Bottoms near Kelly Ford 11/6/08

A crop of a much large picture near the old crossing at Kelly Ford on 11/6/08. Click to enlarge.

Red-bellied Woodpecker near Whispering Pines

This guy was working a dead tree where I placed a chunk of suet with peanuts embedded. It took him about 45 minutes to located the food. Canon 5D with 400mm f5.6 lens on monopod. 11/6/08.

Ann McKee's October Rose

Ann has some beautiful roses at ROLF, and a got a picture of one with a macro lens on October 2, 2008.

Maps from 1st edition "Missouri Ozark Waterways" 1965

These maps are 30-35 years later than the previous posted maps. I helped chart the rivers in the mid-1960's with Oz Hawksley. They are still 45 years old, however. The roads and in some cases the roads numbering are still much different from 2008. Click to enlarge also. I rotated these maps for a north-south orientation which rotate the text out of normal position.

1930's Map of the North Fork Country

Click to enlarge to 20" x 20". Notice Hammond Mill, upstream from ROLF, is located and not yet razed. This was my grandfathers map and was probably used to navigate to Rainbow Springs in the early 1930's - 1940. This map was printed by the state of Missouri my guess is during the proposal phase of the North Fork of the White River dam to create Norfork Lake. once again, click to make readable.

Fall view from the Treetop Loft at ROLF

When I made my last trip to ROLF, I arrived after the peak of fall had past. But the morning view from the cabin was extraordinary in the morning sun. Notice the remnants of the early morning fog in the river valley.

Ozark County RockBrige School 11/7/08

This old schoolhouse is till standing on Highway "N" about 18 miles from River of Life Farm. Otherwise known as Lower Brixey School.  It was still used in the late 1950's to early 1960's. It is typical of country schoolhouses in Missouri and Arkansas. Directions from ROLF are easy.

Dawn at ROLF on 11/6/08

Sunrise at ROLF from a porch at a cabin on November 6th. The North Fork River is in the valley below.

Falls at Rockbridge at noon November 6th 2008

The waterfall at Rockbridge on Spring Creek during the November low light at the noon hour.

Falls just before sundown 11/6/2008

The falls at ROLF right before sundown on November 6th, 2008.

North Fork leaves in November 2008

Pines and hardwoods mixed on a sheltered hillside.

November 5th - Road to Whispering Pines

A picture taken at dusk on the gravel road to the Whispering Pines cabin.

Looking up into a Sugar Maple - Caney Mountain

This Sugar Maple struck me as particularly beautiful in the Caney Mountain Refuge in the late afternoon sun.

Juvenile Pileated Woodpecker near falls

This guy (could be a young female too) was incredible. Females also has a red tuft on their heads in this species of woodpecker.  Born summer 2008, he is already an excellent grub hunter. He worked a sycamore tree for about 20 minutes, peering in every hole, digging out the bark and leaves and finding many nice sized grubs. He (she) sometimes sent down a shower of sycamore dust and bark; then I saw dried leaves coming down too and realized he was just cleaning out all the holes in the tree. The call was adult and he called out about every 5 minutes. As you can see, he is not fully mature yet; smaller in size, less white feathering, and a not so cool "tuft". Taken with a Canon 5D and Canon 400mm f5.6 lens hand held. Click to enlarge.

Falls on Election Day 11/4/08

The colors in the North Fork valley are past their peak; but some great yellows and golds still exist in pockets and full color exists one some sheltered slopes. Click to enlarge.

September Morning Near Highway H

This pictures of the typical foggy early morning hours in Ozark County. This was taken not too long after sunrise on a farm road of Highway H just south of the Crossroads Store.