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Panama Day 8. A Peaceful Morning Hike And Then Some Afternoon Chaos On My Last Day In Panama
It was partly cloudy with rain in the forecast when I awoke at the Panama Marriot Hotel on my last full day in Panama. I had planned to hike one more time in the beautiful Metropolitan Natural Park . I had learned during my short stay, there is always rain in the forecast in Panama…
Read MoreIce, (And A Very Little Snow) Arrive At The Susquehanna Wetlands
It was foggy at my home in Hazle Township in Luzerne early last Saturday morning. However, this week when I drove to the Susquehanna Wetlands in Salem Township, about 15 miles away, it was mostly clear. This was just the opposite of the previous Saturday when it was clear at my home and foggy in…
Read MoreMany Pleasant Memories And Some History On A Snowy December Morning Walk In Green Ridge
It wasn’t a lot of snow, not for December in my home in Green Ridge in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Two inches fell overnight last Sunday. However, it was enough to create a ‘winter wonderland” in my back yard and in my “Green Ridge” neighborhood in Hazle Township in southern Luzerne County. I am not a fan…
Read MoreAnother Weekend At Susquehanna Wetlands. This Time The Muskrats Put On A Show
As usual, I returned to the Susquehanna Wetlands in Salem Township, Luzerne County last Saturday. There were no minks or otters in the wetlands, but a pair of muskrats put on a show for me this week. I arrived at the wetlands around 8:30 and once again had to walk in since the access road…
Read MoreMy First National Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count At The Montour Preserve
I visited the Montour Preserve in Montour County for only the second time last Sunday. I was here once before, about ten years ago, to visit the Fossil Pit at the preserve with my niece and nephew. I was invited to join a group of birders on Sunday participating in the 124th annul National Audubon…
Read MoreA Quiet And Mild Christmas Morning Hike
It wasn’t a White Christmas this year here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Last year we had snow and below zero temperatures on Christmas. . Not this year, it was an unseasonably mild 40 degrees when I awoke on Christmas morning. In the past I would always visit my parents and aunts early on Christmas morning. They…
Read MoreFinally, A Bald Eagle Sighting On A Dreary Day At The Susquehanna Wetlands
It was another cloudy and dreary late December day here in Northeastern Pennsylvania last Saturday. And once again I decided to hike in the familiar Susquehanna Wetlands in Salem Township Luzerne County. I enjoy my hikes here since I know where the wildlife usually can be found, I just got to be either lucky, or…
Read MoreCosta Rica Day One: Back On The Road And Up In The Sky Again
It’s 5 a.m. as I begin writing this blog 0n Friday January 5 . I am back on the road again, at the Wilkes Barre-Scranton International Airport in Northeastern Pennsylvania. It is a lot less stressful flying out of this airport. It is a 40 mile drive from my home in the Green Ridge section…
Read MoreCosta Rica Day Two: A Morning Exploring A Few Of The Many Trails At The Arenal Observatory Lodge
I was up before dawn on my first morning in Costa Rica. I was staying at the Arenal Observatory Lodge at the foot of the Arenal Volcano. After a cup of coffee in my room I walked to the observation deck and found the volcano was still shrouded in clouds. I had not yet scene…
Read MoreCosta Rica Day Two: Arenal Observatory Lodge: An Afternoon Walk With An Anteater After the Rain.
