Behind The Lens

Kings River Falls

2009-05-17T16:05:00.004-05:00

The 683 acre Kings River Natural Area is managed by the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission. This is an easy trail measuring only about a 1.4 mile round trip. It is fairly level most of the way and on part of it you will follow alongside the Kings River. It is located North of the community of Boston Arkansas which is located on highway 16 between Pettigrew and Red Star.

This is a feeder creek flowing in from the west. You could spend several hours exploring this area.

Up river from the waterfall.

Not a good picture at all but I wanted to show the mountain azaleas that filled the air with the smell of spring.

Pam's Grotto Falls

2009-05-10T15:25:00.005-05:00

In recent weeks, the entire state of Arkansas has received several inches of rain. Everywhere you turn things are lush and green. There has been flooding in some areas including farmland which is delaying farmers from planting their crops. One silver lining to all of the rainfall is the waterfall activity that it leaves behind. All over the Ozarks and the Ouachitas the waterfalls are flowing well which makes it difficult deciding which ones to photograph with limited time.

On this day I chose Pam's Grotto Falls. This waterfall is located approximately 22 miles north of Lamar Arkansas off of highway 123. There is a small parking area on the right side of the highway about 1/4 mile past the Haw Creek campground entrance. The trail to this waterfall begins on the left side of the highway from where you park. It is a fairly short hike (about 1/2 mile) but the first half is a steep climb. Then you have a final descent down to the fall. This waterfall was named by my favorite photographer Tim Ernst after his wife Pam. I have a link to Tim's website on the right side of this page. This was a beautiful place to be and fun to photograph.

Pam's Grotto Falls taken from underneath the bluff. The roar of the waterfall really echoed under there and it was amazing how much wind the flowing water produced.
A view from in front of the waterfall. Notice the big boulder guarding the entrance.

This is a mountain stream that I crossed on the way to the fall.

This road leads into the Haw Creek Campground. The heavy rains raised Haw Creek and covered the road trapping some of the campers. This guy seemed to be comtemplating whether or not to give it a try. I left before he made his decision but I sure hope he turned around.

APRIL SHOWERS

2009-05-03T17:53:00.005-05:00

April showers bring waterfalls. I had plans this particular weekend to do some much overdue yard work. Well, mother nature had other ideas. With the cloudy and rainy weather I had to modify my plans. I sure was disappointed...not. I contacted my friend Steve and we met Saturday morning at 7:30 and hit the road. We traveled through several Arkansas counties, visited 4 waterfalls, drove in pea soup thick fog, hiked in a thunderstorm, had lunch at the "Point of View" restaurant in Jasper (only because the Ozark Cafe was standing room only), and drove over 300 miles. Our day ended at 8:20 p.m. We were both exhausted but it was worth every minute. I hope you enjoy viewing the pictures as much as I did taking them.

High Bank Twins at low water. This obviously is only one of the two. It is located off of Hwy 215 in Franklin County. It is 71' tall.

This is a cascade that we crossed on the way to the Twins. It has no name that I am aware of. Since I was with my wife when I first came here, I call it Melissa falls.

The top of the Glory Hole waterfall in Newton county. The water has drilled a hole in the overhanging bluff creating a very unique waterfall underneath.

The Glory Hole waterfall. This is where the water in the above picture comes out. People often mistake this as light coming from the hole. This fall is 31' tall.

Falling Water Falls in Pope county. This waterfall is 10' tall.

Another view of Falling Water falls. This area is also a popular swimming hole. Notice the ladder on the tree in the background.

Six Finger falls in Pope county. This waterfall is located about six miles past Falling Water on the same road. This waterfall is 6' tall.

Another view of Six Finger falls

Water dripping from moss down stream from Six Finger falls.

I have always liked this type of photograph. It is rushing water downstream from Six Finger falls. This just looks like art to me.

The Big Dam Bridge - Again

2009-04-12T18:35:00.004-05:00

I shot this bridge once before but I added a daylight photo this time. You can refer to my post on July 17, 2008 to view the previous pictures of the bridge.

This is from the top of the bridge looking back toward the N. Little Rock side.

Falls Creek Falls

2009-04-05T17:56:00.003-05:00

Lake Catherine is a 1,940 acre lake located in the Ouachita mountains of Arkansas and home to the Lake Catherine state park. It is in this state park that you will find this waterfall. The trail to the falls is 2 miles round trip and an easy hike. Along the way you will be able to see the lake and you will cross Little Canyon creek. In the spring you will also be treated with wildflowers and dogwoods on the trail. For more information about this park or waterfall visit the following website: http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/lakecatherine/

2009-02-07T08:25:00.003-06:00

This is the view from atop Flatside Pinnacle in the Flatside Pinnacle Wilderness Area. It takes its name from Flatside Pinnacle, a 1,550-foot rock outcropping. This area is located in the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas. The United States Congress designated the Flatside Wilderness in 1984 and it now has a total of 9,507 acres. It is managed by the forest service.

Flatside Pinnacle

New Years Eve Moon

2009-01-31T15:47:00.001-06:00

I know this is late for this post but I decided to go ahead and put it out there anyway. This is a Waxing Crescent Moon from New Year's Eve and the bright dot in the lower left corner is Venus.

