I’m doing first revisions on a draft of a winter story, and our recent snow is very much a mood connection. I spent five hours outdoors helping with our local Winter Bird Count, starting at 20 degrees and ending at 32. My chilly breaths of outside air remind me how winter feels, letting me deepen […]
Our recent snow in the Mid-Atlantic region fell wet and heavy on the branches, especially for those shrubs and trees that hold their leaves through the winter. White pine branches snapped, the southern magnolia boughs touched the ground and my favorite witch hazel bent from seven feet high to two feet. (This photo is earlier, […]
It’s International Mountain Day! Okay, this was announced in my planner, but I connected to it and this scene came to mind immediately: We’ve hiked to Lake Isabelle in the Indian Peaks Wilderness our last two visits to Colorado. I’m sorry I don’t know the exact mountain names here on the Continental Divide. They certainly […]
A little something to remind us where we live.
It’s been a while since I’ve written a post that wasn’t completely book-related. Too long, I think, but then I don’t get many responses to my nature postings. However, we visited an exceptional natural area in Colorado and I’m inspired to write about it. The Caribou Ranch has been a well-known Colorado destination for decades, […]
I’ve been slow in posting the remainder of my trip! Bear with me as I slip in the additional highlights before the end of the year. Read Part 3 here, or start at Part 1! While staying at the Tinamú Birding Reserve, we made several day trips. The first, on January 6th, was to Rio […]
One type of tree is still in its autumn glory in the neighborhood–Japanese Maple. As a naturalist, I strongly believe in planting native trees to host native wildlife, but these leaves are a delight on our chilly days.
Much like my heroine Fern in The Witch of the Meadows, I’ve been involved in a meadow restoration on open space land adjacent to our property in the mountains of Colorado. This year, maybe with a bit more magic, those efforts will be as successful as Fern’s. Back in April, I worked with local restoration […]
Over on my nature blog, I’ve celebrated National Invasive Species Awareness Week and featured 5 invasive species we’re battling in my mid-Atlantic area. If you’re adding to the garden this spring, check out what to avoid to help wildlife & nature. Here’s the first post on periwinkle on The Squirrel Nutwork!
Note: I am thankful and honored to be able to use the photos of a photographer on our trip, Aubrey Nolan. I have watermarked his photos to give him credit. Click on individual photos to enlarge and read captions. After leaving Otún Quimbaya (see Part 2), we traveled through the Caldas Department and outside of […]