A glorious life

Birding with Ralph Bell

2009-05-26T05:50:00.018-04:00

Every May birders from the Ralph Bell and Three Rivers Birding Clubs descend on Ralph Bell's Farm in Greene County, PA for a day of birding, learning and friendship. We walk the country road in search of numerous species. This year the count was 72 of 74 (I forget), but most of the birds were identified by song.

Honestly, we are really there to share time with Ralph. Everyone adores him! He is 94, has lived on the farm his entire life, and he loves and knows birds. He keeps Purple Martin houses, Blue Bird boxes and has given his barn to the Barn Swallows. There are birds everywhere!

Here Ralph is teaching new birders about the evils of Garlic Mustard. Notice the women taking a whiff of this invasive plant.

On our walk we crossed several creeks and streams

,

easily found numerous wildflowers, like this Star of Bethlehem,

and we even caught a glimpse of the elusive "Rail Bird."

After much birding and strained necks

even by a four-years old

we broke bread and shared Cheetos before banding baby Bluebirds.

Remember

2009-05-24T20:11:00.008-04:00

Wordless Wednesday - One More Muddelty Memory

2009-05-20T06:25:00.002-04:00

Moments at New River

2009-05-17T10:33:00.003-04:00

Amazing. It has already been two weeks, two very busy weeks, since the New River Gorge Birding and Nature Festival. Ask any high school teacher what the job is like in May. Circle the wagons, my friends, there is A LOT to do! Add trips to the dentist to repair the tooth I broke in WV to getting the estimate and having my car repaired from the collision with a deer, also in WV, to numerous late nights watching some very intense hockey games and you have a woman with no time to blog. But, one who is a very happy Penguins fan! Whew! What a ride!

It is time to slow down and return to the mist in the mountains of West Virginia.

Meeting all of my blogging friends and new friends was the best part of the week. I'll know better next time to take more photos, but I did manage a few shots. I wish I had photos of everyone. Also, finally, sometime this week, I'll be adding links to to other blogs! Yea! A friend is going to help me understand all that html stuff - to me a language for another universe.

The unofficial Welcome Wagon at New River was the always smiling, ever joyous KatDoc.

Leslie, shown below, and Guy are great new friends even if they were cheering for the Washington Capitols.

Then, of course, there was guide extraordinaire, Julie Zickefoose.

She found us birds, and newts, and a Phoebe nest with eggs and, with hubby Bill Thompson and the other members of The Swinging Orangutangs, rocked the house!

I could not have hoped for a better birding festival. All of our guides were super and the people were awesome! Sign me up for next year!

Almost Heaven - The New River Gorge Birding Festival

2009-05-06T19:37:00.005-04:00

The West Virginia rain and fog at the New River Festival, especially at a place called Muddelty, seeped through my skin and infused every cell of my being. Oh, yes. This is a special place. It was a treasure to experience this forest.

I attended the festival for only the last two days. They were two very wet days. Even though most of the birds looked a bit gray in the mist, they were amazing and I was blessed with many life birds. I will always remember a few moments with a Black and White Warbler, Northern Parula, Yellow Chat, Cerulean Warbler and Savannah Sparrow.

The forest oozed magic. I could almost feel the trees breathing. We saw Red-Spotted Newt, the nest of an Eastern Towhee with four eggs, a West Virginia White Butterfly and we heard the glorious bird songs echo through the woods.

We also saw something that still makes my heart ache. On one tree was nailed a sign. This beautiful forest is posted and scheduled to be destroyed, mined by mountain top removal. The earth weeps. Is anyone listening?

Sitting on the Back Porch

2009-04-26T13:46:00.004-04:00

My favorite place in the world, my back porch, is officially open for the season.

It is in the afternoon shade. The breeze is usually perfect. There are 18 feeders and two birdbaths within view. At this momment Handsome, my favorite Red-bellied Woodpecker, is on the walnut tree. And, since I've gone wireless, I can sit here and and blog. It is a good day!

I wish I could show you a photo, but I still can't download anything. My computer guy, Kaelon, can't visit until Tuesday evening so I won't be posting any new photos for awhile. Bummer. It is spring and there are things to share. The Dutchman's Breeches, Trillium and Wood Poppies are blooming. The Serviceberry Trees are at their peak!

Reading so many blogs about the New River Birding and Nature Festival has me VERY excited about meeting everyone. I'm looking forward to meeting fellow bloggers even more than seeing the birds. I'm sure we will enjoy a tremedous, birding adventure!

Celebrate Earth Day!

2009-04-22T06:00:00.001-04:00

Earth Week Televison

2009-04-20T20:04:00.004-04:00

Have you noticed a lot of television programs scheduled to celebrate Earth Week? It is exciting to see the environmental focus. I'm not sure when Earth Day became Earth Week, but I'm not complaining.

I do plan to watch Frontline on PBS tomorrow night. The show is Poisioned Waters and explores the human impact on our water supply, especially from industry, urban sprawl and agriculture. It sounds enlightening.

I want to take a moment to share that I won't be sharing any photos for awhile. A mischievous spirit has taken control of my computer - again. I can access old photo files, but when I try to download new photos it says, "program not found." #*^&!!!

I've had enough! I'm going to buy a new computer, the Photoshop software, and pay someone to get my files off the old computer and on to the new! Wish me luck.

2009-04-19T17:22:00.004-04:00

This morning I went for a walk before anyone else in the neighborhood was awake. The still softness held the fragrance of yesterday's mowed lawns. Bird song was the only sound. The freshness of the day was as a dreamer imagines an ideal April morning. It was perfect.

I was still in my backyard when I heard a Northern Flicker somewhere in my neighbor’s trees. By the time I reached the hillside hayfield behind our property, I found him pounding away in a maple tree. Immediately, I heard my favorite bird, Handsome, a Red-bellied Woodpecker, pounding on a tree stump at the back of our yard. It was exciting to see both birds at the same time.

As I switched my binoculars from one bird to the other, Handsome flew off the stump and headed straight for the flicker. He landed on a branch about eight feet away from the larger bird. OH! What is going on here?!

The flicker continued his work while the red-bellied started talking, screaming, complaining as much as possible. Handsome did not appreciate being ignored. He flew 15 feet to my neighbor's roof, strutted to the metal rain gutter and began to pound. The echo vibrated through the entire valley! Gosh! It was loud! I worried my neighbor was going to step out to see what was going on only to find me spying on his house through binoculars!

Handsome achieved his objective, but his plan backfired. The flicker was more than mad! He was an angry, ticked-off woodpecker! He flew to the roof, chased my Handsome away, and began to pound the gutter even more loudly! I was grateful the pounding went on for only a few moments. Satisfied that the annoying red-bellied disappeared, the flicker returned to his tree. I returned to my hike and contemplated the territorial dance between two species of woodpeckers.

April Birds and Snowflakes

2009-04-08T10:05:00.008-04:00

Look who visited the feeders! This male Orchard Oriole is a new bird for Allhaven! He blessed us with a short visit Sunday, March 29. I took this horrible photo through a window to save a memory of the special occasion. In the original photo the tiny speck of a bird was barely visible, so I practiced cropping to make the bird as large as possible. It visited twice that afternoon, a few minutes at a time, before moving on.

To see a better photo of an Orchard Oriole visit the Cornel Lab of Ornithology website. http://www.birds.cornell.edu/

I was excited and lucky to see this bird. I wasn't even supposed to be home. I canceled plans to attend a Global Warming Conference so that I could enjoy a restful Sunday. I am grateful for my decision!

Do you find yourself torn between travel and staying home? I find this a challenging dilemma. I love to travel, attend workshops and meetings, see and learn new things while meeting new friends, but I hate to miss the visiting birds, to see who is blooming in the garden and to witness the trees change colors throughout the seasons.

I will be giving up a spring weekend at Allhaven soon to attend the West Virginia New River Birding and Nature Festival. I'm sure this will be an AMAZING weekend! I will only be there Thursday night through Sunday, but I am thrilled to be able to attend for even part of the week. I decided I could NOT miss this opportunity a few weeks ago. I made reservations, completed the paper work to take a personal day that Friday and even printed my MapQuest directions. New birds and new friends - I HAVE to be there!

But, before the weekend away, there is a lot to be done. I am using every minute of the less than perfect weather to use spring break vacation to spring clean my house. There is A LOT of spring cleaning! Most of my time has been spent in the kitchen scrubbing and prepping walls for new blue paint. I will finally open a paint can later today.

Other than being super busy with the cleaning, it has been quiet. Nice. Snow has greeted us each of the last two mornings. It seems wrong to wake to a blanket of snow on flowers and buds during spring break. We are lucky that most of the buds are very tight. I think we will still have Magnolia, Lilac and, most importantly, Serviceberry blooms.