Haw Creek and Pack Rat Falls

2009-01-02T20:27:00.006-06:00

Today my brother David and my nephew Jonathan drove to the Haw Creek Campground in Johnson County off of Hwy 123 between Pelsor and Lamar Arkansas. We went here to photograph 2 waterfalls. Haw Creek Falls is located on Haw Creek. It's only 6' tall but the scenery there is incredible. Pack Rat Falls requires a boulder hopping hike upstream in a nearby feeder creek to reach. The boulders can be very very slippery and make for quite an adventure along the way. This falls is 24' tall and again the scenery was absolutely beautiful.

HAW CREEK FALLS

PACK RAT FALLS

A CASCADE DOWNSTREAM OF PACK RAT FALLS

JONATHAN POSES IN THE BASE OF A HOLLOW TREE.

Lost Valley

2008-11-22T17:23:00.009-06:00

Lost Valley Campground is located off of Hwy 43 between Boxley and Ponca. There is a hiking trail there that is a little over a 2 mile round trip. This trail consists of waterfalls, with the most popular one being Eden Falls, Eden Falls Cave which has a 30' waterfall inside it, Cobb Cave named this because of corn cobbs left there by indians, and a natural bridge. This place is covered with wild flowers in the spring.

This is an old schoolhouse that you pass as you drive into Lost Valley

This bridge is at the beginning of the hiking trail.

A dry creek bed along the trail.

Before the Color Peak

2008-11-05T20:14:00.003-06:00

Hwy 74 bridge in the background and the Ponca Low Water Bridge in front.

Roark Bluff on the Buffalo River at Steel Creek

Fall is in the air!!

2008-11-02T16:33:00.005-06:00

Melissa and I just spent an awesome week in the Ozarks. We stayed in our favorite cabin which is the Osage. The Osage is one of three cabins called the Ozark Bluff Dwellers. We highly recommend these cabins. I will add a link to them on this site.

We spent the whole week driving and hiking through the Buffalo River Region and the Ozark National Forest. The fall colors were not quite to peak when we arrived last Sunday but they sure put on a grand show before we left.

I'll be adding several posts in the upcomimg days to document our stay. I am starting with some elk shots. I tried to photograph the elk in early October but they were no where to be found. This trip was different. They were out in the fields of Boxley Valley early and late in the day. The peak of the rut has long since ended but the bulls are still bugling and there is an occassional spar between bulls. If you have never heard a bull elk bugle, you have got to make a trip up there to see and hear them.

I'll go for now but stay tuned for more posts to come.

In Search of Elk

2008-10-12T11:06:00.010-05:00

I made a drive up to Ponca early Saturday morning with the intent of photographing elk. My brother David and his family are up from Texas visiting his in-laws in Harrison so he met me there. We drove through Boxley Valley looking for our subject but visibility was realy poor. There was a heavy fog in the valley and even if the elk were there, taking a picture of them was out of the question. As it turns out the elk did not come out of the forest on that day. According to a lady at the Elk Education Center in Ponca, the elk are feeding on acorns and that tends to keep them in the woods. They still venture into the fields but there is no way to predict when. It would be a case of the right place at the right time to get a photo. Oh well...we drove down to Steel Creek to check it out and ran in to Michael Dougherty while we were there. Michael is a local photographer that earns his living photographing the Buffalo River region and is especially good at photographing elk. I am adding his website to my links so you can check it out. He is always full of information about where the elk might be or where to take landscape photos, etc. After visiting with him for a while, David and I went down to the low water bridge in Ponca and took a few shots there. The leaves are starting to change color now. Below are a couple of examples.

The Buffalo River from the Low Water Bridge in Ponca (In the fog)

A bluff down river from the low water bridge.

Longpool Falls 2

2008-09-18T19:09:00.005-05:00

What an interesting weather year this has been in Arkansas. We have experienced floods, tornados, and the remnants of two hurricanes. When Hurricanes Gustav and Ike made their way into the state we got more than our share of wind and rain. Ike was especially impressive to me because our power went out in the middle of the night and I was wide awake. I could hear the wind howling and the rain slamming into the house. I looked outside and the trees were reaching for the earth. Of course, I had to experience this so out the front door I went at 2:30 am. I stood out there for at least 20 minutes facing into the wind. I even spread my arms out once as if I was riding high up on the bow of the Titanic. Every once in a while a gust would push me backwards a step or two. I couldn't help but wonder what it must be like to actually experience hurricane force winds. After all, these were maybe 50 mph gusts at best. I finally had my weather fix and went back inside. When the adrenaline rush subsided I went back to bed.

Now back to the rainfall. All of the rain we received gave me visions of waterfalls dancing in my head. So...on the Sunday after Ike left the state, Melissa and I went back to a fall I visited earlier this year. Long Pool Falls is located off of highway 7 north of Dover Arkansas. We drove down to Long Pool Recreation Area and the first thing we noticed was that there was absolutely no one else there. Yee Haw!! We had the fall all to ourselves. We did the short hike to the fall and I set up my camera and tripod and shot away. It was good to be back in the woods after a long summer. Fall is around the corner and we can't wait.

The first two photos below are of Long Pool Falls and the last one is a cascade downstream of the fall.

