tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74028499200346603392024-03-08T13:46:24.108-05:00Appalachian HeartbeatWelcome to my blog about life in the Appalachian Mountains from my view in Central West Virginia.Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-11061368155800607652015-09-27T22:43:00.000-04:002015-10-04T21:56:40.654-04:00WALKING ON SKIES OF BLUE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">May 2015</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Nature, with a splash of blue taken </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">from the sky, </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">covered the scars of the old logging road</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">until it looked like a meandering stream </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">with bouquets of </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">flowers tucked </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">between </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the trees along its banks</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">and trilliums</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">with yellow bellworts</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">followed the stream on down the hill</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">until it reached the valley below.</span></div>
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<br />Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-29230332928367547722014-11-10T00:04:00.000-05:002014-11-24T20:40:54.088-05:00AUTUMN SLIPS IN<br />
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Autumn slips into our lives during warm, butterscotch days</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Blue skies tease into eternity</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And foggy mornings kiss the earth.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Then leafy flowers rest on pastel colored </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">trees</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">while mountains sculpt their image</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> across the sky<b>.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;"> The leaves begin to drop one by one </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">till trees stand dark and shiver in the cold</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">and winter bears down with claws of ice.</span></div>
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<br />Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-74703226603433029422014-04-22T10:17:00.000-04:002014-04-22T10:17:29.479-04:00EARTH DAY 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rYkcg7S9RZk/U1Z3DLt4vVI/AAAAAAAABRE/CVG2ct21Ff4/s1600/IMG_8245+edit+for+blog+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rYkcg7S9RZk/U1Z3DLt4vVI/AAAAAAAABRE/CVG2ct21Ff4/s1600/IMG_8245+edit+for+blog+copy.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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This view from Bickle Knob in Randolph County, WV, is a reminder of the fragile yet magnificent beauty that we enjoy. Although it has changed much over the years due to logging and commercialization, we must protect what remains and keep it the unique place that it is. Greed for oil, gas,wind power and other more subtle forms of destruction must not prevail.Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-86518465101953522402013-09-22T21:56:00.000-04:002013-09-22T21:58:04.680-04:00A Glorious Morning<div style="text-align: center;">
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What a beautiful morning. </div>
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About 7:00, the clouds diffused the early</div>
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morning sun giving everything a pink hue.</div>
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Even this weathered pole had a soft, warm glow. </div>
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Jewelweed, browneyed Susans, phlox, asters and goldenrod.</div>
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Disorganized and weedy, a chaos of color, yet delightfully<br />
pretty in the early morning's light. The butterflies<br />
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for the rights to the nectar plants.</div>
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This feels just like the mood set in a </div>
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famous poem by Robert Browning:</div>
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Morning's at seven;</div>
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The hillside's dew-pearled;</div>
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The lark's on the wing;</div>
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The snail's on the thorn;</div>
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God's in his heaven--</div>
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All's right with the world!</div>
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Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-43109220729508806412013-09-07T23:14:00.000-04:002013-09-07T23:14:11.511-04:00And the Sun Spilled Onto the Mountains<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> and they reflected back to the heavens</span></span>.</h2>
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Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-17499082180822334482013-06-27T23:31:00.000-04:002013-06-27T23:31:08.150-04:00Just Flying ByA Magnolia Warbler in the birch tree.<br />
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In May, while I was fixing dinner, I saw a pretty, little, yellow and black bird looking back at me through the kitchen window. I grabbed my camera and took a few pictures.<br />
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I had no idea about the species of this bird because I am a neophyte in birding. This visitor wasn't hard to identify with the yellow stomach and distinctive head coloration and eye band.</div>
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I learned that my new friend was a Magnolia Warbler, a wayfarer on the way to Canada and the summer breeding grounds. Although it was new to me, the bird is considered one of the most common of the warblers.</div>
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The Magnolia Warbler was given this name because the first specimen was collected among the magnolia trees in Mississippi around 1800. An insect eater, the female will lay three to five green or white eggs with brown markings.<br />
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I finally decided that this was possibly a female beyond her second calendar year. I used an interesting website for identification that was created by the McGill Bird Observatory, a project of the Migration Research Foundation in Montreal, Canada.<br />
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<a href="http://www.migrationresearch.org/mbo/id/mawa.html#asymb">http://www.migrationresearch.org/mbo/id/mawa.html#asymb</a><br />
