Author: Mike Dunn
-
May Days
I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day. When it’s cold outside, I’ve got the month of May. ~Smokey Robinson May is chasing April as my favorite month of the year…and it’s a close race. Though we have been really busy here, things are happening that keep bringing my attention back to the marvels of the… Read more…
Written by
-
Flashes of Red
I want to create red in a world that often appears black and white. ~Terry Tempest Williams Another gray day here in the woods, but the plants I put in the ground yesterday are appreciating it. Looking out the window, I can see spots of color in the yard – the blooms of Coreopsis, some… Read more…
Written by
-
Cashie Calling
My favourite places on earth are the wild waterways where the forest opens its arms and a silver curve of river folds the traveller into its embrace. ~ Rory MacLean This is the second post on our recent canoe/camping trip in eastern North Carolina (see previous post here). We departed the Cypress Cathedral camping platform… Read more…
Written by
-
Swamping Again
The way of a canoe is the way of the wilderness, and of a freedom almost forgotten. ~Sigurd F. Olson The Swamp Queen (aka Melissa) did it again…planned a canoe/camping adventure to our favorite swamp destination, the Roanoke River. So, last week, we headed east to spend a planned 6 days paddling over 50 miles… Read more…
Written by
-
Yard Distraction
You can always find a distraction if you are looking for one. ~Tom Kite The beautiful weather this week finds me outside starting some yard work – weed pulling, mulching, contemplating building some benches for the fire circle, etc. As is often the case, yesterday something caught my eye and pulled me away from my… Read more…
Written by
-
Jones Lake and Paddling the Black River
The way of a canoe is the way of the wilderness, and of a freedom almost forgotten. ~Sigurd F. Olson Two weeks ago, we had a chance to paddle the Black River with our friend, Jerry, and a great group of other folks he had gathered for a planning trip for one of his upcoming… Read more…
Written by
-
Squirrely Behavior
…for all the motions of a squirrel, even in the most solitary recesses of the forest, imply spectators… ~Henry David Thoreau Yesterday I posted about deer communication through scent at a community scrape. Are the other animals in our woods communicating to one another with scent? Do they have their own “social media sites”? I… Read more…
Written by
-
Woodland Social Media
Every act of communication is a miracle of translation. ~Ken Liu I recognize a buck scrape in our woods when I see one. It is a bare patch of earth with lots of hoof scrapes and deer tracks under an overhanging low limb (usually an evergreen). One or more twigs are often broken from the… Read more…
Written by
-
More Bang for the Buck(s)
The life of the wood, meadow, and lake go on without us. Flowers bloom, set seed and die back; squirrels hide nuts in the fall and scold all year long; bobcats track the snowy lake in winter; deer browse the willow shoots in spring. Humans are but intruders who have presumed the right to be… Read more…
Written by
-
Deer Play
White-tailed deer were observed throughout 1,711 hours on the Welder Wildlife Refuge, Texas. Only 11 events considered to be forms of play were witnessed, seven by fawns and four by adults. It is concluded that white-tailed deer are not typically playful animals. ~Edwin D. Michael, 1968 publication I did some research online after looking at… Read more…
Written by
Roads End Naturalist 