It Tastes Like Chicken

2008-08-10T15:43:00.004-05:00

Melissa and I were on our way back from a wedding in El Dorado Arkansas when we saw this Timber Rattlesnake. I wanted to make a stop by my deer camp on the way back so I took a detour. We were on Hwy 274 between Hampton and Tinsman when I saw something on the road ahead that looked like a stick. As we zoomed by I saw that it was a snake. I turned around while Melissa grabbed my camera for me. I got out of the car and walked to it. It saw me coming so it coiled up and serenaded us with its rattle. The last picture below was actually taken by Melissa from inside the car just before we drove away. I have never eaten Rattlesnake but I hear it taste like chicken.

Big Dam Bridge

2008-07-17T19:58:00.003-05:00

I took some night shots at this bridge several months ago but didn't like the results. I decided to give it another try with some longer exposures. I like these a lot better. What do you think?

Two Rivers Park

2008-07-13T15:31:00.005-05:00

As mentioned in an earlier blog, I made another trip (actually 2) out to Two Rivers park. Two Rivers park is located in West Little Rock off of highway 10. It has hiking and biking trails and some nature trails. The trail I took the following pictures from is 3 miles long. It is paved the whole way and is even wheelchair accessible. It goes out to a peninsula that you can see when you travel south on the I-430 bridge into Little Rock.When my brother was with me we saw easily over 100 deer. Not so many on a return trip with Melissa.

One of the many herds living in the park.

Whitetail Doe watching us stroll on by.

Whitetail Buck in Velvet.

Melissa at the peninsula watching traffic go by on the I-430 bridge.

I-430 bridge facing N. Little Rock.

Feathered Friends

2008-07-10T19:05:00.003-05:00

I took a walk recently around lake Willastein in Maumelle to see what I could see. Well......

Killdeer: This is a very unique bird. It builds its nest on the ground. If anyone or anything ventures too close it will pretend that it has a broken wing and lead trouble away. When it's far enough away it flys off. Cool huh? If you look closely you can see eggs below her.

This is her future family.

Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher...I wonder how it got its name. Hmm

Canadian Geese: There was a pretty strong wind blowing in off of the lake. The geese would face into the wind a spread their wings.

4th of July

2008-07-05T10:24:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone had a great Independence Day. Melissa and I took in a little of Maumelle's 4th fest celebration. Then we went and secured our spot for the fireworks. I took the pictures below at Maumelle's annual firework show.

Macro Photography

2008-06-26T20:13:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine let me borrow a macro filter that attaches to one of my existing lenses. A macro filter or a macro lens allows you to take super close up shots. It's great for wildflowers. The two flowers below are from my first experience with macro photography.

Black-Eyed Susan

Tickseed

Mimosa Bloom

2008-06-19T20:04:00.003-05:00

It's that time of year when the mimosa trees are in bloom. I took this shot at Two Rivers Park in west Little Rock. This park is on the edge of the Arkansas River. I'm going to spend some more time out there and see what kind of creatures I can stir up.

Magnolia Blossom

2008-06-14T18:40:00.003-05:00

It has been a slow few weeks for landscape and nature photography. Instead, I recently shot a little league baseball game and also a high school skeet shooting tournament. Between the two, I took over 800 pictures. Whew! Anyway, I thought I would dig into my photo archives and post a picture since it has been so long. I took the shot of this magnolia blossom in April of 2006 at Eden Park near Destin Florida. The soft edges on the picture were done by using a double exposure blur technique. I hope you like it.

Maumelle Sunset

2008-06-02T19:51:00.002-05:00

I went out on the deck one evening last week and noticed some nice color starting to develop in the sky. I rushed back in and grabbed my camera bag and tripod and headed out the door. There is a new neighborhood being developed near the house on what was once a tree covered hillside. With the trees gone (which I hate) there is a wide open view of the western skyline. I set up my tripod and camera and waited. Before long, the color really started to pop. I took several shots at several exposures until the sun disappeared behind the horizon. It's amazing how fast the sun moves when your struggling to get that magic exposure. The following are two of about seventy shots.

Wetlands

2008-05-27T20:07:00.014-05:00

I have always had a fascination with swamps and cypress trees. Some of the best wetland shots are right off of the side of the road. The next three photos were taken from the side of a highway.

This shot and the one below it was taken from highway 70 near the Galloway exit just east of N. Little Rock Arkansas

I actually posted this one last October but since I was on the subject of things that are swampy I thought I would show it again. This is a Tupelo Swamp off of highway 165 in the town of Humnoke Arkansas.

This is not the best picture in the world but the subject is interesting. This is a Champion Tree and the largest Cypress tree in the state of Arkansas. It is also the largest tree in 40 of the 50 states in America. This tree is located in the White River National Wildlife Refuge in East Arkansas. It measures 120' tall with a circumference of 43 feet. A Champion Tree is the largest tree of a species in the state. The Arkansas Forestry Commission keeps a list of our Champion Trees. This list shows the species, the size and where the tree is located. There is even a link to the national champion tree list.

Tim Ernst

2008-05-18T20:33:00.005-05:00

I finally did it! I attended my first photography workshop with Tim Ernst. Tim has been teaching workshops for years. He lives in a cabin (Cloudland) on Cave Mountain Rd. near Boxley Arkansas. On his property he has recently built the Buffalo River Gallery to display his work. This gallery is open by appointment only but it is also where he teaches the processing part of his workshops.

