Lacreek NWR

What a difference a day makes, for weather and birding alike!  As expected, the Arctic front dipped across the Great Plains overnight and, this morning, a low, gray overcast stretched above the sandhills of western Nebraska and South Dakota as I set out for Lacreek National Wildlife Refuge; scattered flurries moved across the region and a brisk northeast wind, combined with an ambient temperature of 23 degrees F, produced a wind chill of eleven.  Yet, as I approached the refuge, trumpeter swans appeared on several of the sandhill lakes and, as I entered the Lake Creek basin, massive flocks of sandhill cranes moved above the preserve, their distinctive calls echoing through the valley.  The weather may have taken a turn for the worse but my birding luck had improved considerably.

Established in 1935 to protect wetland habitat for nesting and migrating waterfowl, Lacreek NWR lies in southwestern South Dakota, southeast of Martin; access roads enter the preserve from Route 73 on its western edge and from Route 18 to its north.  The refuge has played a vital role in the reintroduction of trumpeter swans to the Great Plains region and now hosts 20-40 breeding pair during the spring and summer months; 200 or more winter on or near the refuge.  A wide variety of migrant waterfowl visit Lacreek during the spring and fall migrations and its open grasslands are home to sharp-tailed grouse, ring-necked pheasants and a host of prairie songbirds; burrowing owls reside here during the warmer months, using abandoned prairie dog dens, and the refuge hosts one of the largest breeding colonies of American white pelicans in South Dakota.

In addition to the trumpeter swans and sandhill cranes, my visit today turned up sizable flocks of Canada geese and mallards, a mix of other ducks (including hooded mergansers and buffleheads), rough-legged and red-tailed hawks and several mule deer.  A return visit in spring or late summer should be even more productive.

Blue Skies, No Snows

Heading back to Colorado, I decided to shift my route northward with the hope of encountering large flocks of snow geese and with a plan to visit Lacreek NWR, in southwestern South Dakota.  I thus veered north on I-29 at Kansas City, eventually dropping onto the broad Missouri River floodplain near Mound City.  The flat landscape of cropfields, levee bound streams and riparian woodlands stretched beneath a clear, blue sky; unfortuately, despite passing the Squaw Creek and DeSoto NWRs, two major staging areas for migrant snow geese, no flocks were encountered.  In fact, on my entire trip from Columbia, Missouri, to south-central South Dakota, I only saw a few small flocks of Canada geese, generally ubiquitous across the American Midwest.

Bird sightings were certainly sparse throughout the day, limited primarily to starling ballets, numerous red-tailed hawks and a large number of ring-necked pheasants along Highway 18, in South Dakota.  Nevertheless, the latter route crossed landscape that became especially scenic near and west of Winner, where the northern edge of the sandhills blends with a series of smooth-edged ridges.  Augmenting this scenery were a spectacular sunset of pink and purple clouds and the brilliant glow of Venus in the southwestern sky.

Tomorrow I'll visit Lacreek NWR before completing my journey to our Littleton, Colorado, farm.  Here's hoping that an Arctic front, poised to drop across the Great Plains and Midwest, will usher in the waterfowl!

Rushing toward Death

We humans tend to be impatient creatures but some individuals are always in a hurry.  Ever conscious of the time and date, they strive to be productive each and every minute of their lives.  They are intolerant of lines and avoid mass transit due to its frequent stops and unpredictable schedule.  Planning ahead, they are keenly aware of upcoming events, purchasing holiday and birthday gifts months in advance and creating agendas for their infrequent vacations.

For them, speed and efficiency are essential; travel must utilize the most direct route to their destination and outdoor activities, such as hiking, are primarily a means of getting some exercise.  Proud of their multitasking skills, they loathe idleness and despise anyone who appears to be engaging in unproductive relaxation.

While these individuals claim to get the most out of life, one doubts that they truly savor the journey. Their bucket list is not a means to enrich their lives but, rather, is just another set of goals to reach before they die.  In the end, their many achievements will provide a wealth of material for their biographer or obituary but they will have spent their life rushing toward death.

