Category: Arkansas

Wings Over the Prairie

November 26, 2011
A Stuttgart contestant in the Junior World Championship Duck Calling Contest on Saturday.

It’s finally here. It’s Wings Over the Prairie Festival time here in Stuttgart and hunters are sprawled all over downtown Stuttgart as they listen to the sound of duck calls. I’ve been covering duck calling contests all morning, and can happily announce, I have just finished covering my last one. Yay! Now, its time to check out the other parts of the festival: The Carnival and Gumbo cookoff! Can you say FUN!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 25, 2011
It's grill time.

I have a lot to be thankful for. My work took the time to grill out for its employees, I have amazing parents, sister and brother-in-law who always have my back, and great cousins who can always make me smile.

A family affair

November 15, 2011
Goofing off as our parents' pictures were taken.

My sister Libby and I gave our mother a family photo session for Christmas last year. She had talked about having family pictures done for a while. Well, the session finally occurred some 10 months after Christmas. It was a perfect morning. We used our favorite photographer — Ernie Rice Photography out of Jonesboro — and the pictures were taken at my brother-in-law’s best friend’s farm. Continue reading “A family affair”

Taking a rest.

November 14, 2011
A pretty sight while leaving Pot Latch Education Center at Cook’s Lake in Casscoe. It’s a Great Blue Heron.
A too-common sight this time of year. These birds are Greater White-fronted Geese (locally known as Speckle-Belly Geese).

Cook’s Lake

November 14, 2011
A bottomland hardwood tree.

I’ve been to the Potlatch Education Center at Cook’s Lake before to seeing the hummingbirds (see here and here), however, I never went further then its educational center. I recently tagged along with a co-worker who was looking for places to use in a photo shoot. We ended up in Casscoe, which is home to Cook’s Lake. We decided to stop in at the center and ended up passing it to see the boat launch. It was amazing to see the bottomland hardwood trees and scope out more of the land at Cook’s Lake. If its this amazing in the fall, I can’t wait to see it in the spring! Continue reading “Cook’s Lake”

St. Charles

November 10, 2011

St. Charles is a charming small Arkansas County community. It’s also home to  the White River National Wildlife Refuge, one of my favorite places to go to. The town is like taking a walk into the past with its interesting buildings and rich history, which you can get a taste of at its museum in the St. Charles City Hall. Here’s a quick glance:

The unforgettable Civil War memorial in the middle of the road near the St. Charles City Hall.

Continue reading “St. Charles”

Sitting around

November 2, 2011
Northern Mockingbird

I brought my camera outside with me on Halloween night since the birds were making a ruckus that night. I decided I would bother taking a picture if a bird or two landed right in front of me.

European Starling

Well, a Northern Mockingbird did. An European Starling also landed on some telephone wires near me, which I considered was acceptable to photograph as well.

I have to admit, it’s tough identifying the birds, but its also exhilarating when I finally do figure out the names. Of course, I have to get a second opinion on my tentative discovery, but so far I’ve correctly identified the birds.

It’s a …

November 1, 2011

A picture is worth 1,000 words. For me, a picture helps to correctly identify what I see. I have a horrible memory so it helps having something to go back to refresh my mind.

Yesterday, I was sitting on on my back steps when this wasp fell in the leaves beside me. He kept trying to climb up on a leaf which would then tilt over knocking him to the ground.

I spent this evening trying to identify him. I think I have him identified as a red paper wasp (Polistes carolina). I’m still checking to make sure, but what do you think?