There were six students (counting me) in Saturday's class. We met at 6 am in Ponca. I left home at 2:00 am to get there. Tim gathered us around his vehicle while he went over some preliminary information then we set off for Steel Creek to shoot Roark Bluff. Each of us did our own thing, moving from spot to spot and shooting away. Tim would come by and check on each of us at different times and offer advice and recommendations. We shot until the sun burned through the fog which was close to 9:30. Then, we all followed Tim in a convoy for a 30 minute drive to Cloudland. The last 7 1/2 miles of the drive is on a dirt road. The first mile or so is very steep uphill and curvy. The last mile or so is very bumpy and rough. Despite that it was well worth the drive. Tim's cabin is on the edge of a bluff overlooking the wilderness and the Buffalo River far below.

Whe we arrived, he took us on a tour of the cabin and we met his wife Pam. Pam is a very important part of the workshop. She cooks the lunch. Today's menu was barbeque beef, pork and chicken, barbeque beans, potato salad, chips and drink. Not only did she prepare the lunch but she also baked fresh piping hot chocolate cookies for an afternoon snack. We actually started the processing part of the worksop before lunch but it wasn't long before her voice proclaimed on the telecom system that lunch was ready. We all scurried from the Gallery building back up to the cabin and ate our lunch out on the deck. After lunch we went back to work and actually did not finish until 6:00. My classmates were from Houston Texas, Iowa, Pea Ridge Arkansas, Springdale Arkansas, and Pocola Oklahoma. I learned a lot in this class. It was worth EVERY penny I paid to take it. In fact, I am signing up for a two day workshop that he is teaching next spring. I HIGHLY recommend his workshop to anyone that is serious about photography and wants to improve the quality of the images they take and the quality of the prints that are made. Tim's website is http://www.cloudland.net/. His site is also a link on my blog.

The following are just a few of the photos from the workshop.

Tim Ernst

Tim working with one of my classmates.
The Buffalo River and Roark Bluff in the fog.
Roark Bluff and a rock reflection.
Rocks on the shoreline.
The view from Tim's deck.
Another view from his deck.

Village Creek State Park

2008-05-04T19:28:00.005-05:00

My latest adventure took place at Village Creek State Park near Wynne Arkansas. This park is located on Crowley's Ridge. Melissa was with me on this hike and so was my nephew Tommy. This was his first hike with us and he did great. We did a combination of trails that totaled 6 miles in all. The majority of the trail was in the woods but there were two overlooks and two lakes along the way that offered different views. The weather was great (Mostly Sunny and 70's).

Lake Dunn. This is where we began our hike.

Blue Phlox along the trail.

Danger, Danger...Melissa must hang on for her life. It's at least a 2' fall if she slips. :)

This is an interesting part of the trail. Not only because of the unique scenery, but it is also part of the "Trail of Tears" This trail was used as the Cherokee Indians were removed from thier homelands in southeastern United States to Indian Territory in present day Oklahoma from 1838 to 1839.

The trees on the edge of this trail were very interesting. Years of erosion put them on the edge but not to be out-done they just shoot roots to the next available soil.

This is Lake Austell from an overlook along the way.
Melissa and Tommy take a break.

The Tulip Poplar Tree is another thing that Village Creek is famous for. These trees are found throughout the park and the blooms are beautiful. They bloom from April to May.
After our hike, were driving out of the park when we noticed a lot of people and cars in the camping area. We drove over to find out what was going on. As luck would have it, we had stumbled up on "Pickin in the Park". This festival is held here every year and it features professional and amateur musicians. Different groups set up in various areas and play. Spectators just walk from group to group and plop down in their lawn chairs and listen. It was a nice and unexpected treat.

Cedar Falls

2008-04-27T11:41:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, I went back to visit one of my favorite waterfalls. It's Cedar Falls at Petit Jean State Park. This was my 3rd visit to this waterfall and each time has been at a different water level. The weather was perfect and the trail was crowded. I went late in the day so as the sun went down the crowd left and I was alone to shoot at will. This fall is 95' tall and when the water is up the roar is deafening. It is a 1 mile hike to the fall and of course 1 mile back. The last 1/2 mile coming back is a steep climb (whew) but it's well worth the effort.

I turned to look downstream from the fall and saw this awesome scene of the water reflecting color off of the tree canopy.

Another shot downstream

As I said earlier, this was my third trip to this waterfall. I thought you might want to see how it looked during my previous visits. So...here you go.

March 11, 2007 My brother was with me on this trip.

December 31, 2006 Melissa was on this New Years Eve hike with me.

Waterfalls, Waterfalls, Waterfalls!!!

2008-04-14T18:59:00.008-05:00

One benefit of all the rain we have had recently is getting to chase waterfalls. Melissa and I sat out on such a chase this past weekend. Melissa decided she was going to pick the falls we visited this time and she did a great job. The weather was sunny so we waited until afternoon to visit the falls. The sun was dropping behind the hills and the light was getting better as the day went on. In fact it was near dark when we left the last one. There are a few pictures below and I'll describe them as I go.

The first two photos were actually taken on Friday. Melissa was not with me. I had to make a north Arkansas run for work so I stopped by this fall on the way back home. It was very sunny and I didn't have my tripod. I had to use a fast shutter speed which freezes the motion of the water. This is the Hammerschmidt Falls. It is named after former Arkansas Congressman John Paul Hammerschmidt. He helped pass legislation that created our first national river. The fall is located off of highway 74 between Jasper and Ponca Arkansas. It is 43' tall.

