Disappointing the Purists

If a person either ignored the wind or dressed for the wind today, it really ended up being a pleasant day. A bright shining sun put a big dent in the ice cover we received this past week.

Conditions were so nice that I went canoeing, hiked a couple of miles with my backpack on, and then began testing my wilderness power system - a solar panel, battery pack, and battery chargers.

I used to be a purist about electronics on my backcountry outings. Carrying electronics did not seem to allow for a full disconnect from our day-to-day life. However, after having two people suffer sudden cardiac arrests while canoeing with me, I never.…

Thankful for Tired Veins

Here we are, seven years into a long battle with cancer. I hate cancer, but what I do and do not like does not matter. Cancer strikes when you do not expect it and cancer is indiscriminate.

The cancer I am referring to is not mine, but a dear family member’s disease. I am healthy (as far as I know) and my family member is stable. But, that stability with a cancer diagnosis does not come easy. At least every three weeks we travel to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for a dose of expensive meds that make the disease more visible for the body to see and fight. So far this form of treatment has been tolerated well and appears to be keeping the disease to a minimum level - an almost imperceptible level.

To deliver the soup into the veins requires needle pokes - many of them. My family member began this journey with veins that had already endured decades of efforts carrying blood through them. Then those very veins began a regiment of being poked and prodded at a regular interval. When successful on the needling, chemicals are then….

What Once Was Lost Has Been Found

Many years ago our family of four traveled to the west coast to visit family members and spend a day at Disneyland. During our drive westward we stopped in Colorado for a hike up in the mountains. What we did not know at the time was that I am sensitive to altitude. Whether I acclimate or not, if I go too high (doesn’t take much) I feel the effects in a not so pleasant way.

On this trip we began our hike at around 8,800 feet. Partway up the hike Kristy and our daughter decided it would be best for them to not continue climbing while my son and I kept going. By the time he and I reached our camp for the night, both of us were quite ill. In fact, we heard a large animal or animals sniffing outside of our tent and….

Future Beauty…Bring the Bees and Butterflies

I must admit, after opening yesterday’s delivery I am very excited. Kristy and I are going to plant an acre of ground near our home in pollinator habitat and our seeds have arrived!

The base vegetation will be primarily a mix of grasses with a handful of forb species mixed in. To add color and more wildflowers, we…

Long Time No See

Since we are no longer as close as we used to be to this lone tree in a field, I do not see it very often. Tonight our paths crossed with a touch of colors behind the tree. I paused, shot a couple of pictures, and continued on.

Seen Before Testing Began

I had the day off today so I invested my time in testing the in-the-field video and audio quality differences, along with image stabilization qualities, between my IPhone and my GoPro. If I had an external mic for my phone like I do for my GoPro, the differences would approaching insignificant levels for my hiking/backpacking uses.

En route to the testing at Malanaphy Springs I passed by this bald eagle on perch along the road. As the picture shows, it did not remain still for long.

Looking for Sheds and Other Things

Now that most of the snow is gone again (thank goodness!!), it was time for me to get out to look for antler sheds. Rather than drag this post out, I will tell you I found no sheds - nothing, not one shed.

Although I found no sheds, I did find something that really got me excited. I found my second saw-whet owl of the year! Along with the owl there was mouse on the branch next to the owl - obviously an indicator of….

Practicing, Like Old Times

Years ago I hiked countless miles with a backpack to prepare for a hike on the Appalachian Trail, across Isle Royale National Park, on the Escarpment Trail in the Porkies, or various other destinations.

Some time has passed since I last did a backpacking trip, but the urge is stronger than ever. I am hopeful that sometime this spring, summer, or fall I will be able to go for a long walk again.

To prepare for such an outing, Kristy and I hiked some miles today while I carried a pack. Over the past weeks I have gone over every item in the pack to…

I Wish I Could Bring Everyone With Me

This afternoon I had the honor of sharing wildlife images and stories with folks no longer able to easily get out to explore. Through photos and my stories we were able to wonder some, feel sad a little, and laugh often. My time with these friends was really my joy for the afternoon and I thank Mark for getting the process started.

As I drove away after my program, my eyes were tuned to the environment around me. Would I or would I not see wildlife in a position that was interesting and close enough for me to attempt to photograph it? Nine miles into my journey home I spotted a shape deep in a conifer not too far off the ground. Fortunately the bald eagle…

The Battle is Real!

Not cold, not snow, not wind seems to stop the irritating visits by small rodents in our yard. When it warmed the past few days, mole and vole destruction was evident near the flower bed. Several traps have been set but I have yet to stop one.

On a smaller scale we have a continuous supply of mice. This mouse succumbed to the force of spring steel when the rodent went to work on a kernel of corn. Turn out the lights…the mouse party at our house has ended!

This mouse has been offered to larger predators to help them through the winter. I really don’t care whether it is a fox, a hawk, or a bald eagle that grabs this snack. Please, take it away and then come back and hunt the living critters!

So Many Questions

A scientist I am not. A person who cares for the earth I am. My passion is not just wildlife or beautiful areas, but also includes a precious finite resource - our soils.

When I drove past this plant tonight and noticed steam being released to the sky, I wondered how much carbon dioxide was also being discharged. Were critical levels of carbon dioxide venting from the stacks? Have the cumulative levels rising upward been threatening to the environment? If the carbon dioxide is captured, pressurized, piped, and sequestered hundreds of miles away, will our earth habitat be better for it? Really, will we be better for it, or will a limited number of people make possibly collect large amounts of money (including taxpayer dollars) at the cost of insult to our soils?

