Is a Blue Moon Really Blue?

By Jill Henderson – Show Me Oz –

Tonight we will be treated to a rare blue moon.  Celebrated throughout the ages, blue moons are studied, admired and looked upon with varying levels of wonder and awe.  Of course, a blue moon is the second full moon in a calendar month and happens on average, once every two years, mostly in the months of June, July and August.   But is a blue moon really blue?

Garden Time: Multiply Your Herbs & Flowers

By Jill Henderson – Show Me Oz

Now that summer is almost over, it’s time to start thinking about repotting, transplanting and dividing perennial flowers and herbs.  So often, we wait until spring to move or propagate new plants.  But by taking care of those chores now, you not only sidestep more work during the busy spring season, but you also give your new plants a big head start on next year’s growth.

Ozark Riverways: A History in Perspective

By Jill Henderson (A Journey of Seasons: A Year in the Ozarks High Country)

When my husband and I left the pristine wilds of Montana back in 1996, I never thought I would ever again see rivers that were as lovely and clear as those high mountain streams – but then we found the Ozarks.  Some of the rivers in these hills are so clear that you can count the rocks at the bottom six feet down, and so cold they’ll take your breath away.  Obviously, Ozark rivers are the pride and joy of south central Missourians and in the depths of the hot summer months, they are also our respite.  But the rivers in the Ozarks also have a long history – some of which is much more recent than most realize.

Weather Prognostication the Old Fashioned Way

By Jill Henderson – Show Me Oz —

Weather is the barometer by which humankind revolves and Ozarkers talk about the weather the way stock brokers talk about share prices.  In nearly every conversation, the weather is often the opening topic and over the years, I have come to believe that the official greeting of the Ozarks is, “How’s the weather over ’t your place?”  Like people everywhere, Ozarkers love to grumble about “bad” weather, but usually they do it with humility and humor.

Nathanael Greene-Close Memorial Park and Botanical Center

By Jill Henderson

A couple of weeks ago I found myself needing to drive to Springfield to have a seat in my car replaced. The operation wasn’t going to take very long and since we don’t get to Springfield very often, Dean and I, along with our friend Tom, set out to make a day of it.  After we left the repair shop we headed over to the Springfield-Greene County Botanical Center to meet my friend, George Deatz, for a personal tour of the gardens.  All of us thought the plants would be withered and dried up from a brutal summer of heat and drought, but we were in for a real surprise.