Nature
Costa Rica Day Nine. A Early Walk In San Jose And Back Home To Northeastern Pennsylvania
I decided to sleep in a bit on my last day in Costa Rica. I was staying at the Holiday Inn next to the San Jose airport and my flight wasn’t until 1 p.m. So I didn’t set my alarm . It wasn’t until around 7 a.m. when I awoke. This was late for me…
Read MoreMore Brilliant Sunshine But Not Much Wildlife At Leaser Lake.
The skies were clear and calm when I awoke early Sunday morning . I had decided to hike at Leaser Lake in Lehigh was County. First, I took my daily two mile walk through my neighborhood in Hazle Township, Luzerne County. I watched a brilliant sunrise in the cold morning air. This was the first…
Read MoreMy First Visit To The Blue Marsh Lake in Berks County,
I visited Blue Marsh Lake in Berks County for the first time last weekend. I haven’t been seeing many birds or other wildlife on my usual hikes near my home in Luzerne County, so I decided to visit someplace new. I searched E-bird for some suggestions and Blue Marsh Lake came up as a good…
Read MoreA Dreary, But Still Mild, February Hike In The Susquehanna Wetlands And Riverlands
Early February is usually one of the coldest times of the year here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I remember many sub zero days, snow and ice storms around Valentine’s Day. In my younger days I would hike out to a local reservoir, and, most years, build a fire in the middle of the reservoir in early…
Read MoreSnow And Some Memories: A Wintery Walk Through The Streets Of Green Ridge And West Hazleton: Part 1
We were lucky for most of this Winter here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. It has been mild with little snow or ice. Well, it is February and I knew Winter was only half over here so I wasn’t surprised when the local weather forecasters started predicting the possibility of heavy snow on Tuesday. There was a…
Read MoreTrudging Through Deep Snow On The Greater Hazleton Rails To Trail
After a mild December and January, with little snow or ice, Winter finally showed up this past week here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. . We got a Valentines’ Day present from Mother Nature, over a foot of snow. And, when I awoke Saturday morning it was snowing again. There was over three inches of new snow…
Read MoreA Snowy Walk Through Green Ridge And West Hazleton: Part Two.
After my morning walk through the streets of Green Ridge and West Hazleton, , which was the subject of an earlier blog, I spent the morning at my home. My law office was closed because of the snow storm. I was able to work from home. I made phone calls and checked e-mails until lunch. …
Read MoreFinally Some Snow, And Bald Eagles, At The Susquehanna Wetlands
We have had a mild Winter here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. We had little snow or ice until a storm dumped over a foot of snow on my home in Hazle Township, Luzerne County last week. . And we got four more inches on Saturday. I trudged through the deep snow hiking on my local Rails…
Read MoreThe McKaig Nature Center, A Wooded Oasis In The Middle Of Montgomery County
Last Friday I was in Montgomery County for the annual meeting of a trust I serve on. I was staying overnight in King of Prussia to visit my niece Cassidy. After my meeting I was looking for a place to hike in the area. My research led me to the McKaig Nature Center a small…
Read MoreMy First Visit To Marsh Creek State Park in Chester County
I was in King of Prussia in Montgomery County last weekend. I was there for both business and pleasure. My business was completed Friday afternoon and I decided to visit the Marsh Creek State Park in Chester County on Saturday morning . I wanted to get an early start but it was raining when I…
Read MoreFebruary Sunshine, And Another Bald Eagle Sighing, At The Susquehanna Wetlands
The skies were clear and the late February sun was shining brilliantly on Sunday morning here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Of course, as usual, I drove to the Susquehanna Wetlands in Luzerne County to take advantage of the sunshine. It was a cold 20 degrees when I arrived at the wetlands around 8:30 a.m. The cold…
Read MoreClouds, Rain And Not Many Snow Geese At Middle Creek
March arrived with mild weather here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. And, as has been my custom for the past 18 years, this meant a visit to the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area . This 5000 acre wildlife preserve is located on the Lebanon/Lancaster County border about 65 miles from my home in Luzerne County, It has…
Read MoreSunshine, Snow Geese, Tundra Swans And A Bald Eagle At Middle Creek
I was up early Sunday morning at my hotel in Lebanon. I had a cup of coffee in my room and was off to the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Reserve just as the first light of dawn started to brighten the eastern sky. The skies were clear and the waning quarter moon was setting in…
Read MoreOnly A Few Snow Geese, And People, On Another Rainy Saturday Visit To Middle Creek
I returned to the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties last Saturday. This time I drove down from my home in Luzerne County with my brother Mike and my nephew Mikey. We have been visiting Middle Creek to see the migrating snow geese for the last 18 years. We have experienced…
Read MoreBald Eagles, Some Birds And River Otters On A Dreary Early March Hike in the Susquehanna Wetlands
March is an unpredictable month here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Temperatures can range from 0 to near 80 degrees. We have had flooding from tropical rains and blizzards that have dumped over two feet of snow. And these variations can occur overnight. I experienced a small sample of this on my hike in the Susquehanna Wetlands…
Read MoreMarch Sunshine, Warmer Temperatures And Some Wood Frogs At Community Park.
It’s hard to believe it has been over three months since my last hike in the Community Park near my home in Hazle Township, Luzerne County. I last hiked here on November 28. There are only a few days until Spring arrives, so it looks like I survived another Winter here in Northeastern Pennsylvania.…
Read MorePhoebes, Spring Peepers And Sunshine, A Springlike Walk On The Last Weekend Of Winter At The Wetlands.
