fruit etc.
We will process these at the beginning of next year and plant them in the spring. We ended the outing by picking up 2 bags of trash and depositing them in the park dumpster. It’s always good for us to get out and stretch our legs and minds and this was no exception. Thank you for reading and have a great day!
The wife and I decided to get out to one of our favorite spots and take a look around. It had been awhile since we visited the area and summertime is as good of a time as any. In the Cross Timbers, water is life, and where you find water you also find life in abundance.
Several years ago, we were looking around in this area and stumbled upon an atlatl point. This area is perfect for a camp so I wasn’t surprised to find the artifact. I will discuss that atlatl point in another blog post at a later date. Back to the story…
Spring fed and drops into a pool down below the ledges.Tucked away in a quiet place.
We really enjoy visiting this area. We’ve seen snakes, bobcat, coyotes, deer, raccoon, beaver, opossums and mountain lions. To date we’ve managed to explore an area of about a 5 mile radius centered upon this area. Just to the South you will find a labyrinth of sandstone cliffs then it opens up onto a savannah, all the while surrounded by your typical Cross Timbers habitat of Blackjack and Post Oak as well as Hickory and Cedar.
Snakeskin and Lamiaceae.Vibrant reds. Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)Brilliant whites and yellows. Prairie Fleabane (Erigeron strigosus) and Sneezeweed (Helenium amarum)Subtle purples. Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum) and Lesser Snakeroot (Ageratina aromatica)
Being surrounded by color in the dog days of summer is a nice change of pace. Usually by this time of year, many plants are going dormant due to the intense heat. Yet water and shade allows some plants to hold out until the end of their natural life-cycle.
Tucked away in the shade and grateful for the breeze.
Both of us are amateur naturalists and are continually learning the plants and trees in our area. We consider ourselves “life-long students” and as such spend a considerable amount of time researching things.
I am forever taking notes and making observations.
I am a nerd at heart, and as such have a vast library on outdoor related topics. Everything from botanical taxonomic keys, anthropology, all the way to spelunking. We don’t own a television for the simple reason that we are too busy doing other things to bother with watching one. We try to spend as much time outdoors as our schedules allow and find that we are the happiest when in the wild.
My choice of gear. I use the pencil and canteen the most!
Addendum: in a previous blog post on the Cross Timbers Ecoregion I mentioned the variances that it contained. Below are 2 photos we took today to illustrate those.
Fringe Zone where the Cross Timbers meet the Prairie.Looking to the West upon the Prairie.
Thank you for reading and I hope you found this interesting. Take Care…
Velox Seeker 