Not far from our home is a small 35 hectare woodlot of white pine, sugar maple, beech and red oak trees. The canopy towers high above the forest floor and busy roads and an industrial park line its perimeter. It is easy to walk through the trails in half an hour which makes it perfect [...]
Archive for the ‘nature’ Category
Parable of the Forest
Posted in health and wellness, nature, spirituality, trails, workplace on January 24, 2010 | 11 Comments »
Friday Flowers: Preparing for Next Season
Posted in friday flowers, nature on September 18, 2009 | 12 Comments »
The last of our summer flowers are in bloom, Chrysanthemum, Fall Crocus, Asters, Rose of Sharon, Goldenrod, Autumn Joy Sedum… Walking through the city and along nature trails, the evidence of flowers which bloomed weeks or months ago remains. While the flowers were pretty, the seeds produced after the flower died are far more important [...]
New Feathers for the Blue Jays
Posted in birds, nature on September 15, 2009 | 10 Comments »
Click photo to enlarge Last week I posted a picture of a pathetically bald Blue Jay who was visiting our deck to get peanuts. Here are some photos taken this weekend of two different Blue Jays. The bird in the top left and bottom right squares has a bit more of a crest and its [...]
Cheeky Chipmunk
Posted in nature on August 17, 2009 | 14 Comments »
This is my deck… It was early June this year when I finally convinced a chipmunk in our yard to take peanuts from my hand. We have had three chipmunk regulars, each distinguishable by looks and mannerisms. Chippy Half-a-Tail approaches from the front yard, and Timid Chippy peeks out between the slats of the fence [...]
Time, Temperature and Turtles
Posted in Manitoulin Island, nature, vacations on July 15, 2009 | 13 Comments »
Blanding’s Turtle Summers used to be long and leisurely but it seems they rush by faster every year. July is almost half over, today being Sandland Brother’s birthday. We had a relaxing time earlier this month on Manitoulin Island with no internet, television, newspapers or radio. Our cabin has always had a clock radio in [...]
Grey Days
Posted in birds, nature on June 9, 2009 | 18 Comments »
This spring has been chilly and wet with many grey days. The sunny days have also been cool and April seemed warmer than June has been so far. Yesterday we took a group of patients outdoors to do some container gardening. Most of them wore jackets and sweaters and they got the plants out just [...]
Wordless Wednesday: Sharing the Feeder
Posted in nature, this and that on May 27, 2009 | 17 Comments »
Peace Like a River
Posted in nature, spirituality on May 25, 2009 | 17 Comments »
I spent a couple of hours on a beautiful Sunday afternoon meandering downstream on foot along the Grand River. Many communities in our region are built along this river. Native people fished and hunted along its banks for many generations before settlers arrived from Europe. Dense bush was cleared and swamps were drained but the [...]
Tree Swallows
Posted in birds, nature, seasons of life on April 19, 2009 | 18 Comments »
I have never considered my blog to be a “birding blog” per se, and I try to write about various subjects and experiences. It seems lately that birds are the topic of all my posts. What can I say? It is April and next month is May. One of my birder friends thought the yearly [...]
Camouflaged
Posted in nature on April 15, 2009 | 14 Comments »
White-throated Sparrow, first winter plumage The snow has melted again, the ground is not yet green and the brown earth appears barren and bleak in this early spring season. Dead grass, twigs and leaves that have dried out in the spring wind crunch under foot. Where are the bright birds on conspicuous branches and perches? [...]
