I like this place.... and could willingly waste my time in it...

Just last weekend it was in the 60's, flash foward 7 days and now it's freezing again. One thing most Missourians know is when a warm day is handed to you in the Winter - TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT!

Last Saturday, my daughter and I (along with my camera) spent a few hours doing a little bit of the trail at the Glassberg Family Conservation Area: http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/applications/moatlas/AreaSummaryPage.aspx?txtAreaID=201201

Here are just a few images from that beautiful afternoon. I hope you enjoy them. 

“This life is yours. Take the power to choose what you want to do and do it well. Take the power to love what you want in life and love it honestly. Take the power to walk in the forest and be a part of nature. Take the power to control your own life. No one else can do it for you. Take the power to make your life happy.”  ― Susan Polis Schutz

“We need the tonic of wildness...At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.”  ― Henry David Thoreau

“...and then, I have nature and art and poetry, and if that is not enough, what is enough?”  ― Vincent van Gogh

“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn”  ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.”  ― Gary Snyder

“I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.” 
― John Muir

Photos by MK Designs Photography - 2015. Do not copy without permission. If you'd like to order any images, contact me! http://mkdesignsphoto.weebly.com/contact.html

Tents, Teaching, Learning, and Failing... :-)

#truth 

I have failed so many times in my life. It has only led me to eventually get sorta good at things.

Take for instance, the tent. 

Lord knows that setting up and taking down a tent is a lot like trying to fold back a road map after use! Not easy, but I have gotten pretty good at it. 

Even when I don't camp nearly enough like I should, it comes back to me... not from all the times it went up with ease, but from all the times I struggled to figure it out. 

My old car... and campfire to light my way as I set up a tent in Shawnee National Forest two summers ago!

Failure, even in proper tent set up and take down, taught me what NOT to do. 

Knowing what NOT to do is often the key to any sort of success, be it in camping or in life. 

Rental Car, my own tent I checked in my luggage, etc. at Yosemite two years ago... and the whole time a mom/daughter from another country was watching me. The daughter came to tell me her mother thought I was a very "strong woman" for putting up a campsite by myself so well and so quick... She was standing by her daughter the whole time nodding her head and smiling. That made me glow! Selfie after the nice talk with them!

I think one of the worst teachers I have ever known is an earlier version of me.  

I know one of the worst navigators in the world would be that gal I see in the mirror every day, but a much younger and hotter version. ;)

Truth is, we have to fail. It's ok.

Do you know how many horrible photos I have taken!? Way more than my "keepers" -- and that is perfectly acceptable. 

Do you have ANY idea how many photos I took to get this "right" with the sparkle in the water, the wind blowing her hair, etc? I think at least 30. Sometimes I feel like if I get one or two shots I kinda like out of every 1,500 photos I take... that's a good week. Not kidding. I fail at photography... A LOT. 

So, this is where my little thought process will go another direction here... why are parents so afraid of letting their kids fail? Why are teachers and other adults trying to make it an "everyone wins" society? 

I always think of the baby chick. If it doesn't struggle to get out of the egg, it doesn't get strong enough to survive.

It is so easy for us to want kids to not struggle with that tent, with each step on a challenging hike, or...with reading, writing, math, art, relationships, (insert anything here). 

However, we have to remember that's how we learn. 

Sometimes we have to fall flat on our face or even our ass and pick ourselves back up, dust off, and calmly follow the directions (even if we only have the version in a language we can't read). 

Bloody toes, out of shape, cramping legs... but... I picked myself up and kept going each step of the over 5 miles I did going DOWN a very steep route of switch backs in Yosemite two years ago. (Down isn't as easy as you think, wowsers!) 

And, THAT is something we should all embrace more of... failure. 

Learn from it. 

Grow strong in it. 

Help it guide you to success in ANYthing you pursue! 

Much love & appreciation for you taking the time to read this. Hope it was a blessing to you! :-)

~ Michelle of MK Designs, Nov 2014

A Tactical Error: LaBarque Creek Missouri

I had seen a few images by Chet Gaugh (an awesome local photographer) of LaBarque Creek, then I noticed that "Camping Missouri" had updated their cover photo on facebook to one of LaBarque Creek... so I told myself I had to find it. 