Autism, ADHD & Human Diversity

Over the past decade, human society has become increasingly aware of autism and its spectrum.  As is frequently reported on television and radio commercials, this diagnosis is now applied to 1 in 81 children, a dramatic increase since the turn of the Century. Understandably, these reports have triggered concerns among prospective parents, suggesting that environmental toxins might be affecting our genes. Just this week, researchers have offered evidence that older fathers increase the incidence of autism and have unveiled a means to diagnose the condition during the first year of life, using computerized analysis of eye-contact.

Yet, many specialists suspect that the observed increase in autism is due to increasing awareness of the disorder among parents and pediatricians and due to a broadened definition of its spectrum; indeed, the reported incidence is much higher in States that have aggressive autism screening programs than in those that have limited resources devoted to the diagnosis and management of autism.  In this respect, it seems to mirror the attention that ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) has received in recent decades; an increasing number of children, teens and college students have been diagnosed with that disorder and are taking medications to control their symptoms.

While I am not a pediatrician and do not pretend to be an expert on genetic or developmental disorders, I often wonder if modern medicine is unnecessarily labeling the outliers of normal human diversity.  There is no question that severe cases of autism, which limit communication and personal independence warrant aggressive evaluation and treatment but mild cases, as with most cases of ADHD, might best be approached with simple adjustments at home and in the classroom.  To apply diagnostic labels to children who demonstrate minor variance from "normal" may, it seems to me, do more harm than good.

Long-tailed Weasels

The most widespread mustelid in the Western Hemisphere, long-tailed weasels inhabit open woodlands and forest clearings from southern Canada to northern South America.  While fairly common throughout the U.S. (with the exception of open deserts in the Southwest), these aggressive hunters are primarily nocturnal and are not often encountered.  On the other hand, they are active throughout the year and are best observed at dawn or dusk, especially during the colder months.

Molting in both the spring and the fall, those that live in northern latitudes turn white or creamy yellow during the colder months while more southern residents retain a cinnamon-brown dorsal coat throughout the year; in all areas, the tip of their tail remains black.  Long-tailed weasels are solitary for most of the year, marking their territories with musk from anal glands.  They mate in mid summer but implantation of the fertilized eggs is delayed; 4-8 kits are generally born in mid spring and remain with their mother until late summer.  Female offspring are able to mate during that first summer while males are not sexually mature until the following year.

Using abandoned dens, long-tailed weasels live within rock piles, beneath stumps or under mounds of brush.  They feed primarily on mice, voles, shrews and other small mammals but also attack larger prey such as chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, reptiles and small birds; eggs are also consumed on occasion. Their natural predators include hawks, owls, coyotes and rattlesnakes; kits are vulnerable to a wider range of enemies, including fox, smaller snakes, ravens and magpies.  Indeed, despite their aggressive nature, most long-tailed weasels die within their first year and few live more than 3-4 years in the wild.

Birding in the Mist

A low, gray overcast produced a steady drizzle across central Missouri this afternoon.  Nevertheless, it was the most convenient time for my weekly visit to the Missouri River floodplain and, while heavy rain and high winds may keep wildlife in their shelters, a dark, misty day will often encourage their activity and make them more conspicuous.

Unfortunately, most of the Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area is now accessible only to duck hunters but a number of fields, ponds, sloughs, lakes and riparian woodlands are still open to birders and naturalists.  The flocks of blue-winged teal have now departed for the south, replaced by increasing numbers of mallards, northern shovelers, coot and gadwalls.  Wood ducks, double-crested cormorants and a small flock of American white pelicans were also observed and I spotted a pair of sandhill cranes feeding near a shallow channel.  As usual, great blue herons, killdeer and belted kingfishers were found along the waterways and the riverside woods were alive with a variety of woodpeckers and forest songbirds.  Eastern bluebirds, horned larks, red-winged blackbirds, eastern meadowlarks and northern harriers were all common on the open grasslands and crop fields.

