Maybe it’s obvious, but I’ll just say it: We’re gonna be in The Ozarks for quite a while. We’ll also be making trips to Deb’s cousin’s place — for simplicity’s sake, hereinafter called “The Mountain” — with some regularity.
We have our reasons. Keep hanging around here and eventually you’ll learn why.
Deb and I rolled up The Mountain late yesterday morning. As we crested the big rise, approaching the area we walked a week ago Friday, a whitetail doe emerged from the woods and and sauntered across the road in front of us.
We’d been invited to visit the home of a “neighbor,” the only other person living on The Mountain. Yesterday she graciously gave us a tour of her house and surrounding property, a wonderful place, before we continued up the road.
Regular readers know that I pay attention to elevation, so a brief word about the lay of the land. When we travel to The Mountain, US Route 62 takes us as far as Yellville, where we cross Crooked Creek at an elevation of 550 feet. From there we follow state and county roads for six miles, winding through hollers and pasture land to the dirt road up The Mountain, which begins at 725 feet. It climbs quickly to about 900 feet and pretty much stays there before easing down to Deb’s cousin’s cabin at 870 feet.
The highest point on The Mountain, according to USGS, is 1,003 feet, which happens to be on the property we walked recently. An adjacent ridge tops out at an elevation of 1,305 feet, 40 feet shy of the highest point in Marion County.
We had no real agenda on The Mountain yesterday — this was just a visit. Deb brought along a tray of chip dip she’d made, which she popped into the oven when we arrived. While relaxing on the porch of the cabin, looking out over the valley, it occurred to me that I’ve enjoyed that view now in three seasons.
We’re on the cusp of a fourth. The Ozarks have taken on the dusty hues of late November. A hundred feet from where I was sitting, a doe and pair of yearlings picked their way through the woods.
On the drive back, Deb and I were all smiles. Every time we come down off The Mountain, we find ourselves refreshed and recharged.
It’s the damnedest thing. We’ll just have to keep going back ’til we figure out what that’s all about.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB
One thought on “‘The dusty hues of late November’”
Comments are closed.