Kaitlyn McConnell - Ozarks Alive
@ozarksalive.bsky.social
Kaitlyn McConnell is the leader of Ozarks Alive, a cultural preservation project based in southwest Missouri. Follow her for thoughts on the region's unique people, history, place and changing space.
SW Missouri has experienced several fires in recent days. They remind me of real MVPs: Rural volunteer firefighters who risk their lives and livelihoods to protect their friends and neighbors. Please support them (and, if you’re in certain parts of the Ozarks, please don’t anything burn right now)!
March 18, 2025 at 10:05 PM
SW Missouri has experienced several fires in recent days. They remind me of real MVPs: Rural volunteer firefighters who risk their lives and livelihoods to protect their friends and neighbors. Please support them (and, if you’re in certain parts of the Ozarks, please don’t anything burn right now)!
Our changing world has filled my mind as of late. I suspect it has been for many of you, too.
Some of us are ecstatic; others are scared. Some are boggled and bewildered. Outrage versus optimism have divided us more than I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime. And it has me deeply distressed.
Some of us are ecstatic; others are scared. Some are boggled and bewildered. Outrage versus optimism have divided us more than I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime. And it has me deeply distressed.
January 29, 2025 at 3:42 AM
Our changing world has filled my mind as of late. I suspect it has been for many of you, too.
Some of us are ecstatic; others are scared. Some are boggled and bewildered. Outrage versus optimism have divided us more than I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime. And it has me deeply distressed.
Some of us are ecstatic; others are scared. Some are boggled and bewildered. Outrage versus optimism have divided us more than I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime. And it has me deeply distressed.
Given that today is National Seed Swap Day, I wanted to share a story I wrote about Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company in 2023. This huge Ozarks-based business has made a massive impact on heirloom seeds -- locally and around the world.
www.ozarksalive.com/stories/bake...
www.ozarksalive.com/stories/bake...
January 25, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Given that today is National Seed Swap Day, I wanted to share a story I wrote about Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company in 2023. This huge Ozarks-based business has made a massive impact on heirloom seeds -- locally and around the world.
www.ozarksalive.com/stories/bake...
www.ozarksalive.com/stories/bake...
Supporting art’s creation is so important. Look at these gorgeous pieces I just saw at Lucky Star Handmade, a new arts co-op in Yellville, Arkansas. They’re beautiful, but so is the time and talent that brought them to completion. We need more of this in our world today.
January 25, 2025 at 1:56 AM
Supporting art’s creation is so important. Look at these gorgeous pieces I just saw at Lucky Star Handmade, a new arts co-op in Yellville, Arkansas. They’re beautiful, but so is the time and talent that brought them to completion. We need more of this in our world today.
Few historical suspension bridges exist in Arkansas. One that remains is Haggard Ford Swinging Bridge near Harrison, which was finished in 1941. It closed in the ‘60s; today, it’s pedestrian-only.
I stopped by today. I’m not sure who owns or maintains it, but it appeared that visitors were welcome.
I stopped by today. I’m not sure who owns or maintains it, but it appeared that visitors were welcome.
January 23, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Few historical suspension bridges exist in Arkansas. One that remains is Haggard Ford Swinging Bridge near Harrison, which was finished in 1941. It closed in the ‘60s; today, it’s pedestrian-only.
I stopped by today. I’m not sure who owns or maintains it, but it appeared that visitors were welcome.
I stopped by today. I’m not sure who owns or maintains it, but it appeared that visitors were welcome.
Papaw's Kookies & Kream in Strafford wants folks to know it's not closing even though the adjacent coffee shop is shutting its doors. The mom-and-pop ice cream shop, run by Denis and Clydie George, is located along Route 66 and serves ice cream, milkshakes & more.
www.ozarksalive.com/stories/papa...
www.ozarksalive.com/stories/papa...
Papaw’s Kookies & Kream a sweet Route 66 stop in Strafford — Ozarks Alive
Denis George and his wife, Clydie, own Papaw’s Kookies & Kream, a shop along Route 66 in Strafford.
www.ozarksalive.com
January 23, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Papaw's Kookies & Kream in Strafford wants folks to know it's not closing even though the adjacent coffee shop is shutting its doors. The mom-and-pop ice cream shop, run by Denis and Clydie George, is located along Route 66 and serves ice cream, milkshakes & more.
www.ozarksalive.com/stories/papa...
www.ozarksalive.com/stories/papa...
It's interesting to me when parts of culture evolve to mean new things to society. Just one example are Ozarks mills, which have gone from centers to cultural icons. I explore this in January's Ozarks Notebook column, which was first published in the Daily Yonder.
www.ozarksalive.com/stories/ozar...
www.ozarksalive.com/stories/ozar...
Ozarks Notebook: The evolving relevance of Missouri mills in today’s world — Ozarks Alive
Rural Ozarks mills once transformed corn and wheat into meal. Long shuttered for their traditional purposes, these landmarks instead create something else: a sense of nostalgia.
www.ozarksalive.com
January 22, 2025 at 3:54 PM
It's interesting to me when parts of culture evolve to mean new things to society. Just one example are Ozarks mills, which have gone from centers to cultural icons. I explore this in January's Ozarks Notebook column, which was first published in the Daily Yonder.
www.ozarksalive.com/stories/ozar...
www.ozarksalive.com/stories/ozar...