Sunday, on the way home from errands in the big city, I found LaBarque Creek Conservation Area. It's just south of Eureka and Pacific... and the minute I arrived I knew this place was special! 

I crossed a foot bridge and felt instantly at home. 

Creating this special spot took a lot of teamwork!

I had my trusty camera and camera bag with all my goodies for a photo shoot in the woods ready... I crossed the foot bridge and started on the trail... and I knew it was a 3 mile trek, but I felt pretty optimistic about it. Maybe too optimistic. 

See the heart on the tree? Too cool!

At first I took my time, clicking pics and trying not to slip on the muddy inclines. All seemed to be on track for an awesome walk.

Then, it hit me... this trail is a bit slippery, the mist is picking up, and I have about an hour of light left. 

So peaceful. The woods were this amazing mix of green, yellow, red... I love Fall in Missouri!

I started to pick up my pace, and even pondered turning around even though the trail is a loop. When I saw the sign that said "1 mile" I (stupidly) said to myself, "Keep going! Just one more mile!" 

Someone found all these, but I took the time to stack them! 

These rocks needed my organizational skills to create a Cairn in the woods! 

Just a bit later, I had about 10 more minutes of good light left, and the rain picked up... that's when my heart sank. 

I saw a sign that said "2 miles." I clearly hadn't read the other sign correctly. I still had a mile left. A long. Wet. Slippery. Rainy. Getting-more-and-more dark. Mile. 

Taking this photo helped calm my nerves a bit once I realized I had about 10 minutes of light left and a little over a mile to my "Betty" aka Ford Escape...which is fitting because I was ready to Escape the trail at this point! 

Just a little damp! 

I had several thoughts race through my head that could possibly fall into paranoid range. However, the main thought was two-fold. 

#1. Don't lose the trail. 
#2. Don't fall. 

My camera bag is fairly water tight, so my camera didn't get hurt. I also have several items I carry on me when hiking, especially just by myself. I had my emergency whistle, compass, mini-flashlight, cell phone, hoodie, water bottle, pepper spray, napkins/tp, and more... 

That mini-flash light came in handy for the first time EVER.

Rain. Rain. Rain. 

Brilliant Colors to Warm my Soul! (it was a bit damp and chilly!) 

I couldn't create an image like this! The water droplets were just perfect upon this leaf! 

What I could see of the last mile as the light kept dimming - was stunning. I must go back to this area when there's more time and daylight. I could see areas you can off-trail towards the creek, rock overhangs (one I figured that if I had to I could camp out under if I lost my way and/or the rain got worse!), and amazing Karst topography. 

I have to be honest, at one point on the trail I could see the creek through the foggy misty rain... I could even make out the creek, along with a fence and horse barn, but then the trail turned up and away... I was near tears... but I told myself to trust the trail blazers, but if my compass didn't show me turning back towards LaBarque Creek with the signs of civilization in at least 10 minutes, I was going to go off trail. 

There's a fungus among us! 

My worst-case scenerios didn't play out and the trail did indeed turn back towards where I knew I needed to be. A few carefully placed steps (with my flashlight) down the rocks and the mud, led me back to the footbridge. I have to say I was elated to finally be finished. My sweaty, rainy, muddy selfie was my "reward" - my "I did it!" photo. 

Now that's a face of relief! And, what an adorable face! Who wouldn't want to see that daily? Ha! :-)

A little over 24 hours later, and I must say that I do like the challenge in the woods that my little "tactical error" created. Why? You have to think. You have to trust. You have to believe in yourself - knowing you will not lose the trail and you will not lose your footing. 

However, next time - I think I'll make sure I give myself way more time to explore in full daylight when I return to LaBarque Creek Conservation Area. 

Here's the link to learn more about this lovely place! http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/Applications/MOATLAS/AreaSummaryPage.aspx?txtAreaID=200608


Photos and Words by MK Designs!
Until next time... ~ michelle