Stormy Day

Posted on by Rebecca C.

Phone rings. The answering machine picks up. From the open window, I hear my mother’s voice:

“Stop taking pictures of the storm and get in your house. I refuse to explain to the doctor why you were struck by lightning.”

Yes, I went back in and called my mom to ease her worries. I live right beside my parents. There’s actually distance between the two farm houses which is why I had to ask if she could see me outside. Her reply:

“No, I just know you.”

Her answer was perfect.

Dark skies, wind, thunderstorms, heavy rain, tornado watches (and warnings)…just another day in Michigan. As I type this, we are still under thunderstorm/tornado watches. I guess, the storms are one of the main reasons why I am still awake. I like to keep an eye on the weather during these watches and warnings.

Michigan has seen a little bit of everything as far as weather is concerned.  Mother Nature was busy keeping our lives interesting. There have been reports of tornadoes. In fact a tornado touched down in Portland earlier. From the pictures on social media and the news, the place resembles a war zone. Despite all the damage, no major injuries or deaths have been reported which is the best news to come out of all the destruction.

For my area, I noticed the birds and other wildlife seemed extra hungry prior to the beginning of the storms. I was told this is normal; the animals will eat early in order to take shelter later. I am going to have to do some research to see if this theory is true or not.

Until next time…peace

 

Things I Learned On My Hike Today

Posted on by Rebecca C.

I love being outdoors; wandering around in the wooded areas has always been one of my favorite activities. So, here are some things I learned on my hike today.

1. In the back area, the Maple River breaks off into smaller creeks. One of these creeks are located on the back property. I love going down there to photograph wildlife.  Jumping over the small opening that leads to the creek was a lot easier when I was sixteen. I made the jump for the most part; I just got stuck in the mud. Oh well, my boots can handle it. I wouldn’t expect anything less for springtime in Michigan.

The Creek

  1. The smallest little creatures can cause me to jump if I am not paying attention to the trail. Yes, this tiny frog about gave me heart failure.

Frog in the Trail

  1. The flowers popping up all over on the dull, muddy grounds are a welcome sight. The small beauties stand tall against the last remnants of winter.

Wild Flowers

  1. The most unusual places can provide the biggest inspiration. I admit there are days where I could just spend hours sitting in the middle of the woods. (I need to remember to carry a note pad with me.) Being outdoors is good for my creative soul.

A Place in the Woods

  1. The snakes are out. I am not really afraid of snakes especially this harmless Garter snake. But I am concerned I will accidently come across one that is just “not nice”. Growing I was always told about poisonous snakes, I think the stories are always in the back of mind. The only snake in Michigan that is poisonous is the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake. Or commonly known as the Michigan rattler is known to be a rare sight. But they do like the wetlands and the wooded areas which is where I frequent. I have never come across one in the wild.

Garter Snake Garter Snake

  1. I came across this wonderful pair of Canadian Geese who were not happy with my presence. They were both very vocal. I am assuming she had a nest nearby; I didn’t want to disturb her too much.

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  1. Even in the muddiest water, there are signs of life.

Snail

I hope everyone had a chance to get out and enjoy the sun today. Now, the sky is beginning to cloud over; there’s a 90% chance of rain for the overnight. So, I am glad I was able to get out for a couple of hours. I can fill the rainy days with writing.

Until next time….peace

Another Spring Day?

Posted on by Rebecca C.

Another Spring day here in Michigan.  I say this with a tone of sarcasm. Even though the weather is really typical for Michigan. I woke up this morning to snow.  Not much just enough to let me know the air would be cold and damp all day. In fact the snow has actually disappeared already.  According to the weather report, there is a promise of warmer weather coming in.

So, I took my own advice from yesterday’s blog and went for a walk. The walk was a bit “crispy” but I enjoyed seeing all the wildlife. I was able to view a magnificent Sand Hill Crane fly over the back property. She (no I don’t know if the crane was a female for certain, I don’t have that knowledge) was spectacular to watch. Her enormous wind span is such a sight. I could watch cranes all day especially when they use that low throttling call. I find their “song” beautiful.

The Canadian Geese were making their voice heard down on the river flats as I approached. I accidentally startled a small pair of wood ducks.  When I returned to my house, I noticed a small herd of Whitetail Deer (around 12) were making their way across the field. I am happy to see the wildlife returning to the area. As more and more wildlife becomes visible or heard, I know the warmer weather is fast approaching.

Winter Has Arrived

Posted on by Rebecca C.

 

I was playing around with some software.  Winter has definitely arrived in Mid-Michigan.  The temps are so cold…below zero with the high of the day being 9 degrees and a wind chill of minuse 24.  Brrr!  I haven’t been able to get out and take many photos.  It’s a little too cold for me.

Hope everyone is having a great week so far…..

