-
Saguaro Tree
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed by email! Thanks for visiting! I really think this tree is trying hard to be a saguaro cactus. Sometimes snag trees will have character, but this tree was very much alive and a character of its own. No evidence of a break in the crease so I’m not sure how this tree ended up like this! Want to see it? Hike the Old Loggers Path.
-
Forest Magic
Right now the forest here in PA seems magical. It is in the autumn transition of losing leaves and going dormant. Recent rains have everything glistening and dewy. Perhaps I could venture to say soggy! I know my boots are soggy each day I get done. So many different colors and every day it seems less and less leaves are on the trees. The wind sends so many tumbling down to the ground. Beautiful sphagnum moss A ridge top pond we found. These are more common than I expected. I learned that a lot of these trees on top of the ridges are cherries. They were quizzical little meadows that…
-
Animal Encounters
Last Friday was a good animal encounter day. My coworker Ann and I had just set off down a dirt road towards the area we were supposed to cover for the day when around the bend of the road I spotted something brown. It took about half a second for me to recognize that it was a bear. I said “Bear” to Ann who quickly looked up and we stopped. The bear looked at us for a few seconds, hesitating, and then turned to take off from us. Having seen 20 bears on the A.T. I was not afraid, definitely cautious and was planning on the whole waving hands and…
-
Funky Forest Fungi
It’s been so moist up here that there is a plethora of strange fungi growing. Some are brightly colored, others are just plain large. They definitely add some texture to the forest environment. The top one reminds me of a coral!
-
The Red Eft
My first encounter with these little newts were on the Appalachian Trail. In the spring they were littering the trail and we’d have to be careful not to step on them. Sometimes you can walk absently and not notice that you were inching too close to the little creatures. These newts are in their juvenile terrestrial stage and that can last about two years. Once they reach the adult stage they will move to ponds and wet areas and live their life out there. I have only seen a few out here in PA but they are nice reminders of the AT and the fun wonders of the eastern woods!…
-
The Northern Forest
Since I’m spending a few weeks in northern Pennsylvania for work I will be posting a lot of photos from my work in the woods. We didn’t get to do a lot yesterday because of planning and the rain but here’s a snapshot: Apples! Growing up in the south I did not get to enjoy apples off of trees so when we found apple trees near a hunt camp we got really excited! I know, I know, I’m sure they are commonplace to those up north, but it is still exciting! Then someone pointed out the red ones and we got even more excited! It’s kind of like finding citrus…
-
Seedlings|Cotyledon
Cotyledon noun Botany . 1. the primary or rudimentary leaf of the embryo of seed plants. It’s always amazing that these first leaves keep on dividing and turn into plants that give us wonderful food. Some of these seedlings are radishes, lettuce, kale, and beets. Getting down on the ground to inspect the tiny starts is the best way to check them out. Of course making a macro photo of it helps, too. I’ll keep you posted on their progression.
-
More Harvest
Cucumbers are coming in by the handful every other day or so. I’m in love with them. They have probably upped themselves in ranking as favorite thing to grow to #2 on my list. Tomatoes are still first. The golden zucchini are showing some weird genetic patterns. We’ve got a bunch of green aphids on our cukes and I think assassin bugs. Hoping we can just ignore them and they won’t make too big of a mess of things. A photo from 2008 in Florida—our tomatoes. Miss them! I’m going to miss checking the garden out while I’m away but I’ll have Chris upload photos for me to share.
-
A Quiet Corner
‘Kohleria Bristols Possibly Bronze’ ‘Alsobia dianthiflora’ ‘Rob’s Boolaroo’ ‘Chirita Silver Surfer’ We had this bookcase from my mom which her dad had built. It’d been sitting in the garage holding other things and mom said we could take it for extra shelving. It now holds what books we have and Chris’ little collection of violets and violet allies. It’s cozy little corner and we always leave the blinds open to let some dim light in. Below, Samson will lay in his cat bed in the dim light of the window on the other wall.
-
Blur—
I need some slow motion…. +A weekend off. I feel like I’ve been going a million miles an hour for the last few weeks. Been very busy at work and then we had another project sprung on us at the last minute, or so it seemed, and now I am going to Pennsylvania for a month. I was thinking two weeks sounded nice but a month is pushing my limits. I’m becoming a homebody again. Apparently there’s this thing called snow that we’re racing against. +I’m starting to like not checking FB often and only being on about once a week. The only downside is that it seems the only…