Camping out in the Ozarks

This is an article I wrote for Marginal Boundaries

Hey guys, my post today is about camping in the Ozarks. My last camping trip was at Mill Creek off of Table Rock Lake, which is not only a beautiful destination but also a great place to spend a family vacation or just to get away. As you can see in the photo it’s beautiful scenery with green vegetation, clear water and the wildlife that roams the countryside. When traveling to the beautiful lakes in the Ozarks you have your choice of a big open lake or a snugly little cove in the cut. Myself personally I would prefer the snugly little coves because that’s where the fish will be biting. But then again they also say the deeper the water, the bigger the fish, so it just depends on your preference.

I suggest camping in the Ozarks to anybody, not just for the scenery, but also because you can talk to anybody you meet and it’s like you have known them your whole life. Some say we are just a bunch of redneck hillbillies but honestly we have all the city amenities just like everyone else. I would say it is smarter to pick a certain season to come visit the Ozarks because we do have crazy weather; it could be snowing one day and 80° the next. But it is a great place to come visit, not to mention Branson, Missouri is a very popular tourist city that is in the same area. For those of you that haven’t heard of that Branson, it’s reputation is built up on the music industry, and it is known as the second Nashville.

Whether it’s visiting to camp out and sit by the fire for relaxation or having a night out on the town and going to see a show from Elvis impersonators to magic or whatever tickles your fancy, I promise you will have a good time and if you’re feeling up for the adventure most of your local campsites allow you to rent jet skis, pontoon boats or your average fishing boat so you and your family are guaranteed a great time. You could also go tubing or throw on the skis and see what it feels like to skate on glass, maybe hit a couple of wakes and pull a couple tricks. Or better yet go back to your campsite after a long eventful day and just relax.

The pictures you see on this post are directly from Mill Creek in Reed Springs, Missouri. It is a beautiful family-oriented destination that will fulfill your needs for that movie-set camping trip that you have always heard or dreamed about. I’m sure everybody enjoys peaceful camping trip like I do, so next time you’re planning a trip in the Midwest come visit the Ozarks! There are a lot of different lakes in the region, as well as forests and plenty of places to go camping as well as hunting and fishing if you are into that sort of thing, and the people are some of the friendliest you will ever meet.

Amazing sounds with things that came from the ground

The beautiful outback also known as Australia has amazing sounds that come from such simple things, such as nuts and berries that wrap around their shins – known as a nut drum – or the intense sounding didgeridoo made of hard wood, which has a history dating back over 1,500 years. With these simple resources that they are able to bring together a harmonic symphony.
You can also find the wooden trumpet/drone pipe in places all around the world. When these outback natives go looking for the perfect piece of hard wood for making their didgeridoo, they tend to look for hollowed out trees or bamboo, since they need wood that hasn’t suffered termite damage. Then, when they find the right piece of material they cut and trim it to size, then dip the mouth piece into beeswax.

Next is the bullroarer, which is a rectangular thin slat of wood that is attached to a cord and swung around in circles making a strange and instinctive vibrato sound. The bullroarer and the didgeridoo are both used by the Australian Aboriginal for initiation ceremonies, burials and to ward off evil spirits, bad tidings and sometimes even to ward off woman and children.
They also use this instrument in ceremonies of manhood where only the chosen few who are men are allowed to hear these vibrato sounds. It is believed that if a woman or child were to enter during one of these ceremonies they would be sentenced to death as a result of bad magic. But there are also other rituals using these devices to actually call the women to the men as part of mating ceremonies.

Last but not least the third instrument created in the down under is the gum leaf. As easy as it sounds it is a leaf from a eucalyptus camaldulensis tree. By taking one of these leafs and scratching one side all the way to the membrane until it’s almost transparent, you can then put your lips to the side in which you scratched flesh off of the leaf, apply pressure and blow. Seasoned gum leaf players can get an easy tune from vibrations hitting the membrane.
As you can see instruments come from all sorts of things and different places in the world. Australia is a prime example of a country that has many different cultural sounds, but there are also different musics and sounds in every place you will travel. One day I hope to travel to places like Australia and experience these unique sounds for myself.