Archive for September 2015
Bear In The Backyard.
I came home from my morning walk on Monday morning and this large male black bear sitting in my back yard eating the corn I out out for the deer and turkey. It looked like the same bear who had been ripping my bird feeder down these past two summers and, who recently, broke into…
Read MoreIt’s September And Where Have All The Flowers Gone?
Spring is long gone now and Summer is coming to an end here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. And most of flowers we so enjoyed during the past few months are gone too. Some, like the lyrics in the Pete Seeger, were picked by young girls but many developed into fruits, seeds or nuts, and for them…
Read MoreIt's September And Where Have All The Flowers Gone?
It’s Still Hot, But That’s Not Stopping Fall From Arriving.
It was another hot and dry day here in northeastern Pennsylvania. We have been experiencing a heat wave this past week and the temperatures are making it feel like mid July. But the heat isn’t keeping the seasons from changing. The signs of fall are everywhere. Even though it’s been very dry I decided to…
Read MoreIt's Still Hot, But That's Not Stopping Fall From Arriving.
Bear Creek Preserve: Shades Creek Hike.
Since we still haven’t had any substantial rain, and it is very dry in the woods, I thought maybe walking along a creek may help me in my search for some edible mushrooms, especially the delicious hen of the woods or, as known around here, the ramshead mushroom. I decided to explore the Bear Creek…
Read MoreLate Summer Heat In Nescopeck State Park.
It was another sunny and hot day here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. And another day without rain. Normally, this time of year, I’d be searching my favorite mushroom woods looking for the many edible varieties that would be growing. Not this year, very few mushrooms growing because of the very dry weather we’ve been having. So,…
Read MoreA Late Summer Hike, No Mushrooms But Plenty Of Spiders And Dragonflies And A Snake.
The heat wave finally ended here in Northeastern Pennsylvania on Thursday. We got almost an inch of rain and cooler temperatures. I decided to see if the cooler temperatures and rain would have brought out some mushrooms but didn’t find a single one on my hike yesterday. I did find a lot of spiders and…
Read MorePPL Wetlands. Two Hikes, What A Difference A Week Makes.
Last Monday I hiked in the PPL Wetlands on a a sunny and hot late Summer day. Although a lot of the song birds have already flown south, and there were signs of fall everywhere , it still felt like Summer in the sun and heat. The temperature was in the mid 80’s. The sound…
Read MoreSome Perfect Late Summer Weather: No Mushrooms But Some Nice Hikes And A Big Furry Visitor.
We have had perfect late Summer weather here in Northeastern Pennsylvania the past few days. Bright sunshine, calm clear blue skies and warm temperatures. And it’s not just the humans enjoying it. A lot of the forest animals are taking advantage of the weather to fatten up for the upcoming Winter. And one of them,…
Read MoreNot As Exciting As Bears But Bees And Wasp Are Cool Too.
It was another perfect late Summer day here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Cloudless deep blue skies and warm temperature. Still no rain so I didn’t even bother to go out looking for mushrooms. Instead, I took a short hike in the woods near my home with my macro lens. I love walking in the woods and…
Read MoreMid September And Summer Is In No Hurry To Leave This Year.
It was another sunny and hot day here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I did not even bother to look for mushrooms, which most years are abundant this time of year, because of the lack of rain. Instead I hiked out to the local railroad tracks and ponds near my house. And I found out just…
Read MoreTuscarora State Park, The Beach Is Empty But Still Lot To See And Do
It was another sunny and warm day near my home in Green Ridge but not so everywhere in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I decided to hike in Tuscarora State Park, about 12 miles south of my home. I was surprised to find a thick cloud and fog cover when I got there. The park, packed most weekends…
Read MoreAnother Hike In Nescopeck State Park. And Found Some Mushrooms, Not In The Woods But At The Mushroom Fair.
The winds of change were blowing through Northeastern Pennsylvania today, bringing in much cooler, fresh Canadian air. After a cloudy start the skies cleared and I decided to hike in the Nescopeck State Park and check out the Mushroom Fair sponsored by the Wyoming Valley Mushroom Club. I decided to hike the wood Frog Way…
Read MoreEnd Of Summer Hikes, Acorns, Ferns And A Hognose Snake,
We still have about eight hours of Summer left here in the Northern Hemisphere but a couple of walks in the woods the past two days without knowing the actual date could fool you into thinking Fall has arrived. As usual this time of year I went out looking for mushrooms even though the weather…
Read MoreA Most Memorable Day In My Life: The Election Of Pope Francis.
Pope Francis’s arrival in the United States yesterday and his appearances in Washington today have caught the entire world’s attention. His message of preserving this beautiful world God gave us and caring for the poor are welcome in our Nation and our planet. It was with much emotion that watched this humble and peaceful man…
Read MoreLocust Lake State Park. It’s Starting To Feel A Bit Like Fall
Fall has come to Northeastern Pennsylvania with cooler temperatures, shorter days and many other signs, including the annual migration of the Canadian geese. I saw my first flock of geese, honking loudly , as they flew overhead headed south for the Winter. I’d usually be out my favorite spots searching for the many species of…
Read MoreLocust Lake State Park. It's Starting To Feel A Bit Like Fall
Fall Magic Is Appearing Almost Overnight.
We finally got significant rain here in Northeastern Pennsylvania last night. The dry spell we have been having has not been good for the edible wild mushrooms which are usually very abundant this time of year. Hoping the rain may have caused some to grow I headed out into the woods after work this afternoon.…
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