Mike Caro selling Ozarks lake retreat (All photos)

— An unexpected guest —

Just because I was in training as a hermit in the Ozarks didn’t mean I never had guests. A few years ago, there was a knock at my door and I found this.

Cows had escaped from a pasture nearby. Life in Los Angeles was never like that.

— And she brought friends —

— A knight in the woods —

— High lake reaches driveway bridge in 2008 —

Table Rock Lake levels fluctuate less than others nearby. Expect 913 to 917 feet above sea level most of the time. But this can vary from rare low levels of 900 to a historic 936 in 2011.

This photo is from April, 2008 when another unusual rainy season brought the lake above the 930 mark and water reached the bridge along the driveway. The house is safely uphill from here and well above any possible high-water levels.

Normally, this is a part-time creek that flows to the lake beneath the bridge. But the water became the lake itself that day, and I was able to navigate this small boat to the driveway.

— Shoreline at unusually high lake level in 2004 —

It’s April 2004 and the lake level is about 923 feet above sea level. That’s eight feet higher than “pool level.” And 915 (pool level) is about average for Table Rock Lake.

Notice that at this level, a strip of trees along the shore below the main house is underwater. You can also see branches and leaves that have been deposited from streams feeding the lake during rainstorms. It can take several days, in rare cases like this, for the water to clear.

— Shoreline at unusually low lake level in 2003 —

At the other extreme, this photo from late September, 2003 shows the lake level at 908.9. It can get even lower. Usually, if that happens, it’s in the winter. When the water is very low, the cove below the cabin drains and you can walk the rocky bed that’s exposed.

A few times, I’ve had to walk the corps line beyond the extreme north border of the property to access the main lake, because there was no water below the house. I’m not trying to scare you, since you’ll have normal water levels every year, but some years the lake levels will be unusually high in spring and summer or low in the off season — and the situation can last for months. My experience is that the lake is usually at comfortable levels, with rare instances of high water more frequent than low water.

— My dog Hope leads me along a path —

— A horse in the Ozarks —

One day, the contractor who built my new office suite rode up on a horse. And I knew this wasn’t Los Angeles anymore.

Before letting me take the saddle, he seemed concerned that I would fall off. I didn’t tell him that I’d ridden horses since I was a kid. I just let him worry about the city slicker. And I took the opportunity to rehearse lines from an upcoming seminar.

— An outdoor Christmas tree? —

I often thought of decorating this enormous cedar tree in December. It’s near the driveway approaching the house and would have made a spectacular first impression. But I never got around to doing it. And, since I had halfway become a hermit, few visitors came, anyway.

— My dog Hope surveys creek up close in winter —

— Water under the bridge —

Large twin culverts guide water beneath the driveway’s bridge. There’s also a culvert beneath another bridge I built upstream as a walking and golf cart crossing. The water sometimes flows over the driveway when there’s especially heavy rain.

Usually, you can cross, but three times in my eleven years, I’ve chosen not to risk it. I waited for the water to go down. Fortunately, by acquiring the adjoining 10 acres, I now have another way out in an emergency — other than by lake.

— Below the bridge, the water flows toward Table Rock Lake —

— This cliff overlooks a flat clearing and the creek —

This is below the driveway bridge, with the lake beginning several hundred yards off camera to the left. The creek is behind the camera. You might barely be able to see a yellow chair between the trees (slightly above center and a bit left) where I occasionally enjoyed watching wildlife and relaxing. Deer come here sometimes.

— Secluded overlook of valley and creek (looking down) —

This is below the driveway bridge, with the lake beginning several hundred yards off camera to the left. The creek is behind the camera. You might barely be able to see a yellow chair between the trees (slightly above center and a bit left) where I occasionally enjoyed watching wildlife and relaxing. Deer come here sometimes.

— Property’s driveway begins to left —

Turn left here and it’s 0.4 miles to the house and cabin. Go straight on Washington Road and it dead-ends at the lake in about a quarter mile. The property borders the road all the way on the left side. There is only one other house beyond here (on the right side of the road). When you reach this turnoff, you’ve already been driving along the property for about a tenth of a mile.

Zoning laws are just beginning to take hold here in Stone County. When you turn off the main highway, it’s over a mile to here. And you’ll pass several mobile homes at first. All the structures toward the lake are traditional, though. And the proposed adjoining subdivision has no lots smaller than 10 acres, forbids mobile homes, and requires larger construction. The property can optionally be extended with 10 acres in the subdivision, affording even more privacy.

— Part of master bedroom —

At left, you see only one wing of a large three-pane bay window complex. The window at right overlooks the fenced yard or garden area. The doorknob is for the entrance to a medium-sized walk-in closet.

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