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No Mushrooms But A Pleasant September Morning Hike Around Leaser Lake in Lehigh County.
It was a beautiful September morning last Saturday in Hazle Township, Luzerne County. And September is the peak of wild mushroom season here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. As many of you who follow my blog know, I love foraging for wild edible mushrooms. I have been doing so since I was a young child. Many of…
Read MoreLondon Day One. A Long Day And Long Lines At Westminster Abbey To Pay Respects To The Queen.
Being one who enjoys history, and, having been fortunate to have attended Pope John Paul II ‘s funeral, the election of Pope Francis, and three Presidential inaugurations, it didn’t take me long to decide to travel to London to pay my respects to Queen Elizabeth II after learning of her passing. I am usually not …
Read MoreLondon Day Two: A Walk Past Buckingham Palace , And Floral Tribute To The Queen Elizabeth II At Green Park
Although I didn’t sleep much or well , I was still up early Friday, my first full day in London, hoping to return to Westminster Abbey to pay my respects to Queen Elizabeth II where she was Lying-In-State. It was a cool, mostly sunny morning with temperatures in the low 50′ s when I left…
Read MoreLondon Day Two: The “queue” Extends For Miles, As A Nation Shows It’s Love For Queen Elizabeth II
It was still early Friday morning, my second day in London on my trip to pay my respects to Queen Elizabeth II. After leaving Green Park and Buckingham Palace I continued my morning walk and headed toward Westminster Abbey where Queen Elizabeth II was Lying-In State. I crossed the Mall which was closed to traffic…
Read MoreLondon Day Three. A Morning Walk Exploring Historic Oxford
I first learned of Oxford University from reading the biography of J. R.R. Tolkien. I read it on the back cover of the Hobbit, my first introduction to Middle Earth, when I was , I believe, in the 11th grade in high school. (I love, and I am still inspired by his writings including the…
Read MoreLondon Day Two: A Quick Visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral And The “queue” At Millennium Bridge
I was still tired from lack of sleep and my six mile walk to Westminster Abbey. But on Friday afternoon, during my recent visit to London, after a short rest in my room at the Standard Hotel near Kings Cross I was looking for something to do. I decided to visit St. Paul’s Cathedral and …
Read MoreBirds And Otters: An Autumn Walk in The Susquehanna Wetlands
Autumn, cooler weather and shorter days, have returned to Northeastern Pennsylvania. I have spent the last month traveling ( I was in London’s for the Queen’s funeral. I am still trying to finish my blog posts) and searching for wild mushrooms. ( they were late but I found a lot of mushrooms this past two …
Read MoreFall Foliage And Migrating Birds At The Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails.
Last Spring I observed many species of migrating birds on the Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails near my home in Luzerne County. On Sunday morning I decided to hike on the trail starting at the parking lot on the eastern trailhead near the patch town of Hazle Brook. I was hoping to see at least…
Read MoreExploring Vosburg Neck, Soon To Be One Of Our Three New State Parks.
I had never heard of Vosburg Neck until a few weeks ago. I now know Vosburg Neck is one of the three new Pennsylvania State Parks to be established in the next few years. The future park is located in Wyoming County, near Tunkhannock, about 68 miles north west of my home in Luzerne County.…
Read MoreOctober Ends With Blue Skies, Sunshine And Fallen Leaves At The Susquehanna Wetlands
We had our first heavy frost here in Northeastern Pennsylvania on Saturday, the last Saturday of October. Although it was cold , the clear blue skies and sunshine made for a perfect day for hiking outdoors. So, as I often do, I decided to hike at the Susquehanna Wetlands in Luzerne County. The temperature was …
Read MoreFrost, Fallen Leaves And A Green Heron, Yep, A Green Heron At The Greater Hazleton Rails To Trails
We had a heavy frost here in Northeastern Pennsylvania last Sunday morning. It was a freezing 28 degrees with some high clouds at my home in Hazle Township. I decided to stay close to home and hike on the nearby Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails. Most of the beautiful Fall colors on the trees I…
Read MoreLondon Day Three: Oxford And A Reflective Visit To J.R.R. Tolkien ‘s Grave
Well, it’s been a while since I did a blog on my trip to London. It’s been busy since my return but I finished this one, so back to my recent London adventure. My last post was my Saturday morning in Oxford. I left off at lunch. After my lunch at the Bear Tavern in…
Read MoreLondon Day Four: A Morning Walk From Westminster To The Victoria Coach Station
Although I didn’t sleep well, again, I was still excited when I awoke early Sunday morning in London. I had booked a visit to Stonehenge. A visit to the ancient site has been on my “bucket list’ for most of my life. There were not many times available. There were a lot of tourist in…
Read MoreLondon Day Four: A Short But Awe Inspiring Visit To World Famous Stonehenge
I am sure everyone recognizes the featured image photo of this blog post. It is Stonehenge. Most folks have seen it. These stone pillars are one of the most recognizable structures on our planet. I am not sure when I first saw or learned about Stonehenge. It wasn’t in my early years in elementary school,…
Read MoreAutumnlike Cloud and Leafless Trees But Unseasonably Mild Mid-November Temperatures At The Susquehanna Wetlands.
