A “shut-ins” is a section of river that is hemmed in by high rock bluffs with no floodplain in which to meander. Shut-ins are subject to flash flooding, but they form top-notch swimming holes for relief from the heat for the Ozark region’s rural residents. In spring when the waters rise and become a raging torrent, some become popular places for kayakers to test their skills. \n\nMy grandmother used to tell a story about when she was a young teen down in the hills and would from time to time babysit one lady’s children until late in the evening. The lady lived quite a ways away, so it was a long and lonely walk home in the evening. One time she heard soft steps behind her, but upon turning, she saw nothing. She kept walking, and a little while after she did, the footsteps would start again. They didn’t seem to get closer, but neither did they get more distant. When she sped up, so did whatever it was, and when she slowed, it slowed as well. Soon she was too spooked to look back and just tried to concentrate on getting to her gate without breaking into a run. \n\nAt last she made it to the gate, and carefully opened it. She slipped through, shutting it without looking back. Then she made it the short distance to the porch, scrambled through the door, and turned around quickly trying to catch a glimpse of whatever or whoever it was that had walked the distance with her. She looked past the gate and could just make out what was out there in the dim light. There it was, looking through the gate toward the house - a cougar! It remained there for a while peering at the house and then slowly got up and faded into the woods.\n \nIn my time the cat of many names, the painter, puma, cougar, or panther, as they are more often called in the Ozarks, were more legend than fact, having been extirpated from Missouri (as black bears almost were.) But today an occasional panther is sighted, or even found on the side of the road. Perhaps these sightings are young males from nearby states looking for love or trying to seek new territory. I do not think there is a breeding population to speak of north of the Arkansas line. \n