Rollercoaster Recon!

Wow!

The last couple of months has been completely unpredictable! One should wonder why, though.

One would think that...considering it happens the same way every danged year...that a person would realize that the period of late-Spring to early-Summer is the very BUSIEST time of year. At least if you have kids involved in baseball/softball and church activities!

Heck - One should likewise have come to the conclusion LONG AGO that this time of the year is the most brutal time to be trekking through the bush to see the wonders hidden there. After decades of experience, one should also recollect that hiding among the hidden wonders of Izard...are the hidden MONSTERS of Izard.

Monsters that cling to every blade of grass...leap from every tree - eight legged critters that suck the juices out of you and leave you clawing in agony for over a week! Flying leviathans that likewise leave you scarred...some so stealthy you never know they were even there!

And...though I've personally only had a couple of years to develop my own "dos and dont's" of nature photogtaphy and historical documentation...one should also quickly retain the knowledge that the Ozark Jungle does not give good visibility of photographic subjects. There are photos (especially of buildings and structures) that are just unachievable this time of year.

And then there's the HEAT!

And the blasted HUMIDITY!

So...one should know not to make predictions or plans during the two to three month period of late-Spring and early-Summer! Getting one's self...or gracious landowners out of the A/C to take photos is just too UNPREDICTABLE andsets up a rollercoaster-ride for the enthusiastic explorer.

One should think, anyway.

Now...though we haven't plodded off the beaten track...much...this Summer (the times we have DID spark our memories), we have visited some sights either on...or not far off the highways and backroads. We've seized the season and used this time to get some of the old buildings and historic structures in the county documented for Exploring Izard County. As a matter of fact (I'm making no prediction here), I'm calling the owner of the old Trimble Homeplace today to see if we can set up a visit. The Trimble family made the journey west from Kentucky with members of the Lafferty family and were among the very first white-settlers in the county! The house still stands...and because it has been officially carbon-dated...we know it is the oldest known house standing in Izard.

Though we'll make no predictions for a month or two, one thing's for certain!

We'll continue to take every opportunity to seek out and visit the amazing wonders that Izard County offers!

EIC...Two Years On

Yes...it's the second anniversary of the first post at Exploring Izard County!

Our event this past Saturday, the Ozarks Skoolin' Road Trip, was a wonderful success in every area and the perfect Birthday Party for EIC. We had some wonderful stories shared by interesting people swapped our own stories with those of our readers ...other lovers of Izard. While having a fun day enjoying the Izard County spring at some very special places, we also were able to raise money for the restoration/preservation of the Old Schoolhouse at Lunenburg. We were also successful, I believe, in getting across to those who participated in the event the importance of doing what we can to help restore/preserve other historic sites in the county including Lunenburg's sister, Te Old Scoolhouse at Mount Olive.

We visited the Clay Cave, Athens Courthouse Site, Piney Creek, and the delightful arroyo above Piney Creek on the Gorby Road before driving on to our final destination, Knob Creek Church.

We were graced by the presence of Mrs. Mary Lafferty Wilson (the great-great grandaughter of John Lafferty himself and avid family historian) and her husband Art. I met Mrs. Mary online by accident sorta...and have enjoyed our e-mail exchanges since. Her passion for the history of her family and its role in the development of this area is inspirational to me.

The deeper I get into the land and the people who dwelt in the land...the more determined I am to learn, document, and share all that I can share. This county deserves to be noticed. Its history deserves to be re-discovered!

Thanks everyone, for encouraging us to do more of what we've been doing. I know that your interest is what drives me personally.