As we rolled out of Allegany State Park, we had a choice. Should we visit the County Fair in Little Valley, or head directly to our next campsite? The question became moot when we passed the Seneca Iroquois National Museum.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers Are Unusual Woodpeckers
Everyone who has spent any amount of time outside has seen or heard a woodpecker at one time or another. Several species live in the eastern half of the United States, including red-headed woodpeckers, red-bellied, downy, hairy, pileated and yellow-bellied sapsuckers.
On The Road Again: The Lake Erie Section
Early in the morning we left Leith Run and took the Ohio River Scenic Byway, OH-7, up the river to near the Pennsylvania border. There is a power plant every 30 minutes or so all along that stretch, belching huge amounts of coal exhaust.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: Fireflies Light Up the Night
Many of us grew up chasing fireflies in our yards during the summertime. They were fun to watch and even more fun to catch. These insects are also called lightning bugs, and both names are appropriate since these creatures have the ability to light up with their amazing internal light source.
On the Road, Again (with apologies to Jack Kerouac)
Susan and I are on the road, again. It would be easy enough to say, "Summer's here- the road called, and we responded." But Susan was already selling the idea of a road trip this summer, before we got home from our road trip last summer. Just another example of how well I married.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: Hummingbirds In The Garden
Hummingbirds are amazing little creatures. They are the smallest birds that will visit your back yard this summer, and they are definitely one of the most interesting. Hummingbirds can hover in mid-air, and they are also the only birds that can fly backwards.
Photographing Dragons
Dragonflies were part of my youth. My father was a freshwater fisherman- dragonflies are found around freshwater. I grew up watching their amazing aerial acrobatics.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: Inquisitive Chipmunks Are Always Hungry
The Eastern Chipmunk is a common sight in backyards, parks and woodlands throughout the most of eastern United States and southern Canada. They do not live in the coastal areas of southeastern states, as they both prefer forested and colder habitats, but wherever they are found these curious little mammals are fun to watch.
Flat Tops Wilderness Elk Hunt
Every archer dreams of hunting elk in the Rocky Mountains, riding on horseback deep into the interior, and matching wits with bugling bulls. I was fortunate enough to experience that dream, and it was everything I hoped it would be.
On the Oconoluftee, With a Fly Rod
Gentle rain fell. The brook murmured gently in some places, fairly roared in others. Tammy Wilson and Jim Tedesco waded carefully, casting flies in an attempt to fool a wary trout. We were fishing the Oconoluftee River, on the reservation of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee, in western North Carolina.
Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
If you’ve seen a large yellow butterfly in your yard or garden this summer, chances are good that it was a tiger swallowtail butterfly. Tiger swallowtails are one of the easiest butterflies to identify in the eastern United States since they are bright yellow with very distinct black “tiger stripes” on their forewings.
A Visit To The Alexander Springs Run
Any visitor to Florida's Ocala National Forest needs to include the Alexander Springs Run on their list of things to see. This first-magnitude spring discharges over 60 million gallons of spring water daily, with a boil strong enough to be easily observed from the shoreline.