Spring Time Reflections

Redbud reflection in a spring creek.

River of Life Farm Last Autumn

Need I say any more ??

The Big Mill on the Bryant Creek at MO 95

The following tale is told by David Haenke, following a visit with Noble Barker:

In May 1996 I visited with Noble Barker. He told me the story of the Big Mill and the pine forest. Noble's grandfather came to this country in the 1830s, the time of the first pioneers. The span of Noble Barker's generational memory through his grandfather goes back to the time of transition from the Indians to the settlers. The Barker family story is also the story of the history of the pine forest. In Noble's words:

"The Landers and the Barkers got together in 1917 and formed the Landers and Barker Lumber Company. In 1922 the company built the Big Mill. The Big Mill included a sawmill, dry kiln, and planing mill." The Big Mill was located along Cane Bottom Hollow near the Bryant. This is the hollow on the south side of the Bryant where Highway 95 runs today.

"The mill was the center of a small town which included a company store and office, a blacksmith shop, horse and mule barn, and 27 'sawmill shacks'. Pine logs cut in the woods were between one and two feet in diameter. They were cut by crews of two or three men who used a crosscut saw to bring down the trees. A mule skinner would then skid the logs out to a landing, where they were loaded on a wagon bound for the mill.

"Fifty men worked at the mill. They used milling wastes for boiler fuel. All the machinery was powered by steam. The operation was built so the logs could be piled at the top of the hollow, then rolled down to the mill.

"Sawn lumber was taken to the company lumber yard in Mountain Grove by wagon, and later by truck. Wagons took two days to make the round trip, trucks a half day. Today it takes an hour and a half to make the drive. The mill and settlement thrived from 1922 to 1929. By 1929 the big pine was all cut. They packed up the mill and moved it to Texas County."

courtesy: watersheds.org

100 year old and Shortleaf Pines and Oaks at ROLF

Last summer I had a chance to look closely at some of the pines cut at the Whispering Pines cabin. The pictures pine is 109 years old and the oak is 121 years old. These are not the largest trees. I suspect that this hill was "logged" in about 1895-1900. Most all pines were taken and a few larger oaks. This co-insides with Missouri's Logging days. The state's river hillsides were stripped of almost every pine tree between 1880-1910.

Smoke Tree saplings in Ozark County

On a trip on November 6th to River of Life Farm, my sister and I made a side trip to Trail Top Glade (about 30 minutes away). Even though the majority of adult Smoke trees were past their peak in color, the saplings were still in fall dress. Click to enlarge.

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.

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.

North Fork Sycamore Reflections 9/28

During late afternoon, I took this photo with my Canon 5D and a 24mm f4 lens to capture what I though was a standard look of the clear North Fork water enhanced by yellowing sycamore trees. Click to enlarge.

Dogwood turns in September 2008

There are many species of Dogwood and a few in the correct well drained and morning sun locations were turning red early this year (mid-September). Here is one on thee main road to ROLF that I watched each day for one full week. I just turned prettier and prettier during the week. Wonder what it looks liken now,  in October. Click image to enlarge.

Sassafras is turning colors 8/7/08

A few sassafras trees are turning color this early August; really one branch of leaves; here and there.

Missouri's Pines - The Shortleaf

Shortleaf pine covered much of the southern 1/3 of the State of Missouri. it is our only native pine tree.  It was always mixed with oak and hickory but there were much larger and older stands. It has been seeded and seedlings planted in Missouri since about 1945 and is making a comeback over it's native range. Shortleaf Pine is a yellow pine with lots of knots. 

ROLF has many stands of Shortleaf Pine, some older pine and many offspring seedlings. The North Fork river is unique in that there are places where the Shortleaf pine runs all the way down to the river.

About 75% of all pines in Missouri were cut down and floated down a streams to mills, were they were cut and shipped all over the USA between 1880 and 1910.