The Great Ocean of Truth

Occasionally, we stumble upon quotes that resonates.  I stumbled on this one today, so snatched it up and planted it on top of one my own photos taken on the shores of Lake Superior.  

Fruit Tree Bloom 2025

Cherry and peach trees are blooming in unison this year and looking really good.  The peach tree is just finishing up, the Bing is in full bloom, and Montmerency just beginning to light up. This is year 5 for all of them, so we should see some sort of harvest.

Branson Butterflies

A lack of plans for the day left things to occur as random as they possibly could have been, and improvisation, the call of the day.

Somehow or another, the decision was made to investigate the Butterfly Palace.  While this was definitely not the usual effort, my comrade simply adores the lepidopterans.  The irony of this particular reverence is that most other six-legged critters in the same class are held in utter contempt.

Butterflies were not the only point of interest at this location though.  A carefully manicured collection of a few of their natural enemies also lived in the palace.  However, they were neatly segregated to the lower floor of the establishment.

Prior to engaging with the ruling species, we were offered a brief documentary enlightening us on the life cycle of their Monarch.  Attendance was not required but seemed a reasonable request, and we learned a little from that 3D adventure.  After, we were immediately ushered into presence chamber area.  It was quite balmy, though the air seemed not quite as saturated with moisture as winged metamorphic beasts flitting in every direction.  Special lures were provided to attract them, though it hardly seemed necessary.  It proved nearly impossible to avoid them.

Reflecting on the excursion later, it stood as one of the more enjoyable moments of the journey in the last few days.  The cost seemed a little excessive, though that is the general standard for all attractions in the world of Branson.  If one were not overcharged, they might feel compelled to protest.  The troops would be called in, and things might get ugly.

Hillbilly Conservation in Branson

Lacking any sort of plan for the morning and looking to get out in the sunshine a little, a trip out of the melee known as Branson led to a trip across a nearby glade.

It had been noted the previous day, having stopped at the overlook for a moment, to gaze out across this 1,534-acre establishment of oak and hickory.  Further research uncovered a few trails of interest, in particular a 3 km jaunt across associated glades, down into the dry bed of Roark Creek and back again.

The hike across the glade is relatively easy but could become quite hot in the summer months, with little cover beyond that offered down in the creek bed.  This spring morning it warmed up considerably, even though temperatures were only around 15 °C.  A return trip later in the evening found similar temperatures along a paved path leading to the lookout. 

The glades and other features within the Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area are forever preserved in literature through the Harold Wright book, "Shepherd of the Hills."  However, American TV producer and screenwriter Paul Henning and his wife Ruth took things a step further, ensuring preservation for all those that came after, establishing this conservation area just on the outskirts of Branson.  His creation, the Beverly Hillbillies, and associated work on Green Acres, and Petticoat Junction likely inspired the effort too.

The Branson Wilderness

Spring cooled down only a little over Branson, offering up some of the best weather for a hiking.  It is unusual to find a remote spot like Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area buried in the middle of any town.  This is especially true in this weird little anomaly standing at the crossroads of entertainment district and carnival.

The 140 acres associated with this space offers escape for those less interested in the uproar occurring on and around Missouri Highway 76. Approximately 8 kilometers of trails pass through the surrounding bluff that doubles as a sound barrier, down next to Lake Taneycomo and adjacent bottomlands.

An array of colors splash across an otherwise empty hardwood landscape, prior to its filling in with foliage for the season.  Conversely, in the depths of late summer into fall, it is likely a poison ivy laden brothel for ticks and other similar enemies of the state.

While generally an easy hike, it is important to understand that if 315 steps of the stone staircase is not addressed immediately, they wait patiently for the end of any journey.  The only option is return 3 kilometers back along the path accessing this point.

This little stroll through the forest is only occasionally disrupted by refuge marking the passage of less considerate humans.  That is to be expected this close to the parade route.  Intersecting a few minor caves, a waterfall that was bone dry on this date, the trail eventually leads to a resurrected 1934 homestead built with some of the same fieldstones as the staircase.  Apparently, they had more than enough.