The first stop for Melissa and me was the High Bank Twin Falls. It is located north of Ozark Arkansas off of highway 215. This fall is part of a creek that runs into the Mulberry River. There is no marked trail but it is easy to find by just following the creek upstream. These falls are 71' tall. Melissa is in one of the pictures to show just how tall they are. Melissa posed for me in front of the falls. I also included a cascade shot from downstream.

There is another creek that enters from the right as you are following the first creek to the High Twins. We looked and there was another fall that we didn't know was going to be there. We ventured up to it and it was beautiful. We decided to name this Sweet Melissa Falls. Melissa is going to do some research to see if it has already been named. If not, then we are going to see if we can officially name it. Speaking of Sweet Melissa, she is posing next to her own waterfall.

It was time to leave and go in search of two more falls. The falls that were next on our list were the Senyard Falls (29' tall) and the Murray Falls (37' tall). They are named after Roy Senyard (a volunteer maintenance coordinator for the Ozark Highlands Trail) and Dick Murray (a pioneer for hiking in Arkansas). These falls are located off of highway 23 (the pig trail) north of Cass Arkansas. There is no official trail to these falls and the terrain is very very steep. On the way down we passed what appeared to be a 70's model car whose driver more than likely missed a curve high above on the highway. One thing I always keep in mind is the farther we go down....the farther it is back up. Let me tell ya...some of the trip back out was on our hands and knees. One slip and I would have been an out of control boulder careening over a distant ledge to take up permanent residence next to...well... a 70's model car.

Anyway, back to the falls. To get in position to take the next pictures we had to walk above and around Murray and over, around, and below Senyard. The first picture below is actually a cascade above Senyard. Melissa is standing by the Senyard Falls. It was getting late as we wrapped up this trip and I was ready to head back to the truck with my trusty GPS in hand.

In case anyone was wondering how I find these falls and know the information I know about them....the answer is not that I am related to Lewis and Clark or a modern day Grizzly Adams...No, I must give all of the credit to Tim Ernst. You will notice I have a link to his website on this blog. The book below holds all of the secret hiding places and interesting tidbits about Arkansas Waterfalls. Tim has named several of the falls in our state. This book can be purchased from his website cloudland.net. I am taking one of his photography workshops on location in the Ozarks in May. I CAN"T WAIT!!!

On our way back to the truck we passed this makeshift shelter that someone built under a cliff side. Apparently someone was trying to slow down any bear that might try and wander in to camp in the night. Speaking of bears, it's getting dark, and I don't think I can out run Melissa. I am outta here.

Spring has sprung

2008-04-13T17:01:00.005-05:00

The wilderness is alive and kicking. Wildflowers are everywhere, the fields are green, the Buffalo River is roaring and the Dogwoods are blooming. What else could you ask for? I took these pictures during a drive through Boxley Valley in Arkansas' Newton County.

Water Water Everywhere

2008-04-13T15:41:00.003-05:00

Needless to say, we have had more than our share of rain in the last few weeks. I thought I would post a few pics to let you see how it has effected the runoff at the dams.

Remmel Dam at Lake Catherine

Cooks Landing in N. Little Rock

Longpool Falls

2008-03-23T19:34:00.003-05:00

The Longpool Recreation Area is located north of Dover Arkansas. The hike in to this fall is a short 3/4 mile. The waterfall is 44 feet tall. The first photo in the series below is the fall and the remainder are from the creek downstream. By the way, the water in the creek was very chilly. I found that out when I slipped and fell in. That will wake you up for sure.

Garvan Woodland Gardens

2008-03-19T20:18:00.004-05:00

The photos below were taken at Garvan Gardens which is located on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs Arkansas. For more information and to see what's in bloom, log on to www.garvangardens.org

7 Hollows Trail

2008-03-16T19:06:00.002-05:00

Melissa and I hiked our favorite trail. This was actually our 2nd time to hike the 7 Hollows trail. This trail is a 5 mile loop located off of Hwy 154 just west of Mather Lodge on Petit Jean Mountain. It has bluffs, creeks, boulders, and a waterfall.

The waterfall is called Grotto Falls and it is about midway through the hike. To get their you take a short detour off of the trail. When we arrived at the fall we were met by a friendly man (David) with a flute. He told us that he likes to come to this area to relax and practice his music. He explained that the Grotto has really good acoustics almost like you experience when singing in the shower. He said that he is practicing for an upcoming Easter event. He treated Melissa and me to a song and he was very very good. We left him to his peaceful surroundings and went on to complete our hike.

7 Hollows would be a good beginner hike. If anyone would like a guided tour just let us know. :)

Melissa at one of the creeks

We startle a buzzard from it's roost

Me near the Natural Bridge area

Melissa crossing a creek

Grotto Fall

David reading at the Grotto

David playing for us

Melissa stops to wait for the slow cameraman.

Forked Mountain Falls

2008-02-20T18:53:00.004-06:00

Last weekend was perfect for waterfall hunting and for waterfall photography. We had plenty of rain and is was cloudy so the sun was not a factor. Melissa and I headed for the Ouachitas to shoot Forked Mountain Falls. This fall is located just south of Hollis Arkansas and about 5 miles east of Hwy 7. It is only a 10' fall but the water was really running. I Love It!! I also like the rock in the background of the fall picture. It looks like someone with their head cocked back, mouth wide open, and shouting to the heavens.

