Nature Appreciation

[John Roberts]

The Giant Swallowtails are becoming more and more numerous with the warm weather and all the growing and blooming citrus, one of their favorite foods for larva......Wonderful to see those huge butterflies in the yard.

 

[Cathleen]

We have had the most beautiful sunset the last few evenings.... was driving my neice and nephew today and as we came over a hill the sky was full of shades of pink and purple and in unison we all gasped and said "look at that" ..... it was so nice for me to hear these two young people appreciate the beauty of it.....

 

[shyly curious]

i am blessed, i live in the woods, seasons bring different birds and animals to the wildlife sanctuary i am creating here. might be an eagle, might be the hummingbird, or an owl catching dinner 20' from the house. i have one pond, tonite i got the permit to build a second pond for the animals. and then the orchard will be planted. i greatly enjoy the fun of just sitting by the pond, watching the dragon flies and bats perform their aerobatics. had a dragon fly land on my hand and finish eating their dinner. and i was on my tractor with diesel running when this happened, felt like i was being welcomed to the neighborhood, course i had lived here 7 years when this happened. fickle fly.

 

[shyly curious]

oops

sorry, double posted

 

[John Roberts]

i am blessed, i live in the woods, seasons bring different birds and animals to the wildlife sanctuary i am creating here. might be an eagle, might be the hummingbird, or an owl catching dinner 20' from the house. i have one pond, tonite i got the permit to build a second pond for the animals. and then the orchard will be planted. i greatly enjoy the fun of just sitting by the pond, watching the dragon flies and bats perform their aerobatics. had a dragon fly land on my hand and finish eating their dinner. and i was on my tractor with diesel running when this happened, felt like i was being welcomed to the neighborhood, course i had lived here 7 years when this happened. fickle fly.

Hello shyly curious, that is one of the things I desire to do, acquire a few acres and turn it into a bird haven.....Many birds flock to these islands as all the woods are disappearing around here. I shall have a small field edged with thick undergrowth to attract Painted and Indigo Buntings. Plant trees to attract migrating warblers and the food plants the birds use, wild grapes and beauty berries for the thrushes....I cannot wait to get started, I have to acquire some property first..

JR

 

[shyly curious]

Hello shyly curious, that is one of the things I desire to do, acquire a few acres and turn it into a bird haven.....Many birds flock to these islands as all the woods are disappearing around here. I shall have a small field edged with thick undergrowth to attract Painted and Indigo Buntings. Plant trees to attract migrating warblers and the food plants the birds use, wild grapes and beauty berries for the thrushes....I cannot wait to get started, I have to acquire some property first..

JR

i also have deer, moose, turtles, frogs, wild turkeys, fox, rabbitt,

there is a book on creating a wildlife sanctuary, even a nationally recognised program for those who do. of all that live and visit here, the moose is sweet and innocent, the turkeys are so curious, the frogs so melifluous, the owl so quiet. i love them all

 

[John Roberts]

i also have deer, moose, turtles, frogs, wild turkeys, fox, rabbitt,

there is a book on creating a wildlife sanctuary, even a nationally recognised program for those who do. of all that live and visit here, the moose is sweet and innocent, the turkeys are so curious, the frogs so melifluous, the owl so quiet. i love them all

Sigh! It sounds wonderful.

 

[shyly curious]

as i said, i am blessed, and very lucky, i have some land, 6 acres, i have woods surrounding my woods, i have tools, i have books, i have a tractor, and i have a job which allows me to buy diesel fuel and chainsaw fuel to fell trees and move dirt and rocks. i also have a runoff swale which carries runoff from a spring, which feeds the pond(s). and my house, which is quite small, is tucked right into the northwetern most corner of the land, so i can see all my land out the east and south windows. and as i live in the country, off a back road, and have a 400' driveway, it is very quiet naturally. i am so blessed in so many ways.

 

[MissIntrigue]

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[MissIntrigue]

Hello JR....

