photography
Stockholm To Helsinki. A Rainy Morning Walk In Stockholm And Then Crossing the Baltic Sea
I was up early my last day in Stockholm, hoping to spend my last morning in Djurgarden Island. I wanted to walk through the famous wooded parks and visit some of the many museums. Unfortunately heavy rain changed my plans. I did get to see a lot of the island including the Rosendal Palace and…
Read MoreScandinavia Day Twelve: A Morning In Helsinki Finland: Churches, Sports And The Arts.
I awoke early aboard the ferry on the Baltic Sea hoping to watch the sun rise over the ocean but was disappointed to find rain falling falling from a cloudy sky. Breakfast wasn’t served until 7:30 a.m so I spent some time editing photographs and catching up on Facebook and a blog post. After breakfast,…
Read MoreHelsinki Finland Part Two: History, Hiroshima And A Heavenly Sunset Under Finnish Skies.
My day in Helsinki continued with a very scenic ferry ride through the harbor to the historic Fortress of Finland or Suomenlinna. It was a beautiful mostly sunny day with puffy cumulus clouds floating in the blue sky. A perfect day to be on the Baltic Sea. We passed large cruise ships and the…
Read MoreScandinavia Day Thirteen: An Unscheduled Visit To Enchanting Tallinn Estonia On The Last Day Of Our Tour.
It was another early start on the last day of our tour of Scandinavia. Our group decided to take the 53 mile trip over the Baltic Sea to Tallinn the capitol of Estonia. I would have liked to have seen more of Helsinki but was excited to see another, even more exotic country. Our ferry…
Read MorePicking Mushrooms Is No Picnic, But We Love It Here In Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Searching for and picking edible mushrooms has long been a tradition here in the “coal regions” of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Each ethnic groups had it’s own traditions and picked different species of the many edible mushrooms that grow in our woodlands and countrysides. Today I decided to look for the hen of the woods (known around…
Read MorePPL River And Wetlands. Summer’s Last Hurrah?
It was hazy, hot and humid here in Northeastern Pennsylvania today, it is still August, for one more day anyway, and it sure felt like Summer. But I found plenty of signs Fall is near during my hike in the PPL River and Wetlands this morning. As some of you know the Wetlands and Riverlands…
Read MorePPL River And Wetlands. Summer's Last Hurrah?
Bear In The Backyard.
I came home from my morning walk on Monday morning and this large male black bear sitting in my back yard eating the corn I out out for the deer and turkey. It looked like the same bear who had been ripping my bird feeder down these past two summers and, who recently, broke into…
Read MoreIt's September And Where Have All The Flowers Gone?
It’s September And Where Have All The Flowers Gone?
Spring is long gone now and Summer is coming to an end here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. And most of flowers we so enjoyed during the past few months are gone too. Some, like the lyrics in the Pete Seeger, were picked by young girls but many developed into fruits, seeds or nuts, and for them…
Read MoreIt's Still Hot, But That's Not Stopping Fall From Arriving.
It’s Still Hot, But That’s Not Stopping Fall From Arriving.
It was another hot and dry day here in northeastern Pennsylvania. We have been experiencing a heat wave this past week and the temperatures are making it feel like mid July. But the heat isn’t keeping the seasons from changing. The signs of fall are everywhere. Even though it’s been very dry I decided to…
Read MoreBear Creek Preserve: Shades Creek Hike.
Since we still haven’t had any substantial rain, and it is very dry in the woods, I thought maybe walking along a creek may help me in my search for some edible mushrooms, especially the delicious hen of the woods or, as known around here, the ramshead mushroom. I decided to explore the Bear Creek…
Read MoreLate Summer Heat In Nescopeck State Park.
It was another sunny and hot day here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. And another day without rain. Normally, this time of year, I’d be searching my favorite mushroom woods looking for the many edible varieties that would be growing. Not this year, very few mushrooms growing because of the very dry weather we’ve been having. So,…
Read MoreA Late Summer Hike, No Mushrooms But Plenty Of Spiders And Dragonflies And A Snake.
The heat wave finally ended here in Northeastern Pennsylvania on Thursday. We got almost an inch of rain and cooler temperatures. I decided to see if the cooler temperatures and rain would have brought out some mushrooms but didn’t find a single one on my hike yesterday. I did find a lot of spiders and…
Read MorePPL Wetlands. Two Hikes, What A Difference A Week Makes.
