Gobbler #15

At 6:50 this morning I shot Gobbler #15 (in my lifetime). It was a beautiful morning. The temperature started at 53 degrees. The sun came up nice and bright. An old gobbler started calling about 5:45. Just after 6:00 a hen flew into the small valley field in front of me, followed by four more hens in a few minutes. Then four gobblers walked into the field. Only the two biggest toms strutted and gobbled. The other two males had nice beards, but they acted quite subservient.

A fence divided the small valley field in half and all the turkeys were on the opposite side of the fence from me and my two decoys. When I called, all four gobblers looked over my way, but none came across the fence.

At about 6:40 the two bigger gobblers and two hens went north and the two smaller males and three hens went south. The last young gobbler stopped at the fence and stared at my decoys for several minutes. After a few steps he turned back, ducked under the fence and came right to me. I shot him at 35 steps. Although he had a 10-inch beard, he only weighed 15 lbs.

Now I'm only 49 turkeys behind my Dad's harvest total. The legal limit in Missouri is four per year. I need to shoot the maximum for 12 years to have a chance to catch him.

I had a chance to see several spring migrants after I carried my gobbler out to the road to meet Dad. This morning's bird list includes eastern meadowlark, northern cardinal, American crow, northern bobwhite, redwinged blackbird, brown thrasher, blue jay, American goldfinch, eastern kingbird, indigo bunting, blue-gray gnatcatcher, turkey vulture, Canada goose, dickcissel, bobolink, and scissor-tailed flycatcher.

There were three grassland species foraging this morning over a fescue pasture (dickcissel, bobolink, and scissor-tail). I think this was the first time I had ever seen a bobolink in an Ozark pasture. I only noticed dickcissels in recent years. There are many thousands of acres of hay and pasture here where there was once only forest. These prairie birds are likely only migrating through. They would probably not have much success nesting in tall fescue.

So it was a good morning all way round!

Grandson Jackson Dean David

Jackson Dean David was born March 14 at Oak Lawn, IL to Matt and Liz David. Jackson weighed 8 lbs. 5 oz. and is 21 inches long.

Jackson is Matt & Liz's first child and our fourth grandchild, but our first grandson.






Jackson was due on St. Patrick's Day, but he arrived a few days early.







Matt is a proud papa. Jackson's family lives in Joliet, IL. He will undoubtedly be a fan of the Blackhawks and White Sox, but hopefully he will also be a St. Louis Cardinal fan.










Elizabeth is a wonderful mommy.









Grandchildren are a blessing from the Lord.

Mimi is in "Grandmother Heaven".

Early Arrivals

Signs of spring are all around. Jonquils are popping up.

Today I saw three migratory birds here for the first time this spring. (You mark those "EA" for earliest arrivals.) This morning I saw an American woodcock and heard an eastern towhee. This afternoon we saw a great blue heron on the Jack's Fork.

I also saw a mockingbird today. It was the first I had seen here since last summer. They winter here, but they must be rare here in winter.

Killdeers arrived at Mountain View on February 20. That same day we saw several large flocks of snow geese flying north. On February 22nd the redwing blackbirds arrived.

On Tuesday, March 9th, the killdeers were doing their courtship display in the street in front of the house. Now that's a sure sign of spring.

Tuesday evening we heard spring peepers singing at a pond. They always sing before Easter. The scientific name is Pseudacris crucifer. The species name, crucifer, was given because the annual timing of its singing coincides with the time of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

One wintering bird species, the junco, has been missing from our backyard feeder for about a week. We had 5 or 6 juncos around all winter, along with 35-40 goldfinches, 8-10 mourning doves, 3 song sparrows, and 3-4 house finches. Although they didn't consume our bird seed, we also had bluebirds, robins, and starlings in our yard all winter.


This photos of crocuses was also taken today. I'm ready for the redbuds to show some color.

You could say I'm in "spring training".

Ozark Springs

Springs boil to the surface and feed the surface streams all over the Ozarks. Ozarkians have recognized their value for many generations. Indians camped near them because of the dependable water supply. Early European settlers also used spring water both for drinking and to power early mills.

In the 20th Century Ozarkians recognized springs primarily
for their beauty and preserved many of them in the Missouri and
Arkansas state park systems.

This is Big Spring in Carter County. It has an average daily flow of 276 million gallons, the largest single-outlet spring in North America. When we were kids, a visit to Big Spring State Park was a thrill. The park became part of the Ozarks National Scenic Riverways in 1964. Big Spring flows into the lower Current River.
The added volume changes the character of the Current to that

of a much larger river.

The second largest spring in Missouri is Greer Spring in Oregon
County. Greer Spring contributes the major volume of the Eleven
Point River with its daily flow of 220 million gallons. The pristine woodland and rugged spring branch were protected in private ownership for many generations. It is now part of the Mark Twain National Forest. Much of the Eleven Point, which is designated a National Wild and Scenic River, is within the Mark Twain.

These scenes are along the mile-long spring branch which

tumbles down the bluff to the Elven Point. The drop is 62

feet from the spring to the river.

Mammoth Spring is located in Arkansas, just over the state line
on Highway 63 south of Thayer. It is the largest spring in Arkansas and has an average daily flow of 220 million gallons.
Mammoth Spring, now a popular state park, feeds the Spring
River with water collected mostly from the north in Missouri.




A rock dam on the spring branch forms a 10-acre lake. Until
the 1970s a hydro-electric plant operated at the Mammoth
Spring dam. In earlier generations grist mills were powered
by the spring's flowing water.






This is Welch Spring on upper Current River. The Current
starts at Montauk Spring, but Welch boosts the flow enough
that the Current River is always floatable below Welch.







This is the outlet of the Alley Spring branch as it head to the
Jack's Fork River. Alley Spring empties 76 million gallons per
day into the Jack's Fork. Floating above Alley is questionable
in mid-summer, but there is always plenty of water below Alley.

The most recognizable feature at Alley Spring is the red mill.
It is one of the most photographed grist mills in the Midwest.
When we were kids, Alley Spring, was also a state park and
a favorite visit. Our senior class "skip day" trip was to Alley
Spring. There is great hiking trail up the bluff above the spring.
In 1965 there was a softball field in the park where the Class
of '65 had its final intramural game.

Don't miss the Ozark springs when you visit us!

Christmas, at last

On Christmas eve, the whole family attended a candlelight service at church. Linda sang in a trio.












On Christmas morning, the excitement mounted.











Emily's first Christmas. Of course, she preferred to eat the paper.














Little girls and dolls.








Happiness is a little girl with a new doll.












Mimi and Papa with three granddaughters plus 2 Christmas dolls.







After a big Christmas dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's (Gene and Thelma), there was singing, gift-giving, reading of memories, and games.








Grandpa (a.k.a. New Grandpa) always entertains.

Busy afternoon/ Busy Evening

Busy, busy, busy.




Throwing rocks in the river.










Busy, busy, busy.









Some cold weather golf.











A bonfire.











A hayride.







A good visit.

Matt & Liz at 1 a.m.

Matthew and Elizabeth arrived at 1 a.m. this morning.

They brought the next gift with them. He or she is due in March and is still in the package.