It’s mid-November, and here in Northeastern Pennsylvania we have had freezing temperatures and snow on ground in many years . Not this year. It has been a mild month. It was cloudy and an unseasonably 60 degrees when I awoke at my home in Hazle Township in Luzerne County early Saturday. As I often do, …
Read MoreMy First Hike In The New Penrose Swamp Barrens State Forest
It has been about ten years since I first hiked in the area known as the Penrose Swamp Barrens. Located primarily in Carbon County in Northeastern Pennsylvania, I would hike to the Penrose Reservoir either by following the active railroad tracks up form the town of Weatherly in Carbon County or following the tracks down…
Read MoreA Heavy Frost And The First Ice In The Susquehanna Wetlands.
As usual I decided to hike in the Susquehanna Wetlands in Luzerne County on Saturday. Last week it was unseasonably mild. Not this week. Temperatures fell into the low 20’s overnight. A weak November sun shone on the clear blue skies when I arrived at the wetlands and walked to thew banks of the Susquehanna…
Read MoreA Cold And Windy Hike In The Butler Preserve And The Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails
The coldest weather of the season arrived last weekend here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Temperatures dropped into the upper teens accompanied by a strong westerly wind. It was blustery and cold. I decided to hike close to home and explore the Butler Preserve adjacent to the Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails in southern Luzerne County. I…
Read MoreA Pleasant Late November Hike In The Susquehanna Wetlands: And Me Thinks I Am Becoming A Birder
The Mirriam-Webster dictionary defines a birder as ” a person who observes or identifies wild birds in their habitats”. I guess this could include a lot of my friends and folks I know. Everyone likes to see and hear the birds in their back yard. However, I always thought of birder as one of the folks…
Read MoreHemlocks, Pitch Pines And Beavers: Another Hike In The Penrose Swamp Barrens
Instead of my usual weekend visit to the Susquehanna Wetlands I decided to return and explore the Penrose Swamp Barrens in Carbon County on Sunday. This 2700 acre wetland and forest is now a part of the Weiser State Forest. It was a sunny and a seasonably cold December morning with temperatures in the mid…
Read MoreBald Eagles, A Pileated Woodpecker, And Brilliant December Sunshine At The Susquehanna Wetlands
It was Saturday, and, although there are dozens of places to visit and trails to hike here in Northeastern Pennsylvania, I decided to return to the Susquehanna Wetlands in Salem Township, Luzerne County. I love this small, private park and nature preserve located along the Susquehanna River. In addition to the beautiful scenery I usually…
Read MoreIt’s Looking A Lot Like Christmas On The Greater Hazleton Rails To Trails
It is less than two weeks until Christmas. And as much as I dislike the cold white stuff we call snow, it does get one into the Christmas spirit. It does for me anyways. I loved snow in my younger years. I looked forward to it every Winter. I walked many miles in hip deep…
Read MoreElevation: What A Difference It Made On Saturday At The Susquehanna Wetlands
The effect elevation has on our weather was made very clear to me on Saturday. I awoke to find my back yard covered with about three inches of snow and ice. I took my usual 2 mile walk through my neighborhood in Hazle Township Luzerne County. The roads and sidewalks were covered in ice and…
Read MoreDidn’t Take Long. Snow Arrives At The Wetlands
In my last blog, from my Saturday hike, you may recall me complaining about the snow and ice that accumulated on the mountain ridge where I live in Luzerne County in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I don’t like ice and snow. So I hiked in the Susquehanna Wetlands in Salem Township, at a much lower elevation, where…
Read MoreBitterly Cold Arctic Air Arrives For Christmas. A Couple Of Frigid Walks in the Wetlands
Frigid arctic air arrived here in Northeastern Pennsylvania on Christmas Eve. It was -4 degrees on Saturday morning with a steady 25 mph wind with higher gusts at my home in Hazle Township in Luzerne County. There were wind-chills warnings but I had to see how the frigid air affected Susquehanna Wetlands and the critters…
Read MoreWhitetail 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…
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