Category: Uncategorized
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Yard Missiles
Stare hard at the hummingbird, in the summer rain,shaking the water-sparks from its wings… ~ Mary Oliver With a thunderstorm kicking up outside and rain (much needed rain) starting to fall, I sit inside watching the yard missiles go at each other at the four feeders we have scattered around the house. It still baffles… Read more…
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Of Moose and Men (and Women)
Every creature is better alive than dead, men and moose and pine trees, and he who understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy it. ~Henry David Thoreau This is a post about the final leg of our journey last fall on our truck camping adventure. From the deserts of Utah, we herded… Read more…
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Dry, Dusty, Beautiful
There is no shortage of water in the desert but exactly the right amount , a perfect ratio of water to rock, water to sand, insuring that wide free open, generous spacing among plants and animals, homes and towns and cities, which makes the arid West so different from any other part of the nation.… Read more…
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Spring Birds
The presence of a single bird can change everything for one who appreciates them. ~Julie Zickefoose An annual highlight for us living in these woods is the arrival of the spring migrants. They all bring a touch of excitement and joy when you see or hear the first of their kind arriving at the breeding… Read more…
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Swarms
What is not good for the swarm is not good for the bees. ~Marcus Aurelius Earlier this week I was walking down in our woods mid-day, switching out the memory cards in our trail cameras, when I came across a termite emergence near the opossum hole. What I noticed first was a group of large… Read more…
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Almost Normal?
…It is always my place to come back and feel normal again. ~Alana Blanchard That quote referred to a special place for its writer, one of the Hawaiian islands. For me, one of the special places I seek is Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Eastern North Carolina. I had not been in many months,… Read more…
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Opossum Hole Happenings
The opossum hasn’t changed since the days when European explorers captured it and proudly sent it to their kings. We’ve just lost a bit of our wonder. ~T. Edward Nickens NOTE: I think this has now been corrected to show thumbnails (I hope) I admit to always having had a soft spot for these unusual… Read more…
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Blending In
I’ve always preferred moths to butterflies. They aren’t flashy or cocky; they mind their own business and just try to blend in with their surroundings and live their lives. ~Kayla Krantz Went for a walk in the woods yesterday and as I approached one of our woodland benches, my eye caught something on the large… Read more…
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Woods Wandering
Forests are places where we can get back in touch with our inner selves, where we can walk on soft ground, breathe in natural cents, taste berries, listen to the leaves crackling – all the senses are awakened in the subdued light… ~Pierre Lieutaghi I decided to wander away from the house one morning and… Read more…
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Naming Nature Part 2
Here is the answer to yesterday’s quiz along with things to note as you make your observations. The snake is a Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata). It is a small snake with adults ranging up to about 12 inches in length. They are fairly common, but somewhat secretive, in wooded areas and edges of old fields.… Read more…
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Roads End Naturalist 