The garden is calling, screaming for attention. I must finish this painting project before the days turn perfect for working outdoors.

Jane Goodall

2009-03-30T17:45:00.006-04:00

Jane Goodall blessed Pittsburgh with her wisdom last Wednesday, March 25. And I, lucky, lucky me, was thrilled to be given a ticket to the sold out lecture! You can imagine my excitement to receive the additional gift of a ticket to a reception with Dr. Goodall. I was near levitation!

I could feel the electricity when I walked into the Mozart Room at Pittsburgh's Heinz Hall for the reception. Then, there she was! At the opposite end of the long, narrow room sat Jane Goodall at a tall table. She was surrounded by bright, umbrella lamps for a photo shoot. With perfect posture and a calm smile she greeted each admirer, signed a book, shared a few comments and posed for a photo. Then I had a revelation - everyone was able to have a photo taken with Dr. Goodall courtesy of Robert Morris University. The evening kept getting better and better!

I stood in line and inched my way across the room toward the patient gentlewoman. I passed on the drinks and hors d’oeuvers offered by waiters in cummerbunds. The only things I could think about were the articles I read and the stories of Jane Goodall and the chimpanzees of Gombe. Soon, this amazing woman, friend of David Greybeard, was in front of me. I had goose bumps. I was next!

I was in the presence of a spiritual powerhouse. She was very proper - very English - but this wisp of a woman radiates!

She signed my copy of Reason to Hope, something she has done countless times, but I bet not many fans commented on the use of the word "glorious" within the chapters. It was a short, sweet encounter. Yes! I had my photo taken with Jane Goodall. GRIN!

I will treasure the memory of her inspiring lecture and of meeting this woman who has dedicated her life to conservation and education. Is there any better calling?

Please visit The Jane Goodall Institute to learn more about her work, the chimpanzees, the Roots & Shoots program, and you can leave Jane a birthday greeting. She will be 75 April 3! Happy Birthday Jane!

http://www.janegoodall.org/

Spring Renewal

2009-03-29T08:24:00.012-04:00

It was necessary for me to be disconnected from cyberspace for awhile. I've done no blogging or even reading of blogs - and painful, little photography for a few weeks. There is a long and very boring list of reasons. Don't worry. I will spare you the elaboration.

This morning, it finally feels like spring. At last it is raining. The grass has brightened up and tree buds are beginning to burst. I feel like I'm bursting too. I'm ready to jump into spring! I'm also eager to catch up with my favoirite blogs. I have missed you!

Since I have no current photos to share, let's spend one more day in the sand and sun of The Gulf Coast. Breathe in the ocean air, feel the breeze kiss your cheek, listen to the gulls...

As we leave the beach behind to begin a new season at Allhaven there is a lot to share. First though, let me tease you with tomorrow's topic. I was blessed to meet an amazing woman last week. She is a spiritual being who radiates hope. Tomorrow - Jane Goodall.

Color on the Beach

2009-03-04T18:44:00.006-05:00

Look at this face! A yellow eye with an orange orbital ring and an orange bill - stunning! Oh! I do need to mention the pink legs! The American Oystercatcher, Haematopus palliatus, is easy to spot moseying along the beach.

Ummm... Where's my lunch? There's gotta be a a tasy mussel around just under the surface. Ah... maybe even a juicey, tasty oyster just for me.

Slurp!

Back to Normal = The Good Kind of Busy

2009-03-02T21:34:00.002-05:00

Life is back to normal. To clarify, I am just busy with school and home. I am no longer in fast-forward and supercharged busy. I do not plan a return to the supercharged state for sometime. Exhaustion is not where I like to live.

Saturday was marvelous! I presented two sessions at the Washington County Spring Gardening Seminar. I had a great time!!! There really is something special about getting a group of gardeners together to learn and share. The day could not have gone more smoothly and my sessions got great reviews – that is always a nice bonus. Some of the comments touched my heart and I am so very grateful to have had the experience. I am also grateful that the information I shared about habitat gardening was so well received. It was a very good day. I want to send a HUMONGOUS “Thank You!” to everyone who was there!

Tomorrow, as many on the east cost continue to shovel snow, I’ll share more Florida photos of birds on the beach.

2009-02-22T13:33:00.004-05:00

Burr, it is a cold day. Every twenty minutes or so we have a break of bright sun between snow squalls. Birds are singing. Yes! The red-wing blackbirds have been back for 10 days and the juncos are still here. The days are getting longer which means I see some daylight - the therefore birds - when I get home from work.

I have made amazing progress on my massive to-do-list. It was easy! After my last post I told myself that there was no need to stress and that it would be easy to finish everything. I asked for ease and it was given.

All of the new appliances have been ordered, a new secretary will probably start one day this week, everything is ready for the seminar Wednesday, after a 2 1/2 hour Planning Commissioners’ meeting we will continue a discussion on land use next month, and my gardening presentation is almost ready. It only needs tweaking!

The sun is peaking through the clouds and my appointment book will not explode. I even took a few photos this morning!

What Happened to February?

2009-02-16T19:03:00.005-05:00

Blogging has taken a backseat to living on the run. Not from the law. I’ve not gone over the edge – yet! There are multiple reasons for my absence.

Has there been a time in your life when it was easier to buy new underwear than it was to find a moment to do laundry? That about sums it up.

School is VERY busy, but it is all the other details of the last few weeks that make me feel like an old VCR stuck in fast forward.

Months ago I agreed to be a presenter at the Washington County Spring Gardening Seminar February 28. I’m a Master Gardener and I absolutely LOVE teaching and sharing all things gardening. It is my favorite thing. I’m confident the program will come together and be wonderful, but have I searched and organized slides for my new presentation? Nope. It is still in outline form. Ouch!

What will never come together is my dishwasher. It recently decided that it wanted to rinse dishes for the rest of eternity. It would not stop gurgling and spraying. The ageing Gaggenau was going to run until it killed itself. It has been unplugged and pulled from the kitchen. Bliss loves to explore the depths of the black hole that remains.

Add shopping for a dishwasher to my every growing, extra-long, must get this done right away, to-do-list. And, while running to what seams like most of the appliance stores in a 25 mile radius because, of course, this will be a special order for a tight space, I need to make the effort worthwhile. I’ll just have to pick out a new cook top, range hood and oven. The appliances in my soon to be updated kitchen are 43 years old. Let me repeat. They are FOURTY-THREE years old! The range hood hasn’t worked for a few years. It is time for new. I am going to stimulate the economy. I’m shopping! Then there is the installation….

With all this driving between stores, and school, and doctors appointments, while stopped at red lights, I can read a few paragraphs of our township’s Comprehensive Plan. Normally, serving on the Planning Commission only requires reviewing plans and attending a monthly meeting to hear developer presentations, review more plans and taken action on those ready for a vote. Of course, now, it had to be now, we are rewriting the Comprehensive Plan. Chapters 5-8 for THIS Thursday! Ouch! Yikes!

Oh, I don’t want to forget to mention a project I’ve been pulling together for months. I am organizing a day-long seminar with 12 speakers and breakout sessions for 300 participants. It is NEXT week. Everything is going pretty well, but MY SECRETARY QUIT! Ouch! Yikes! Say a prayer! She did the right thing considering a family concern, but I could sure use some help with registration. I’ll be interviewing for clerical help two days this week, not that I have the time, but maybe, just maybe, the new person will be able to work the day of the program. My fingers – and toes – are crossed. Oh my gosh! Just this instant I realize I forgot to cater lunch for the speakers! Insert scream here.

I miss blogging. I miss taking photos of the birds. I miss sitting in my favorite corner of the sofa reading my favorite blogs. I miss daily visits with writers with whom I feel a connection – even if it is in a cyberspace kind of way.

Know that I’m swimming my way out of this whirlpool. I just have to remember not to struggle to exhaustion. I’ll let the whirlpool toss me around a bit and go with the flow. The results of all this juggling will be glorious: a great conference, a fantastic lecture, a 10 year plan for the township, a new secretary and practically a new kitchen. It is an understatement to say that February has and will continue to be overly busy. Thank you for letting me vent and explore my exploding schedule in this very public way. Ahhh…. Breathe….

Now, where is the phone number for the caterer?

Florida Sun, Sand and Seagulls

2009-02-02T20:26:00.004-05:00

Last Februrary I was in Florida. It was a last minute trip and only for the weekend, but a year later I can easily imagine the warm sun on my skin and the sand between my toes. There is something very special about being with the ocean. Sitting on the beach, feeling the breeze, watching the birds and breathing in the sea air - heaven on earth.

