Late afternoon on a perfect fall day. I need a fall fix: birds are migrating, trees are changing colors, and fields are nearly harvested. I need to get out soon or I will miss out as the north rapidly transitions from fall to winter. Long Lake National Wildlife refuge, which is less than an hour’s…
According to the locals, summer in ND is short. How can that be, I thought. The growing season and frost-free dates are the same as SE Wyoming. Yet, after my first summer, I agree; summer is short. More factors come into play besides the growing season. Fluctuating day length is the most noticeable variable. Nights…
Early August: too early to see signs of fall? People in Yuma still sizzle in air temperatures over 100 degrees. The beach goers in Miami simmer now in high humidity and air temps in the 90s. However, if you gaze up to North Dakota on your weather map, you will discover that night temps are…
A few weeks ago I felt bogged down in an endless, long, northern winter. I managed to escape to Denver for 4 days but encountered a snow storm the last day and flew home to minus 20 degrees. My Denver sweet-ums Cooked a favorite dinner: Cuban pork, yellow rice, and black beans In an…
One reason I came home for the last week of my sabbatical was to have steady Internet access while I finish up projects. Funny thing: our local Internet has been awful-up and down or slow. Twice this week I went to the local coffee shop to use their Internet. Despite the minor inconvenience, I am…
I stayed in bed about an hour this morning listening to the birds. They reminded me of a loud meeting. In the background I heard the constant song/chatter of the sparrow. The yellow-eyed Brewers Blackbird offered his one note, a sweet threeeeee. A Crow pitched in now and then with his grumpy caaaww. The Doves…
A Northern Flicker (western version with red marks) visits the suet feeder now. With his red markings, which are not really noticeable in these shots taken from inside the house, he looks ready for Christmas. With that long beak, he pecks at the suet block, which is frozen solid this morning.Later in the day he…
My heart breaks for the people in the Colorado flood areas just south of us. The news gets worse everyday, with more rain on the way. I was shocked to learn that up to 12″ of rain fell in parts of the Front Range. That is normally the yearly total for rain. This part of…
I am writing about this camping trip in advance because I hope for some input. I will be traveling in my van from Wheatland, WY to Akron, OH to pack up my mom/stepdad and help them move to a one-level apartment. I will camp and wander for about 6 days on my way out. The…