Ozarks - grace grits and gardening

Tis the Season for Finding Frost Flowers!

December 10, 2021 By Talya Tate Boerner 6 Comments

Oh happy day!

I Finally Saw a Frost Flower.

Do you have a garden bucket list? I have one loosely formed in my mind, and a few days ago I checked off ‘see frost flowers‘ from my list.

Sometimes the best things happen when you aren’t expecting much from the day. (That’s a quote from The Accidental Salvation of Gracie Lee, y’all.) It was early and I was driving the pups for their much needed beauty shop appointments at Bark Avenue Pet Lodge (which is located a few miles outside of Fayetteville). Just when I began wondering if conditions were right to see frost flowers, I spotted a few along the roadside! (That’s what I thought they might be anyway. It’s hard to know for sure from the car.)

Oh, I was excited by the possibility. And, I hoped they would still be there after I dropped the girls at the lodge. In the few minutes it would take me to get back on the road, frost flowers could vanish. Like winter’s first snowflakes or a double rainbow, they are elusive and ephemeral. Continue Reading

Sunday Letter: 08.01.21

August 1, 2021 By Talya Tate Boerner 9 Comments

Dear Sunday Letter friends,

Happy August! Ready or not, here we go headfirst into the downhill side of summer. Dang, it is HUMID here in northwest Arkansas. We’ve been promised a break in the heat this week, and I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed. Gracie and Annabelle like to walk 3-4 times a day, but for now, a walk in the early morning and one after sunset has to do it. Gracie is the first to feel the heat—her black coat heats up in no time (plus she’s closest to the scorched Earth)—and she doesn’t like it one little bit. She lies on the back porch in the shade, as close to the back yard as possible, dreaming of fall.

Sweet girl just turned nine months old in July!

Triple Falls (aka Twin Falls) at Camp Orr

November 5, 2019 By Talya Tate Boerner 2 Comments

Last week, John and I did a little exploring in Jasper, Arkansas with the goal to visit Triple Falls. What a scenic, must see spot! No worries if you can’t visit for real. I’m bringing it to you.

Of course my pictures in no way capture the true majesty. Oh well. Until apparition (a la Harry Potter) becomes a thing, this will have to do.Continue Reading

I Finally Saw a Frost Flower.

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