My Florida mission was to fit in as many experiences in to my few precious days as possible. The adventure started before sunrise. I headed for Honeymoon Island State Park and Caladasi Island State Park. I read that Caladasi Island was rated the number 1 beach in America by Dr. Beach and that both beaches were top notch places to look for seashells. I was looking for treasures and I wanted to get there just after daybreak!

While driving to Honeymoon Beach I saw this bird sitting by it's huge nest. I took the photo from my rental car. Can you id this bird? I'm sure it is a common shore bird, but I don't know what it is. If you know, I will appreciate hearing from you.

Also, let me know if I made any mistakes in bird identification anywhere. I might know most of my backyard friends, but shore birds are new to me. Also new was my camera. This was my first outing with my new camera and I had not yet started to blog. If I had known about blogging, I would have known to take a lot of photos - of everything!

I hope you enjoy the photos and a visit to the beach this week!

It makes sense that the first birds I saw as I walked toward the beach were seagulls. This Ringbill reminds me of myself, testing the water one toe at a time! I'm pretty sure this is a young bird living his first winter at the beach.

Okay gull gurus, help me solve this puzzle. Is this a Franklin's Gull or a Laughing Gull, or some other gull, and how the heck can you tell? There is a bit of a red tip on the bill, but don't the bills of both the Franklin and Laughing turn redish-orange?

That's enough for today! It is too stressful trying to figure out who is who and which gull laughs and which one does not! Good night, gulls!

January Past

2009-02-01T09:35:00.010-05:00

The first month of 2009 has passed. One twelfth of this year of our life on earth is over. Was it a month well-lived? Was it a month of accomplishment, personal growth, enlightenment, friendship, love, fun, or whatever you had hoped it to be?

Small steps and huge strides, forward and, sometimes backward, have been taken toward each of our individual dreams. Are we any closer to who we hope to become, to how we want to live in the universe?

I ask this, of course, because I ask myself. I have been, and will continue to be more mindful of daily choices. I am more aware of what I choose to eat, how I move my body, and like most everyone, each dollar that leaves my wallet. I celebrated with friends and the world on such an amazing Inauguration Day we will remember it into our next lives. All were precious moments for which I am grateful.

A glorious, well-lived month is after all measured in gratitude of joyous days, days measured in moments of work well done, love, fun and hope.

Friends, February is a short month. Live well.

A Ray of Warmth

2009-01-29T06:39:00.006-05:00

Yesterday was not a good day to be outdoors with a camera. We had a hard, freezing rain most of the day. When it turned to snow, well it started heavy then turned to a light but blowing snow. The snowing sideways kind of snow.

So in the search for a ray of sun I'm posting an older photo. Doesn't the sun feel good?

Ice Day

2009-01-28T08:34:00.000-05:00

School is closed. Everything is covered in a coat of ice and the freezing rain is still coming down. It is a very, VERY gray day. I've had a lot of trouble taking photos lately because there is no light. I hope that changes later today so I can go for a walk, maybe a slide, and take some icy photos. I'm not often home in the daylight and I'm looking forward to getting out there!

I did take one shot this morning when a raccoon surprised me in the walnut tree. The young thief was raiding the feeders. It was 7:45 and technically the sun was up, but look how dark it was - still is!

I'm hoping for a few rays of sunshine today. I'm gonna go take some vitamin D!

Scenes from the Weekend

2009-01-25T20:35:00.000-05:00

The weather this weekend was bizarre. We went from a very odd 53 degrees to 13. The snow melted. The snow returned.

The birds

and the deer

and the red squirrel

were hungry.

The birds were also grateful for a heated birdbath.

Soup's On And The House Smells GOOD!

2009-01-25T14:56:00.000-05:00

It is a wonderful, slow Sunday at Allhaven. I'm listening to Scott Shallaway on the radio, geese are in the pasture, birds are at the feeders and soup is cooking on the stove. I wish you could enjoy a blissful whiff - oh... the aroma is heavenly. Soup is good food for the soul. I love to make soup in the winter. Pure sustenance.

Making soup is a spiritual experience. The art of soup making provides nourishment for the body and soul. When I gather all the wonderful ingredients to make a steaming pot of vitamins I can't help but feel grateful. I know I am abundently blessed to be able to make this simple pot of vegetarian soup.

I start with many vegetables.

Cutting the onions is easy with what I call my little, magic, chopper.

SMASH! Fast, no-tear onions!

Now I know the next step does not sound very spiritual. I kill the onions. I don't just cook them until translucent - I KILL them. I boil them until the water is gone, add more water and simmer again. Then, to make them a bit sweeter, I add a few teaspoons of sugar. The 16 calories per teaspoon practically disappears in the huge pot of soup.

I love mushrooms so they are next in the pot, with a bit of olive oil. The juices simmer and make the base for the soup.

All the fresh vegetables are added next. The carrots, celery, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and spinach are cut, chopped or diced and tossed in and covered with water.

It is then time to wash and add the beautiful beans.

Add the can of Muir Glen Tomatoes and then the mixture of spices and herbs. The colonel had his "secret blend" and so do I.

It is time to simmer - the longer the better. I think it tastes best the next day. Yes! I'll be taking soup to school for tomorrow's lunch.

Maybe next weekend I'll make potato soup. No! No! I'll make a humongous pot of chili for the big game! Go Pittsburgh Steelers!

Blissie's New Blanket

2009-01-21T05:44:00.000-05:00

Bliss loves her yellow blanket. Strategically placed, the blanket projects my favorite chair, the chair she claimed as her own when just a kitten. The yellow blankie, however, was starting to look too nasty to stay. Since drastic measures had to be taken, Santa brought Bliss a new, thick, super-soft blanket for Christmas.

"My new blankie is so.....o soft. It is warm and cuddly and it is even more snuggly than my yellow blankie. And, I look stunning and gogeous on blue. Don't you agree? Thank you, Santa."

"Now mom, please. Go away. Stop taking my picture so I can sleep."

A New Dawn

2009-01-20T09:15:00.000-05:00

The sun rises on a new world.

Deer Tracks in the Snow

2009-01-18T20:19:00.000-05:00

Whew! It was COLD this weekend! Not as cold as many places in the midwest and northeast, but it was 7 below Saturday night. I did brave the cold to fill the feeders and take a few pictures. The deer had been here during the night and left their own version of crop circles in the snow.

Deer also visited the old apple tree in search of a piece of withered fruit still hanging within reach. This tree seems to be ancient and wise as snow cuddles in the twists and turns of his old branches.

The deer, I know, are hungry. Maybe an old, dried-up apple or the sunflower seeds licked from the feeder will help one live another day.

Happy Belated New Year!

2009-01-07T20:18:00.000-05:00

Don't you just love a fresh start? A new beginning? A chance for a do-over?

I have always loved the start of a new year. It is like writing on the first page of a new journal. It holds promise and hope.

Like everyone else, I have many hopes and goals for 2009. Last year I said I wanted to travel and boy did that come to fruition!

This year my attention will focus on health and wellness. I want to live each day with the intention of good health. I will eat well, move more, and become more flexible and strong. I am excited.

Happy New Year my friends! May your year be blessed and filled with joy!

Favorite Photos Stir Memories of 2008

2008-12-29T22:21:00.001-05:00

I was blessed with many opportunities to travel this year and, of course, with a new camera and a new blog, I took a lot of photos. Oh, it was so much fun! Last night I was reviewing some of my photos and reliving special memories when I decided to post a few of my favorite photos of 2008. Many of the shots have been on this blog, but others never made it.

Do you also have posts in your head which never make it to the page? I've written before about finding a rhythm to blogging, but I still continue to search for my flow. For example, I can't believe I never posted about my trips to Florida and California! It is rare for me to travel so much and these trips were a big deal for me - HUGH, in fact, and yet, no blog entries.

Well, I will still plan to post entries about those warmer climates, probably in January or February when those of us who are snowbound and freezing could use a visit to a sunny beach! For now, I hope you enjoy a few of my favorite, photographic memories of 2008. The photos are from Florida, California, Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands, and my favorite place in the whole world, my backyard in southwestern Pennsylvania.

The year of travel and adventure began, for me, in February when I went to Florida. One of my favorite places is now Ft. Desoto State Park. I felt like I was on a film set. Everything was grey when I arrived very early in the morning. My car was the only one in the parking lot. The beach was covered in a heavy fog. I could hear the surf, but I could not see it. Honestly, I was bit afraid. I was alone and it was eerie. As the fog lifted I could see a few walkers in the distance. I never saw a beach like this and the sand was in ridges.

I may not be able to id them all, but I could sit and watch sea birds for days.

Royal Terns,

a Willet,

and a Ring-billed Gull.

There were more sea birds to visit while on a March trip to California. I especially enjoyed my time with this lovely Black-necked Stilt as it hunted in tide pools at Dana Point.