The Vernal Equinox, known by most folks as Spring, arrives on Tuesday at 11:06 p.m. And it felt like Spring when I visited the Susquehanna Wetlands in Luzerne County again on Saturday. This is not always the case in mid March . Many a year there is still ice and snow on the ground here…
Read MoreA Late Winter Hike Around Lake Chillisquaque In The Montour Preserve
I made my third visit to the Montour Preserve and Lake Chillisquaque in Montour County last Sunday . I first visited this 600 acre private preserve with my young nephew Mikey and niece Brooke about 15 years ago. We were looking for fossils at the fossils pit. I returned again in December to help with…
Read MoreFlorida Day One: Birds, Butterflies And Alligators: A Mid-Afternoon Hike In Shark Valley In The Everglades.
I love the Florida Everglades. The everglades are a flooded, flat grasslands unique, on our planet, to Southern Florida. I first learned of the Everglades watching the Flipper and Gentle Ben television shows in the 1960’s ( yes I am old). I remember imagining exploring the Everglades and looking for alligators and snakes on an…
Read MoreFlorida Day Two: Everglades National Park. An Early Morning Hike In Shark Valley
As usual, I was up early Thursday morning on my second day in Florida . I wanted start my hike on the Shark Valley trail in the Everglades National Park at sunrise. It would be a lot cooler, less crowded, and hopefully have more bird and wildlife activity than my hike the previous afternoon. After …
Read MoreFlorida Day Two: A Short Afternoon Hike Around The Miccosuckee Casino And Resort Grounds
It was late Thursday afternoon during my stay at the Miccosuckee Casino and Resort in southwestern Miami. The resort is owned and operated by the Miccosuckee Native American tribe and is at the edge of the Everglades on Route 41. I had hiked five miles on the Shark Valley Trail in the Everglades National Park…
Read MoreFlorida Day Three: A Hike Before The Rain On The T-67 Extension Trail In The Northern Everglades National Park.
When I was leaving for my trip to Florida and the Everglades there was no rain in the long term forecast. The 10 day forecast showed sunny or partly sunny days everyday during my stay. I was blessed. I thought to myself , because it always seems to rain sometime on my visits to the…
Read MoreFlorida Day Four: Everglades National Park: Back On The Old Ingraham Highway After The Rains, Almost
The rains finally ended on Saturday afternoon during my stay in Florida City, almost. I was here on my visit to the Everglades and I decided to drive back out to the Royal Palm Visitor Center and hike on the nearby Old Ingraham Highway again. I hiked here earlier in the day as noted in…
Read MoreFlorida Day Three: Everglades National Park. A Break In The Rain And A Quick Visit To The Royal Palm Visitor Center
The unexpected heavy rains continued all day last Friday on my Florida trip. I had hoped to visit the Royal Palm Visitor Center in the Everglades National Park after my arrival in Florida City. The rains were torrential with sever thunder and lightning. Roads were flooded. So I spent the afternoon in my hotel room.…
Read MoreFlorida Day Six. Key Largo. Not Much Wildlife On A Morning Hike On The HM 40 Abandoned Nike Missile Base Trail.
On my second day in Key Largo during my recent visit to South Florida I decided to hike on the HM 40 Nike Missile Base Trail in the Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park. On my last hike on the HM 40 Nike Missile Base Trail, two years ago, I required a back…
Read MoreFlorida Day Four: Everglades National Park: A Quick Hike on the Old Ingraham Trail Before The Rains Started Again.
There were no tornados overnight on Friday during my recent trip to South Florida. I went to sleep in Florida City with tornado warnings on my iPhone. There were, however, severe thunderstorms, heavy rains and flooding. I was staying here on my visit to the Everglades National Park. The rain had stopped when I awoke…
Read MoreFlorida Day Six: Key Largo. A Walk Through A Quiet Neighborhood And Along A Busy Canal Ending With A Manatee Sighting.
There was little rest for me on my recent visit to the Everglades and the Florida Keys. I pretty much was active from dawn to dusk every day, hiking, editing photo working on my blog and eating. I was also checking in with my office and returning calls and emails. This wasn’t the plan. I…
Read MoreA Peaceful Easter Sunday Morning At The Susquehanna Wetlands
In the past, Easter Sunday morning always began with a visit to my parents. ( I usually attended the Saturday evening church services). I would share a traditional hard boiled Easter egg with horseradish from the Blessed Easter basket with my dad and mom. Mom and dad are gone now so I spend Easter mornings …
Read MoreFlorida Day Five: Florida City : Morning Hikes On the Southern Glades Trail , By Mistake, And Aerojet Road Trail
The skies were clear when I awoke in Florida City Sunday morning, The unexpected rain storm, that dropped records rains on South Florida ended. It was a cool 61 degrees when I left my hotel and drove to the Southern Glades Trail located on the outskirts of Florida City about five miles from the Everglades…
Read MoreMy First Visit To The Erie Canal In New York, As Insurance In Case Of A Cloudy Solar Eclipse.
I hiked along the tow path of the Erie Canal on Friday afternoon just outside of Weedsport, New York. I had wanted to visit the Erie Canal since I first read about it in elementary school. I learned this famous canal was vital to the economic development of our young Nation. My desire to see…
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