Jill HendersonToday is one of those magical days that come about from time to time in the waning hours of November. The big winter sun hangs low in a crisp blue sky, warming the ageless rocks at my feet. The golden light of midday has taken on an ephemeral tenderness that highlights the sculpted edges of thousands of umber, scarlet and saffron-colored oak leaves whose active lives have come to the ultimate conclusion upon the bosom of the earth. In some sudden and mysterious way, they are no longer leaves, but individual pieces of a naturally fantastic jigsaw puzzle just waiting to be pieced together.
For the last sixteen years, my husband and I have lived in the Ozarks of Missouri. During our early years together, we were lured to these unknown undulations by some unseen and unknowable force. Since then, an impossible number of our days have been spent immersed in the natural flow of this ancient landscape – so much so that, at times, we are truly lost to time itself.
The physical beauty of the Ozark landscape – her hills, rivers, springs, fens, seeps, springs, creeks, waterfalls, hollows, bluffs, losing streams, knobs, swamps, rocks, sinkholes, caves, mounds, and flood planes – is matched only by the diversity of life in all its forms. The Ozarks do not have the tallest mountains in the world or an endless ocean to draw its residents into a reverie, but the deep and ageless beauty of the Ozarks burrow deeply into the soul.
A Journey of Seasons
Filled to the brim with colorful stories, wild walks, botanical musings, and a just a pinch of “hillbilly” humor A personal and inspiring tale of homesteading in the Ozark backwoods. Look inside!
Perhaps I romanticize, but even now, after all these years of studying, watching, and wandering her contours, the Ozarks still feel like a place lost in time. A place where folks sit on their porch of an evening and wave at passersby on the highway; where cozy cafe’s brim with good ol’ boys in coveralls shooting the breeze, spinning yarns and pulling legs with just a hint of a twinkle in their eye.
And despite the general disdain for big cities and city-slickers, modern times have not left the Ozarks completely untouched. As I write, the area is continuously growing in population, scope, and attitude. Today, Ozarkians (a nod to the ‘official’ regional moniker) come in all bents and stripes; from the ultra-modern to the backwoods recluse.
And while many a newcomer has come here to get away from something, most come to get back to something – often, a simpler way of life and room to live it in. It is the amalgamation of old and new that make the Ozarks so surprising and wonderful to newcomers, but it is unquestionably the old that makes them feel at home.
© 2016 Jill Henderson Feel free to share with a link back to the original article.
Show Me Oz | Living and loving life in the Ozarks!
Gardening, foraging, herbs, homesteading, slow food, nature, and more!
A Journey of Seasons
Filled to the brim with colorful stories, wild walks, botanical musings, and a just a pinch of “hillbilly” humor A personal and inspiring tale of homesteading in the Ozark backwoods by noted author, naturalist and plant organic gardener, Jill Henderson.
Available in the Show Me Oz Bookstore
Look inside!
Jill Henderson is an artist, author, and the editor of Show Me Oz . Her books, The Healing Power of Kitchen Herbs, The Garden Seed Saving Guide and A Journey of Seasons can be found in the Show Me Oz Bookstore. Jill is a contributing author for Acres USA and Llewellyn’s Herbal Almanac and her work has appeared in The Permaculture Activist and The Essential Herbal.
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As always, beautiful writing! It’s almost a substitute for actually being there.
Aw, thanks, Tigsal! Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Lovely piece.
Thank you, Mom! My biggest fan! xoxoxo
Love your writing style –
“Since then, an impossible number of our days have been spent immersed in the natural flow of this ancient landscape – so much so that, at times, we are truly lost to time itself.”
Wow…sounds like middle earth meets middle america! Just tell me where to sign!
Love visiting Oz. Being originally from the NW U.S., I remember my first visit to the area. We arrived near dusk, and according to the map we were in the Ozark Mountains. We stopped at a gas station to get our bearings, and showed our map to the station owner. We were perplexed, as the map indicated our position clearly, yet we saw no mountains. The attendant confirmed our position by sharing his incredulity at our befuddlement thusly:
“Boy, where are you from?! You are IN the HEART of mountain territory!”
Since then, upon visiting the area numerous times, we’ve come to recognize that there are Mountains, and then there are, well, moundains. But these ‘moundains’ by comparison to those out west, are the inviting kind. The come and explore us at your leisure, and stay as long as you like, kind. The affordable, heal your soul, not overpriced, steal your soul, kind; toward which the ever exploited west is tumbling these days.
Truly a treasure.
Blessings in Yeshua, Jesus Christ to you and yours
Thank you, Paul. So glad you enjoyed the article. It sounds as if the Ozarks have captured your heart, as well! And I truly appreciate the description of our subtle “moundains”, which definitely are not quite the same as any other range in America. They are indeed low and rolling, yet deep with hollows, history and heart. Perhaps the wind will blow you back to Oz to stay one day.
Just discovered your blog and love love love it!!! Don’t know how I missed this. Have lived in Oz most of my life and I totally relate to your love of the Ozarks and the joy that it brings to your life. Looking forward to ordering your books, and sharing your writings with friends.
Thanks, Ann and welcome! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the blog!