Forked Mountain Falls

Melissa on the road back from the fall. That is Forked Mountain in the background.

The Great Backyard Bird Count

2008-02-17T16:59:00.004-06:00

I participated in the Backyard Bird Count this year. The way it works is from February 15th through the 18th people were asked to observe and count birds for at least 15 minutes one or all of the days. You then go to the website www.birdsource.org/gbbc and submit your counts. They have an online checklist so you can pick each bird you saw and enter the number seen. The last time I checked (this is Sunday evening) there have been over 28,000 checklists submitted and over 3,290,000 birds counted so far. This count is done annually for a four day period so you might want to give it a try next year. I keep a bird feeder stocked most of the year so it was easy for me to just sit and watch. The following are some of the birds that visit my feeder on a regular basis:

The first bird is a House Finch. This bird was first introduced to the US, in New York City, illegally around 50 years ago as cage birds. When the law started breathing down the necks of the dealers, they released the birds into the wild. They can now be found in most of the United States.

House Finch

Black Capped Chickadee

Dark-Eyed Junco (Prefers to feed on the ground)

The next bird is the Red-Breasted Nuthatch Nuthatches are the only birds can can climb headfirst down a tree trunk. They mate for life.

Red-Breasted Nuthatch

Tufted Titmouse

Black-Capped Chickadee

Yellow Rumped Warbler

Red-Breasted Nuthatch

Back to the Cabin

2008-02-11T17:40:00.000-06:00

Melissa and I spent three nights in our favoite cabin near Jasper, AR. The cabins are the "Ozark Bluff Dwellers" and our favorite is the "Osage". We highly recommend these cabins. They are on the edge of a bluff and the veiw is awesome. The owners, Ed and Llonka French even built their own hiking trail that is two miles in one direction and has a waterfall along the way. The trailhead is near one of the cabins. I hiked this trail last spring and saw my first bear face to face in the wild. The pictures to follow were taken on this trip. :)

The first three pictures were taken on the trail near the cabins. Two are of French Falls and the last is of a cascade down stream of the falls.

Melissa spotted these deer from the kitchen window of the cabin. As we were leaving to go hike, I took these shots from the truck.

These next 3 falls were all off of Forest Road 1205 near Ben Hur Arkansas. It was really too late in the day and too sunny to take waterfall pictures but I did what I could despite the conditions.

Six Finger Falls (Only two fingers showing in this photo)

Falling Water Falls

Terry Keefe Falls (78' Tall - The little blue speck at the base is Melissa)

Roark Bluff - The longest limestone bluff on the Buffalo River
Another angle on Roark Bluff as the sun was setting

Recently some conservation groups re-introduced some juvenile trumpeter swans to Mill Pond in Boxley Valley near Ponca, Arkansas. These swans will migrate north to the upper midwest in late February or early March. The hope is that they will return next year and bring some friends. Trumpeter swans mate for life and live up to 30 years. They can grow up to 4' tall, weigh 30 lbs and have 8' wingspans.

Trumpeter Swans in Boxley Valley

Falls Creek Falls

2008-01-20T13:08:00.000-06:00

This waterfall is located in the Lake Catherine State Park near Hot Springs. The hike is a short 1.4 mile round trip. The waterfall is fed by Falls Creek which explains the name of the fall.

Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge

2008-01-12T20:04:00.000-06:00

Holla Bend is located south of Dardanelle Arkansas off of highway 155. It was established in 1957 and consists of over 7000 acres. A gravel road provides wildlife viewing from a vehicle and there are a couple of short hiking trails. There wasn't a lot of wildlife activity today but I did get a couple of creatures to cooperate.

Holla Bend provides winter refuge for migrating waterfowl. Habitat like below is why.

This flock of Mallards didn't appreciate our visit.

Nine Banded Armadillo

They don't see very well which allowed me to move in close.

Opossum....North America's only Marsupial.

Unlike the friendly Armadillo...This one was giving me a warning hiss.

A flock of Red-Winged Blackbirds

This is a stretch of the Levee Hiking Trail.

The Toothache Tree. Chewing the bark numbs your mouth...thus the name.

Hunt's Loop

2008-01-09T19:54:00.000-06:00

This last Saturday (Jan. 5th), Melissa and I went on our first hike since October. The weather was dreary with rain and fog but the temperature was just right. We hiked Hunt's Loop in the Ouachita National Forest. The trail starts at the Iron Springs Recreation Area which is north of Jessieville Arkansas on highway 7 and travels up Short Mountain. The trail is 4.5 miles long with the first 3/4 of a mile being uphill. That is bad enough but Melissa and I decided to make it more difficult than that. Not on purpose of course. Not long after we started we lost the trail and wandered aound for an hour trying to get back on track. We weren't lost because I had my GPS so getting back to the truck would have been no problem. We just lost the marked trail. When we finally found it again we realized what had happened. The trail made a hard right turn (switchback) but we didn't. We just walked right on by and never saw it. Anyway, once back on the trail we went on to finish the hike, but we paid better attention to the trail this time. The photos below were taken along the trail.

