Have you ever heard of a Timberdoodle Skydance?
Posts tagged #SPRING
Hidden Signs of Spring by Kevin Mouser
The spring colors are on the way! Trees are showing signs of life with buds getting green, birds are returning from vacations in the Southern Hemisphere, and the peepers are keeping us up at night with their mating calls from any little wet area near our houses. These are all clear signs of spring. Many of us spend the better part of February and March repeating a mantra of “spring is just around the corner.” When we gather with our friends, neighbors, loved ones and fellow employees the conversation often turns to signs of spring. There is one sign of spring that many of us don’t even know about even though we drive past it, or over it, every day.
Every spring, as the cycles of light change, and the water begins to flow a little more regularly; the streams of the Ozarks begin to color up. The color comes in the forms of red, blue, and green scales on small, unknown fishes. Not unlike the migration of the birds back to our forests, the fish regain their color for spring breeding on their own time schedule. Some of them like to breed early, when only the most die-hard fish-head would consider going into a stream to look for them. Some, not unlike most of us, enjoy the warmth of a late spring day to strut our stuff. With the exception of a few of the dry or hot months of the late summer or fall, there is almost always a fish in breeding colors in Missouri.
Here in the deepest of Southwest Missouri we have several species of darter, a bottom dwelling, small fish that loves to dress to impress in the early spring. The male orange throat darter sports a beautiful combination of red and blue in his fins. These guys can be so colorful that is possible to see their colors from the shore. If you want to see one though you will have to look in the cool spring fed waters that they prefer. Greenside and banded darters both sport a coat of emerald green when they are trying to attract the attention of the ladies. You will find both of these in bigger streams like Shoal Creek, and around vegetation where their brilliant green isn’t quite so obvious. Stippled darters are a less common, but beautiful species of our small creeks. Like the orang throat darters they prefer the small springs and cool waters. They spend much of their time around vegetation. When they are trying to attract a mate they sport a bright orange belly, while the rest of the body turns very dark. They are quite the little gem to pull out of a mass of submerged weeds. These are just a few of the colorful darters of Southwest Missouri.
Spring is on the way. The darters know it, the robins know it and judging by the number of times I have glanced out the window longingly as I write this, I know it too. Brave the cold and rain a bit and get outside and welcome it. If bravery is calling your name, maybe you will even put on a pair of rubber boots and go look for some hidden signs of spring in your local streams. However you want to greet spring, please take the time to leave it a little better than you found it.
Kevin Mouser is a member of the Chert Glades Master Naturalist Chapter. He is the Special Education Science teacher, Ecology teacher and Science Club sponsor at East Newton High School. When he is not teaching, driving a school bus or sleeping, he really enjoys spending time with his wonderful wife Cristal and getting into the great waters of the Missouri Ozarks.
Photography by Kevin Mouser and Becky Wylie
- See more at: http://chertglades.org/?p=2165#sthash.yyaCUYwK.dpuf
The Timberdoodle, A Dancer Before the Stars by Jeff Cantrell
Have you ever heard of a Timberdoodle Skydance?
Trees in Winter by Katharine Spigarelli
I love trees. Call me a “tree hugger” and I’ll take it as a compliment. It’s a label I wear proudly. So, tree watching is a pastime that occupies my time as I walk, drive, or just sit in the backyard. What might be surprising to many people is that one of my favorite times of year to “watch” trees is winter. I know, you’re thinking “What?!!!” When most people think of trees in winter, they think of drab, gray, and unpleasing.
When asked which season has the most beautiful trees, most people would probably respond that autumn trees are their favorite. It’s hard not to love trees in autumn. Their colors are beautiful and warm and are the subject of artwork and photography. I love trees in autumn. In springtime, seeing the buds emerge on trees and the freshness of the newly formed leaves is always exciting. We all love the beautiful greens of spring trees and the blossoms on dogwoods, redbuds, and other flowering trees that come with the warming temperatures of spring. I love trees in spring.
In summer, we are thankful for the shade of trees that provides us relief from the heat and reprieve from the blazing sun. The coolness of a tree lined hiking path or a shady backyard are wonderful gifts in summertime. I love trees in summer.
But, what, you ask, do winter trees have to offer? Winter trees allow you to see their potential. For me, one of the things I enjoy most when driving is looking at trees. You can see their trunks and limbs. It’s interesting to see the forms they have. I sometimes look at them and think of how they are like people. Some are long and slender. You can imagine them modeling hiking clothes. They look like they must always be on the go, never sitting around being lazy. Some are full and squatty and seem to be vertically challenged. They offer great protection for our friends, the birds.
When you look more closely, you can often find nests that are not visible in the other seasons. Some trees appear to be perfect, just like some people. They spread their limbs both vertically and horizontally and seem to have everything you could want for a tree in your yard. Their strong limbs look ready for the treehouse or the swing and their perfect shape makes you visualize them in the front yard of any home. Some trees seem to have had a tough life, but aren’t quite ready to give it up. Some of their limbs may be gone, some are barely hanging on. Other trees seem to have let themselves go and their branches kind of stick out randomly. They show the effects of age with sagging and straggling limbs. They make me smile as I enter that stage of life.
Trees in winter allow us to better enjoy the beauty of a sunrise or sunset. Seeing the colors of the sky through leafless branches enhances our enjoyment of the experience. There are few things more beautiful than a winter sunset glowing through a group of trees.
I love trees in winter because they reveal hidden treasures. Have you ever passed by a place in winter and all of a sudden you notice an old barn, homestead, tree stand, or some other mystery that you’ve never before noticed? It’s pretty exciting to find something that’s been hidden by the leaves of trees and is now revealed.
I love trees in all the seasons. But, as much as I love them all, I think I most love trees in winter. They offer a certain peacefulness and welcome contemplation and meditation. So, as you take your next long drive, put down your phone, look around, and notice the shapes, the strength, and the groupings. Enjoy