Too often, novice birders are discouraged from heading out unless the weather is mild and sunny.  In fact, with the exceptions noted above, their birding success will generally have no relationship to how "nice" the conditions might be.  While humans, pampered by our heated homes and vehicles, are reluctant to endure harsh or ugly weather, our wild neighbors have no choice and must remain active to survive.  Of course, they are not subject to the influence of local radar or weather forecasts.

Trillions of Earths

As reported by news agencies yesterday, a study of data from the Kepler Space Observatory suggests that there may be 40 billion Earth-like planets in the Milky Way Galaxy that orbit their suns within a zone that could support life.  Conducted by a graduate student at the University of California in Berkeley, this multi-year analysis is the latest estimate based on reams of data from the Observatory, which was launched by NASA in 2009.

While this data may seem shocking to many, there are at least 300 billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy, which is one of an estimated 200 billion galaxies in the Universe; some of the larger galaxies contain more than a trillion stars.  Based on those numbers, there are surely trillions of Earth-like planets in the Universe; if only one in a billion supports intelligent life there are, at minimum, thousands of civilizations out there, most of which are far more advanced than our own (after all, our home star is only 5 billion years old while the Big Bang occurred 13.7 billion years ago).

One would think that such data might give pause to those who espouse rigid, traditional religious beliefs.  Are we a chosen species or are we but one of thousands of intelligent civilizations that inhabit our massive, ever-expanding Universe?  At the very least, this scientific data should encourage us to approach that question with an open mind (and with more humility).

The Gift of Conservation

Those of us devoted to conservation will receive little personal benefit from our efforts.  While we may have the chance to visit wilderness areas or nature preserves that we helped to protect, the rewards of our commitment will be reaped primarily by future generations.

Supporting measures that foster clean air and water, participating in recycling programs, avoiding the use of herbicides and pesticides, reducing our carbon footprint, planting trees, funding the work of conservation organizations and limiting our personal consumption of natural resources, while slowly improving the plight of natural ecosystems, will not always produce results during our lifetime.  The campaign to combat global warming offers an excellent example, especially in light of the political will and international cooperation that will be necessary to achieve that goal; even if the numerous obstacles were eliminated today, it would take several decades to stem the tide that our industrial revolution set in motion.

Indeed, conservation initiatives, whether undertaken by individuals or organizations, are selfless gifts to future generations, driven by concern for the welfare of our planet.  Unfortunately, profit-driven corporations and cash-strapped governments have trouble focusing on the future consequences of their policies (or inaction) and much of our effort must be devoted to combating the power brokers of human society.

The Nature of Schizophrenia

A string of violent tragedies have plagued the U.S. over the past few years.  In many cases, the perpetrator has been a young man who, prior to the event, had demonstrated unusual behavior or disordered thought processes, such as social isolation, paranoia, or hallucinations.

Indeed, the backgrounds of many assailants suggest the diagnosis of schizophrenia, a mental disorder that affects almost 1% of the adult population and which most often presents during the late teens or twenties; the incidence of schizophrenia is about 3 per 10,000 individuals but its chronicity leads to a relatively high prevalence in human society.  Though the specific etiology of schizophrenia has not been determined, it is thought that a group of defective genes result in both biochemical and structural changes in the brain, leading to the symptoms mentioned above; men and women are equally affected though the disease tends to develop earlier and is often more severe in males.  While these genetic defects are usually inherited (the identical twin of a patient with schizophrenia has a 50% chance of developing the disorder), they may also result from spontaneous gene mutations and might act in concert with environmental factors (e.g. malnutrition, viruses, toxin exposure) to produce the mental illness.  Current therapy involves the use of drugs that ameliorate the biochemical defects in the brain but the potential for gene-based therapy is on the horizon.