This is the location of the trailhead.The dense fog from the top of Short Mountain.
Moss growing on a Pine
A fungus on an Oak Tree
Melissa pauses on the bridge over a creek.
This spillway is on the Middle Fork of the Saline River.

Blocker Creek Cascade

2007-12-27T21:07:00.000-06:00

Today my brother (David) and I decided to set out in search of a waterfall. Yesterday's rain and today's cloudy weather are the perfect combination for such an adventure. Blocker Creek Cascade is located in the Ouachita National Forest. To get there you travel north on highway 7 out of Hot Springs Arkansas and continue on through the town of Jessieville for another 7 miles. From there, you turn left on a forest road and travel approximately 11 miles into the mountains. As we traveled on the forest road, we were surprised to see snow. Neither one of us had any idea that it snowed anywhere in Arkansas yesterday. The wet and snowy dirt road provided some slippery travel through the hills. All was going well until I tried to park the truck off of the side of the road. I was soon stuck. My truck is not a 4 wheel drive and I was at the mercy of a mud hole. After several attempts to rock it out to no avail, we decided to pull out the jack and raise it enough to put rocks under the rear tires. It worked great but we were covered in mud from the whole ordeal. With the truck out and parked safely and securely in another spot we began our advenure to the unknown. The trail to the fall is only 1/2 mile but the last 200 yards is down a very steep and on this day wet and slippery hill. The task of reaching the base of the waterfall involved sliding on our bottoms (not voluntarily) , bushwacking through a vicious briar thicket and praying that the rocks we were bracing on as we descended on would not give way. Unfortunately not all of those prayers were answered.

When we finally reached our destination we were wet, cold, muddy and bleeding but we were in one piece and our cameras had survived the trip. We set up our tripods and went to work. When we finished, we packed up to start the ominous journey back up the same hill we just rolled down. I had the bright idea of trying a short cut through a steep section that had absolutely nothing to use for bracing or leverage. My brother decided to stay put and enjoy the show. After three failed attempts and near tumbles he pointed to a less hazardous route. I tucked my tail in defeat and followed him back up the mountain the long way.

The pictures below are from today's adventure. Luckily David was not in a position to photograph my mishaps but I did catch one of his on the way down.

I was at the base of the fall waiting for David (pictured) to come rolling in.

And roll in he did :)

Blocker Creek Cascade (17' Waterfall)

Fog moved in before we left. These two pines really stood out in the cloud.

The snow. We had no idea it had snowed!

Arkansas State Capital at Christmas

2007-12-23T22:05:00.000-06:00

Melissa and I recently visited the state capital to see what the Christmas decor was like. We were both surprised at how popular it was. There were several people there and more on the way when we left. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the pictures. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

This was taken from across the street.

Melissa at one of the two fireplaces in the Governor's reception area.
Melissa on the front steps of the capital building.
A final view from the front of the building.

2007-12-17T19:13:00.000-06:00

I decided to take a drive around Maumelle and see what kind of wildlife I could stir up. I was on the east side of town in the industrial district when I came across the Blue Heron below. The recent rains had filled up the drainage ditches and he was taking advantage of the crawdads that had moved in. He hung around long enough for me to take a few shots before voicing his disgust and taking flight.

The deer below were further east at the edge of Maumelle. I was at the end of the road with my camera stuck out the window when up drove the game warden. He was fine when he realized that I was shooting with a camera and not a gun. He told me that they have had trouble with people hunting illegally in that area. The game warden was Ross Spurlock. He was a nice guy (because I wasn't a lawbreaker) and told me some other places to try where he sees deer on a regular basis. I appreciate the wildlife officers and the job they do. I despise people that don't abide by the rules especially when hunting or fishing.

Cedar Falls

2007-12-12T19:19:00.000-06:00

This is Cedar Falls at Petit Jean State Park. As you can see, during the winter months and after a good rain, this waterfall is awesome. I took this photo on a tripod with an external shutter release and a 2 second shutter speed. The next two photos are of cedar creek downstream of the fall. It is a one mile hike down to the fall and then a one mile hike back out. The only thing is that the hike back out is mostly up hill. Whew.

Watson Camp Hunting Club

2007-12-02T19:01:00.000-06:00

I am finally back in Blogville. Between work, remodeling a bathroom and deer season I have had absolutely no free time for other things. Deer season has been real good this year. We have killed more bucks than normal and there have been some good ones. I have killed a six point and Brack (Stepson) killed a seven point. That was his first buck ever! I came up with the idea three years ago to take a camp photo on the opening day of the gun deer season. The photo below is this year's taken November 10, 2007.

October 24, 2007

2007-10-25T20:18:00.001-05:00

I had an appointment Wednesday at the College of the Ozarks in Hollister Missouri. I took the photo of the Mute Swan below on campus at "Lake Honor". The other photos were taken Wednesday evening and night.

Tyler Bend Cont'd

2007-10-25T18:05:00.000-05:00

This is the Collier Homestead located on the Riverview Trail at Tyler Bend. Sod and Ida Mae Collier took advantage of the Homestead Act of 1862 and moved here from Kentucky in 1928. They were among the last settlers in the river valley to take advantage of that act. The act of 1862 gave settlers title to their own property in exchange for improvements to the land. They lived there until 1961 never having electricity or indoor plumbing. The Buffalo National River was established in 1972 and the National Park Service purchased the property in 1978. The Collier buildings were hidden in a sea of vegetation so restoration efforts began.