The cliffs at Laguna Beach provided a beautiful overlook of the Pacific. I can almost feel the sun on my face when I look at this photo.

June brought a trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands that took a year and a half to plan. I loved Ecaudor and I want to return someday. My favorite place in Ecuador was the Pululahua Volcano. It was a mystical place and looking into the crater is something I will never forget.

It is true. The Galapagos Islands are enchanting. I snorkeled for the first time, swam with a giant sea turtle, and added many birds to my life list.

A Blue-footed Booby,

Darwin's Galapagos Warbler,

and Espanola Mockingbirds.

My favorite island was Espanola. We were the last group to leave the island and found ourselves with a hike ahead of us as the sun was setting. The light had a rosey glow. It gave everything a pinkish-orange tint that reminded me of how King Arthur described Camelot.

Sunset was always gorgeous.

The trips were wonderful, but as Dorothy said, "There's no place like home."

I look onto my neighbor's cornfield and pasture from my bedroom window. There is a spring which bubbles up on his property and it trickles down through the pasture into a small creek. I was suprised last winter to see dozens of Canada Geese lined up along the edges of this year-round, flow of water. It must have been a tasty treat!

One of my first blog entries was about Cedar Waxwings. I rejoiced that a pair decided to use the wool I hung out as nesting material.

This is a photo of my favorite bird. I don't mean the Red-bellied Woodpecker is my favorite species. I mean this particular bird has captured my heart. I call him Handsome.

I am grateful for the magic that came into my life in 2008. It was a year filled with new places, new friends, new birds and a whole lot of new knowledge! It was a gift!

A Fun, DONE List

2008-12-23T19:24:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Lynn at Hasty Brook for this idea. Tis the season to have fun... fa, la, la, la, la...

Things I have done are in bold.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang/played a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (Not bolded because it was for mental health!)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person (But, I was too young to remember.)
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David in person
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar (One taste was enough for many lifetimes. Yuk!)
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Made a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit (Sadly, now.)
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Gotten a speeding ticket

Winter Solstice

2008-12-20T19:11:00.000-05:00

Celebrate! Winter Solstice occurred at 7:04 Eastern Time this morning. The longest night of the year is tonight then the sun majestically returns to give us longer days. It is the first day of winter and a day of fresh starts and new beginnings. I love it! Happy Yule!

My Winter Solstice traditions include listening to the Paul Winter Consort on National Public Radio. In celebration of the earth, her creatures and cultures, Paul Winter gives annual Winter Solstice concerts at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. His music not only includes the use of instruments from around the world, but also the songs of animals. He is most known for including whale songs and wolf howls in his music. My favorite part of the concert is when the audience joins in the howling. The concert is always special and beautiful.

Tonight, I will listen to the concert on my local NPR station, WDUQ in Pittsburgh. You can also listen at any time on the NPR website. Enjoy!

Happy Solstice!

Thanksgiving Weekend at the Walnut Tree

2008-11-30T20:47:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving weekend was busy, fun and relaxing. The family gathered here for a fun and filling holiday then the rest of the weekend was quite. It was a gift to NOT set the alarm for 5:15, especially today - it is my birthday! I normally don't go around announcing my birthday, but I have the day off from work and I am thrilled! It is very rare for our school district to not have school the Monday after Thanksgiving. It sure was nice to sleep in one more day! To the powers that be who make that decision, I thank you!

This weekend, before the rain settled in, I did take some photos of the birds who visited our walnut tree. This tree is only about 15 feet from our dining room window so it is a great place to hang feeders. The birds love the buffet. We love the birds who visit the buffet! Here are some of my favorite weekend pics from the walnut tree. Enjoy!

A Winter with John Burroughs

2008-11-28T21:18:00.000-05:00

"I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see."

John Burroughs

It is somewhat comforting to know that in the quieter times at the turn of the last century, John Burroughs also had a long to-do-list. A list of desires that is similar to my own. There seems to be never enough time to read the ever-growing stack of books and list of favorite blogs, to have that party, to hike in Cook's Forest, and even to write on my own blog.

I've read about John Burroughs so much I feel like I've read a lot of his work. I have not. Maybe an essay here or there that was in a collection of other works, but I've not sat down with the intent to read his words. Until now. I've recently been focusing my reading on nature writing, thank you Julie Zickefoose for this wonderful new addiction, and Burroughs name keeps popping up everywhere.

When I read an article about a local estate auction a few weeks ago and saw a listing for The Works of John Burroughs, Appleby Edition, I knew I was going to buy those books. Seventeen volumes with titles that begged me to hold them and gently caress and read each page. Titles like, Winter Sunshine, Locusts and Wild Honey, Birds and Poets,and Leaf and Tendril took my breath. Lovely. They were coming home.

I will winter-in with this set of beautiful blue books. It will be a joyous adventure to develop a relationship with this special nature writer. I will learn more about him, his world and myself.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T09:58:00.000-05:00

Enjoy a Wonderful Feast!

Meet Missy

2008-11-23T12:12:00.000-05:00

Meet Missy, my beautiful Arabian mare. She is a 1980 model and will be 29 this spring. Well cared for horses generally live between 25 and 30 years so Miss. Missy is an old horse.

I bought her in 1981 as a yearling. I was living at the Windstar Foundation in Snowmass, Colorado for the summer and read an ad for Arabian horses. After learning about her bloodlines I had to see her. She is out of a Serafix mare and by a grandson of Bask and her sister had just placed in the National Championship. Those details were important to me then. That was another lifetime and yes, I wanted to see this horse. After a short visit to the Denver farm the deal was struck and she was coming home to Pennsylvania!

Well, I can't believe how many years of my life I spent riding around in circles training and showing horses and teaching equitation. Eventually, my horses got old, Missy is the last survivor, my interests changed and I got tired. Horses are A LOT of work. Missy is now boarded at a lovely farm where she is enjoying retirement. I am also enjoying her retirement. I plan to never again stack bales of hay or haul 100 pound sacks of grain, or clean stalls, or groom, or break ice in the water buckets before going to work in the morning. Missy's life is better and so is mine.

Horse are magical. I am grateful for sharing so much of my life with these majestic creatures and I have many special memories. Thanks, Missy, and all the horses and ponies who have blessed my life.

A Brief Visit

2008-11-19T19:02:00.001-05:00

It has been over a week since I visited my own blog. Pathetic!

Grey clouds and short days arrived and malaise joined the party. I wish it were a party! By the time I get home from work I'm too exhausted to even think about writing. I've been a bit under the weather, under those huge grey clouds. Moments slip by and suddenly a week has passed.

I'm looking forward to blogging and visiting my favorite blogs soon. See you this weekend.

Winter Ready

2008-11-11T18:53:00.000-05:00

The brightness of the male goldfinches vanished weeks ago, but it was just this past weekend that November weather arrived. The first cold always shocks me into reality. It hit me yesterday like a Mack Truck. The high was a mere 35 degrees and it was time to dig gloves out from the back of the drawer. Grey skies arrived and settled in to stay awhile.

I am looking forward to the quite and stillness of winter. There was a time in my life, or maybe it was a past life, when I loved to ski and play in the snow. I won't give up the hope of skiing Aspen Mountain, but not this winter. I will be content and happy to pursue other passions and to go into my own form of hibernation as the snow falls outside. It is time to make divine soups and reflect upon life, to take winter photos, and to get lost in books, many, many books.

I am ready. Let the snow come.

Robert Kennedy may head the EPA

2008-11-05T20:23:00.000-05:00

Did you hear the newest rumor? Robert F. Kennedy may be asked to head the EPA! Imagine! An environmentalist running the EPA and enforcing regulations to actually protect the environment! Imagine.

My prayer is that the EPA and FDA be staffed with individuals who are committed to the intended missions of these organizations. While I'm making requests, Mr. President Elect, might we have a new cabinet position? How does Secretary of the Environment sound?

Celebrate!

2008-11-04T22:52:00.000-05:00

Feel it. The earth has tilted. America has risen to a new beginning. Oh, glorious day!

We have joined together to demand a new world. A world where education is valued, health care is easily available to all, and individual dreams can be realized with work and commitment. Oh, glorious day!

We have hopes for a future where science is encouraged and held with high expectations. A future where wild places and those who live there are protected with reverence. Oh, glorious day!

We now join together to support each other, honor the hard work ahead of us and stand committed to great achievements. We will stop climate change, protect our environment and deliver an era of unity to the world. Oh, glorious day!

The world rejoices in a vision of a new world. Oh, glorious day!

My Name is Bliss

2008-11-02T20:00:00.001-05:00

Hello,

You can not imagine how grateful I am to meet you. My mother rescued me just over two years ago. I was by the side of a busy road, wet from an all-day, spring rain, and I was only a little fuzz ball. I was about five weeks old.

