Category: Natural History
-
South Africa – Days 5-6
You cannot leave Africa, Africa said. It is always with you, there inside your head. ~Bridget Dore Well, I’m finally getting back to continue the story of our November trip to South Africa. In the first blog post, I covered our first few days after arriving in Johannesburg and traveling to Kruger National Park. This… Read more…
Written by
-
Bucket List
Don’t just chase your dreams, catch them. ~Annette White I’ve been so busy that I am still playing catch up with blog about our past trips. This one has been on my bucket list for several years – a March trip to Nebraska to witness the spectacular spring migration of Sandhill Cranes. We occasionally see… Read more…
Written by
-
More Than Just Cicadas
Wherever we go on land, these small creatures are within a few inches of our feet—often disregarded. We would do very well to remember them. ~Sir David Attenborough The sound of periodical cicadas continues to dominate the air here in our woods, but I see more and more of their lifeless bodies scattered about as… Read more…
Written by
-
Cicada Post Addendum
I’m like a fungus; you can’t get rid of me. ~Adam Baldwin Yesterday’s blog on Brood XIX was a brief summary of what I have been doing the past several evenings as I marvel at this occurrence. There are two things I had hoped to find in this year’s emergence after reading more about these… Read more…
Written by
-
That Sound
Nothing in the cry of cicadas suggests that they are about to die. ~Matsuo Basho I imagine you are deluged with social media posts and news reports about the spectacle that those of us in this area are living with right now – the emergence of Brood XIX of periodical cicadas. I hesitated adding one… Read more…
Written by
-
Seldom Seen
Coyotes have the gift of seldom being seen; they keep to the edge of vision and beyond… ~N. Scott Momaday As you may have noticed in recent months, I have not written as many blogs as in the past. I will try to do better since there is a lot to share. I’m going to… Read more…
Written by
-
Celebration of Life
The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain. ~Dolly Parton Melissa and I traveled to Damascus, VA, yesterday for a funeral service for one of my aunts. It was a lovely tribute to a wonderful woman. Even though it is about a 4-hour drive, we decided… Read more…
Written by
-
While She Was Away…
Take time to do what makes your soul happy. ~Unknown author I suppose I really don’t have to worry about this particular quote. I think I do a pretty good job of taking the time to do the things I enjoy. With Melissa leading a museum winter workshop in Yellowstone, I decided to get out… Read more…
Written by
-
South Africa – Days 1-4
Custos Naturae – Guardian of Nature ~The slogan formerly found on the logo of Kruger National Park, South Africa Last summer, a friend and former coworker, Andrew Torlage, asked me out for a beer to discuss an idea. Andrew was born in South Africa and moved to North Carolina less than a decade ago. He… Read more…
Written by
-
Gold in the Yard
The responsibilities of life seem to rest lightly on the Goldfinch’s sunny shoulders. ~Roger Tory Peterson It’s been a very good year for the American Goldfinches in our yard. I haven’t put out thistle seeds this year but the goldfinches seem quite content with the sunflower seeds in the other feeders and, more recently, with… Read more…
Written by
Roads End Naturalist 