The Old Mill in Ozark, Missouri

I've driven past the old mill in Ozark for over 20 years, thinking I'd get down there sometime with a sketch pad and some pen, pencils or watercolors. I've even sat in front on a low-water day, bobbing around in my kayak, just watching the way light plays off the old metal exterior. Saturday, I finally made something of it. I drove the 20 minutes from Springfield, pulled into the parking lot at the adjacent park, walked through a flood spillway and scrambled down to what was left of the riverbank after the recent rains we've had.

The water was up still and pouring nicely over the millpond dam. The one place I had footing that wasn't too soft to linger, was perfect for what I wanted to do, sketch it in pastel pencil on colored paper.

The top pic is to show where I was standing, the bottom is more color-correct.