A crucial factor in the early diagnosis and management of schizophrenia is the willingness of family and friends to seek medical help for the individual when behavioral or psychological changes are first noticed.  Of course, since the disease presents in the late teens or early adulthood, subtle signs may be difficult to distinguish from the emotional lability so common in this age group; any evidence of paranoia, hallucinations or delusional thoughts, however, should prompt immediate referral to a mental health professional.  If individuals with schizophrenia are diagnosed at an early stage and receive proper psychiatric treatment, they rarely indulge in violent behavior; unfortunately, for a variety of financial, political and cultural reasons, a significant percentage of patients never receive adequate therapy.

Fear of the Dark

We humans, children of the Tropics, have an innate revulsion to the waning daylight of autumn, having learned early in our history that the sun is vital to our survival.  In addition, ill equipped to function in the dark, we found ourselves at the mercy of predators which had a distinct advantage during the cover of night.

Though we have since learned to heat and light our shelters, have managed to kill off most of our natural predators and can now refrigerate foods that we import from distant lands, a fear of the dark still resides in our collective human soul.  Of course, the intensity of that fear varies among individuals; like other human fears, our fear of the dark has both a deep-seated genetic basis (common to us all and ingrained to favor survival) and a superficial, conscious component, instilled by those who influenced our thoughts and behavior during childhood.

Now, as we head into the shorter and colder days of the year, both our natural and our irrational fear of darkness will have some impact on our mood.  While diminished to some degree by modern technology, we sense the dangers of the season and, though we now understand the science of the solar calendar, we retain a subconscious fear that the retreating sun will not return.

November: Nature's Cinderella

Mention autumn and most Americans think of pleasant September, beautiful October and their ugly sister, November.  After all, November has a reputation for cold weather, gray skies and the first snow of the season.  Yet, in recent years, the fabulous weather of October has extended well into November and, as our climate warms, that trend should continue.

Even more inviting for naturalists and birdwatchers are the natural spectacles that unfold in November.  Huge flocks of migrant waterfowl, followed by bald eagles and peregrine falcons, descend on our lakes and reservoirs.  Accompanied by various loons, grebes, gulls and rare vagrants, these wanderers offer, in my opinion, the most inspiring events of the year.  And, in our fields and woodlands, the crisp, late autumn weather invigorates the native wildlife, now especially conspicuous amidst the barren trees and open landscape; hawks, owls, deer, coyotes, fox and a variety of small mammals are often best observed during this transition from autumn to winter.

Though she arrives in the wake of glorious October, November is more than welcomed by naturalists and hunters alike.  In our minds, this month is not a homely step-sister to be shunned and ridiculed; rather, she is the Cinderella of nature's year.

The Nature of Ghosts

On this Halloween, its seems appropriate to consider the nature of ghosts.  During our childhood, as will be evident this evening, ghosts are thought to be scary beings that, while unseen, make themselves evident via eery noises or unexplained phenomena.

As we mature, many humans retain their belief in ghosts.  Most believe that they represent the spirits of the dead who, for one reason or another, could not depart this world.  Others believe they are messengers, returning to ensure loved ones that they remain alive and well.  In either case, ghosts are thought to be spiritual remnants of those who once walked the Earth, confirming the religious or mystical beliefs of those who accept their presence.

Of course, despite widespread anecdotal reports, which feed a lucrative business for psychics and other mediums, there is no scientific evidence that ghosts truly exist, though, theoretically, visual manifestations of past life could reflect aberrations in space-time that we don't yet understand.  Many of us believe that ghosts are illusions, products of the complex human brain which are evoked by intense emotion, vivid imagination or fervent religious belief.  Signs of spiritual communication from the dead are especially common after the death of a loved one, when grief alters our interpretation of otherwise random and meaningless events.  Convinced that we are witnessing signals from the deceased, our grief is diminished by the assurance that their spirit lives on and that, someday, we will meet them again.  Indeed, our fear of death is a potent force.

Spring in October

The southerly flow ahead of an approaching cold front has brought the feel of spring to the October landscape of central Missouri.  Were it not for the colorful leaves, browning lawns, Halloween decorations and subdued birdsong, one would think that it is May.

