Category Archives: Nature

The idea was that I’d get up far earlier than usual so I could see the Geminid meteor shower.  I got out of bed around 3:00 a.m. and went outside on the deck.  I looked skyward. I watched. I waited. No … Continue reading →

One day before long, when the weather is a bit warmer and there’s no forecast of rain, I think I’ll head out very early one morning, just before sunrise, to the beach on Lake Balboa (the largest of the lakes … Continue reading →

I am in awe when I look at a clear sky at night, a sky relatively free of light pollution, watching the universe unveil before me.  My recent experience watching the Tim Ernst slide show, “Arkansas Nightscapes,” reminded me to take … Continue reading →

Yesterday morning, as we sat having breakfast, a Pileated Woodpecker landed on the railing of our deck, just a few feet in front of us.  It look huge…for a moment I thought it was the road runner we’d seen awhile ago.  But its bright red crest … Continue reading →

In the distance, I see a small private lake next to a huge hill covered with what appears to be freshly-mown grass.  Looking through my binoculars, I see that atop the hill is a very large house with four or … Continue reading →

I thought roadrunners lived only in Texas and points west.  I was wrong. Day before yesterday (or perhaps the day before that), as my wife and I were driving by our soon-to-be-new house, I saw what I swore was a … Continue reading →

I awoke too late to see it. The “blood moon” was something I’d hoped to see early this morning, but it was not to be. Despite having gone to bed far earlier than usual, I didn’t awake until after 4:00 … Continue reading →

I stood inside at the glass front door, observing the grey squirrel search for food just a few feet away from me.  Rummaging through the leaves jammed between the rocks and gravel that take the place of a yard, the … Continue reading →

As we drove along winding roads and crept through sparse residential areas yesterday, getting acquainted with the terrain and adjusting to a new environment, we spoke about the coming transformation.  We spoke not of the transformation coming as a result … Continue reading →

The ice storm we are facing today began last night, shortly before nightfall.  Forecasts call for issue with ice to continue for a while yet, though the sleet and freezing rain apparently are behind us.  But the slightly rising temperatures … Continue reading →

This morning, I read a post on a National Public Radio (NPR) blog, entitled “Why We (Should) All Love The Stars.” The text was interesting, but not stunning.  The photograph above, though, was moving in ways words probably cannot express. … Continue reading →

A field of flowers may be lovely, but a single bloom can be incomprehensively beautiful. When I look closely at just one blossom, ignoring everything around it, I am utterly awestruck. The subtle variations in color, the complexity of elaborate … Continue reading →

This is the view from our friends’ back deck.  This is what the world should look like.  Not a crush of cars, neon lights, and shiny steel.

Sometimes, plans go haywire and the results are better than the plan. So it is today. We were going to head out-of-town on a “mission” to increase our knowledge about an area. Various circumstances stepped in to, first, delay the … Continue reading →