After my morning walks at the Arenal Observatory Lodge in Costa Rica on Saturday I was going to spend some time on the observation deck watching the many species of birds attracted to the fruit that is put out by the guides. However the skies clouded and rains came and continued into the afternoon. The…
Read MoreCosta Rica: Day Three. Arenal Volcano Observatory Lodge. More Rain In The Rainforest
My alarm went off at 5:30 a.m. It didn’t take me long to remember I was in Costa Rica and in a rainforest. It was raining again. And this time it was a torrential downpour. Even though I was staying at a lodge on the lower slope of the Arenal volcano it was again shrouded…
Read MoreA Wintertime Walk At The Penrose Swamp Barrens Preserve
I was planning to return and explore some more of the Montour Preserve last Saturday. It is where I participated in my first National Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count the previous week. However, there was some snow showers in the forecast so I decided to stay closer to home. I drove to the newly acquired State…
Read MoreCosta Rica Day Four: Arenal Observatory Lodge. More Rainy Walks, Some Mushrooms, And A Waterfall
It was my third morning in Costa Rica, where I was staying at the Arenal Observatory Lodge, at the foot of the Arenal volcano. And, for the third morning, it was raining when I awoke. It was a steady rain but there were still some folks on the observation deck, dressed in full rain gear.…
Read MoreA Return To The Bleakness Of Winter At The Susquehanna Wetlands
Last Sunday morning it had been three weeks since I last visited the Susquehanna Wetlands in Luzerne County on Christmas morning. And one of those weeks was spent in the lush and green tropical rainforest of Costa Rica. It was cold and cloudy when I arrived early in the morning. The stark contrast between the…
Read MoreCosta Rica Day Five: Finally, A Clear View Of The Arenal Volcano And A Long Hike At The Lodge
It was my fifth day at the Arenal Observatory Lodge in Costa Rica when I awoke early Tuesday morning. And it wasn’t raining! It had rained much of the last five days. I still had not seen the summit of the Arenal volcano even though t he lodge is located only a few miles away,…
Read MoreTrudging Through The Snow On the Greater Hazleton Rails To Trails
December and early January were mild here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. There was little snow and almost no ice on our ponds, lakes and rivers. I missed the snow storm last week when I was away in Costa Rica. However when I returned it had already melted. This is very unusual and I knew we would…
Read MoreCosta Rica: Day Six. Arenal Observatory Lodge. Birds, Butterflies And Spider Monkeys
I had seen many beautiful tropical and migratory birds, wildlife, exotic flowers and plants during four day stay at the Arenal Observatory Lodge in Costa Rica. I am sure I would have seen more if we didn’t have the daily steady rains. And it was difficult to discover where the birds were in the many…
Read MoreFinally, Snow And Ice At The Susquehanna Wetlands
Anyone who knows me, or follows my blog or social media, knows I don’t like the cold, snow and ice anymore. I used to. I once loved the snow and cold but that was a long time ago. So I wasn’t real excited about my hike Sunday when I awoke to a 13 degree temperature…
Read MoreCosta Rica Day Seven: My Last Afternoon At The Arenal Volcano Observatory Lodge
It was my last full day at the Arenal Observatory Lodge in Costa Rica. I had wanted to do some hiking in the nearby Arenal Volcano National Park during my seven day stay. The closest trails were about a twenty minutes drive from the lodge, but because of the almost daily rains, I didn’t get…
Read MoreA Few Birds, A Bald Eagle And No Snow At The Susquehanna Wetlands .
Last Sunday I trudged through the snow for the first time this year at the Susquehanna Wetlands in Luzerne County. It was windy and cold and there was ice on the river and ponds in the wetlands and river lands. We had a warm up this week and the snow and most of the ice…
Read MoreCosta Rica Day Eight: A Last Hike At The Arenal Volcano And On To San Jose
I was up early again, before the sunrise at 6 a.m. , on my last day at the Arenal Observatory Lodge in Costa Rica. My ride to San Jose was scheduled to leave at noon. I wanted to get in one more hike before I left . There are so many trails on the lodge’s…
Read MoreHalf Way To Spring: Sunshine, Squirrels And Skunk Cabbage At The Susquehanna Wetlands.
The weather forecast called for clear skies and sunshine this past weekend. Clear skies and sunshine on both Saturday and Sunday. This was exciting news for us folks here in Northeastern Pennsylvania since we haven’t had a sunny weekend since last August. So I was a little disappointed when I awoke to mostly cloudy skies …
Read MoreCosta 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…
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