Notes from the Hollow

www.notesfromthehollow.com

The Ozark Hills always get hot in the summertime, but this year has been extra special in that category. Some years are nearly famous for how hot they were – the Dust Bowl years, 1954 and 1980 stand out. The nearest weather station operated for the National Weather Service is in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. The two hottest days on record there occurred in July, 1954 (the 14^th and the 18^th) when the mercury climbed to a respectable 111 degrees Fahrenheit (that is 44 degrees Celsius for you progressive types). 

A few days ago, on August 3^rd, the temperature reached 111 degrees Fahrenheit in the hollow, tying the record for Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

This dead Eastern Coachwhip snake was found the other day by a neighbor. The neighbor has netting over a row of plants in her garden to keep the deer from nibbling. It looks like the snake got its mouth tangled up in the netting and couldn’t get out.

Notes from the Hollow started as an emailed newsletter twelve years ago in 1999. First, the updates were meant for my brother, Erik Weems, who had left Arkansas and moved to the east coast.  Occasionally, other people would be added to the mailing list depending on the topic. Then the unexpected happened, somebody actually asked to receive new updates to Notes from the Hollow. Then it happened again. And again. 

In early 2008, at the suggestion of Erik, Notes from the Hollow became a blog. Some of the handful of regular readers made the switch to the blog and a few new readers were added. Sometimes, though, an entry would be posted that had wider appeal. I found a box turtle with a cracked shell and photographed the poor old guy with my cheap camera. It was read by dozens of people finding it through Google search results. On rare occasions, entries were viewed hundreds of times.

So, sometimes when something interesting happens here in this little hollow, like a baby possum being found in the tub of dogfood, I take some pictures and update Notes from the Hollow.

I checked the blackberry bushes yesterday evening (not many berries) and discovered this Racer Snake curled up six feet off the ground in the brambles.

I reached into the dark tub of dog food and jerked my hand back at movement. This is what I saw.

Just a cute little Didelphis virginiana, I says to myself. What to do? It will have a broken neck if the dogs get hold of it. When the coast was clear, the cute little Virginia Opossum was transferred to a cage for transportation and loaded into the back of the Land Cruiser.

Just as it was let loose in the tall grass on the hill behind the barn, up come two dogs. The dogs’ attention was easily diverted by offering them a ride in the Land Cruiser.

In the last few day, I’ve seen 4 different turtles in the hollow. Three were box turtles, but the 4th was this beauty, a common snapping turtle, seen from behind.