She took me in, dried me off and gave me a bowl of warmed milk. I have been here ever since.

Look at me now! I am the Queen!

I have grown up to be a gorgeous child. My Dr. Ashby says that my genes didn't know if I wanted to be long hair or short hair, so I'm a bit of both. I don't know what genes are or what the heck he was talking about. But, sweetheart, I do know that I am beautiful!

Mommy said she named me Bliss because of the joy I brought to her heart, but she has other names for me too. I answer to Blissie or Miss. Bliss, but I don't care for it very much when see calls me Smart Ass. Even though she says it with love and affection.

I love to spend time looking out windows. I wonder if mom is going to finish raking all those leaves.

My favorite spot to sleep is on my mother's best chair in the living room. She put a fuzzy, yellow blanket on the chair so I can be more comfy. She doesn't care how many of my black hairs stick to the blankie either. She is the best!

I have the best life! I play and sleep every day. My bowls are always full and my mom loves me. I love her too.

An Early Snow

2008-10-29T22:22:00.000-04:00

We had our first snow today. It is exciting to me to see the first snow fly each winter. Unfortunatley, I have no photos to share. I was at school, heard it was snowing and ran down the hall to look out a window. I watched in silence for a moment before returning to my windowless room to get ready for parent conferences. It was still snowing when I left school this afternoon. I was surprised to see a little snow on the ground as I walked out the door. I was stunned to see my snow covered car in the parking lot!

Even though the snow melted quickly, I am NOT ready for this! There was no scrapper in my car and my old winter coat is still missing new buttons. Heck, I still have yard work to finish! I think I just wrote my weekend to-do-list. I will also be posting. I plan to introduce my fur child to the blog. Please stop by to meet Bliss.

Geese Overhead

2008-10-28T06:11:00.000-04:00

Here is one more shot of geese to brighten your day. Enjoy!

Coming in for a Landing

2008-10-27T05:59:00.000-04:00

Geese visited the hayfied behind Allhaven nearly every day since August.

They are gone now. I've not seen them for nearly two weeks. I miss watching them feed on the hill, but mostly I miss hearing the honking as they fly over the house in romantic, V-shaped formations. There is something heartwarming about geese overhead. They are endearing and enduring, like a 1940s black and white movie about everyone pitching in to help the U.S. war effort.

Here they come!

Geese fly with grace,

but landing is another story. Look out!

They remind me of popping corn. The hugh birds appear to bounce randomly in multiple directions.

There. It is time to settle in, relax and visit.

Until it is time to be head a little farther north.

God Speed, my friends.

Falling Leaves

2008-10-22T17:36:00.000-04:00

The autumn leaf colors are past their peak. Sigh. It makes me sad to see this season coming to an end. The nights have been getting cold and the furnace is running again. There are a few garden chores to finish, but it is time to put everything to bed. I'm holding on to each bit of October beauty for as long as possible.

I hope you enjoy a few more photos of October glory taken in the last week.

The leaves crumble and float away.

The Environmental Protection (Really?) Agency

2008-10-21T17:57:00.000-04:00

Okay, enough about buttons, this is serious.

In Saturday's Pittsburgh Post Gazette a tiny side story on page A-5 caught my eye and made me gasp!

"EPA may ease mine rules"

What? No!

The proposal is to make is easier for coal companies to dump mountaintop mining waste near rivers and streams. The reality is these are HUGE dumps! How can anyone say this is a good idea?

GREED and the fear of a new administration which might actually care about environmental issues is behind this. The story states the rule change "has been under consideration for four years." Really? Maybe I'll also buy a bridge to nowhere. I don't think so!!!

I am far from an expert on this issue, but I do know the destruction of streams, rivers and habitat is not a good thing!

In my search for answers, I found a great website on my lunch break today:

http://www.ilovemountains.org/

Visit this site to learn more about mountaintop removal. The site also provides information about the Clean Water Protection Act, H.R. 2169. We need to take action to support this legislation NOW!

Please check it out and contact your representative today. If we all raise our voices we will be heard.

"Button, button, who's got the button?"

2008-10-20T06:05:00.000-04:00

I have visions of sewing, of creating beautiful clothes from gorgeous fabrics. My visions include trips to New York to buy fabric and buttons - dozens and dozens of unique buttons. Buttons are gorgeous and fun! I could design a suit around a button.

I have not, however, designed that suit, or anything else, for over twenty years. It has been that long since I made Arabian horse costumes. There are many other amazing things I want to pursue so I don't carve out the time to sew. What I will find the time for is to change the buttons on an old jacket. New buttons, exquisite and elegant, will spice things up a bit.

It was time for a trip to The Parker Button Company on Pittsburgh's South Side.

Walk into the store and you are greated by a wall of buttons.

All of the buttons are color coordinated and are stacked in lovely boxes.

There are simple buttons

and high-style buttons.

Visit Parker Button Company and you leave feeling very creative!

Road Trip

2008-10-18T21:40:00.001-04:00

When my brother and I were young our family would often take Sunday drives. We road along in the backseat of the old Chrysler, eating cookies with pink icing, as Dad drove with no particular destination in mind. We all looked forward to drives in the country, dreaming about which farm we would buy if we had the money. I was always on the lookout for horses.

Even before the current surge in gas prices, driving for enjoyment had become unheard of for most Americans. Somehow we all became too busy and well, too driven, to take a ride to no place. We shifted to lives that move in fast forward rather than slow motion.

I am happy to drive less, to conserve energy and to do my part to cut down on green house gases. I've been combining trips and putting as few miles on the odometer as possible for too many years to know.

Today, however, was different. I took my mother on an outing, a road trip to enjoy the reds, golds and oranges of autumn. Mingo Creek Park in Washington County was our first destination. We then let the road and our desires tell us which way to turn. We had a great time! And, I took a lot of photos. Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by.

Wordless Wednesday - Our Front Yard

2008-10-15T06:26:00.001-04:00

An October Evening

2008-10-13T21:41:00.000-04:00

Today was one of those days I could hardly wait to leave work. My problem is not that I don't like my job. In fact, I love what I do. My problem is that my room has no windows. I ache to see the outdoors, to view the weather, to catch even a glimpse of the sun. I find it especially hard on perfect October days. Oh, I want, need to be outside!

Well, I was rewarded. I got home and ran outside with my camera. I went for a walk, watered the tree I planted yesterday, and before I new it - dusk surrounded me.

I was between an October moon rise on my left

and an amazing sunset on my right.

Instantly, all was right with the world. Life is good!

Remembering John Denver

2008-10-12T08:44:00.000-04:00

Eleven years ago today, a beautiful, October Sunday, turned tragic when John Denver was killed in a plane crash. The earth lost one of her strongest voices.

We are blessed that John's spirit and inspiration live on in his music. To honor John today, I selected a 1995 video to share from YouTube. The title of the song is "It's About Time." It was written in 1983, but because our world is changing so quickly and because we are nearing the tipping point of an environmental evolution, I feel it especially appropriate. John was a great visionary who was always ahead of his time.

Listen to John today. And, plant a tree. I will do both.

God bless you, John. I miss you.

A walk around

2008-10-10T20:46:00.000-04:00

My soul lives in southwestern Pennsylvania. I feel more connected to the earth here than anywhere else I have ever been. There is something special to me in this magical landscape of rolling hills. I especially love being here in October.

Today was a perfect October day. I had the day off work and was able to be outside ALL day. The sky was brilliant, the air fresh and the changing colors gorgeous.

It seems that I see more of life's tiny details when I take a walk with my camera.

These seed pods on a Bottlebrush Buckeye are about to burst.

The colors of the Redbud leaf, shaped like a heart, remind me of Aspen trees.

Some unknown critter drilled a perfect round hole into this Yucca seedpod.

The Pokeweed curves and twists like dancers in purple leotards.

The day was a gift.

Clean the Feeders- Please!

2008-10-09T21:58:00.000-04:00

When was the last time you cleaned your bird feeders? Me? I'm embarrassed to admit that it has been a few months since I've scrubbed the seed feeders. It is critical to the health of birds to keep feeders clean and I let life and too-long, to-do-lists get in the way. Not anymore! The feeders are clean and the birds are happy!

I started by soaking and scrubbing feeders, containers, funnels and brushes.

Next, came the rinsing, A LOT of rinsing.

Then drying,

filling,

hanging,

and waiting, not very long, for the birds.

Tasty.

Two Conferences in One Week

2008-10-03T18:30:00.000-04:00

I have become very familiar with the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh. I've been there before, but I just attended two conferences in eight days. Now, I really know my way around. I know the location of every women’s' restroom!

The convention center is beautiful and it is the largest Gold LEED certified green convention center in the country. I am proud of our city for making a commitment to the environment! Way to go Pittsburgh!