 

National Bird Day

Posted on by Rebecca C.

“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.”~~Lou Holtz

Today, January 5, 2015 is National Bird Day.  I like the idea of birds having a day dedicated just to birds in general.  To me, birds are just interesting creatures.  In the last couple of years I have become more involved in bird watching which is something I never thought I would do. The changing weather earlier in the spring brought about different types of birds to the area that I had not previously viewed in the wild. The rains had left the creeks full and standing water in the ponds that usually dry up quickly. I was able to see a King Fisher and lots of Herons.  I spent a lot of time photographing these lovely birds.  I had days I just spent outside.

Sparrow

Now that winter is upon us, I have making certain that the feeders are full especially today with the temperature belong zero and the wind chill being even colder.  At least, I know that I have done a little bit to help out my feathered friends while the snow continues to build up.

Chickadee

Anyways the little Black Capped Chickadees will let me know if the feeders are low, they love to voice their opinions as soon as I open the door.  But I love to hear the diminutive bird chirping at me as I fill the feeders. I also love how the Sparrows with all their feathers puffed out sit on the branches near my window.  I think sometime they are waiting to be fed.  Or they are telling me to hurry up.

Now with Snowy Owls and Pileated Woodpeckers back in the area, I am hoping to get some better photos of these magnificent birds as well.

Snowy Owl

Favorite Photos of the Week

Posted on by Rebecca C.

I am going to try to upload photos every Sunday night.  My favorites throughout the week, I am planning to do one every week though out the year. The week was cold except for today which was snowy.  I actually enjoyed the snow; I walked around the back property and just relaxed in the peaceful atmosphere.

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My old barn standing against the snowy background.

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The sun peaking through the clouds on the snowy day.

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My favorite walking path.

Crows

 

The crows at the public access.

 

 

Last Sunset of 2014

 

The last sunset of 2014, I hope everyone has a great 2015.

Crows: Fascinating Creatures

Posted on by Rebecca C.

“Keep to Nature’s heart….and break clear away,

 once in a while, climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods,

wash your spirit clean” –John Muir.

 

The last couple of days were just cold.  The temps barely crawled out of the teens and the wind chill was always in the negatives.  Today has been a little warmer plus the sun is shining brightly which always seems to make everything seem more pleasant.

Since the weather has been colder than I really like, I have been spending my free time just driving around in my car. No matter what I do like to get out for a little while.  If I can’t get out and walk around, I will go for a short drive.  I originally was out to find Snowy Owls to photograph.  I know, they are in the area.  But I have only seen one. Of course, I did not have the camera I wanted to use at the time.

I did park my car at the public access to watch what types of birds were around.  The area was mostly quiet except for these Crows.  Now to be honest, I have always been fascinated with Crows and Ravens.  There is just so much mythology and folklore surrounding these birds, I can’t help but be interested.

Crows are very intelligent little creatures.  Here are some quick facts about the Crows intelligence.

  • Crows can remember your face.
  • Crows will often work together in a manner that is almost conspiring in nature. If there is an obstacle in the way of getting to a food source; Crows will work together to overcome the obstacle and achieve their goal.
  • Crows memories are so good; they can go to the exact location where they have hidden food away for later consumption. They actually will hide food in different places to get them through the colder months when food sources are scarce.
  • Crows actually have the ability to display signs of happiness, sadness and anger.

So as I watched this group of Crows (also known as a murder of Crows), I was wondering if they were watching me as much as I was watching them.

 

Sun Halo and Sun Dog

Posted on by Rebecca C.

“There is no better designer than nature.” Alexander McQueen

Each time I find something new or unique in nature, I think of the above quote.

I am one of those people who will pull over alongside of the road to take a photo of whatever interests me.  I can’t help it, I love photographing anything I want to research or learn more about especially when the phenomenon involves nature. Today was no different.

The sun was shining brightly but as I drove around.  I noticed a ring around the sun in the form of a rainbow.  I was instantly intrigued. Of course, I did not have my good camera with me.  But I had my little pocket camera that goes everywhere with me.  I pulled off the side of the road and snapped a few photos.

Sun Dog

I figured there had to be a formal name for what I witnessed, so I started researching this evening. The ring forming around the sun is known as a 22˚ degree halo or sun halo.  Basically, the ring forms around the sun when sunlight passes through ice crystals in the clouds.  And, yes the temperature has to be 22˚ degrees.

Sun Dog 2

The bright spots on the side have another name. “At the points on the 22° halo which are on a horizontal line with the sun, the arc commonly broadens to two bright spots”, the phenomena is known as a sun dog  (HyperPhysics, n.d.).  I had never seen one of these before today.  In fact, my mother was with me and she stated the same fact.

Sun Dog 3

Reference

HyperPhyics (n.d). The 22˚halo. Retrieved from: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/atmos/halo22.html