It’s Just a Country State of Mind: November skies in the Ozarks

I recently drove to the southern part of Missouri to visit family that lives there and was greeted with a wonderful home cooked meal of fried chicken and all the trimmings. I also took a nice walk around their property, which just happens to be at the backdoor of the Mark Twain National Forest and two sections of the Ozark Trail.

To add to my first day (as if that wasn't enough), we did some rock and fossil hunting on their land. I found a few nice pieces for my collection. And, to make things even better, I got to stay in their backyard Airbnb: a family-sized tent located within a shelter, complete with a comfortable air mattress, electricity, an open-face electric fireplace, small camp stove, and the sounds of nature outside my tent. I think it’s called “glamping,” which is just a fancy word for camping.

I was here for a visit with family, but also to check out the lay of the land and to explore this wilderness place. I also wanted to visit a local river in the national forest during my visit. Usually this late in the fall I could only dream of doing something like this, but the weather was great. It was the end of October, beginning of November, and the high temperature during my stay was 70 during the day with 50 degree temperatures at night.

The nearby Mark Twain National Forest was officially opened in the 1930s. It consists of 1.5 million acres in 29 counties in Missouri. Officially, it’s supposed to cover three million square acres.

November is one of my favorite months to walk in the woods. It’s a transition month between seasons. The fall season is winding down, but winter hasn’t quite made its appearance. The landscape this time of year is made up of earth tone colors of brown, yellow, orange, and red. Some leaves still cling to the tree branches, but most are scattered around on the ground. Every season and month of the year has its beauty, but there is just something about November.

I decided to go for a river walk and spend the day exploring. The Current River was designated as an Ozark National Scenic Riverways and was the first national park area dedicated to a river system. When I made it to the river, I was amazed by its beauty. This 184-mile river is spring-fed and has some of the cleanest river water I had ever seen. The sunlight reflected off the surface of the water, causing a sparkling effect. The water level was down a bit, exposing a sand bar which was covered with river rock. I was in my element.

I spent time walking the sand bar, looking for rocks and listening to the sounds of the current, moving the waters downstream. I was in a section of the river that was surrounded by the national forest. I felt at home in this wild area.

I have finally faced the fact that being out in nature is in my blood, as well as backpacking, camping, rock hunting, just to name a few. They all kind of go together.

I am writing this in my tent, under the light of my small lantern with a big smile on my face. Life has once again given me a reprieve, a respite of sorts, and has reminded me of how good the moments can be. I will commit this experience to memory. When I am older, I hope that my mind has a full memory bank to draw upon when I think back to these moments. But for tonight, my view of the Missouri stars will have to do.

Adventure awaits! Make sure to enjoy your moments!

Happy November,

Susan