For the third year in a row, inquiring minds want to know: Who decorates this wild white pine growing among all the cedar trees along Missouri Route 100 for Christmas? The tree is located along the stretch of highway between Pond Road and Lynda Jayne Lane, on the south side of the road. This year's new touch is a candy cane. Over the hill from where it's growing is the subdivision located near Wildwood Middle School. Perhaps it's a homeowner there? For a look at what the tree looked like in 2010, click here. To see what the tree looked like in 2011, click to Merry Christmas, Wildwoodian Style…

The same wild tree in Wildwood pictured in this feature was decorated last year, so it's been with anxious eyes that I've monitoring a certain stretch of Missouri Route 100 since Thanksgiving. And indeed, this nice white pine was adorned this year as well. For a look at what the tree looked like in 2010, click here. Last year, it wasn't revealed who decorates it, but Patch reader and Wildwood resident Mary Anthonis indicated "whoever does this, has done it for a few years, ever since it was a tiny tree." Anthonis said she looks forward to this special tree being decorated every year. "I hope …

Suddenly, one day this week — when we actually had sun — something glitzening caught my eye when driving through the first set of tall, rock bluffs on Fox Creek Road heading toward Eureka's Allenton intersection on the most-western part of town. Surprisingly, it was a lone, wild cedar tree all decked out in Christmas style with patriotic ornaments and tinsel. It is not part of the Santa's Magical Kingdom decorations, however. In fact, it isn't even growing next to the set of bluffs closest to the kingdom property. How can one pass a decorated tree growing in the wild without smiling? Does …

What score and outcome are you predicting for tonight's battle? What has been your favorite play of this year's World Series games so far?

This year, it seemed dragonfly swarms came on the heels of the cicadas leaving. At least they did in Wildwood...and in a much more quiet manner. Dragonflies, lovingly called pond dragons, are fabulous fliers that gladly perform acrobatic stunts for all interested humans. According to Missouri Department of Conservation experts as written for Missouri Conservationist magazine by author Linden Trial, dragonflies live as aquatic insects before maturing into flying insects. Weather changes influence how long dragonflies live, as cited in the article. Most of Missouri's species of dragonflies …

This burst from Monday evening at Eureka's fireworks display in Legion Park looks like a huge neon tree in the sky or a really big Slinky!

It's all about connecting. Connecting to community needs. Connecting with news that affects us all. Connecting to each other in this split-second paced world in which one often is lucky to get to pause long enough to feel the warmth of sunshine, see the clarity of an incredibly blue sky hue, hear what others really say and realize the calming effect of deep breaths. It's nice to have a spot where vital and intriguing bits of our local neighborhoods are gathered and shared, isn't it? Since Eureka-Wildwood Patch launched Nov. 3, 2010, many results have been realized: Readers consistently say …

Sometimes, the best action around our community happens in a split second, stand-alone story.  With my camera often attached to my body wherever I go, I can't resist savoring those moments, and then capturing them to share with others. Nov. 25, 2010:  Our Thanksgiving pumpkins got a slushy shower of "wintry mix." Nov. 12, 2010:  Sharing a breakfast in the sunlight with your favorite dog in your lap -- it doesn't get much better than that! Nov. 11, 2010:  On Veterans' Day 2010, this week if you are still searching for a place to go to remember a special military person in your life, you may …