Archive for November 2016
The Last Of Fall Colors Courtesy Of The Red Oaks: A Hike On The Rails To Trails
It was a chilly, but beautiful, November day here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Cloudless , deep blue skies provided us with plenty of sunshine. I decided to hike close to home and drove out to our local and often forgotten, Rails To Trails. I usually start my hikes at the entrance on the Stockton Road but…
Read MoreIt’s Sunday, So Where Else? Another Fall Hike At The PPL Wetlands.
It wasn’t too hard of a decision where to hike on this cool, but pleasant, November morning. I always like to head down to the PPL Wetlands and Riverlands to enjoy the solitude of the ancient trees with the hopes of finding some type of wildlife activity. So that’s where I went. In the Spring…
Read MoreIt's Sunday, So Where Else? Another Fall Hike At The PPL Wetlands.
Africa Day 4: The Kigali Genocide Memorial: The Horror That Was Rwanda. When Will We Ever Learn.
I can’t believe it’s been over three week since I returned from my trip to Africa. Time goes so fast as it is , and the pressures and commitments of our busy life here in the industrialized world, makes it go even faster. We are here for such a short time. I have had little…
Read MoreAfrica Day Four: Rwanda : A Scenic, And Informative, Drive To Volcano National park.
After our emotional and thought provoking visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial. we drove a short distance to the famous Hotel des Mille Collines, also know as Hotel Rwanda. This is the hotel on which the famous movie was based. I didn’t see the movie but learned about the role it played in the…
Read MoreA Sunny November Hike Out To The Penrose Reservoir
It was a cold and sunny Fall day here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Mushroom season is now over and most of the wildlife left the PPL Wetlands, my favorite Sunday hiking area, so I decided to head into Carbon County, about 10 miles south of my home and hike the railroad tracks up to the always…
Read MoreAfrica Day Five: Volcano National Park Rwanda: A Memorable Close Encounter With Mountain Gorillas.
On the day of our gorilla trek, we had to be up early for our adventure but I got some much needed sleep in the cozy, but chilly, cabin. I awoke excited with the hope of encountering some of our endangered cousins, the mountain gorillas found only in these forested mountain areas…
Read MoreAfrica Day Six: Birds, Travel, Horrors And A Short Stay In Johannesburg .
I woke up early again the day after our memorable encounter with the mountain gorilla, and again found the air cool but the skies mostly clear. We were lucky on our visit, since these mountains get a lot of rain this time of year. A few of our group had arranged for an early birding…
Read MoreAfrica Day Seven: Zimbabwe ; Mosi-oa-tunya or Victoria Falls And A Cruise On The Zambezi River
It was a short stay in Johannesburg, South Africa. No time for sightseeing. We had an early flight, so a nice breakfast, a quick ride to the airport, a smooth clearance through security and boarding, and we were off to Zimbabwe. We landed at the Victoria Falls airport and soon were on our way to…
Read MoreAfrica Day Eight: Across, And Under, The Bridge To Zambia, Voracious Vultures And An Elephant Ride.
Even though we had another long, but adventure filled day ahead of us, I was still up early hoping to capture an African sunrise from the grounds of the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge. It took a while to find a good observation spot but I finally did.It’s always nice to see a sunrise but even…
Read MoreTurtles In November? A Warm And Sunny November Day At The PPL Wetlands.
We had a Spring-like day here today in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Temperatures neared 70 degrees with abundant, but weak, late Fall sunshine. I headed to one of my favorite hiking areas, the PPL Wetlands and Riverlands. The temperature was warm but there is no mistaking it is late Fall, as almost all of the trees have…
Read MoreAfrica Day Nine: Botswana: A Cruise On The Chobe River And Lots And Lots Of Elephants
Well if you like elephants, you should enjoy this post. We again had an early start, and I had a few moments to catch the setting moon from the observation deck while I had a quick cup of coffee before breakfast was served. After a nice breakfast, I loved the freshly made pancakes, we were…
Read MoreAfrica Day Nine: Botswana: More Wildlife In Chobe National Park
After returning from our cruise on the Chobe River, we had a nice lunch at the Chobe Safari Lodge and I had a few minutes to relax a bit. We were soon off to the Chobe National Park for a safari through another area known for it’s high concentration of wildlife. And it didn’t take…
Read MoreAfrica Day Ten. Farewell To Zimbabwe, A Quick Tour Of Livingston, Zambia, And Off To Capetown, South Africa
I awoke early on my last day at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, hoping to catch another African sunrise and to explore the grounds of the lodge. I ran into a couple who were also looking for the sunrise and we asked a groundskeeper we met who showed us a clear view of the rising…
Read MoreAfrica Day Eleven: A Morning Walk In Capetown And A Ride Along The Coast To The Cape Of Good Hope.
I awoke the next day early for the second time in South Africa. This time, however, I had time to head outside and do some sightseeing before we began our tours. . I left the charming Underberg House in the morning twilight. Not having a map, I decided to head in the direction where we had…
Read MoreAfrica Day Eleven: Cape Point And Capetown: Botanical Gardens And Penguins!!!!! It Doesn’t Get Better Than This.
After lunch we headed north, now along the eastern shore of the Cape Peninsula, admiring the spectacular views of the ocean along the way. When we saw this sign we knew we were nearing our destination, Boulder Beach, home of a colony of African or ‘jackass penguins’. These penguins are they only species that live on…
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