 

[MissIntrigue]

~

 

[shyly curious]

yee haw, i got a permit to build the next pond from the town officials last nite, and no regulatory oversight people involved either. so it's just me and the wildlife, working together, building a place for them, though i think they want to hold the coffee cup and clipboard and supervise while i do the grunt work, ... lol lol lol tis a great deal for both of us. the ice is slowly melting from the current pond, time to order trees for the island and banking, if the weather holds, tomorrow the new pond project starts, trees to clear, stumps to pull, dirt to move, pile, and pack. ahhh the life in the woods, so danged great, and maybe i'll find a pic of the progress and try to figure out how to post it here. i really need computer lessons!!!!!

be well all, shy

 

[Cathleen]

Hey thats great Shy.... your place sounds like heaven on earth....how lucky the animals have a wonderful place....

Miss Intrigue..... beautiful pictures.... thanks for sharing them....

Hi everyone....... had such interesting weather today, sun, warm, then front blew in big time, cold, almost an amber color then snow!!! I love New England!!!!

Take good care all

Cate

 

[John Roberts]

Hello JR....

Nice Lillies MissIntrigue.

Nice place too.
Thank you for sharing.

 

[John Roberts]

Laying in bed this morning was wonderful as I listened to all the birds in their morning furor. Having learned many of their calls I could put a name to everyone of them, making them alive and personal not just some background noise.
A nice way to wake up.

 

[Cathleen]

Laying in bed this morning was wonderful as I listened to all the birds in their morning furor. Having learned many of their calls I could put a name to everyone of them, making them alive and personal not just some background noise.
A nice way to wake up.

sounds so peaceful John.... our birds are just returning.... as it is the Ides of March!!!

g'morning to you!

 

[John Roberts]

sounds so peaceful John.... our birds are just returning.... as it is the Ides of March!!!

g'morning to you!

Good Morning Cate<rubbing my eyes>

 

[John Roberts]

A quick post and to bed.....
Today started out nice....watching manatees lolling about in the water,
Saw a bird on the lagoon.....Yes! a long-tailed duck....a lifer!......after the rain I went fishing looking to catch dinner.......another bird....a common loon, not as nice as you northerners get to see them......no breeding plummage here but still nice as I have been looking for one on this part of the lagoon.....and then.......Red-breasted Mergansers.......Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphins....
And mullet jumping........do you know about mullet?.....not the hair cuts!
These fish jump for the heck of it.........some say they are trying to reach heaven.......some say it is to rid themselves of parasites...and some say for joy of life. No one really knows. They used to be thick in the lagoon, we used to take our motor boat out and some would jump in the boat.....you had to be alert for they launch themselves with some velocity and I tell you a mullet to the head stings!
The mullet got depleted for the japanese love the roe which fetches premium prices.......
With more protection in recent years mullet are starting to come back......Look out for the flying Walindo Mullet brothers
1

 

[Cathleen]

I do love those manatees.... they have a seeminly playful nature and childlike quality.... but you have them John, I have SNOW!!! Winter is still here.... it is lovely to look at...but its cold and windy.... the snow drifts are beautiful... almost reminds me of carvings... I have many pine tress around my home.... the way the snow sits on the brances is pretty... a very tranquil feeling I have.... of course that is until I go out into the snow and the crazy drivers!!!

 

[John Roberts]

I do love those manatees.... they have a seeminly playful nature and childlike quality.... but you have them John, I have SNOW!!! Winter is still here.... it is lovely to look at...but its cold and windy.... the snow drifts are beautiful... almost reminds me of carvings... I have many pine tress around my home.... the way the snow sits on the brances is pretty... a very tranquil feeling I have.... of course that is until I go out into the snow and the crazy drivers!!!

I love the way sound is when there is snow about

 

[Cathleen]

I love the way sound is when there is snow about

oh me too!!! going to muse here a bit.... just feeling reminiscent here...why does that happend at these early hours!!

