Missouri Trails: We made it!

We finally moved to Missouri.  It was a long, back-straining, tiring journey for us 'oldsters', but worth every aching muscle!

The garden area is already tilled, complete with lovely rabbit leaved-over donations from a new friend (THANK YOU!). The soil is promising; dark, loose, very few rocks.  Next year's tomato crop (among other munchies) are filling our dreams.

Don't know if we will have chickens again, but have already connected with someone who does;  we're enjoying pretty eggs, varying shades of brown and blue. Yum!

The fall colors here are stunning, same as I recall from my youth in N. J.; the oaks - various shades of brown and rust - only on the top so far.  The Maples in our yard are fading from bright green to a softer yellowish tone.  And the lovely leaves are all over the grass-covered, moist ground - one round already picked up with the mower and 'melting' quickly in the garden soil.

"Wildlife" is prevalent - even here in town.  I re-homed a large Waking Stick from the porch to the large Maple nearby; he was quite cooperative.  A Possum scurried through the back yard last week.  Spiders of all shapes, sizes and color pop up everywhere.  (NOT my favorite 'wildlife'...but trade-offs in life are a distinct reality)  No worries - we've discovered that a nice mist of Lavender and Peppermint, generously sprayed in pertinent areas not only freshens the indoor air but makes living in our space a distasteful exercise for the local arachnid population; a perfect healthy, democratic compromise!

Armadillo 'remains' litter the sides of the highways.  We always seem to have a cute little bunny sitting somewhere in our yard; they occupy many yards along our evening exercise route.

We enjoyed a lovely day-trip this week to Lake of the Ozarks.  A water moccasin convinced DH he probably desired a different rock for his fishing spot! But it was an 'agreeable' interaction...

As I rested nearby watching DH 'test' his new fishing pole along the water's edge near the boat ramp, I received a degree in 'economics'. For about 2 hours, I watched as literally over a MILLION dollars worth of stunning/large/brand new looking BASS boats were pulled off the water.  The smallest one appeared to be worth over $50,000 (if our recent visit to a local Bass Pro Shop was any indication).  Granted, it was the finish of a Bass Tournament. But still...I was awed and stunned by the amount of money represented in these play toys.  And this was not even a holiday weekend crowd. This nation's current 'recession' does not - apparently, affect a large part of the population. I now better understand the source of funding for the inside and outside decor of Bass Pro Shops! 

The rain here is awesome, too; sometimes for days. Soft, relaxing, life-giving to all the vast miles of green in every direction. Makes for relaxing sleeping.

We're home, finally. The Ozarks; where...

Nature truly prevails.