CHRISTEPHI

Shortly after moving to our new home this past winter, the kids and I noticed a squirrel that was different than the others because he had no tail! Or rather, just a stub of a tail left from some trauma he must have suffered. We have spent quite a lot of time speculating about what could have happened to him. Was he caught by a cat only to escape with his life? Did he get run over by a car? Perhaps he was caught in the crook of a tree? (This last theory proved more plausible after we found a different squirrel in January caught by its tail, dead, and frozen solid!) It wasn’t long before this unique squirrel was dubbed Dale No-Tail. During our bemused observations, we discovered which hole in which tree is Dale’s home and before long we noticed a female squirrel shares that habitation. When she came to the porch rail, we also observed that she is clearly pregnant (and has nursed kits before; nature reveals these things!). She, of course, has been named Mrs. Dale and we are eagerly...

In the middle of February a 60-degree day is a rare blessing.  It's a promise of spring-yet-to-come, but everyone knows it won't last long and it's best to take advantage of it while you still can!  We had one such day recently and decided to take a short trip to  Weston Bend State Park . Miss M stops to point out the "here-o-glyph" on the map. As far as vegetation goes, it's still the dead of winter.  Nothing has come to life yet, partially due to the awful drought we're experiencing, and partially because it's still early in the year.  As Miss M put it, "Everything is brown and gray and dull."  I've noticed, though, that when the trees are bare and the underbrush has died back for the winter, you really get a chance to appreciate the different shapes of the trees. Bare trees line the Missouri River. This tree looks like a giant slingshot! Our first stop was the scenic overlook that provides a sweeping view of the M...