Yesterday, Pittsburgh hosted the Pennsylvania Governor's Conference for Women. The breakout sessions were exceptional. I took a group of high school girls to participate in workshops for young women. They attended sessions focusing on positive risk taking, self respect and on being a positive force for change. They, and I, were inspired. There was also time to attend other sessions. I most enjoyed a keynote address by Naomi Tutu and listening to and meeting writer Sara Davidson.

The previous Thursday I attended a conference on Women’s' Health and the Environment hosted by Teresa Heinz and McGee Women's Hospital. This was a GREAT conference! It was very exciting to see 2000 women eager to learn how environmental factors affect health. I wish every woman could experience this program.

I am disappointed in myself for not taking any photographs to share. But, guess what? I'll be back at the convention center Tuesday for The National Materials Science and Technology Conference. No, I am not an engineer. That is one career I never tried. LOL I do have more than a few brilliant science students who want to study engineering so off we go. The organizers of the conference have graciously invited high school students to participate in a variety of workshops. I'll take my camera.

Fun in October

2008-10-02T20:08:00.000-04:00

I have a plan to enjoy every delicious moment this month. I want to have fun, take photos, write, be outdoors as much as possible, and - well - do it all! But, and this is so very important. I want to move in slow motion and with mindfulness.

October has started perfectly. Last night, I attended a meeting of the Three Rivers Birding Club. I love this group of people. They sponsor GREAT meetings and outings, have a very strong membership, and have helped teach this novice birder about more than a few new birds.

The meeting last night was, as usual, awesome! Bill Thompson III was our guest speaker. Yes, Bill of the Birds, known for his birding skills, books, The Birder Watcher's Digest, and his wonderful blog, shared stories and music. He is a funny, FUNNY man.

We all laughed at his stories of birding adventures and mishaps. We even had a sing along. "Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowbirds..." Oh, it was a good time. Thank you, Bill!

September

2008-10-01T23:40:00.000-04:00

"It seems a shame to see September swallowed by the wind..."
John Denver

September is gone. I lost a beautiful month. It whizzed past in a whirlwind and ended with a tear. I was overbooked day and night so I lived in fast forward and on adrenaline. It was not how I want to experience the world.

October, my favorite month, a glorious month, promises 31 days filled with magic.

An Española Mockingbird for Wordless Wednesday

2008-08-27T05:30:00.000-04:00

Turtle in a Tidepool

2008-08-26T21:02:00.001-04:00

Look in the water. Can you see it? There is a turtle hatchling stuck in the tidepool. He hatched the night before and was so new to the world he still had yoke on his belly. The tide was long gone and he could be an easy and tasty lunch for a cormorant. No. Please let him make it.

Our Galapagos guide, Carlos, helped the little guy. He picked him out of the tidepool, gently placed him on the lava rock and let him find his way. The little marine turtle turned toward the sea and made a mad dash. He knew what he had to do.

Fifteen feet to the ocean is a long way for a little one, especially when when a bunch of birds are looking down on you wishing all the people would go away. We all watched, prayed and cheered him on. He made it to the sand! Yeah!

Come on baby! Climb that rock! You're almost there!

Home. The water feels so good. God speed, little guy. May you live for a hundred years.

Galapagos Penguins

2008-08-25T05:51:00.001-04:00

Everyone on the zodiac was bursting with joy! We could not contain ourselves and we sported the largest grins ever seen on Homo sapiens! We were watching penguins!! Galapagos penguins, Spheniscus mendiculus!!

Seeing the cute penguins while visiting the Enchanted Islands in June was, well REALLY COOL! The opportunity to swim with penguins in their native habitat was one of the main reasons I wanted to go on the trip. That did not happen, but I was able to get very close to these adorable creatures who have the magic ability to make humans smile.

The penguins were very tolerant. They were not bothered by our zodiac as it eased closer and closer to the edge of their rocky home. Ahhh... click, click, click. Many memories were captured in photos.

Aren't I handsome?

This pair staked claim on a perfect cave-like home on Bartolome Island. I wonder who was inside?
Unfortunately, recent news about the health of this unique bird is frightening. The New York Times reported August 18 that a new parasite has infected the Galapagos penguin. Researchers are concerned that, "it could lead to avian malaria, a disease that contributed significantly to the 50 percent extinction rate of endemic birds in Hawaii." It is believed that the infection is the result of increased tourism. Ugh! This doesn't make me feel very good about being one of the tourists.

The good news is that the penguins are showing no signs of illness. Researchers are trying to determine which mosquito is responsible for transferring the parasite to the penguins. Steps are also being taken to protect the island from non-native spieces. When we were landing on Baltra, the flight attendant shocked us all as she fumigated the overhead bins and therefore, passengers as well, with an insecticide spray.

I would love to add a link to The New York Times to make the article easily accessible, but because I am having difficulty adding links to my blog, I am only able to provide the site address: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/science/19peng.html?_r=1&ref=science&oref=slogin

Week End

2008-08-22T21:20:00.000-04:00

I've thought a lot about posting this week. I had stories and photos to share, but I wasn't able to make it happen. I was just finding my blogging rhythm before I returned to school and now I need a new, revised version.

This first week was exhausting. Every minute, and I do mean every minute, was busy. I am happy for the weekend to make final preparations for school, finish a few things around the house, and have some time to check in on a few of my favorite blogs - including A Glorious Life. I'll be posting again by Monday morning. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy a great weekend!

Summer's End

2008-08-18T05:57:00.001-04:00

Summer has, for me, officially ended. I am a teacher and today is my first day back to school. The students don't start until next Monday, but there is still A LOT to prepare. Most of this week will be dedicated to meetings - when we are all so eager to get to our rooms!

I am blessed to work with gifted students in grades 9-12 and have the same students every year. It is wonderful to be able to develop long-term relationships with my students. I look forward to hearing about their summer, their plans for this school year, and their preparations for college. I also have a whole new crop of freshmen to meet!

I do hate to see the summer end, but I also love the beginning of a new school year. It is a fresh start and holds so much promise. I am blessed.

Simplicity

2008-08-14T09:33:00.000-04:00

Simplify! Simplify! Simplification has been promoted for more than a few years, not so much as a process, but more as a command. "One must simplify!" I agree - to an extent.

I have been enjoying the many-years process of pairing down and making room and time in my life for what matters and what I care most about. But, life is enhanced by partaking in consumerism. I could be sitting in my office writing this post, but instead, because I own a laptop and had wireless installed, I am on my back porch watching birds at the feeders and geese fly overhead.

Where is the line between having too much and just enough? Do I really need a macro lens? Of course not, but it might be nice.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-08-13T09:07:00.000-04:00

Butterflies, Mushrooms and Fungi - A Full Day

2008-08-12T09:06:00.000-04:00

Joe left us to care for Lady Massasuaga and our group continued to explore Jennings Prairie.

As the day progressed and the sun beat down from directly above, we decided to take one of the trails through the woods. The mushrooms and fungi were amazing! I was surprised to see the wide variey we found on the edge of the path. I know nothing about mycology so I'm not able to identify the different spieces. Oh! There is SO much to learn! Anyway, I still want to share a few of the photos.

There were fungi on trees...

mushrooms and fungi of a variety of shapes and colors...

and, there was even a fungus growing on another fungus.

My favorite mushroom was pale orange and pink. It looked like it should be drawn in a children's book as the home of a woodland fairy.

I obviously need to buy a field guide to mushrooms and fungi. Any suggestions?

The Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake at Jennings Prairie

2008-08-09T15:52:00.000-04:00

As we continued to explore the prairie plants and move along the trails, our group ran into one of the volunteers at Jennings. Joe visits the prairie on weekends to catch and tag Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnakes, Sistrurus catenatus catenatus.

Yep. You know what Joe is holding in the bag, but you don't know it is pregnant! A very pregnant and VERY angry Massasauga Rattlesnake!

I sure wish I could have taken a photograph of her outside of the bag!

She let it be known that she was not happy! She is a healthy snake and her rattles are loud! Joe told us that she was tagged with a chip three years ago, but that she had not been captured since. He was taking her to the center where her weight and measurments would be recorded. He would later release her where she was found.

I can not emphazsize how wonderful it is that this snake is pregnant. The massasauga is very endangered and only breeds once every two or three years. They breed in August and September and the young are born live the next summer. It is nice to think that her babies might already be living on the protected prairie at Jennings.

Jennings Prairie

2008-08-07T18:08:00.001-04:00

Prairie breeze
Grasses sway
Butterflies sail

There is an ancient prairie in Pennsylvania.

