Thanksgiving

I started this blog as a way to keep me motivated and to share with my friends both here and aboard. To that end I think it was successful. But as I've gone more into this, I see it as trying to educate people. Let's face it, there is a lot of ignorance about nature out there. By posting photos I hope that it does several things, makes you open your eyes to the beauty around us, makes you question and to seek answers.

How many of you can with a high degree of confidence name the plants (native) in your yard?Your neighborhood? How about birds? Rodents. How many know the insects? Even the experts are still confounded. We know, but we don't know.

Love what we got, get to know what we've got. Protect it, fight hard,question,wonder. Give a damn.

Be thankful some do.

Edward Abbey worked as park ranger for a big chunk of his life. He liked to tell when someone asked him about a plant, he would respond, "What it is ma'm, no one knows, but men call it..."

There is so much to know, so much to see, so much to do. Start small,learn something new everyday. If you know something, you are more inclined to protect it and to love it.Or at least respect it.

And thus we give Thanks.

Friday morning.

A few miscellaneous photos for today.

This time of the year, the cluster flies are demanding to get in. Some years their numbers inside make for a setting that almost rivals a horror flick. Bernd Heinrich wrote about vacuuming up thousands in his camp here in Maine. And on those last warm days of autumn, the ones left outside,(and the ones inside,now clamoring to get back out), it's enough to drive a man nuts.

I noticed this one the night before. Holding fast and when I poked and prodded it, there was no sign of life.

I have seen numerous flies in the same position, stiff legged, abdomen raised, head down, wings canted up. Inside and out, I'll come across them. even on the windows, where if you look carefully, you will see a white bloom around the body on the glass. A hmm moment. It appears the flies have a fungus that has taken their life. I had read that recently, and now I can't find the source.

And the Snowshoe Hares are changing to white. It's not a problem when the snow is here, but they stick out when it's not.

Boreal chickadee

I have no problem with birds. They in fact come to me.

I like birds, they like me.

Except a certain paatridge.

Happenings

It's been a busy past week. First I was out in the woods, when I saw a large bird sitting on a lower limb. It was hunched over looking at something on the ground with it's back towards me. When I lifted my camera,the whir of the autofocus caused it to turn and look directly at me. I couldn't believe my eyes, staring back was a Great Gray Owl. They don't live here. At least they aren't supposed to, but here was one. Those yellow eyes, and that face, it was incredible.

So I spent a lot of time trying to see it again. I haven't and in a way, I'm happy with that. Sometimes you just need to know they are around.

I have been running into a lot of moose too. Today, I came across a cow and twins.

Gray Jay

Gray Jays are rather tame. Always looking out for a handout, aways entertaining.

Visitor from the North

It always happens. I take the dog for a walk, and see a bird. This time it was a Lapland Longspur, a bird from the north. They nest on the tundra and winter down in the states in open areas. As I was driving out this morning, he (or she) was at the end of my drive and very nicely sat still for me.

I am in awe of my lens. It's a Nikon 80-400 with antivibration . I had always been trained to use a tripod. It was so ingrained in me that I always used one. But I had also been trained to try different styles and techniques. Well the darn thing works. Hand held without support. Yep, it's a Lapland longspur!

First snow.

The weather system that has been dropping snow across the country finally got here.