High pressure to our east, in combination with the storm's central low, is sweeping warm air and Gulf of Mexico moisture into the Heartland; our afternoon high is expected to reach 70 degrees F and the unstable atmosphere will ignite bands of thunderstorms, some of which may be severe.  Indeed, large hail fell in northwest Missouri this morning and, over the next 24 hours, we may receive 2 to 3 inches of rain.  Further south, where the air temperature and humidity are higher, tornados are expected across eastern Oklahoma, southeast Kansas, southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas.

On the positive side, this latest storm, which is bringing heavy snow to the higher elevations of the Wasatch and Rocky Mountains, is not expected to produce blizzards on the Northern Plains; in addition, along its southern margin, it will sweep plenty of moisture across drought-plagued Texas.  Here in Missouri, where the rain is also welcomed, this bout of spring should ensure one more round of mowing before winter sets in.

October in the Country

Faced with a free afternoon, I am inclined to escape to the country; if I happen to be in Missouri, I head for the rolling farmlands and wooded valleys south and east of Columbia.  While such an excursion can be interesting at any time of the year, autumn is my favorite season for wandering through the countryside (as it is for most outdoor activities).

Of course, man's imprint on the landscape is everywhere, from rustic farms to gaudy homesteads to out-of-place mansions.  But nature never fails to impress and, in October, colorful woodlands and clean edged, yellowing meadows glow in the crisp autumn air.  Kestrels, mourning doves and eastern bluebirds lounge on the powerlines, red-tailed hawks circle overhead, flocks of red-winged blackbirds pick through the corn stubble and placid livestock, no longer annoyed by summer's insects, graze on the drying grasslands.  Dipping through the woods, one encounters the usual mix of winter songbirds, an occasional troop of wild turkeys and, early or late in the day, the startled figure of a red fox, coyote or white-tailed deer.

Today's visit, beneath a clear blue sky, offered most of those rewards.  Yet, a bank of clouds to the northwest warned that the next cold front was preparing to drop through the Heartland.  Such storm fronts will arrive with increasing frequency in the coming weeks and, before long, winter will grip the region.  But, riding those northern winds, flocks of snow geese will call from the frigid skies, trumpeter swans will visit from breeding areas to our north and short-eared owls will appear on these farmlands, content to spend a few months in the bleak winter landscape of the American Midwest.

Formation of the Philippines

The Philippine archipelagos represent one of the most complex geologic regions of our planet.  Composed of numerous microplates and terranes that became trapped between or split from the Eurasian Plate, to their west, the Philippine Sea Plate, to their east, and the Australian Plate to their south, the Philippine Mobile Belt stretches south from Taiwan to the northern edge of the Australian Plate.  It is bounded on the east by the East Luzon and Philippine Trenches and, on the west, by the Manila, Negros and Cotabato Trenches.

The microplates and terranes, many of which are composed of metamorphic Paleozoic and early Mesozoic bedrock, have been subjected to fusion, compression, transverse faulting and subduction volcanism throughout the Cenozoic Era; all of these geological processes continue today.  The Philippine Fault runs down the center of the Mobile Belt, triggering uplift and earthquakes while stream erosion and volcanic debris have produced nutrient rich plains between the numerous mountain ridges.

Lying in the Tropical Zone, the Philippines are also lashed by tropical storms and typhoons which mold their coastlines and channels, further altering the geography of the component archipelagos.  Indeed, there are few regions of our globe where plate tectonics and violent weather produce such a regular chain of "natural disasters."

Narcotic Addiction & Abuse

The excessive prescription of narcotics has led to an epidemic of abuse and addiction in America, leading the FDA to, belatedly, place limitations on the amount of hydrocodone that a patient can receive between office visits and to require written (rather than phoned-in) prescriptions to obtain them.

