Christmas 2021 in the Ozarks

 Our fully-vaccinated sons and families were able to celebrate Christmas together, some in the Ozarks and some in Africa. 

Our Illinois kids joined us in My Corner of the Ozarks.

They are growing up so fast.  Jackson is 11. 

Cami, the young lady below, is 9. 

Our Ozark weather was so warm that we played outdoors. 

Mimi is hard to beat. 

We included a traditional Ozark hot dog roast. What great weather for December 27.

We cut and decorated a scotch pine for the back deck. 

Matt headed home in the rain on the 28th expecting snow in northern Illinois. 

In the meantime, far from My Corner of the Ozarks, Brad and Lance got their familes together in Africa for Christmas.  They had a wonderful trip and we were able to video chat with them and enjoy many pictures sent via WhatsApp. 

When will it be normal again?

 

I can't believe it has been 15 months since I wrote about COVID-19 in the Ozarks.  In summer of 2021 when the Delta variant hit, the Ozarks became a hot spot for COVID.  Since it is more easily transmitted, Ozarkers usually don't comply with any "social regulation", and vaccination rates are low here, it makes sense that we would be hit hard.  Hospitals in Springfield and other towns were full in July.  The infections are now declining.  The vaccination rate is slowly increasing.  

We have been vaccinated and have resumed some travel.  

Written July 2021. 

COVID-19 Report from My Corner of the Ozarks

It's April 19.  The original income tax filing deadline has come and gone.  People are scrambling to find out if their Economic Impact Payment has reached their bank accounts.  New York City is the epi-center of the U. S. coronavirus epidemic.  Over 165,000 have died worldwide and the U. S. has the most deaths.  Missouri has 5,677 positive cases so far and 176 deaths.  Arkansas (60 miles away from us) has 1,781 cases and 40 deaths. 

All Americans are under some level of "stay-at-home" order and only essential businesses are open.  There is no baseball yet.  Schools are closed. 

So what is happening in My Corner of the Ozarks?

Americans have been advised to wear face masks in public.  We are prepared, but have not yet worn cloth masks to town.  Probably under 10% do so here.

We are having our groceries delivered.  Thank you Apple Market.  A wonderful service.




We had a pastoral visit on our porch (before the statewide stay-at-home order).  The whole family brought greetings and a gift and a song.  Wonderful pastoral care. 

Our church services continue to be online only.  The worship team and pastor have done a great job.  The technical aspects improve each week.  And we are hearing wonderful sermons.




In the Missouri Ozarks, Greene County (Springfield) is the largest city and has the most cases (84) and 7 deaths.  But the virus is much closer than the 100 miles to Springfield.  Our county, Howell, has 5 cases including one in Mountain View.  Oregon County is adjacent and has one case.  Carter County is only 40 miles and has 3 cases including one death.

These other nearby counties, so far, have no cases:  Shannon, Texas, Ozark, Dent.  Missouri may be past the peak of infections as hospitalizations and deaths are declining.  So social distancing, hand washing, and staying home seem to be working. 

I heard a doctor on television the other day refer to "physical distancing", rather than "social distancing".  He said, "Yes.  We need to stay six feet apart, but we need to maintain our social connections" via mail, phone, Skype, Zoom, or hollering over the back fence.  Wonderful advice.

Keeping Our Social Distance

Some day the grandkids may ask what we did during the self-quarantine of the coronavirus pandemic.  Here are a few of the things we have occupied ourselves with.

We engaged in a spirited gin rummy tournament.  The ultimate winner has yet to be decided.



It was a very rainy period in My Corner of the Ozarks.  Our backyard sinkhole flooded again.  The pond drained out in about 24 hours.

That prompted us to wonder about the Jack's Fork River, only five miles away.  While maintaining social distance (we hardly saw a soul), we drove to the Prongs and to Buck Hollow to see how high the water was running.

This is just downstream from Buck Hollow on March 16 (Cardinal Acres for locals).  The guage height was 4 ft.

After 3 more inches of rain this was the Jack's Fork (same location) on March 20.  The Buck Hollow guage height was 8 ft.

We thought this was a responsible hydrological activity for a couple maintaining social distance in the Ozarks.

On March 20 we had to check out Rocky Falls.  It was running very high and very loud.

Rocky Falls is on Rocky Creek, a tributary of Current River.

We also checked on Two Rivers, where the Jack's Fork water enters the Current River (coming in from the left).  That's a lot of water! 

Just before Two Rivers we got to see the wild horses.  Beautiful animals, but not native wildlife. 

Sunday March 22 was the first Lord's Day without our normal gathering for worship.  So we kept our social distance by worshiping on line. 

We started with a Fernando Ortega "warm up".  Thank you, Fernando.






Our church posted live worship on line which we enjoyed.  It was almost the same as being there. 

We dressed for church.  Brought our Bibles.  And prepared to hear from the Lord. 

(But I didn't wear 'dress shoes'.)





Pastor Jeremiah brought a message from Philippians 3:17-21.  "How do we live as citizens of heaven now?"
1.  Imitate those who passionately pursue Jesus.  2.  Do not imitate this world.  3.  Live out the values of heaven. 


Philippians 3:17-21 (ESV)
¹⁷  Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.
¹⁸  For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.
¹⁹  Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.
²⁰  But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
²¹  who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

In this time of self-quarantine, we are learning new things.  No bulletins, no offering plate, no handshakes, but God is here.

Camp David Back Again

Each summer we host our grandchildren in our "Corner of the Ozarks".  This August we had our ninth "Camp David".  For the first time we had all six grandchildren. 

As they get older they are busier and it becomes more difficult to get them all together at the same time.  We started with "half a crew". 


The week started with a visit to the Abraham Lincoln Museum in Springfield, Illinois. 

I know Springfield, Illinois, is not within "My Corner of the Ozarks", but all Americans should know about the life and legacy of Mr. Lincoln. 

We had a good time learning about Abe.


Do you recognize Abe and Mary?



Next the Maryland girls flew in to join us and we headed for the Ozarks. 

We spent two days at Branson taking in Silver Dollar City and the Butterfly Palace.  Aunt Janet and Uncle Dwight hosted us there.  We were joined by Cousins Adelyn and Marian. 

The remainder of the week was spent in Mountain View area. 

The pool was fun, but nothing beats the Jack's Fork.

They are growing up too fast. 




















It was a privilege and a blessing to have our beautiful, fun, grandchildren for a great (too fast) week. 

Traditional Ozarker Activity

It's that time of the year to pick wild blackberries.  Maybe some will be in a cobbler soon.  Some will be frozen and appear in a cobbler in the winter.

The berry patch is shared with many Ozark critters, namely ticks, chiggers, snakes, and worst of all, poison ivy.  Wise hillbillies avoid these.

I forgot to mention "thorns".  You have to reach through the briers to get the ripe berries.  If a ripe berry falls to the ground, it is always the biggest one. 

One question really bothers me:  why are the best berries always guarded by sturdy clumps of poison ivy?

Ozarkers Come Home

On June 21-22 the David family gathered back in the Ozarks. 

We've been doing this every other year for some time.  It seems that the "first" big family reunion was the Golden Anniversary of Ed and Nina David in 1961.  After their passing the next generation started hosting reunions in Mountain View.

Our tradition has been to photograph each "clan".  Only four of nine "clans" were represented this year. 

Lloyd's clan:

Wayne's clan: 

Evelyn's clan: 

Gene's clan: 

We were missing representatives of the clans of Robert, Imogene, Erma, Mildred, and Eileen. 

These are from the third generation after Ed and Nina David.