The Collier House

C'mon In

Melissa by the Collier's Fireplace

The Barn

Howdy Neighbor

Tyler Bend Loops

2007-10-24T20:17:00.001-05:00

Melissa and I hiked the 4 mile RiverView/Rock Wall Loop at Tyler Bend this past weekend. Tyler Bend is part of the Buffalo River National Park System.

Wooden Bridge on the River View Trail

A view of the Buffalo River from a bluff along the way.

Melissa looking for smoke signals from distant tribes.

A buzzard checks us out .

Just an example of the peril we face on the trail. :)

Hide Out Hollow Trail

2007-10-22T20:12:00.000-05:00

Melissa rests on the way in.

If I climb down there...Can I get back out?!

Melissa near the base of the waterfall.

Melissa at the base of the waterfall

Hideout Hollow trail is a short two mile trail near Compton in Newton County. The area under this bluff is huge. You can see that Melissa is just a speck in the third photo. The waterfall was barely running. Arkansas Waterfalls are best photographed from late November through the spring. The trees are dormant during the winter months and don't soak up much water. During the spring, the amount of rainfall we get more than compensates for what the trees use. The trail actually comes in on top of the bluff above. You have to climb down to the hollow and the base of the fall.

Lone Bull

2007-10-21T18:29:00.000-05:00

This Elk was alone. I drove in behind the Boxley Baptist Church to get closer. He didn't seem to mind me being there. OK, these are the final Elk photos from last weekend's trip that I'll post. Hope you enjoyed them.

Wildlife Paparrazi

2007-10-21T08:04:00.000-05:00

This young bull elk came out to see what all of the fuss was about. It turns out....it was him.

Steel Creek Trail - Ponca

2007-10-18T18:35:00.001-05:00

Melissa poses along the trail.

White Heath Aster

Late Purple Aster

Melissa eating lunch by the Buffalo River.

This was our first hike since last spring. It's a moderate four mile hike which was perfect to start us out for the season. Just a few shots of flowers and Melissa along the way.

Synchronization

2007-10-18T18:00:00.000-05:00

Synchronized Watching

Synchronized Grazing

The Eastern Elk was native to Arkansas but became extinct by the 1840's. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission introduced 112 Rocky Mountain Elk into Newton County near the Buffalo River between 1981 and 1985. They estimate the herd to be near 500 now.

Ponca Elk

2007-10-14T18:23:00.000-05:00

Bull with Cow

Bull chasing stray Cow

Bull with Harem

Well we are back (unfortunately) from our trip to Ponca. The Elk mating season is in full force so I was out every morning at daybreak and every afternoon until dark hoping to get some good shots. The pictures above are a sample of those I got. I will add some pictures each day for the next few days so check back often.

Buffalo River National Park

2007-10-10T20:19:00.000-05:00

I took these photos last April from the deck of the cabin we were staying in. It's the same shot in the morning, afternoon and evening. This is a valley in the Buffalo River National Park. In the morning shot the fog is following the Buffalo River.

After the Storm

2007-10-08T19:06:00.000-05:00

We had some stormy weather move through this evening. When it began to clear we got to see this awesome full rainbow (I couldn't quite get it all to fit in the scene) an and equally awesome sunset. If only I could have been somewhere with a better vantage point. I shot these from our yard.

Lake Willastein

2007-10-07T20:10:00.000-05:00

Tickseed and Thoroughwort

Egret Silhouette

I went out by Lake Willastein here in Maumelle this evening. I got a late start and didn't have light for too long but I was able to get these shots.

Cypress Reflections

2007-10-06T21:30:00.000-05:00

This photo was taken from Hwy 165E in Humnoke Arkansas. I have driven by this area many times over the past 20 years and always thought it would make a good picture. This time I had my camera and took the shot.

Buffalo River

2007-10-04T20:04:00.000-05:00

This was taken in the Buffalo River between Jasper and Ponca Arkansas.

While out on a walk

2007-10-01T20:57:00.000-05:00

Melissa and I took Chloe and Boo for a walk at the Big Dam Bridge in N. Little Rock. I took these photos along the way.

Petit Jean 09/29/2007

2007-09-30T16:33:00.000-05:00

American Beautyberry

Tickseed

Sunset from the gravesite overlook

Yesterday evening I took a quick drive up to Petit Jean. The wildflowers are a couple that bloom in the fall. The sunset photo is nothing special but I decided to include it anyway.

Triple Falls

2007-09-29T21:03:00.000-05:00

This is Melissa (My Lovely Bride) standing in front of Triple Falls on a chilly April 2007 afternoon. Triple falls is located in Mt. Sherman Arkansas in Newton County. It is an easy 1/4 mile hilke to this fall.

Glory Hole

2007-09-26T19:25:00.000-05:00

This is a unique waterfall located in Newton County Arkansas. I took this photo last April. The hike is a two mile round trip so it's very easy to get to. The creek that feeds it has drilled a hole through the bluff above and this is the result from underneath. The name of this fall is "The Glory Hole"

First Day of Autumn

2007-09-23T13:08:00.000-05:00

Today is the first day of Autumn. Looking forward to the color change in Arkansas. This picture was taken last fall in Jasper, AR