In Search of Dogwoods

April 8, 2023 / Jessica / 15 Comments

Today, kiddo and I had a bowling tournament in the same town where my husband and I have Tuesday bowling league. It’s about an hour drive north of here and it was a beautiful day for a trip.

A lot of the trees are blooming around here right now and the redbuds are really putting on a show. But, we set out in search of dogwoods.

After the tournament was over, we tried the beach area on Clearwater Lake to see if any were blooming there. No luck and, actually, there wasn’t even a beach because the lake is so high.

*April 8, 2023 sign at the bowling alley*

*April 8, 2023 water on the parking lot at the beach*

*April 8, 2023 water over the road at the beach*

From there we went to Lon Sanders Canyon Conservation Area. I posted about awhile back, about how we never even knew it was there. We started our hike riverside and I was beginning to think we weren’t going to see a dogwood there either.

We got downstream, and right next to where kiddo planted himself by the water, was the lone dogwood of the day.

It was so beautiful!

Those white petals with green accents make me smile! I mean, how amazing is it, that something so tightly tucked away in a bud emerges so perfectly?

*my favorite is a dogwood bloom with a blue lit sky*

*dogwood blooms at Lon Sanders Canyon Conservation Area*

*April 8, 2023 Lon Sanders Canyon Conservation Area*

Before we left, we went up the creek towards a waterfall we saw last time. It was glorious, once again.

April 8, 2023 waterfall near Piedmont Missouri

We didn’t win the bowling tournament, but we both got our averages and above. What a super fun mom and son day!

Thanks for reading!

Jessica

Sun Dog on the Lake

February 26, 2023 / Jessica / 17 Comments

Yesterday, I saw the most incredible thing. The sun and a sun dog were reflecting on the lake at the same time. I mean, sunsets are awesome enough, but what a miracle to see a baby rainbow in the sky and on the water in the same moment!

Jaw dropped.

Nature… sometimes it takes my breath away. It’s soooooo beautiful.

Hope you have a wonderful Sunday.

Jessica

*Sun dog on the lake- ©️ 2023 Unmeasured Journeys*

Two Beaches

November 6, 2022 / Jessica / 22 Comments

Gratitude:

Saturdays
hiking
time with my son
Missouri beaches
adventures on untraveled roads
small towns
Clearwater Lake
nature time

Yesterday my husband had a bowling tournament, so my son and I dropped him off at the bowling alley where we have our league on Tuesday nights.

Because the bowling alley is 55 miles from home, that opened us up for some new nature adventures.

Some new-to-us highways, streets, and gravel roads filled our afternoon with lake views, hiking trails, the dam spillway, and two beaches.

My, how I love Missouri. The backroads lead to some amazing sights, but so do the ones made of pavement.

I just love nature, don’t you?

Jessica

*saw these picnic tables at the spillway*

*the trail bridge was closed for a hunting event, next time we can see where it goes*

Lake and Bowling Time

August 21, 2022August 27, 2022 / Jessica / 19 Comments

Something pretty cool happened to me recently.

Really?

Seems like all I’ve been doing is writing about loss and grief.

Here’s the thing I’m learning though. I can go through a loss AND live my life, too. Just because I had a loss, it doesn’t mean I’m *required* to be sad all the time.

In fact, I’m not sad all the time. Sometimes? Yes. All the time? No. Remember my post, Switchbacks and Waves? Sadness and grief come in spurts.

So, back to the pretty cool thing.

My husband bowls. In fact, he’s a really good bowler. Have you ever seen those bowlers who can throw a ball, it almost hugs the gutter, then it suddenly curves over and knocks down all the pins?

He can do that.

He has been bowling in leagues for about nine years. One or two nights a week, he bowls.

Me?

I only bowl maybe once a month, when we go as a family. My balls are usually in the gutter, ha ha, and when I do bowl, it’s straight down the middle, I hope.

Several weeks ago my husband super gigantically surprised me when he asked me if I would consider being in a league.

Like, a bowling league. I about fell over! I was so honored that he asked.

Then, approximately two seconds later, the questions started kicking in:

Wait, I’m not very good! Who would want to be on MY team?
Is there pressure? Because I don’t want any pressure if I’m not doing well.
How long is it? What if we sign up and it’s too long?
Me? Are you sure? (Is what I was thinking)

Turns out he does want me on his team, there is no pressure because it’s just for fun, and it is long, thirty six weeks, but it’s one night a week.

Heck yeah, sign me up.

We live in a tiny town and to get to the bowling alley we like, it’s fifty miles one way. So, about a hundred miles one night a week. Sounds like a lot, but it’s totally worth it.

It’ll be family time, a chance to make new friends, and it’s something we can do together.

Bonus?

It’s by a lake!!!

Last night we went up there and bowled. I did pretty decent and my husband and son did great. We even got to meet some of the league bowlers we’ll be bowling with in a couple weeks. It was really fun.

About sunset, we went over to the lake. My goodness, it was so beautiful. Sooooooo beautiful. And, so quiet. We just sat there and watched the fish jump and the sky change.

Afterwards, we found a really nice Mexican restaurant and had a wonderful meal.

Tuesday, the first week of September, OUR league starts. Our! How cool is that?

Me, is included in that our!

Even with gutter balls and very up and down scores, I get to be on a team!

I am so excited!

Thanks for reading!

Jessica