July 2005   Near Dixon, Missouri
                             

A tank of gas away.  Most guests at Rock Eddy Bluff, of course, hail from a fairly short drive away -- St. Louis, Kansas City and several larger Missouri towns. Some more from adjoining states,  (Guests have come from nearly every state and many foreign countries) Many are urban dwellers, who we say, are a couple of generations away from the country.  Grandpa's farm has long since been sold, and with it their ties to the land have been severed.  For many of those, we now serve as their place in the country.  And, since we are Grandpa and Grandma, we love the role of welcoming folks back to the land, back to the gentle hills.

Who was Aunt Phoebe?  Several guests at Aunt Phoebe's Perch have attempted to answer that question..  Because Phoebe is  totally fictitious, reporting about her  in the cabin notebook involves only an imagination.  So far, Aunt Phoebe is an Irish immigrant, the oldest of several children who lost her mother and had to raise her brothers and sisters during civil war times, and other personalities There is even a short poem about her in the notebook.  You are welcome to read about the many faces of Aunt Phoebe in that notebook.  Better yet, leave us your vision of Aunt Phoebe after you have stayed in her hand-hewn log cabin. 

Two Cabins "Off the Grid".  Line Camp Cabin & Aunt Phoebe's Perch are both as near to the 1800's live style as we can comfortably make them.  Neither have electricity.  Both are nestled in the trees away from any neighbors.  For the guests who visit both cabins, the environment is exactly what they want:  seclusion, calm, quiet, and a sense of living in another age.  No there are no wood fired cooking stoves -- we drew the line there.  Both have old fashioned kitchen ranges that use propane.  Both use ice to cool food.  Water is delivered to the sink at Phoebes; in Line Camp you'll need to pump your own outside the cabin.  

A river runs under us.  We still get folks asking if we are on a body of water.  So, here are some facts about the Gasconade River that runs beneath Rock Eddy Bluff.  Named by early French trappers, the Gasconade is the longest river wholly within Missouri, running from near Springfield to it's mouth on the Missouri River near Herman.  That distance is roughly 120 miles as the crow flies, but nearly 300 miles because of the sinewy twists the stream takes as it winds its way through the Ozark hills.  In fact, the Gasconade has be called one of the most crooked rivers in the world.  It is also an excellent example of a losing stream (it loses much of its flow to underground caves and networks in this karst topography).  Fishermen say it is an excellent small mouth bass stream.

Outfitting with Old-time Accessories has been a labor of love, as we enjoy browsing antique stores anyway.  When we can't purchase something we need as an antique,  we use a rather interesting catalog that specializes in items for non-electric living.  Lehman's Hardware store in an Amish town in Ohio has grown into a thriving catalog business.  They also have a complete website where you can purchase items in the "Non-Electric" catalog.   www.lehmans.com   We think you will be amazed to find many old time items are still  made brand new.

Coming soon, Geocaching at Rock Eddy Bluff.  Don't know what that is?  Ask us when you come.  Bring hiking shoes and your handheld GPS.  Or we'll loan you ours.

Berry Picking. As I write this, we are just back from a morning in Monroe Miller's blueberry patch.  He is a nearby Amish friend who makes a small income from the berries.  I thought you might enjoy seeing Kathy in the berry patch with a pail of  berries, that those of you who visit the Treehouse B&B Suite will probably enjoy at breakfast in the form of blueberry pancakes, syrup, muffins and such.  Ain't she cute?

Our private river access  is near a large, flat rock in the river know as Thox Rock.  (It, and a few other large rocks in the river, spawned the name "Rock Eddy".)  Canoes are available for guests whenever they get the urge to explore, fish, swim, or just splash in the water.  While there is plenty of room to roam in the eddy, we do not pick up canoes down river.  For float trips we recommend a couple of outfitters upstream near Dixon.  We prefer upstream floating because there are fewer motorized craft to deal with.  Here are two that are convenient: Country View Acres,  573-759-7376; and Boiling Spring Campground, 573-759-7294.  They provide floats on both the Gasconade and the Big Piney Rivers.

Indian Cave show and tell.  The objects shown at right were found on the floor the hidden Indian shelter located in the bluff nearly beneath the Bluff House.  Can you identify them?   The two items at the bottom are clay pottery shards found among the muscle shells and animal bones on the floor.  The two objects at the top are unidentified and intrigue us.   They were found far back at the end of the cave under a ledge of rock.  They have obviously been carved with something sharp.  Any ideas?   Oh yes, it you would like to see the cave/shelter let us know.  We'll point you and see if you can find it.

Rock Eddy Bluff Tip:  We advise not using those computer programs map your route to Rock Eddy Bluff.  We find they routinely lead folks astray.  Then, they call us, exasperated.  Solution:  follow the instructions on the brochure or on the website www.rockeddy.com  We are easy to find when you read our directions.

All our best from the hills,     Kathy and Tom Corey  1-800-335-5921

"What an unforgettable week we have had here. We did everything and nothing. The views spectacular and the weather perfect. Thank you for everything."  The Lewis family 

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