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<br />Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-81245814953837521492013-06-22T23:17:00.000-04:002013-09-24T21:46:55.595-04:00ON THE EVE OF SUMMER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-34521243765002208352013-06-01T22:41:00.000-04:002013-09-07T23:08:32.723-04:00The Lady Slipper: Spring's Beautiful Maidens<br />
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The spring orchids, especially the lady slippers, (Cypripedium acaule) are among the biggest treats in store for the person who ventures into the woods on a May or June day. They have long been the subject of folklore.<br />
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A native American chief was going off to war, and to comfort his young daughter, he promised to bring pink moccasins to her when he returned. He was killed, and she then died of grief. The mother fell asleep on the girl's grave, and when she awoke, she saw the pink moccasin flower. Thus she knew that the father and his loving daughter had been reunited.<br />
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The scientific name for these delicate and beautiful flowers has an equally interesting origin. "Cypripedium" is the Greek name for the slipper of Venus, the goddess of love. Other common names for it are not so flattering. They include camel's foot, squirrel's foot, steeple cap, whippoorwill shoes, two-lips, and the worst of all, old goose.<br />
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The pink one is not found west of the Mississippi River.<br />
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The lady slipper will only survive for a year or two if transplanted because it depends on a symbiotic relationship with a the Rizoctonia fungus where it is growing. The rhizomes for it can be as much as three feet long. Also, the flower should never be picked because it will interfere with the plant's life cycle and it's chances for reproducing. It is illegal to pick or dig these plants in several states.<br />
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While the average life span of the plant is twenty years, it may take at least five years to go from seed to flowering stage.<br />
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Although the lady slipper does not produce nectar, its pollinators are attracted by its color and fragrance. There is speculation that it produces a pheromone scent that attracts the males to mate. Bees enter from the front of the pouch but can't get back out that way so they must exit through a narrow passage. It is here that they get pollen on their back hairs.<br />
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The seeds are as tiny as a grain of powder.<br />
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The lady slipper was so popular during Victorian times and dug so frequently, that it was thought to be extinct.<br />
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The roots have been used for a number of medicinal purposes including pain relief. Native Americans used it to treat toothaches.<br />
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There are lots of hairs on this plant to keep it from being eaten. They contain a fatty acid that can cause a rash similar to poison ivy, another good reason not to pick it. This same fatty acid is also poisonous to people and animals.<br />
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And this reminds us of a quote by President Theodore Roosevelt.</div>
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<i>"Wildflowers should be enjoyed unplucked where they gr</i>ow"</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 14.545454025268555px;"><br /></span>Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-74491338572642742102013-04-14T02:44:00.000-04:002013-06-27T23:35:56.589-04:00The Snow Trillium<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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With petals peeking from the ground</div>
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as if standing on tiny toes,</div>
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the snow trillium reaches upward</div>
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embracing winter's cold</div>
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while warming in a mellow sun.</div>
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The first flower of the season,</div>
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the hope and promise of regeneration</div>
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of a cold and sullen earth</div>
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emptied by snow and windswept chill,</div>
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now shivering with life's new vibrations.</div>
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Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-75844472733760682162012-11-14T21:15:00.000-05:002013-04-05T21:50:18.453-04:00CHAOS IN WHITE: Sandy Blizzard 2012 in North Central West Virginia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YPZDa0wvPLw/UJ8uL_3OY4I/AAAAAAAAA-0/TfVL8h2Dg_A/s1600/IMG_6115+edit+2+auto+function.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YPZDa0wvPLw/UJ8uL_3OY4I/AAAAAAAAA-0/TfVL8h2Dg_A/s400/IMG_6115+edit+2+auto+function.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The storm was supposed to begin on Monday, October 29, and the weather forecasters predicted three or more feet of heavy wet snow. Of course, I was hoping they were wrong, very, very wrong. By 8:30 a.m., just as they had said, wet snow was mixing with the rain.<br />
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I spent the day doing laundry and cooking things like pumpkin pies (without the crust), applesauce, and homemade granola. These are all things that would keep for a while without refrigeration. <br />
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By 3:00 p.m. it began to snow heavily, and the ground had cooled enough that the snow was accumulating.<br />
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I was concerned that our Japanese Bloodgood Maple was still in leaf. It is very special because I bought it in 1979 for my dad as a Father's Day gift at a garden center in Louisville, KY, where we were living. It was little more than a twig at that time. <br />
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A wispy, ethereal quality was present as a giant, snowy paintbrush left<br />
everything colored in a delicate white.<br />
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As darkness approached, the snow came down unbelievably fast. My husband, daughter and I went outside with flashlights so that we could shake some of the snow off the maple and other shrubs.<br />
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The earlier picture of our birch had changed to this as it bent<br />
closer to the earth.<br />
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By 8:30 our power was gone, and we were not to have it restored until November 11, thirteen days later.<br />
