Horsing Around in Shannon County

Wild horses of Shannon County

Last weekend we photographed the wild horses in Shannon County, Missouri. But I almost didn't get to go. Wednesday afternoon I was working away on the computer when it seemed that my left eye was not focusing correctly. When Jim and I went for a walk that night, I noticed that it had gotten worse, and I was seeing a blob out of the left eye. It was moving like a floater, but it was rather large and shaped like a vertically squished circle. But then I saw some white flashes like lightning on the left side of the eye, and that was very disconcerting.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology website lists these things as possible indicators of a torn or detached retina. It further warns that if prompt attention isn't paid to the eye, blindness can occur. Well, that certainly sounded scary. The next morning I called my ophthalmology practice and explained what was going on. They agreed I should have it looked at, and scheduled me with the retina specialist at 12:40. I skipped my morning pickleball just to be on the safe side. After thorough testing, the retina doctor said she could see what I was referring to, but my eye pressure was good and there were no signs of any tear or detachment. She explained it was just a big old floater, and that each eye will most likely have something like this. The average age is 67 when it occurs, but she added that nearsighted people get them earlier. In 85% of the cases they disappear on their own. If I am one of the unlucky 15%, I can decide if I want to live with it or have it removed by laser surgery. Unfortunately it cannot be removed when I have the cataract surgery done. So, bottom line was good news and a clearance to make the drive to Shannon County the next day.

For Christmas Jim had given me a gift certificate to attend a workshop about photographing the wild horses in Shannon County, Missouri that was offered through the Academy of Nature and Wildlife Arts. As background on the horses, it is believed that the herd formed after residents left their livestock behind during the great depression. Though there was an effort by federal officials to remove the horses in the 1990s, local protesters intervened and petitioned the National Park Service office in Shannon County. Legislation was passed to protect the animals, with the condition that the herd remain at 50 horses. When the number grows, the Missouri Wild Horse League rounds up some of the younger stallions, who are tamed and then adopted by local farmers. The herd roams free on land located in the Mark Twain National Forest.

Echo Bluff State Park

On the way to Eminence, where our base would be for the weekend, we stopped at Echo Bluff State Park. A project of SWT Design, I had heard about the park for years and had seen many pictures of it during and after construction. But I had not yet seen it in person. Missouri's newest state park opened in 2016, so everything is still pretty new and sparkly. It will take time for the added vegetation to mature, but in terms of camping or glamping, the park has something for everyone. Tent campers will find themselves on wooden platforms, the campers and RVs are on a nice concrete pad with good facilities nearby, the main lodge offers rooms and a restaurant, and cabins built for singles and large families are also offered. The lodge is located near the echoing river bluffs, from whence the park got its name. The park has been so popular that reservations need to be made a year in advance for weekends or any day during the summer. It has also become a wedding destination, which was not something that was anticipated. It is a wonderful park, and I appreciate how they kept several of the old structures from when the property was Camp Zoe.

Following lunch at the lodge, we got back on windy, hilly, narrow Highway 19 and made our way to Alley Spring. Located in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri's 7th largest spring discharges 81 million gallons of water each day. The grain mill at the site was constructed in 1893, replacing an earlier mill that had been built in 1868. It was a wheel-less mill, operating instead on a turbine system. The mill closed in 1918. It has been preserved by the National Park Service, along with a one-room schoolhouse that is located nearby.

Alley Spring

By late afternoon we made our way into Eminence and checked into the Riverside Properties. Located on the Jack's Fork River, the choice of accommodations includes the motel or cabins. Some cabins are located along the river while others are across Highway 19 from the motel. We could have stayed anywhere around Eminence, but the workshop instructor had a room at Riverside and would be having meetings with the group there. We opted for one of the cabins along the river so we could have some cooking facilities and the ambience of the river out back. The cabins went under water when the river flooded last year, so they were touted to be recently renovated. The decision to stay in the cabins ended up to be a cause for concern that evening when turbulent weather rolled into the area.

Riverside cabins along the river

Stay tuned...