Birds

When I was a kid, my dad attached a small piece of plywood outside the window of our dining room.  It was a very simple bird feeder.  To put more bird seed out all we had to do was open the window.  It also made it very easy to bird watch.

Little chickadees and sparrows came, so did the Blue Jays.  Robins would sometimes stop by.  The babies would fly away if they saw us moving inside the house but the older birds knew we were not going to hurt them so they often stayed, although on the side opposite the house.

During the summer Mom would hang a hummingbird feeder on the living room window.  That was fascinating.  Again, the babies usually flew away if they saw movement inside, but by the end of the summer we could sit quietly on the sofa under the window and watch them.

Okay, I don't have any pictures of birds.  This is where they like to hang out.

Birds are amazing.  They have to eat a lot to keep up their energy.  That’s why the feeders are so important.

They don’t have to be fancy.  A piece of plywood outside a window works for some birds.  Some birds like to eat from the hanging feeder.  Others like to eat off the ground.  If you want to set up a feeder outside your window, it’s good to know what the birds in your area like to eat and how.  Go to your library and check out some books on birds in your area.  Feel free to use the sources at the end of this blog. 

The place I live now has a tree outside my living room window which is full of birds during the summer.  I love listening to their chatter when the sun rises and sets every day.

Bird watching is an easy way to admire nature, but it does require patience.  You will hear a bird long before you see one (for more than a second).

Pack out what you pack in.

 

Wildlife

Wildlife is the best part of hiking.  I usually don’t see many animals.  I hear them scurry away.  I see leaves rustle as they do.  Squirrels, chipmunks, and rabbits are not scary to come across on the trail.  I often slow down to see how close they let me get.  Usually not very.

I’ve never been a big fan of dogs so I keep my distance from them.  When I see the dog’s owner then I relax, a bit.  Not all dog owners take the time to train their dogs to obey simple commands like come.

Birds on the other hand like the safety of the trees so with a pair of binoculars you can get a good look.  That is without sitting around for hours on end, like you have to do with deer.

Although I’ve noticed more deer in the city, when I come across wildlife in the city it’s a little different.  Some of the animals are not afraid of humans, or at least not as concerned.  One of the rabbits that live under the scrubs outside my patio window sat on the patio while I lay on the floor in my living room, with the window open.  We were no more than five feet apart.  The rabbit enjoying the coolness of the cement at the end of a hot summer day; me just enjoying the wildlife right outside my home.  When I got up so did the rabbit but it sure was a cool 10 minutes.

There’s a commercial out now telling people to go outside and enjoy the time away from technology.  You don’t have to go very far.

Pack out what you pack in.

The Genesis of Butterflies

The Genesis of Butterflies
Victor Hugo
1802-1885

The dawn is smiling on the dew that covers

The tearful roses; lo, the little lovers
That kiss the buds, and all the flutterings
In jasmine bloom, and privet, of white wings,
That go and come, and fly, and peep and hide,
With muffled music, murmured far and wide.
Ah, the Spring time, when we think of all the lays
That dreamy lovers send to dreamy mays,
Of the found hearts within a billet bound,
Of all the soft silk paper that pens wound,
The messages of love that mortals write
Filled with intoxication of delight,
Written in April and before the May time
Shredded and flown, playthings for the wind’s playtime,
We dream that all white butterflies above,
Who seek through clouds or waters souls to love,
And leave their lady mistress in despair,
To flit to flowers, as kinder and more fair,
Are but torn love-letters, that through the skies
Flutter, and float, and change to butterflies.

 
Translated by Andrew Lang

From:  The Gardener’s Book of Poems and Poesies.  Compiled by Cary O. Yager.  ©1996 by Contemporary Books, Inc. Two Prudential Plaza, Chicago, Illinois 60601-6790.

 

 

Gravity of the Moon

The moon doesn’t just reflect the sun it also is important for the earth’s gravity.  The moon keeps the earth from wobbling around as it spins around the sun.  Okay try to imagine that.  Very funny.

It’s the moon that creates the tides also.  Where the moon is facing the earth that side and the side directly opposite has a high tide, the other two sides are in low tide.  Gravity is strongest on items that are close together.

The earth is not a perfect sphere.   Imagination again.  Picture the earth being squished by your thumb and forefinger at the poles.  Not far but just enough to create a small bulge around the middle.  The moon pulls water into the tides twice a day, so all coastal areas experience two high tides and two low tides every day.

The moon causes all of this.  I never would have thought to create a moon to help earth with its gravity.  Would you?

Pack out what you pack in.

Sources:

Explore the Solar System, Earth and Earth’s Moon, © 2011 World Book, Inc.  Chicago, Il 60601, www.worldbookonline.com

World Book’s Solar System and Space Exploration Library, Earth and Earth’s Moon, Second edition, ©2007, World Book, Inc. A Scott Fetzer Company, Chicago, IL.  www.worldbook.com

Snow

I’ve lived in Wisconsin my whole life (except for 2 years in the Chicago suburbs, blog for another day) so I know all about snow.  The first snow fall of the season and the wet kind that clings to everything.  They’re beautiful.

No driving in the snow is not fun but hiking is.  Gander Mountain would love to sell you all sorts of gear for winter hiking.  You can hike safely in the winter without it.  Here’s how.

Dress in layers.  This is practical advice for anyone who hikes.  Especially wear a thick, long scarf.  It can quickly protect your face from wind and just as quickly be shed if the temperatures rise.

Wear good boots.  You can wear any pair of winter boots you have.  About 15 years ago, I paid $100 for a pair of hiking boots.  That was a lot of money for me to shell out but I’m glad I did.  I still wear them.  The treads are good, but the uppers are cracking.  I’m trying to get a couple more years out of them.

Four years ago I spent $15 on a pair of cleats that go over my shoes.  They’re awesome.  The cleats are only at the toe and take a struggle to put on but honestly it was the best 15 bucks I’ve ever spent.  It makes the icy patches less scary.

That’s all I take.  Really, that’s all you need.  Yeah, it would be nice to have a walking stick or snowshoes but they’re not completely necessary.

Hiking in the winter requires you to pay attention to the trail, even if you hike that trail every day.  Ice patches can develop anywhere.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to enjoy all four seasons in the great outdoors.

Pack out what you pack in.