The prairie, a rarity in our forested and pastoral state, was once part of the ecosystem which stretched into the Midwest. This remaining 20 acres of native grasses and flowers, surrounded by woodland, is named for Otto Emery Jennings and is part of The Jennings Environmental Education Center near the town of Butler.

I was one of a group of learners, all students of native plants and the prairie ecosystem, who visited Jennings last Saturday as part of a class sponsored by Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. The class, enjoyed by all, was taught by Thelma Redick and Linda Kramer.

The focus of our study was to learn how to create and care for a prairie, how to incorporate a prairie into our landscape designs or, on a smaller scale, how to use native plants in our gardens. The beauty of Jennings Prairie inspired us!

The prairie is in glorious bloom. While the main colors of the moment are vibrant yellows, the most stunning color is purple - the purple of the Prairie Blazingstar Liatrus pycnostachya.

It is because of this plant that Jennings exists and thrives. This prairie became the first reserve created in Pennsylvania to protect an endangered plant, you guessed it, the Blazingstar. Jennings is now known for an abundance of this beauty.

Our class was eager to learn about the Blazingstar and all of the other inhabitants of this ecosystem.

Ox Eye False Sunflower Heliopsis helianthoides

Green Headed Coneflower Redbeckia laciniata

Common Milkweed Asclepias syriaca

Bergamot Monarda fistulosa

To be continued...next post: More from Jennings, including Joe and the Massasuga Rattlesnake.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-08-06T09:08:00.000-04:00

Caught in the Act

2008-08-05T08:50:00.000-04:00

Deer in the backyard are not usually a welcome site. I chase them, put nets or fences around certain plants and trees, and I've spent entirely too much money trying different sprays that are supposed to stop them from devouring the garden. I still couldn't bring myself to chase these twins, even though they ate every flower in the "deer buffet!"

My dad always said, "All babies are cute." Dad was right. They are. I let these babies stay.

Elephant Babies at the Pittsburgh Zoo

2008-08-04T09:07:00.000-04:00

The world has been blessed. Two African Elephants were born in July at The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium. Both babies are girls!!!

Angelina was born July 9 and Zuri, which means beautiful in Swahili, was born July 25. I made a pilgrimage to see the babies Friday, August 1. I took a lot of photos and only realized there was a problem with my camera, completely my fault, of course, after I downloaded the shots. Bummer. However, the babies are too cute for words and their births are so very important for the elephant world, I would rather share poor photos than none at all.

Angelina liked to run

while Zuri was still a bit wobbly.

Zuri did enjoy playing in the water.

Angelina tried to follow her mother, Savannah, up a small embankment. She soon realized it was not going to be easy.

"Oh no. I'm slipping. I'm falling."

"Whew. That was close. Here I come ma."

"This is hard."

"Ma, wait! I'm trying, ma. I'm allll..mmmmm..ooost there."

"Thanks, buddy."

The keepers and the adult elephants look after the little ones.

Zuri: "What is this thing on my face?"
Angelina: "I have no idea. But, it gets in the way when I try to eat lunch!"

The sisters, Jackson is the father of both girls, are a HUGH attraction at the zoo. I overheard a woman in the crowd say, "This is a once in a lifetime thing, to see a one week old elephant. And, it is right here in Pittsburgh! Wow!"

I will second the "WOW!" I am so very proud of The Pittsburgh Zoo and, especially the elephant keepers! Thank you!!!!

For more information visit: http://www.pittsburghzoo.org

To the Top -- of a Volcano!

2008-08-01T16:45:00.001-04:00

Yes. I hiked up a slag pile. Bartolome Island in the Galapagos is an extinct volcano. But, from a distance, to anyone from southwestern Pennsylvania coal county, it looks like mine waste.

Even up close, when starting to hike on the volcanic sand and lava, I thought of slag and the old red dog roads of my childhood. Hum? Am I about to walk on hazarous waste?

Seriously though, I was VERY excited about the idea of hiking up a volcano and I already had an appreciation for the unique beauty of this barren environment. The burnt oranges and reds of the sand and hardened lava were stunning. The landscape was often breathtaking. Pinnacle Rock, the arrowhead-shaped point, is the most photographed spot of the Galapagos.

While I was excited about this very cool adventure, I had a concern: 358 wood steps to make the 374 foot STEEP climb. This was going to be another kind of breathtaking! I was going to suck wind on this one!

Off we go on a journey to follow the platform trail....

The overlook stop on the way up provided a place catch your breath and a great view that included our ship, The Xpedition.

Imagine the explosion that erupted to create this now still, quite and otherworldly crater.

At the edge of the crater, Carlos, our guide, wanted to empahsize the light weight of some of the rocks. A group of hikers have nearly reached the summit in the background.

Well, we still have a hike ahead... more steps! Up we go!

Huff, huff, huff! Oh my gosh! You can do it! HUFF!!!

The view from above.

The walk down was much more relaxing. What a challenge it must have been to build all of the steps!

Journey's end...

Blogging Time

2008-07-31T09:09:00.000-04:00

There must be a rhythm to blogging – a wonderful system of organizing photos, writing posts, and even editing, that will allow me to post on a daily basis. There must be a rhythm. So far it eludes me, but I am confident that it is here, or is it over there? It is somewhere...

Flamingos

2008-07-24T16:11:00.001-04:00

It was unexpected. I realized I had never seen a flamingo in the wild. There have been many occasions when I admired their elegance, grace, long legs and HOT pink color, but only in zoos and parks - mostly in Florida. Wow! Another life bird!

There could not have been a better location for me to see my first wild Greater Flamingo. We were on Floreana Island in the Galapagos at a lava lagoon named Punta Cormorant, where, by the way, I did not see a cormorant. The landscape of the island looked like a set for some distant planet in a Star Wars movie. My mind wandered to a vision of Charles Darwin exploring the island lagoon and collecting, not beetles, but specimens of the wasps we found so bothersome.

The sunlight was magical and created a stunning reflection. I cherish the blessing of being in the right place at the right time to see this.

Looking down on the lagoon from a nearby hill, probably another volcano, I was reminded how close we were to the ocean. I felt as if I was in a far-off land, when, in reality, the ocean and our zodiacs were just over the large dunes. Barely visable in the photo, is a small fenced area on the far right of the mud flat. The reflection photos were taken from that spot.

From above, it was also easy to see how flamingos make a trail in the mud when feeding off the bottom.

Because I think it beautiful, I will close today's post with a stereotypical shot of a flamingo. Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-07-23T17:33:00.001-04:00

Kicker Rock, Galapagos Islands

Enchantment

2008-07-21T21:21:00.000-04:00

Espanola, of all the Enchanted Islands,is the most wondrous. Words can not describe the beauty and wildlife of this magical island. It is sacred.

The surf was beautiful and a bit rough when landing at Suarez Point,
.

but only a few hundred feet away we came upon a much calmer inlet where sea lions lounged and we were greeted by a Galapagos Hawk.

Mockingbirds arrived within minutes. These friendly birds have learned that humans carry water. Since there is no fresh water on Espanola they hope to beg or steal a few precious drops. Unfortunatety, for the mockingbirds, we obeyed the "no interference rule" like the Prime Directive and all they could do was complain to each other about the mean tourists.

The hike started along the beach then looped around the island for almost two rough, rocky, challenging, spectacular miles.

Sally Lightfoot Crabs decorated the lava coast.

The wildlife was incredible. It seemed like the birds danced aroud us. There were many of Darwin's Finches,

Galapagos Warblers,

and, soon, Waved Albatoss were flying overhead.

Seeing the first albatross was exciting! These are very large birds! Their wing span is about 7 feet and they are quite impressive! Little did we know that being buzzed by an albatross was only a hint of the spectacular sites to come.

After hiking a few more minutes we came across a pair of albatross cuddled on the edge of the trail.

They began a courtship dance as we approached. We stood or sat on the trail, approximately 3 or 4 feet from the pair and watched, enthralled, with every movement. It was as if the birds were fencing with their long beaks. A loud, "clack" echoed with each hit. Occassionaly, one or the other would stretch or nip at the neck of it's mate before going back to the fencing. Our guide told us we were behind schedule as she tried, unsuccessfully, to move us along. We weren't her normal group of tourists. We traveled to The Galapagos to see the birds and we were not about to budge. She laughed, knowing that she had no hope of getting us to move down the trail until the "show" ended.

When the birds finished their dance, they both turned to look at us as if to say, "How was the show?"

Great! The show was great! Thank you!

However, we soon learned that seeing albatross "perform" was not uncommon. As we reached the opposite coast, there were albatross and other birds everywhere!

The above pairs were within 75 feet of the stunning cliffs.

A blowhole gushed over 50 feet high.

Our guide became very serious about rushing us along as the sky began to glow with pinks and golds.

