Overlook

Here is where I ate lunch yesterday. A place to relax and let nature sooth my soul. A place to listen and wait. A place of shades of green and white clouds. I want to go back there more often.

Ohio Buckeye with Fruit

Ohio Buckeye growing nuts.

Flowering Dogwood

Flowering dogwood after the flowers.

" The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8

Honeysuckle mixed with River grape and Mulberries

Honeysuckle mixed with River Grape













Birds eating an abundance of Mulberries

Osage Orange and River Grape

These Osage orange stems to the left were obvious when I was walking by this past Monday. I had gone into the woods for a rest and got this photo as I was headed out.

The river grape on the right is about the same size but it's not a tree and if you cut it you will see there is not strength to it. I was reading in Ezekiel 15 today of God referring to the nation of Israel as a useless grape stem. The grape stem has no strength to it and will not burn well. There is no density and its only purpose is to get the vine further up the host plant.

God is saying in this passage that we are to follow God and not our desires to have idols in our life. Idols today can be things we value more than Jesus. We should always put God first in our life and serve Him before we do things for ourself. 

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.

Black Willow Wolf Tree

I ran across this Black willow tree in an urban setting. It is a wolf tree because it occupies a small lot all by itself. I have seen other Black willow trees that grow like this when they don't face any competition.

Spicebush Swollow Tail Butterfly

I saw this Spicebush Swollowtail butterfly as I was leaving my lunch hike. Last Monday. At first I just noticed the thistle but as I got closer I realized there was a butterfly on the thistle. I grabbed my camera and got this photo. I was able to ID this butterfly with this google link to Missouri butterflies.

Canada Geese

Waling along the Missouri river I was coming upon a couple of Canada geese. I was expecting them to fly away because of my approach. They stayed put and I spoike to them saying I would not bother them. lol they were probably from a city park that decided to check out the Missouri river. So they were used to people coming by.

Hike among E Red Cedar

Hiking in a field that is reverting back to forest there is gray dogwood and E red cedar. The area has a nice cedar smell, which gives an accepting feeling. Of course the preponderance of E red cedar means the ground leaves somthing to be desired. yet I enjoyed walking through this inviting fragrance. I thought of tying up my hammock and reading in these woods.

Then I came across an oak tree that I call a Turkey oak because of the thin shaped lobes on the leaves.

While I was looking for the Turkey oak I saw a Chinquipin oak that I rough meausured at 10' circumferance.

Bank Swallows

I was taking a lunch break at the Missouri river and this guy came to greet me.

Later others came to join him.



 I was wondering if they were they barn or cliff? They are bank swallows, because of the band across the breast.

Willow swamp and Great Blue Heron

My favorite willow swamp. Missouri river has been up. As I was sitting there I did not see any birds. I was wondering if I should leave and a Great Blue heron came swooping in. It landed across the way covered with brush. I could not tell where it was with the glassed on it. It flew off about 5 minutes later.

Bitternut Hickory / Girdled

Here is a Bitternut hickory that has a girdle mark about 15 feet in the air. The only explanation I can think of is a vine that wrapped around the tree at one point. I noticed that it wasn't girdled completely around the tree.