Skywatch: Hemmed In Hollow Falls

Nothing but blue sky (and a few pigeons) above Hemmed In Hollow Falls on New Year's Day 2009. Hemmed In Hollow is located in the Ponca Wilderness Area of the Buffalo National River near Compton, AR. At 209 ft. (63 m), the falls is said to be the highest between the Rockies and the Appalachian Mountains, an assertion akin to claiming a height advantage in a room full of midgets since the middle of the U. S. is noted for its flatness and not its soaring peaks.

Since giving up partying on New Year's Eve, Jo and I adopted the tradition of hiking on New Year's Day. This particular hike was 2.5 miles (4 km) from the trailhead down to the base of the falls and 25 miles (40 km) back up from the falls to where our van was parked.

(Editor Note: My attempt at humor has caused some confusion. Our hike was only five miles round trip, plus another mile or so because we missed a turn on the return trip. Twenty-five miles is what the return trip back over the same trail felt like because returning is all uphill, sometimes steeply uphill.)

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Skywatch: Hemmed In Hollow Falls

Luna Moth

The first luna moth we've seen this season. Jo found it along the trail leading down from Jerry Joe's north pasture.

Luna moths (Actias luna) are members of the Giant Silkworm moth family. Adult moths live only about one week, just long enough to mate and for the female to lay eggs. For this reason they do not even have mouth parts and live on energy stored as a caterpillar. I believe this specimen is a male based on its longer tail and more highly feathered antennae.

Luna Moth

Still Winter?

Even with all the wildflowers starting to bloom, the leafless trees remind you that spring is just barely getting started.

Still Winter?

Warm Wednesday Afternoon

With the temperature getting close to eighty degrees on Wednesday afternoon, Jo changed out of her sweatshirt before we took off on our afternoon walk. We took the camera on the walk because on Tuesday I'd spotted a dog-tooth violet bloom, the first we'd seen this spring. We didn't have the camera with us Tuesday, so we wanted to photograph the bloom Wednesday. However, the bloom was gone.

Warm Wednesday Afternoon

A Nice Day For A Walk

We've enjoyed a string of really nice days -- chilly overnight, but warming quickly during the day. It's tempting to get started out in the garden, but it's still a little too early for that, although Jo does have the seedlings that will eventually become transplants started. They are doing well under grow lights.

I took the camera along on Sunday's walk, and since my hands were full with it, I let Bucket off her leash for most of the walk. While Boo may have a host of bad habit, running off in pursuit of a squirrel that happened to cross our path isn't among them -- not that she stays right with us either. Bucket is usually either lagging behind investigating some particularly interesting smell or running ahead and becoming exasperated at the rest of us for not keeping up.

The section of trial pictured is about three-quarters of the way around the loop that we normally walk every afternoon. After a bit of climbing, we'll be in the home stretch.

A Nice Day For A Walk