Nature Appreciation

[John Roberts]

I thought a thread for us all to voice our appreciation for the natural world....anything from feeder birds to the wind on your face or the natural grandeurs of the world.

All photos welcome

I have had many encounters with Florida wildlife and what comes to mind are alligators...when I was little the alligators had been hunted to endangered levels...then they were put on the endangered species act......now they are everywhere....
The biggest I encountered was a 13 foot alligator while I was in a small kayak...fortunately no one had been feeding him and he just slipped under water(an anxious moment"#*@*!Where is he!") and disappeared. Dogs are a favorite food source and it is not uncommon to have a dog disappear if one has a home on the water. So all you visiting Florida with your family dog keep this in mind and you will be spared an unpleasant surprise.

 

[EarthWind]

I like sitting under a tree, listening to the sounds of the outdoors.... the wind blowing though the trees, the birds singing.. a running river...



Just being outside gives me energy... I love breathing in fresh air too.

 

[John Roberts]

I like sitting under a tree, listening to the sounds of the outdoors.... the wind blowing though the trees, the birds singing.. a running river...



Just being outside gives me energy... I love breathing in fresh air too.

EarthWind I will be right over!

 

[naughtygirl]

(another great thread....)

Being in West Texas, in an environment that is as flat as can be, it has been quite an adjustment for me. I grew up in upstate NY, surrounded by mountains.

But two things I truly appreciate here are the beautiful sunsets...and the canyons. There is this one community that sits in a canyon with a small lake in the center of it, and it has got to be one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

I'll be back with more examples Im sure...

 

[EarthWind]

EarthWind I will be right over!

I've got a huge pine tree in the yard, and when I sit facing East, I can see miles ahead of me.. pink clouds, rolling hills and even a few cows!

 

[indulgent]

I live in a rather rural part of southeastern Arizona. When I first moved to the place I live at now, one of the first things I noticed was a large owl that liked to spend his (maybe her, I don't know) evenings perched on a telephone pole at the far corner of the fenced portion of my back yard. I know it must have been a funny site, though there was no one there to see it, the first night I was looking at the little Pekingese dog of mine, then at the owl, then back at the dog...I was wondering if he was too big for the owl, or perhaps just the right size...lol. Anyway, the dog has survived quite nicely, but said owl did make off with a half grown cat at one point...still, I like having him (her?) there. Just as I like the coyotes, the sunsets, the roadrunners, the horned lizards, and even the tarantulas!

 

[cookiejar]

Hey nastygirl....I live in western NY now but grew up in the Adirondacks. The mountains and the lakes there are incredible...I camped and fished with my Dad and brothers as a child. I visit there as often as possible....


cookie

 

[Mysticcal]

I just returned from a trip to the Bahamas, and besides the beautiful weather, sunsets and lovely beaches....the best part of my trip was snorkeling.

We sailed for an hour out to the reef.....I got my equipment on, slipped into the water, waiting for someone to join me.....appeared nothing much was around from the surface. But the next moment, when my head slipped beneath the water....it took my breath away. There were the most incredibly beautiful fish all around, coral everywhere, the water a beautfiul blue. I spent the next hour in a world all of my own, the beauty taking my breath away.

It was a wonderful experience, a part of nature I had never seen before. And one I can't wait to experience again.

 

[naughtygirl]

Hey nastygirl....I live in western NY now but grew up in the Adirondacks. The mountains and the lakes there are incredible...I camped and fished with my Dad and brothers as a child. I visit there as often as possible....


cookie

yes, they are! Its beautiful there...I miss it so much. I wasnt much of a camper (just was never taken)...but as a kid I loved running through the forest behind my house, up into the mountains....Damn, I loved that...

*sigh*

Can someone please find me a forest here in West Texas!?????

 

[naughtygirl]

Tonight, I am in awe of the sky here. Clouds were rolling across the sky, creating a cornflower blue color....it was beautiful.

AND WHAT A MOON!

 

[CelticDreamer]

Tonight, I am in awe of the sky here. Clouds were rolling across the sky, creating a cornflower blue color....it was beautiful.

AND WHAT A MOON!

Since you are speaking of the moon, I will add something.

There is nothing like being outdoors when the moon is full, the wind is whipping, and the temperature is mild. To stand before mother moon, in the wind, with little on is possibly one of the most beautiful moments. The light (at least for me) is overpowering. I have always had exceptional nightvision, to the extent that when the moon is full, my sight is nearly that of full daytime, except that colors are different. It has faded in the last few years and I regret this terribly. Mostly for the sights I will never see again, but also for the fun of seeing others fumble about while I had no problems at all. (I am beginning, at last, to empathize with them). But mostly I will miss the vibrancy of the moon-lit lanscape, sharp-edged shadows, and the colors that no daytime ever gave.

Celtic

 

[John Roberts]

Since you are speaking of the moon, I will add something.

There is nothing like being outdoors when the moon is full, the wind is whipping, and the temperature is mild. To stand before mother moon, in the wind, with little on is possibly one of the most beautiful moments. The light (at least for me) is overpowering. I have always had exceptional nightvision, to the extent that when the moon is full, my sight is nearly that of full daytime, except that colors are different. It has faded in the last few years and I regret this terribly. Mostly for the sights I will never see again, but also for the fun of seeing others fumble about while I had no problems at all. (I am beginning, at last, to empathize with them). But mostly I will miss the vibrancy of the moon-lit lanscape, sharp-edged shadows, and the colors that no daytime ever gave.

