Plans Change Some days our agendas change with one phone call. Such was the case in our home this evening. I had just filled my bird feeder and was watching/photographing downy woodpeckers while eating a little bit. A phone call for an emergency was received so we responded. I have only this one mediocre …
Track in Snow, White Timber, Geese on the Move Today’s outdoor efforts can be divided into three distinct categories based on my time with my Nikon. Early this morning I pedaled my fat tire bike in snow for the first time in the 2019 snow season. My tire pressure was low …
Season Ender We are only one-third of the way through November and already moving water on the Wapsipinicon River is beginning to freeze. Hard water puts an end to my kayaking and canoeing real quickly. Even with a thin skim of ice that I was able to break through, I was able …
Voices When I have discussed young people and their involvement in the outdoors on this website, more often than not I express my concern for at least two generations that appear, for the most part, to be disconnected from the environment. Look around when you are out in the wild. How many young people …
A Very Pleasant Lunch Break Among several work-related tasks today was to attend a meeting at Hartman Reserve Nature Center. Our discussions focused on water quality and water quantity – really, how do we improve both without breaking the bank? The contents of the discussions could fill a page or more. I will leave …
It’s Not the Snow As I wandered our yard today in single-digit temperatures with a coating of snow everywhere, I realized it is not the snow I dislike (assuming the snow and ice are not on the roads). My disdain is for the cold temperatures. The snow actually made for a very pretty morning. …
Taking Care of the Girls Many years ago, before I began carrying camera equipment on my hikes in the woods, I would carry a bow or shotgun. I hunted Iowa’s whitetail deer from elevated treestands and from the ground. Many hours were spent scouting before the fall hunting seasons opened and then during the …
Love is in the Air This past weekend I was outside working on my mower that had a flat tire. The yard was filled with leaves that I so wanted to obliterate into a million tiny pieces and I had a flat tire. As I was working on the mower, a helicopter flew over …
Macro Challenge Here is your macro challenge for today. The clues are… it is living, it changes with time, and the fine “hairs” are difficult to see when not looked at in an ultra close mode. What do you think it is? Scroll down when you are ready for the answer. …
Season End? Maybe or maybe not…was today’s paddling on Indian Pond on the Wapsipinicon River my last for 2019? According to weather forecasts, overnight temperatures for later this week could drop to only 16-degrees. Those conditions might possibly convert the open water in front of our cabin to hard water (ice), effectively ending the …