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The large Snapping Turtle below surprised us as we photographed other turtles at the pond.
Last Autumn's Acorn crop was one of the biuggest ever in this part of the country.
*********************************************************************************************************** “Let’s go this way,” Marilyn said while we were on a hike this past Summer. It was a well worn path, I usually like the more obscure trails, but I agreed that we should see where the path would lead us. We walked several hundred yards past stands of Maple, Oak, White Pine, and Hickory trees. Pawpaw trees were also present, but they were bearing no fruit.
In unison, we both shouted out “Look!.” As we rounded a sharp bend in the path we saw a river. It appeared to be shallow at the point where we first saw it. “This is the Little Miami River,” I said to Marilyn. We both knew that the Little Miami flowed through this area, we just weren’t sure exactly where. We hiked upstream a half mile or so. Along the way we saw many interesting sights. Near an area of tall reeds we saw dozens of small frogs, no more than an inch and a half long. As we approached them they jumped into the thickest reeds, although I expected them to jump into the river. I guess they felt safer in the thickets. About fifty feet farther upstream we saw a sight that I recognized. In the muddy sand on the banks of the river was a telltale scrape mark. A scrape about eight inches wide and several feet long. Behind the scrape was a line in the sand about a half inch wide, and along the scrape were many claw prints. “It looks like something was here,” Marilyn said. “That’s where a turtle climbed out of the water,” I told her. “Probably a Snapper, by the looks of the scrape, you can see where his long tail dragged through the sand behind him." We examined the turtle scrape and then turned back. The terrain ahead was too steep and rocky
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We live in Ohio, the nickname of which is The Buckeye State. In late August, 2010, Marilyn and I set out on a hike through the woods. We have seen plenty of Buckeye fruit this year but they were not ripe, today the ones we found were ripe. The fruits are a yellowish-brown color with dozens of small spines on them. Inside the fruits of the Buckeye tree are from one to three nuts, or Buckeyes. Some people say that carrying a Buckeye with you will bring you good luck. I don’t know if that’s true but we each put one of the Buckeyes we found in our pockets. I’m not superstitious but I figure it couldn’t hurt. A little while later we encountered something that we have only seen four or five times in those woods, and we have been visiting there for nearly twelve years. What we saw was a five-lined skink, a lizard with a neon blue tail. We only observed it for a few seconds before it scurried away. Maybe the Buckeyes are good luck. I hope that you enjoy the photos. ************************************************************************************************************************************************** The Perfect Hole for Planting.
I have read many articles on how to prepare a hole to put your plants in. Some say to remove existing soil and replace it with amended soil, some say use the existing soil, some say use containers and don’t plant in the ground at all. I have studied these methods and many more, for many years. I have put fertilizer in the hole before I planted, I have put compost, egg shells, banana peels, manure, you name it and I’ve tried it. After all these years I finally hit upon the perfect thing to put into the hole. It’s something I heard a wise person say a long time ago. First you dig an appropriate sized hole and then you place in the hole the following: (1) All of your worries. (2) All of your cares. (3) All of your troubles (4) Everything else you want to, or need to, unload. (5) Then you put in one tomato plant, or a pepper plant, or a rose, or anything else you want to grow. The first four items on the list will disappear, the fifth item will bring you a sense of accomplishment, joy, wonder, and may even taste good. Try it. ANYTHING CAN BE A PLANTER, DON'T SHOE KNOW!
BABY TOAD SITTING ON MY FINGER
"Poetry is the art of creating imaginary gardens with real toads." - Marianne Moore
"The lilly was created on the third day, early in the morning, when the Almighty was especially full of good ideas." - Michael Jefferson-Brown.
Below are some things I saw on my early Spring walk through the wood
Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao Tzu |
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This hawk was in our dead Pine tree in the back yard. We watched him for a few minutes before he suddenly flew to the ground, grabbed a small mouse or vole or something, we couldn't tell for sure, flew to the tree and ate his lunch. We are glad when a hawk grabs a rodent from the yard, but we do not like it when they dine on one of the songbirds that frequent our birdfeeders.
“Only when the last tree has died and the last river Cree Indian, 1909
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We enjoy seeing this waterfall whenever we visit the Cincinnati Nature Center. This dog made me look silly. CLICK One crazy ol' rooster. Click I finally saw a bear. Click
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The Butterfly The Butterfly emerges from within the caterpillars wrinkled skin. She spreads her wings into the wind and now she's more than she had been. Into the sky, like a shooting star. Could we all be more than what we are? - - R. Look deep into nature, |