Tag: state parks

Have you ever stood with your arms stretched out, hands ready to receive an object for 30 seconds?

It feels like an hour. However, with a therapist watching and knowing that it in the you’ll be stronger — a person does it.

Time to admire a tree for doing the same day after day, month after month, year after year.

Bare for the winter, this admirable tree in Missouri’s Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park displays the structure and framework for a plentiful amount of leaves. (No, I’m not going to go back in June and count them.)

If your travels ever take you to St. Louis, consider a drive to the western edge of St. Louis County and visit to this park. Lots of space to picnic, let the children run off some excess energy, or hike through nature. Perhaps a game of softball or basketball suits you better. Camping is available on the outside edge of this 1600 plus acre park in case you want to give it a more detailed exploration.

In the sweet, later-in-life romance, Morning Tryst, photographer Serena Carter plans her route visiting all the Missouri State Parks to fall here at Christmas so she can combine a day off with a visit to a dear friend. Find this introduction to the heartland by following the link.

https://amzn.to/35gH37S

Rules, rules, rules. When a person lives in a densely populated development, rules benefit everyone.

While some rules may read as picky and overreaching at first, a little thought reveals the logic.

During a recent spring, our development had a flowering cherry tree posing for a photo. The pink and white blossoms were gone. And no fruit will appear – for this an ornamental tree, not an orchard tree.

Planted for beauty and future shade, this particular tree is friendly to the landscape service. No fruit also eliminates the possibility of the neighborhood children (and perhaps adults) picking, throwing, and gorging on cherries. I’ll accept the rule that any new tree planted on our property must meet restrictions. After all, I’ve navigated walking across a sidewalk and street when the oaks bless us (and the dozens of resident squirrels) with a bumper crop.

Nature does the planting and harvesting in Missouri State Parks. (And very likely in the state parks near you.) Yes, humans check and keep trails clear of fallen trees and branches and repair areas washed-out by rain or spring run-off. Oak, hickory, dogwood, and others put on a show for visitors — from pale to intense greens of spring to yellows, browns, and dashes of red in autumn.

Morning Tryst, is a later-in-life romance featuring several Missouri State Parks. Join photographer Serena Carter as she discovers treasures of several kinds. More details when you follow the link: https://amzn.to/35gH37S

All living things have a life span. Pets, farm animals, wild animals, water creatures from small to large, as well as plants from moss to redwoods.

Several years ago, I bid farewell to a large oak tree in my front yard. For twenty years, I enjoyed the shade and the antics of the squirrels racing and leaping on branches and trunk. But the cycle of life keeps turning — and the tree developed a fatal illness which put it on the arborist’s list.

I don’t know how many before me enjoyed the benefits of thousands of leaves and an equal number of acorns. (At least it seemed like it when the year was good and the nuts created obstacles on the nearby sidewalk.) I would not be surprised if the tree was older than me — and I can remember when people talked about Packard cars being discontinued.

Trees abound in Missouri State Parks. For a sweet romance which will introduce you to several parks — try Morning Tryst.

https://amzn.to/35gH37S