We stayed too long watching the albatross and now we were the last group on the island. We had to make it back to the ship before dark. The trail was difficult enough to navigate in the daylight! None of us wanted to try the hike in the dark!

We just made it to the zodiac as the sun was setting on what was truely a glorious day!

Kicker Rock

2008-07-12T11:50:00.000-04:00

Day two in the Galapagos started with a zodiac ride around Kicker Rock. We felt like characters in an Indiana Jones movie! As our zodiac captain maneuvered in the narrow crevice between the cliffs, some of us tried to sing the theme music, “Da, Da, Da, Daaaa…..Da, Da, Daa..” My friend, David, remarked that the cliffs would be closing in on us if we were in a film scene! It was great fun! We did see a few birds, but the geology of these volcanic islands and beautiful sunrise where what we will all remember.

Yes. We went into this narrow crevice...

and saw this on the other side.

Kicker Rock is HUGH!

That small black dot in the water is a zodiac filled with adventurers!

Kicker Rock is technically known as a Tuff structure because of the cememnt-like finish. Tuff is formed when the rocks and ash from a volcanic explosion mix with water vapor. I might not be an expert in geology, but I know that Kicker Rock is stunningly beautiful!

Back to the Beginning – Arrival in the Galapagos

2008-07-11T19:05:00.000-04:00

It is impossible to describe the eagerness and excitement I felt seeing Baltra Island from the air before landing at the Baltra Airport. A dream was becoming reality. I was actually in the Galapagos? Please, someone pinch me. Is this real?

Wow! It was more than real. Each day, each experience, each moment seemed more amazing than the last! Each close encounter and I do mean CLOSE, with a bird or animal created a special memory. There are many stories to share…

Arrival:

The Baltra Airport is really an airstrip, a former U.S. Air Base used during World War II, with several small buildings and a larger one where everyone must go through customs.

The place is surprisingly sparse. With the exception of the VIP lounge, the main building doesn’t even have walls. Travelers are whisked in on one side and out the other where souvenir shops and buses wait.

Each travel company is very good at rounding up their guests to get them on buses, to waiting zodiacs and onboard the ships as soon as possible. We were with Celebrity on the Xpedition, but we also saw some travelers with National Geographic. The chaos is very well organized. When we landed, those who had disembarked from the ship were waiting to leave on the same plane in which we arrived. It was very interesting to be the ones waiting for the plane at the end of our trip. We watched new arrivals walking down the airstrip, taking numerous photos, the same we had done only ten days earlier. The Ecuadorian government and the cruise lines have the system working like a well made Rube Goldberg machine!

Celebrity could not have treated us better. Everything, everyone, was first-class ALL the time. The Xpedition was beautiful. This is my first view of the ship as we approached in the zodiac.

As we boarded our floating hotel we were greeted with champagne and soon we were excited for our first adventure - a hike on North Seymour Island.

The zodiacs landed on a rocky shore and within a few feet we saw a Swallow-Tailed Gull and chick just off of the trail. This was my first, of many, life birds of the trip.

Within minutes we were watching Frigatgebirds, Blue Footed Boobies,Iguanas, Sea Lions and Sally Lightfoot Crabs.

I felt like dancing with the Blue Footed Boobies! They were dancing and nesting everywhere and we were standing in the middle of all the joy! (Read about the Boobies in my July 1 post.)

We left North Seymour Island as the moon rose

and we were back on the Xpedition for a beautiful senset and a wonderful dinner.

It was the end of a glorious day in the Galapagos!

Iguanas and Lizzards of the Galapagos

2008-07-10T15:46:00.000-04:00

Reptilian creatures were EVERYWHERE in the Galapagos! From the first island to the last, Land and Marine Iguanas and Lava Lizards were very easy to find. In fact, hikers had to be careful not to accidentally step on lava lizards. They are well camouflaged and do not hurry away when humans show up.

They hang out long enough to pose for a photo before scurrying into the brush.

Iguanas, on the other hand, do not scurry. They might be resting in the middle of the trail and you, dear human, must go around. The colorful Land Iguana in the photo below decided he liked my friends blue shoes.

The Land Iguana matures at about 3 feet in length. The males are more colorful and have more ridges along the back than the female.

The male pictured above was sunning near the hiking trail, while the female, shown in the photo below, was about 15 feet away in a clearing.

I learned from our guide that Land Iguana borrow underground, much like groundhogs, and that their favorite food is Prickly Pear Catus.

Marine Iguanas spend most of their time sunning on the lava coastlines or sandy beaches of the many islands. It was a Marine Iguana Orgy!

This group liked the shade provided by the small shrub.

Well, my friends I've touched base on the reptiles of the Galapagos.

I am very grateful to have been able see them in person. I love their colors and the texture of their skin, but I must admit that I have seen enough iguanas to last my lifetime! I went to the Galapagos for the birds and tortoises! More on my passions tomorrow…

The Galapagos Islands and Blue Footed Boobies

2008-07-01T20:25:00.000-04:00

A few days ago I returned from a trip to the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador. This was the most amazing vacation of my life! Each day brought once-in-a-lifetime memories.

I will highlight some of my favorite sights and experiences beginning with, of course, the Blue Footed Boobie.

Do you know, blue is sexy?

The brighter the blue feet of the male Blue Footed Boobie the more attractive he is to the female. The males show off their feet with a comical, slow motion dance. They slowly, very slowly, slow-motion-slowly, raise each foot as high as possible as they waddle around the female. “Hey, baby. Lay your eyes on my feet. You have never seen a better blue!

Actually, the color is gorgeous! I would love a mini cooper the same brilliant blue. That would be sexy!

Boobies love to dance. There is a courtship dance...

Hello, baby. Shall we dance?

Then, there is the dance of success. The dance of joy! Yes! The we have an egg dance!

Look, Pa!

Home, sweet, home on North Seymour Island.

We saw Blue Footed Boobies at almost every location in the Galapagos, but the large nesting colony was on North Seymour Island. Each bird is just under three feet tall and has a wing span of almost five feet. Though they waddle on land, they are fine diving machines! They barely make a splash as they dive for fish off the shores of the rocky islands.

Glorious Cedar Waxwings

2008-06-10T23:24:00.000-04:00

When I planted a dozen Serriceberry trees a few years ago I did it with the hope of attracting Cedar Waxwings. I did see a pair feeding on the berries this time last June, but they left after a few days. Yesterday, when I looked out the dining room window to the feeder station I have in a walnut tree, I was thrilled to see a handsome pair pulling on the wool I hung out for nesting material.

Joy! Joy! Joy! Hurry! Grab the camera! Tell everyone! The waxwings are here!

I saw the lovely couple again today. This morning they returned for more wool and tonight they feasted on a dinner of ripe Serviceberries. Life is sweet. Yum...

I will not be blogging again until June 27 , but this is a good thing because I am off on an adventure to the Galapagos Islands followed by birding in the Cloud Forest of Ecuador. I leave Friday! To say I am excited is an understatement! I'm like that little kid in the Disney commercial, "I'm too excited to sleep." This is a once a lifetime vacation and I WILL be blogging about the trip starting on the 27th.

The Laburnum Tree

2008-06-01T20:15:00.000-04:00

I fell in love with Liburnum trees because of Rosemary Verey. I saw photographs of her garden in England about 10 years ago. She planted an allee of Liburnum that was gorgeous. I was really hooked when I finally saw a blooming tree in Pittsburgh. At that moment, I knew I would eventually plant a Liburnum. These trees many not be native, but they are lovely and I was going to have one! In the spring of 2004 I was surprised to find this small tree at an auction. It came home.

I am pushing zones with this tree. It is planted in a protected area and is doing well. The blooms are nearly a foot in length, similar to a Wysteria, and they have lasted over two weeks! Unfortunately, they do not have a scent.

I should share the the Liburnum tree is the only thing blooming in this small entrance garden. The garden is being redesigned and almost everything has been removed. It is a HUGH mess! I obviously did not show the bare earth in the photo. I promise to show before AND after photos in a later blog.

Welcome!

2008-05-31T22:36:00.000-04:00

An adventure begins – at last! I have thought about starting a blog for nearly two years. But, sometimes good ideas and intentions need time to mature. I guess I needed to think about the blog for awhile. Not being technologically inclined, I also didn’t know where to begin. Thanks to my friend Kaelon, “A Glorious Life” is up and running! Life is good!

I am blessed to live on three acres in southwestern Pennsylvania. I can not remember a time in my life when I did not have the dream of living on a farm. Well, I’m not on a farm, but three acres keeps me very busy. I love my home. I’ve been working on creating native habit and the numbers and variety of birds and animals has increased over the last few years. It is true. “If you build it, they will come.” It is my goal to share this glorious life.

I named the property Allhaven. I hope that many creatures find a haven here. I know I have.