Archive for January 2023
Whitetail Deer And A Ring-Neck Pheasant. Some Year-End Visitors In My Back Yard.
As many of you who follow my blog know, I have many whitetail deer, birds and other critters visit my backyard in Hazle Township in Luzerne County. I am blessed to have acquired, and live on 90 acres of land that I grew up on, and explored, as a child. I have many species of…
Read MoreFog, Mild Temperatures And Lots Of Ice: A Year End Hike On The Greater Hazleton Rails To Trails.
It was a mild 46 degrees on New Year’s Eve morning here in Luzerne County. Almost all of the ice and snow had melted near my home in Hazle Township. A thick fog had formed. It was hunting season again so I decided to be safe and hike on the local Greater Hazleton Rails to…
Read MoreAn Icy Hike Along The Beaver Creek In The Penrose Swamp Barrens In Carbon County
The mild Winter weather continued here in Northeastern Pennsylvania on New Years Day. I awoke to clear skies and temperatures in the low 40’s. After my morning walk in my neighborhood I drove to historic Beaver Meadows where I decided to continue my exploration of the Penrose Swamp Barrens. This 2700 acre tract of land, located…
Read MoreWhat A Difference Two Weeks Make. A Couple Of Mild Hikes in the Susquehanna Wetlands
When I last visited the Susquehanna Wetlands in Luzerne County two weeks ago, it was more of a survival challenge then a pleasure hike. Temperatures were near zero and an arctic wind howled through the wetlands. The canals and ponds were frozen and the ice floated on the Susquehanna River. It was not a pleasant…
Read MoreKey West, It’s Been A Long Time Since I’ve Visited Florida’s Southernmost City. Too Long.
I started writing this blog after having spent about 7 hours on Key West, Florida’s famous southernmost key. And what an sensory overloading experience those seven hours were. So much to see and do. And I saw a lot on my 8 miles of walking through the busy streets of Key West. It’s been 33…
Read MoreFlorida Day Two: A Morning Walk And Sunrise In The Conch Republic
I was up early my second morning in the Conch Republic, as the locals like to call Key West. It was about a mile walk to Higgs Memorial Beach where I planned to watch the sunrise. I have learned on my travels, that as you get closer to the equator there is less twilight. Unlike…
Read MoreMy First Visit To Big Pine Key, The First Of Many, I Hope
After my breakfast at the Duval House in Key West I was on my way to Big Pine Key. It is located about 30 miles north on Route One also know as the Overseas Highway. I love driving this scenic and historic highway. This time I was driving a black Ford Explorer. I enjoy driving…
Read MoreFlorida Day Three: A Morning Exploring Big Pine Key. And My First Key Deer!
I awoke early my first full day on Big Pine Key. I was a little disappointed not seeing any key deer the previous day. Key deer are an endangered smaller sub-species of the North American whitetail deer. If you follow my blog you would know that their larger relatives visit my back yard in Northeastern…
Read MoreFlorida Day Three. A Manatee Sighting! And A Visit To Nearby Bahia Honda State Park.
After my morning walks on Big Pine Key , I spent some time relaxing and editing photos at the Barnacle Bed and Breakfast. In the afternoon I walked over to the canal again, and, this time I saw two manatees! They were barely visible floating in the water of the cove. Only small parts of…
Read MoreAn Awesome Day On Big Pine Key: A Sunrise Walk , A Lot Of Birds, Key Deer And An Afternoon Storm.
I was only there for less than two days , but I had already fallen in love with Big Pine Key. I loved the seclusion, the desolate beaches, and the wildlife. I didn’t think it could get any better, but it did! I awoke early again on Friday morning. I returned to my now favorite…
Read MoreIt’s January, But, What?, No Snow Or Ice At The Susquehanna Wetlands?
Usually, in January in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the woodlands are covered with snow and the lakes, rivers, streams, lakes and ponds have a thick layer of ice. Not this year, after returning from a visit to South Florida, I hiked in the Susquehanna Wetlands in Salem Township, Luzerne County last Saturday. It was cloudy, dreary and…
Read MoreA Cold Front, A Farwell to Big Pine Key And A Slow And Scenic Drive To Key Largo.
The weather had changed when I awoke on my last morning at the Barnacle Bed and Breakfast on Big Pine Key. The cold front only dropped the temperature into the low 60’s but there was a 25 mph wind blowing out of the northwest. I drove to back to the nearby trail along the deserted…
Read MoreFrozen Iguanas? A Familiar, But Frosty, Hike At Dagny Johnson State Park In Key Largo
I have been visiting Key Largo for a few years now. I have hiked in the Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park many times and have come to love this park located on the northern end of the key. . A failed land development was turned into a State Park. The park contains…
Read MoreAlligators, Anhingas, And Cormorants, , Despite The Cold, A Lot Of Wildlife At Royal Palm In The Everglades
After my cold morning walk in Key Largo, and seeing the frozen iguana, my expectations of seeing alligators in the Everglades that afternoon weren’t great. I love visiting the Everglades National Park, I have been visiting here in the Winter for about 10 years now. It was always so alive always so alive and even…
Read MoreFlorida Day Seven: A Frosty First Hike To Lucky Hammock And The Old Aerojet Road
I awoke early on Monday morning in Florida City. I wanted to watch the sunrise and then hike on the old Aerojet Highway and visit Lucky Hammock. This would be my first hike on the Aerojet Highway. I had hiked along the the Aerojet Canal last year. This wide canal was built to transport massive…
Read MoreAnother Mild January Hike In The Susquehanna Wetlands
The mild January continued here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. It was 8 degrees above average for the month. It was mostly sunny and 32 degrees on Saturday morning. I decided, as usual, to hike in the Susquehanna Wetlands in Salem Township in Luzerne County. Last week there was no ice on the Susquehanna River or the…
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