Celtic

The moon is very bright here in Florida tonight. Such a
beautiful light.

 

[1sexylady]

I love the sounds of the Ocean...the waves hitting the beach and the birds flying over. People laughing and children playing. I love to lay on the beach and listen to all of it. I even look at the planes carring the signs and laugh when I see something familiar. The warm sand as I wiggle back and forth to get comfortable. Conversations of others and believe me they are sometimes funny. Watching the boats and sometimes seeing a dolphin or two.

But ........ Then I love the mountains.. I love the openness the feeling of freedom. I love to explore and try to find waterfalls. I love to sit under a shaded tree and just smell the fresh air and listen. I love to ride and just look at the land... I often wonder how the people feel about where they live. How different their lives would be if they lived in the city.

Give me either the Ocean or the Mountains......

 

[John Roberts]

I have to say I have enjoyed this past month, it has been a chain of sightings of Bald Eagles, Crested Caracaras, Northern Harriers, Red-tailed Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawks, Western Kingbirds and wintering American Goldfinches.

Life is good while watching a parent Bald Eagel intereacting with a newly fledged youngster and Watching Crested Caracara's up close.

 

[Georgia Girl]

Standing on my porch a bit ago I watched a red-tail hawk catch a thermal and just sail. The power and artistry of the wings, the sunlight reflecting off of the feathers and the beauty as it shifts its body mass to maintain its glide amaze me.

I could watch that all day.

 

[MsAngel]

What a wonderful thread...

I have lived in the country all my life. I love the peacefulness of it all. Most of my neighbors are amish so I see lots of horse and buggies.When my flowers are all in bloom, the wind is blowing through my open windows. I turn off the tv and radio and just enjoy the sound of peace. During summer nights and my bedroom window is open I can hear the bullfrogs at a huge pond near my house. I start to wonder is there any other place I would rather be... No not that I can think of.

But then I read this thread and I yearn to see all the beauties you have all described. From the canyons to the moutains to the deep ocean life. Maybe some day I will be able to go and see these wonders, but then if I don't. Well then I will just be happy with me simple pleasures that surround me.

 

[fuzzel]

One of the most spectacular sunrises I ever saw was when driving across the Mojave Desert and watching the black night dissolve into the most intense fuschias and golds splashed as far as the eye could see. It was amazing!

 

[MsAngel]

One of the most spectacular sunrises I ever saw was when driving across the Mojave Desert and watching the black night dissolve into the most intense fuschias and golds splashed as far as the eye could see. It was amazing!

I love sunrises.... that was one of the perks to working nightshifts. I was never a real early riser but when working nights I would drive slow home sometimes to watch the beautiful sun rise over the hills of southern Ohio.

 

[naughtygirl]

The sky is beautiful tonight, clear as can be...and the stars twinkle.

Reminds me of random pieces of glitter left behind, and if you look a certain way at them, they catch your eye and shimmer.

 

[John Roberts]

I was delighted when a sole male American Goldfinch showed up at my feeders....I have been trying to attract them for a few years. Then he showed up with a female....this made me happier. Today I had six American Goldfinches....I am so delighted....I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

 

[John Roberts]

Re: What a wonderful thread...

I have lived in the country all my life. I love the peacefulness of it all. Most of my neighbors are amish so I see lots of horse and buggies.When my flowers are all in bloom, the wind is blowing through my open windows. I turn off the tv and radio and just enjoy the sound of peace. During summer nights and my bedroom window is open I can hear the bullfrogs at a huge pond near my house. I start to wonder is there any other place I would rather be... No not that I can think of.

But then I read this thread and I yearn to see all the beauties you have all described. From the canyons to the moutains to the deep ocean life. Maybe some day I will be able to go and see these wonders, but then if I don't. Well then I will just be happy with me simple pleasures that surround me.

MsAngel, that sounds like a wonderful place, there is only one place I know of in the County where I live where you can hear real quiet without noise pollution......I love going there on occaision and listen to the wind.

 

[JennyOmanHill]

The sky is beautiful tonight, clear as can be...and the stars twinkle.

Reminds me of random pieces of glitter left behind, and if you look a certain way at them, they catch your eye and shimmer.

Having lived all my life in New York City, moving to Omaha last October has provided me with such wonderful visions! I cannot get enough of all that SKY!! I mean, it's EVERYWHERE!

I'm in awe each evening when I can walk outside and see the stars twinkling and the moon shining brightly!

(Arizona nights are great as well! The land is much flatter, and the stars look as though they will hit you in the head!).

 

[naughtygirl]

It smells like snow outside tonight.

The air is crisp, clean and cold; yet there is this type of warmth that surrounds me as I stand outside.

Know that I mean?

 

[John Roberts]

I have been seeing Florida Scrub Jays lately....beautiful birds...

 

[John Roberts]

Now one thing I have not talked about and is obvious......a womans body and shape.......There is nothing more appealing to the eye and touch, and such diversity of form all wonderful!