Having practiced Internal Medicine for 36 years, primarily as a hospitalist, I have long observed the overuse of these addictive medications and place the blame squarely on physicians.  While these medications are designed primarily for acute pain relief following infection, injury or surgery, patients are too often sent home with a month's supply of the narcotic, sometimes with a refill or two; in the majority of cases, the patient could have been managed with a few days of the narcotic, transitioned to ibuprofen, naproxen or acetaminophen in combination with physical therapy.  The extended availability of narcotics leads to their overuse and, within a relatively short period of time, to dependence.

While patients with certain malignancies, neuropathies and other painful conditions might need long term narcotic therapy, most patients who use narcotics on a chronic basis are addicted to those medications; since, over time, they develop tolerance, the dose must be gradually increased.  In the end, the excessive amount of these drugs in medicine cabinets across the country, in combination with black market sources, has led to their abuse by teens and young adults; combined with alcohol, sedatives and other illicit drugs, narcotics have become a leading cause of overdose-related deaths in otherwise healthy individuals.

A Gray-Cheeked Thrush

Earlier this week, as I watched a mixed flock of chickadees, titmice and nuthatches attack our backyard feeder, a spotted thrush dropped into our large magnolia.  A bit late for migrants, I initially thought it was a hermit thrush, a species that winters in Missouri.  Yet, it had no eye rings, no rust coloration on its tail or back and did not flick its tail; I eventually concluded that it was a gray-cheeked thrush.

Summer residents of the New England mountains, the Canadian Maritimes and northern woodlands of Canada and Alaska, these long-distance migrants winter in the tropical forests of northern South America; en route, they pass through the eastern half of the U.S. but are not common in most areas.  Indeed, this was my first sighting of a gray-cheeked thrush in Columbia.

Since they feed on insects and berries, the thrush was not interested in the sunflower seed handouts but was clearly attracted to our yard by the activity of our common avian residents.  Such is the case with many uncommon visitors throughout the colder months and this is a major reason why veteran birders put out feeders.  While our wild neighbors could survive without our charity, the feeders attract most of  our local species and thereby get the attention of rare species that pass through the region.

Prairie & Sinkholes

Following the first overnight freeze of the season, I opted for a hike at Rockbridge Memorial State Park (south of Columbia) yesterday afternoon.  There I took the Grassland Trail that winds across tallgrass prairie and passes a number of sinkholes in the limestone bedrock.  Woodlands cluster at the sinkholes, offering prime roost and hunting sites for hawks and owls that inhabit the park.

On my visit, the late October sun offered little warmth to moderate the chilly, northwest breeze.  Fortunately, the cool conditions invigorated the birdlife as I strolled through the preserve; eastern bluebirds, American crows and American goldfinches dominated the grassland while a host of woodpeckers, blue jays, nuthatches, chickadees and titmice noisily rummaged through the sinkhole woodlands.  In thickets along the woodland borders, I observed several groups of white-throated sparrows, the first winter residents that I have seen this season.  American kestrels perched on the powerlines while a pair of red-tailed hawks circled above the prairie, stoking the ire of the resident crows.

The sinkholes, some of which hold water, are the product of collapsed caves; indeed, an extensive network of caves and underground streams lies beneath the Park, coursing through a thick slab of Mississippian limestone.  At the surface, the sinkholes drain water from the surrounding prairie, giving rise to ponds, marshes, thickets and woodlands; dry sinkholes also offer protected retreats for a variety of hunters, including snakes, long-tailed weasels, raccoons, fox and coyotes.

A Life of Memories

We humans are, in effect, the product of our genes and our memories; genes determine our physical structure and biochemical function while memories record all experiences in our lives, from the later stage of fetal life to the moment of our death.

These memories are essential to the learning process and give context to all events in our lives.  Our ability to communicate, to reason, to create and to effectively and safely interact with our environment are all dependent upon knowledge that we acquire through experience and store as memories.  While the great majority of memories are rather mundane and are relegated to the background of our consciousness, others are associated with emotionally charged events; the latter, whether positive or negative, surface and are reinforced on a regular basis and have a significant impact on the development of our self image and personality.  Indeed, we both learn from and are molded by memories of past events.