Growing up my family had a ski home in New Hampshire's White Mountains.... it was and still is my place of peace.... I am fortunate to be able to still travel there.... both physcially as well as in my thoughts and soul..... I remember the sounds so clearly.... the muffled world after a big snow.... a hush almost.... the voice would sound just a bit quieter then.... the body a bit more slow and peaceful.... even a car passing seemed to know that this was to be a time of silence..... I loved that the snow would absorb the cacophony of human life .....and when it was very cold and dry the sound of the crunch under foot.... yikes.. to me that sound was liken to the scratch of fingernails on a blackboard.... I still react the same today....

visually, all was clear, clean and bright.... even a night without a moon, there was brightness! I just loved that... still do too.... Ah, but on those nights of a full moon and freshly fallen snow.... there is nothing better.... and if it has that special warmth, it just draws you out into the night to be in the world... to join in the celebration of nature, the gift of all elements.....

thinking back, I can see how nature has always been a part of my life.... I was not as aware of it then as now, but such is the life of a child.... I am glad at least that I can remember those treats and feel the wonder of it now....

that place in New Hampshire has special meaning to me and alway will, for other personal reasons, but having been given the wonderful gift, to be able to celebrate all seasons, I rejoice in it now!!!

now this does not mean I am not wanting Spring time to arrive!!! can't wait for that!!!!

thanks for the time and place to remember!!!

 

[John Roberts]

oh me too!!! going to muse here a bit.... just feeling reminiscent here...why does that happend at these early hours!!

Growing up my family had a ski home in New Hampshire's White Mountains.... it was and still is my place of peace.... I am fortunate to be able to still travel there.... both physcially as well as in my thoughts and soul..... I remember the sounds so clearly.... the muffled world after a big snow.... a hush almost.... the voice would sound just a bit quieter then.... the body a bit more slow and peaceful.... even a car passing seemed to know that this was to be a time of silence..... I loved that the snow would absorb the cacophony of human life .....and when it was very cold and dry the sound of the crunch under foot.... yikes.. to me that sound was liken to the scratch of fingernails on a blackboard.... I still react the same today....

visually, all was clear, clean and bright.... even a night without a moon, there was brightness! I just loved that... still do too.... Ah, but on those nights of a full moon and freshly fallen snow.... there is nothing better.... and if it has that special warmth, it just draws you out into the night to be in the world... to join in the celebration of nature, the gift of all elements.....

thinking back, I can see how nature has always been a part of my life.... I was not as aware of it then as now, but such is the life of a child.... I am glad at least that I can remember those treats and feel the wonder of it now....

that place in New Hampshire has special meaning to me and alway will, for other personal reasons, but having been given the wonderful gift, to be able to celebrate all seasons, I rejoice in it now!!!

now this does not mean I am not wanting Spring time to arrive!!! can't wait for that!!!!

thanks for the time and place to remember!!!

Sounds beautiful Cate thank you for your lovely words. The Indian River Lagoon is to me what the White Mountians are to you, all associations of a happy time.
My first real snow fall was while visiting a friend in Ct. I went for a walk in the woods.......no one had told me of snow blindness on that sunny day....had I been out a little bit longer I really did not realize until I came back inside and then I could hardly see anything for a while...Yikes!

 

[Cathleen]

Sounds beautiful Cate thank you for your lovely words. The Indian River Lagoon is to me what the White Mountians are to you, all associations of a happy time.
My first real snow fall was while visiting a friend in Ct. I went for a walk in the woods.......no one had told me of snow blindness on that sunny day....had I been out a little bit longer I really did not realize until I came back inside and then I could hardly see anything for a while...Yikes!

oh yes, John, there is this occurance called "snow blindness" it happens on very sunny days....... lol

good morning to you!

 

[Cathleen]

I just had a partridge sitting on my porch rail..... cute little thing!! stayed quite awhile... hadn't seen one in a very long time!!
yeehaaa Spring!!!

 

[John Roberts]

Even a caual glance reveals the Atlantic bottle-nosed Dolphins playing in the Indian River lagoon.......I was busy doing something today and I see a dorsal fin cutting the water without trying to see........this invoked a memory....

Some years ago when sailing past the Sebastian Inlet in Florida I witnessed thousands of dolphins in one area all interacting and playing........what a sight it was! I wonder how often such things occur. I cannot beileve such a memory would be buried.