As a curious fellow who reads often, and as a Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner who has had plenty of discussions about how soil is not just dirt, but is its own ecosystem, I am concerned about the impact of burying pipelines that extend between states to deliver carbon dioxide to holes in the ground for “permanent” capture.

If the pipeline construction project has such a minimal impact to the soil, why do so many producers oppose the project? Why is threat of eminent domain being tossed around? Why are our lawmakers currently discussing legislation to prohibit eminent domain for carbon dioxide pipelines (and maybe other products)? Why?

If pipeline construction is touted as minimally disruptive (the soil will be returned), then why are special construction processes (horizontal/directional boring) offered as a goodwill effort where rivers and wetlands are crossed? Do we know the answer? Is it possible that the best efforts to return the soil to pre-construction quality is not possible? Is it possible the construction process is destructive and is threatening? Shouldn’t all soil be considered fragile, since it is? Our soil is valuable. Our soil is not simply replaceable.

Nature Imitates Human Displays

How appropriate that on this Valentine’s Day I am fortunate enough to find and photograph two adult bald eagles sitting side-by-side on a branch high in a conifer. And how ironic is it that the birds appear to be displaying emotions we sometimes see in humans.

Kristy and I often comment when we see pictures, often announcing a long, milestone anniversary, of couples who appear to be completely disillusioned by the decades they have spent together. Frequently one, but sometimes both, look grumpy, angry, displeased…

Peak-A-Boo Bald Eagle (and Repetition Explained)

With the current bald eagle courtship and nesting season well underway, eagle observations are frequent and sometimes, like today, more interesting than routine.

I found today’s featured bald eagle on the backside of a conifer, almost appearing as if it was playing “Hide and Seek” with me. While the bird did its best to hide from me, it did not take flight to avoid me. With an eagle on perch and me ready with my camera, I shot a few photos.

Initially the eagle may have had the opinion if it could not see me, then maybe I could not see it. That wasn’t the case and the partially hidden eagle allowed for interesting compositions. Eventually, the eagle allowed a clear view and more images were recorded.

Regarding frequent bald eagle pictures…

Naomi or George

Kristy and I are visited on a routine basis by adult bald eagles. Due to frequently seeing multiple birds, we are assuming them to be a pair with young in the area.

We have named the birds Naomi and George in honor Kristy’s parents. Neither, from what I remember, was particularly fond of birds. Still, the connection to Kristy’s parents warrants the honor of naming beautiful birds after them.

This morning I was attempting to leave when I noticed…

I Might Believe Anything on This Topic

Astrophotography has got to be my least familiar photography topic. As much as I try, other than the obvious stars and the moon, I struggle to know what is out there in space during the dark of night (that really is not dark!).

Once again tonight I went looking for the green comet. Like previous attempts, I am finding a very bright spot that may or may not…

I Took My Canoe For A Ride

Ice changed my plans for paddling today.

The afternoon was going to be on the Shell Rock River, enjoying the protected water corridor, but when I arrived there was too much shelf ice at too sharp of an angle for me to…

I’ll Fly Away

My photo for today isn’t much…just an image of an immature rough-legged hawk. As much as I tried, I was not able to capture a better image of this bird. It simply did not want a picture taken.

As I Explained

Wow! What a nice turnout and engaged audience for my nature photography presentation tonight! I sincerely appreciate so many of you taking time out of your schedules to look at photos, talk stories, and ask questions. I sure had fun!

Near the end of my presentation I explained how when I started my “Picture a Day” project eighteen years ago I wondered if I would find something each day to photograph. I mentioned that I quit worrying about finding a photo subject because something always came through.

Today, even tonight, I was not certain what image I would record and share with viewers. After all, it was dark, the day was long, and…

Tough as Ducks

During the spring migration I often spend time attempting to photograph waterfowl in flight. Bird in flight imaging is challenging - the birds are moving, my camera and I are moving, and exposures and focus are ever changing. In other words, there are many moving parts that need to align to produce a single image that is acceptable. For that reason, my success rate on ducks in flight is considerable lower than when I photograph stationary birds.

With our heavy blanket of snow forcing ring-necked pheasants to field edges, I have had ample opportunity to practice photographing nearly stationary birds in fields along road edges. Yes, some of the pictures have been interesting and worked, but what I have wanted was nicely lit, correctly exposed and focused rooster pheasant in flight images. Today I came pretty close.

If you look carefully you can see…

Restoring Balance

(Note: This image was created last night, after a very long weekend.)

I do not hide that some of my responsibilities in life have dramatic impacts on my emotional well-being. Considering I routinely respond to disasters, medical emergencies, and death scenes, it became important that I found a technique to bring balance back to my emotions after particularly trying incidents.

This past weekend was challenging for many of us. Our EMS pagers sounded more often than normal. With EMS providers being in short supply, that meant several responses with an ambulance within a short time period.

Yesterday the tones went off for many to respond to a particularly violent trauma call. Many of us worked together for hours to process the scene. As the process was wrapping up, I recognized a need to restore balance again.

Nature is my “go to” when life is weighing heavy on my mind. So last night, cold or not, I…