Last Monday I hiked in the PPL Wetlands on a a sunny and hot late Summer day. Although a lot of the song birds have already flown south, and there were signs of fall everywhere , it still felt like Summer in the sun and heat. The temperature was in the mid 80’s. The sound…
Read MoreSome Perfect Late Summer Weather: No Mushrooms But Some Nice Hikes And A Big Furry Visitor.
We have had perfect late Summer weather here in Northeastern Pennsylvania the past few days. Bright sunshine, calm clear blue skies and warm temperatures. And it’s not just the humans enjoying it. A lot of the forest animals are taking advantage of the weather to fatten up for the upcoming Winter. And one of them,…
Read MoreNot As Exciting As Bears But Bees And Wasp Are Cool Too.
It was another perfect late Summer day here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Cloudless deep blue skies and warm temperature. Still no rain so I didn’t even bother to go out looking for mushrooms. Instead, I took a short hike in the woods near my home with my macro lens. I love walking in the woods and…
Read MoreMid September And Summer Is In No Hurry To Leave This Year.
It was another sunny and hot day here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I did not even bother to look for mushrooms, which most years are abundant this time of year, because of the lack of rain. Instead I hiked out to the local railroad tracks and ponds near my house. And I found out just…
Read MoreTuscarora State Park, The Beach Is Empty But Still Lot To See And Do
It was another sunny and warm day near my home in Green Ridge but not so everywhere in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I decided to hike in Tuscarora State Park, about 12 miles south of my home. I was surprised to find a thick cloud and fog cover when I got there. The park, packed most weekends…
Read MoreAnother Hike In Nescopeck State Park. And Found Some Mushrooms, Not In The Woods But At The Mushroom Fair.
The winds of change were blowing through Northeastern Pennsylvania today, bringing in much cooler, fresh Canadian air. After a cloudy start the skies cleared and I decided to hike in the Nescopeck State Park and check out the Mushroom Fair sponsored by the Wyoming Valley Mushroom Club. I decided to hike the wood Frog Way…
Read MoreEnd Of Summer Hikes, Acorns, Ferns And A Hognose Snake,
We still have about eight hours of Summer left here in the Northern Hemisphere but a couple of walks in the woods the past two days without knowing the actual date could fool you into thinking Fall has arrived. As usual this time of year I went out looking for mushrooms even though the weather…
Read MoreA Most Memorable Day In My Life: The Election Of Pope Francis.
Pope Francis’s arrival in the United States yesterday and his appearances in Washington today have caught the entire world’s attention. His message of preserving this beautiful world God gave us and caring for the poor are welcome in our Nation and our planet. It was with much emotion that watched this humble and peaceful man…
Read MoreLocust Lake State Park. It's Starting To Feel A Bit Like Fall
Locust Lake State Park. It’s Starting To Feel A Bit Like Fall
Fall has come to Northeastern Pennsylvania with cooler temperatures, shorter days and many other signs, including the annual migration of the Canadian geese. I saw my first flock of geese, honking loudly , as they flew overhead headed south for the Winter. I’d usually be out my favorite spots searching for the many species of…
Read MoreFall Magic Is Appearing Almost Overnight.
We finally got significant rain here in Northeastern Pennsylvania last night. The dry spell we have been having has not been good for the edible wild mushrooms which are usually very abundant this time of year. Hoping the rain may have caused some to grow I headed out into the woods after work this afternoon.…
Read MoreBetter Late Than Never: Mushrooms Are Growing In Northeastern Pennsylvania.
We got plenty of much needed rain here in Northeastern Pennsylvania this past week and, although it is very late in the season, it has brought out some of the edible mushroom species. Yesterday, a cool and overcast day, I hiked in the aspen/birch/ pine woods looking for the bolete species that my dad taught…
Read MoreNot Many Mushrooms Today, But Lot Of Color, And Some Wasps, Bees and Spiders.
It was another nice Fall day here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The leaves continue to get more color everyday now and should soon be at their peak. I have been finding quite a few mushrooms since we got some rain last week. This is a photograph of some he of the woods mushrooms(we call them ramsheads…
Read MoreLeaves And Some Other Fall Things.
The colorful Fall foliage is nearing it’s peak here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. And today was a perfect day to enjoy it. Cool refreshing Canadian air filtered into our area overnight and we had plenty of sunshine for most of the day. Of course, I headed out into the woods looking for edible wild mushrooms. I…
Read MoreFall Comes To The PPL Wetlands.
Another beautiful Fall day here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I decided to visit the PPL Wetlands while the foliage still is near it’s peak. It doesn’t last long and I may not get another chance to get down there before the cold weather moves in. It’s much more quite in the wetlands this tie of year.…
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