Category: Uncategorized
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Secret Signs in the Snow, part 1
I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape — the loneliness of it — the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it — the whole story doesn’t show. ~Andrew Wyeth, c. 1973, quoted on http://www.quotegarden.com/winter.html A wintertime visit to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens might seem boring or dull compared…
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Feral Winter Lace
This was the scene I arrived to at work several weeks ago. Snow overnight had glazed the unkempt meadow just outside our gates. My footsteps crunched and my breath fogged in the cold air as we got the park set up for the day. I paused briefly to snap this photo before continuing on my…
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Snow Silliness
At my park, one of the things we do to open up each morning is to take a walk around the park and the boardwalk as a group. It’s a nice way to start our day, checking in with each other and looking for cool wildlife. Several weeks ago we got a light dusting of…
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When Polka-dots Go Bad
My friends and family know I love bugs. It makes me really happy to be known as the person you can send random bug pics to, whether for ID help or just to share something cool. Unfortunately, this summer I’ve had several instances where my reply has been negative. It hurts a little to do…
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Nature is for Everybody
There’s been a lot of chaos in the last few weeks. US politics has swung drastically to the right. And the people now in power have been whittling down our freedoms at a pace that’s frankly terrifying. That being said, I want to go on record that this blog supports trans and nonbinary people, 100%.…
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Resolutions 2025
I like setting resolutions. Sometimes I think of them more as goals, especially if it’s something concrete and measurable (like post at least 12 blog entries this year). I’ve heard other folks refer to them as setting their intentions for the year. That speaks to me too, in particular for less definable things. Be more…
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12 Days of Solstice
What if we celebrated 12 days from the winter solstice, instead of from Christmas? What kind of things might we celebrate and honor? Here are my suggestions.
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Duck Envy
I love the wintertime. Not just because I enjoy cozying up in cold weather, although that’s pretty nice– and Luna gets extra cuddly too when it’s cold out. But my main reason for loving winter is that’s when lots of duck species show up in my area. Huge flocks (or rafts) sometimes show up in…
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Feeling Like Snow White
I recently had what I’d call a Snow White moment, one that feels so magical it was like the scene in Snow White where she sings to the forest animals: I was sitting in my living room, probably reading or playing a game on my phone. Luna was insistently scratching at the sliding door onto…
The Contented Naturalist 