As we age, our long-term memory generally remains intact while, depending upon our genes and our state of health, our short-term memory begins to fail.  As a consequence, our memory chain grows at a slower rate and we find it harder to learn new skills.  Neurologic studies indicate that an effort to remain mentally active (via reading, games, educational programs and other intellectual endeavors) may slow our short-term memory loss; of course, dementia and other neurologic disorders might intervene, negating that benefit.

A Sluggish Fall at Eagle Bluffs

On my visit to Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area this morning, it was clear that the summer residents, including great egrets and green herons, had departed for the south.  While flocks of double-crested cormorants and American white pelicans still graced the refuge, the number and variety of waterfowl were well below average for late October; small scattered flocks of mallards, blue-winged teal, American coot and pied-billed grebes were the only representatives.

Unlike songbirds, which migrate in response to the sunlight cycle, the migration of waterfowl varies from year to year, depending upon the availability of food and open water; indeed, as our climate continues to warm, some species may limit their southward migration while others may stop migrating altogether.  Though waterfowl migrations usually peak in November here in central Missouri, the schedule seems to be shifting; in years past, the ponds, sloughs and lakes of Eagle Bluffs, located on the Missouri River floodplain, would teem with ducks by this time of year.

Of course, some variation occurs from year to year due to changing weather patterns which are distinct from climate change.  Nevertheless, a pattern seems to be developing and the combination of warmer winters and agricultural handouts might keep some species from ever reaching the Gulf Coastal Plain.  For now, those of us who visit Eagle Bluffs in late October must be satisfied with watching the great blue herons, raptors, killdeer and other permanent residents of this fabulous riverine refuge.

The Autumn of Life

Now in the autumn of my life, I recognize that our lives parallel the natural seasons.  Having survived the vigor of spring and the intense heat of summer, a certain mellowness sets in.  Yet, knowing that the cold silence of winter lies ahead, we make the most of our later years, taking advantage of freedoms that have eluded us since mid spring.

Like the vegetation, we have lost the superficial beauty and shiny veneer of our younger days but rich colors, long hidden by the verdant tide of growth and maturation, begin to show through.  At the same time, harvesting the rewards of our working years, we, like all life forms, must prepare for the coming darkness, a threat that, for most of life's calendar, we managed to ignore.

Endowed with a large, complex brain, we recognize these parallels; however, unlike our wild neighbors, we must consciously face the prospect of death.  Indeed, our intellect, if freely exercised, unveils our intimate relationship to all other species; we may be its current stewards but we cannot escape the cycle of life that fuels the ecosystems of Planet Earth.

Clifty Creek Natural Area

Clifty and Little Clifty Creeks rise on the west wall of the Gasconade River Valley in south-central Missouri.  Flowing eastward, the creeks merge in the Clifty Creek Natural Area of the northern Ozarks where the streams have carved a natural bridge in the Ordovician dolomite.  Owned by the L-A-D Foundation and leased to the Missouri Department of Conservation, the area lies north of Missouri Route W and east of Route 28, about 6 miles northeast of Dixon.

On this glorious October weekend, my wife and I headed south to explore the preserve, which is accessed by a 2.5 mile trail loop.  From the parking lot, a short entry trail leads to the loop which can be hiked in either direction; the southern section of the loop undulates along the south wall of the Clifty Creek gorge while the northern section winds atop a ridge that separates the Clifty and Little Clifty Creek watersheds.  Those seeking a the shortest route to the natural bridge should turn east (right) on the loop; the 40-foot bridge spans the mouth of Little Clifty Creek where it merges with Clifty Creek, about 1 mile from the parking lot.

While we encountered deer, wild turkeys, eastern bluebirds and a pileated woodpecker along Route W, the oak-hickory-pine forest of the 230 acre Natural Area (and its adjacent Conservation Area) was rather silent today.  Nevertheless, the scenic creeks, spectacular cliffs and forest vistas, adorned with autumn color, were well worth the visit and the undulating trail provided plenty of exercise in the cool, clear October air.