 In the December 2010-January 2011issue of
River Hills Traveler
This special year-end issue focuses on Art of the Ozarks. Painter Garry McMichael, woodcarver Gary Brewer and equine dentists/rocking horse maker Tom Allen are profiled.
On the cover
"Lonesome Highway" Gary McMichael
St. Louis painter, photographer and self-styled "imaginagrapher "Garry McMichael captures the forlorn beauty of swirling snow on an empty blacktop road. It's a familiar scene in the Ozarks this time of year.
Page 1 stories:
Friendship warms New Year's float — Greg Rudroff
Canoe outfitters Stefan and Bear Bass have been holding a New Year's Day float on the Courtois for the past 14 years. Greg "Rudi" Rudroff rode along last Jan. 1 and lived to tell about it.
Ozarks near, dear to McMichael's heart, art — Barbara Gibbs Ostmann
Hundreds of float trips, hikes and campouts in the Ozarks are reflected in the paintings and photographs of Gary McMichael. Barb Ostmann finds out how he got started and what drives him in his work.
The rest of the paper
Tom Allen makes gift horses but looks real ones in the mouth — Bob Todd
Tom Allen of Patterson, Mo., likes horses, real or fabricated. When he's not improving their health through equine dentistry, he's likely in his shop grinding and shaping wood into heirloom quality rocking horses.
Gary Brewer may have been born to carve — Jo Schaper
"Other people watch TV...We go out in the shop and build stuff," says Gary Brewer of Arcadia. he and wife Pam make and sell wooden fishing lures, turkey calls, hand-forged knives and gigs, powder horns, birdhouses and hand-painted rocks and feathers. He'll carve or forge anything, but is partial to items with outdoor themes.
Even Santa feels times toll, but his heart is bright — William "Chilly" Childress
Chily went to see Santa a few years back. His workshop was a trailer near Grove, Okla., and Santa reminded him a lot of his old Dad.
Makin' Tracks: The month of anticipation — Emery Styron
Emery waxes cosomological, imagining the earth's 365-day ride around the sun or picturing the year as a giant rotating clockface. Anyhow, he's delighted that December has once again rolled around, and with it Traveler's emphasis on outdoors art, announcement of Readers Choice Awards, Traveler's first Holiday Open House and planning for 2011.
 Spirited voting spotlights new favorites in 3rd annual Traveler's Readers Choice Awards
Spirited voting by readers promoting their favorite outdoor businesses, people and places brought numerous new faces and places to the fore in the 3rd annual Traveler Readers Choice Awards. Some winners, though, have done well in the past two years. We won't make you buy the paper to find out the winners. Click here for the list.
Readers can connect with Traveler in person at three upcoming events
Traveler's first Holiday Open House will be from 2:30 to 7:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 3, at our office, 21 B Vance Road, Valley Park, Mo. We'll also be at the Let's Go Fishing Show in Collinsville, Ill., Jan. 7-9 and the St. Louis RV Vacation & Travel Show at America's Center, downtown St. Louis, Jan. 14-16. More information on those events is available at http://www.letsgoshows.com/
Snow Goose decoy spread gets and electronic boost — Bill Cooper
Bill took photos while Frank Cox of Rolla operated his Snowsmacker, an electronic caller that uses two amplifers to play separate MP3 and CD tracks, creating the sounds of thousands of feeding snow geese. It worked to good effect last year at Grand Pass Conservation Area in northwest Missouri.
Curse of the Sacred Doe, Part 2
Will Gold Tip arrow break the spell? — John Meacham
Fishook Fields carefully guides frustrated hunter Carlos Muldoon toward a solution to what Carlos believes is a hex cast on him by "the Demon of the Sacred Doe."
Nature's Corner: Mallard ducks are abundant world-wide; drakes known for beauty — Aaron Horrell
Mallards are as common as the males are colorful. Aaron shares other tidbits about this best tasting of ducks.
Rock Talk: Is Big Spring really 'largest in the world? — Jo Schaper
As impressive as it is, Big Spring at Van Buren can't really lay claim to title of largest spring in the world, or even largest single outlet spring in the world.
Miss Missouri Outdoors prefers boots to stilettos — Jo Schaper
Eastern Carter County resident Cassandra Brownis Miss Missouri Outdoors 2011 and has a lifestyle to match her title.
The Seasons: Chain pickerel more vulnerable in December — Bob Todd
Pickerel, often called pike in the Ozarks, are always in season but are easier to catch in December.
The Iron Kettle —A little bit of everything for the eating season — Pat Todd
Pat covers a lot of ground this month, with recipes ranging from steak butters to apple pie to holiday treats like cranberry fudge, and triple chip oatmeal cookies.
Through the years in Traveler
25 years ago: Crocheting can be counterproductive in the deer woods
Christmas in a foxhole — Jim and Donna Featherston
Jim and Donna tell the story of Jay Whitworth, Donna's father, who helped fight the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, and found that his buddy Higgins wasn't about to let war spoil the spirit of Christmas.
Our Indian Heritage: Make the most of this special time of year — Kathleen Brotherton
Native American tribes did not include Christmas as part of their spiritual traditions, at least before European incursions, but they had their own ways of making the winter months meaningful. Read this article online.
|