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There is a special uneasiness, an eerie feeling when the weather is bizarre, and this night had that quality. We rested on couches downstairs in case a tree came crashing through our roof. No one really slept, and my husband and I dutifully fed our wood stove throughout the night. Without electricity, it was our only source of heat.<br />
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The snow kept falling and so did the trees and branches with loud cracks. Twice during the night we saw red-yellow pulsing lights that seemed to echo across the sky, ending with a stabbing, bright light as transformers for the power line blew. <br />
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The next day when daylight came, we saw trees bent downward under the weight of the heavy, wet snow. This is the same birch tree of the day and night before.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">The trees created bazaar shapes as they arched under the weight of the nearly two feet of snow we had received.</span></div>
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Everywhere we looked, it was a scene that seemed as if it had been created on the movie set of a science fiction film. Our beautiful trees with downward bent tops swayed like a strange, hoary creature trying to make it's way into the field. Eventually, almost all of these would sustain some damage.</div>
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During the previous night, one vehicle had made its way along the road before the trees began to break. Now the road was impassable with downed trees and large broken branches.<br />
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It continued to snow heavily the entire day, and by the morning of the third day, we had received at least three feet.<br />
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By Thursday, the road was plowed, and it had warmed enough to create a great deal of thawing. Life began again, stores opened in town as their electricity was restored, but for some, the winter hung heavily upon us as we waited and hoped for our electricity to be restored.Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-83053416797544458672012-10-17T23:15:00.000-04:002013-07-04T08:44:15.381-04:00Travelling Down a Country RoadTravelling in autumn down a country road<br />
where leaves like flowers glow the day.<br />
The only sound is the wind's soft tones<br />
and the crunch of tires on stones.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r620Xv-5EUU/UHzSol-aVBI/AAAAAAAAA8w/5Kb4JNLFc1c/s1600/IMG_5873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r620Xv-5EUU/UHzSol-aVBI/AAAAAAAAA8w/5Kb4JNLFc1c/s640/IMG_5873.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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We drive past old home sites</div>
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and the remnants of another time, </div>
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where signs of toil and joy in days gone by</div>
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stand majestically against the sky. </div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Grasses where cattle fed<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">now in autumn's early chill <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">give way to season's end.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">The road winds along the mountain<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">past aging gates and nature's reclaimed pastures,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">and delights with views that seem as if</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">October clouds hang low upon the mountains,</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">and the smell of autumn is in the air,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">while crimson trees with leafy arms<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Then down we go</div>
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Past an old fence row<br />
Along this country lane<br />
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To a bright red barn</div>
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Resting on the mountainside </div>
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Surrounded in peaceful green</div>
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The road divides, we make a left<br />
enjoying the beauty of our drive.<br />
We end the day with the pleasant sight<br />
Of tranquil sheep grazing in velvet pastures.<br />
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Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-89726371705569561532012-10-02T21:45:00.000-04:002012-10-02T21:46:27.732-04:00WEEDS IN MY GARDEN: AUTUMN<br />
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I used to subscribe to several gardening magazines that I really enjoyed. They discussed new plant varieties, growing information about old favorites, but most of all, they always seemed to have rules for planting--lots and lots of rules. There were "how to" instructions for beautifully laid out gardens with everything perfectly planned.<br />
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Now, that just isn't my personality. While I understand the principals behind groupings of the same plant to make a greater effect, I sometimes just don't have the space, especially when I have to squeeze that new plant into my garden. Besides, my garden isn't just for me; it is also for all of the little creatures that inhabit it. <br />
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I discovered the pretty combinations in the magazine pictures didn't work in reality. The creeping Jenny and the dead nettle among the hostas, while beautiful, soon threatened to strangle the garden. So didn't the uninvited native plants like the asters and hay ferns.<br />
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While beautiful in their own right, I was intent on raising only the more "glamorous" plant cultivars. Even the showy goldenrod did not escape my weed removal plans.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pdNbebO5jEo/UGuUiFLfyxI/AAAAAAAAA5o/Ewyx0VLMeWw/s1600/IMG_5743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pdNbebO5jEo/UGuUiFLfyxI/AAAAAAAAA5o/Ewyx0VLMeWw/s640/IMG_5743.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Then one day, I began to realize that many of these "weeds" were disappearing in the meadow area, obviously falling victim to over browse by deer. That is when I became concerned and decided maybe I shouldn't take these native ones for granted. So, I started allowing them to grow in my garden pretty much wherever they showed up.<br />
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At first I added a few native great blue lobelia plants which soon spread and became decorated by beautiful swallowtail butterflies. This pipevine swallowtail is sipping nectar from a lobelia that popped up beside my grandfather's old grinding wheel.<br />
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I transplanted several kinds of native ferns into the garden including sensitive, interrupted, cinnamon stick and Christmas ferns. A tiger swallowtail found a lobelia that had managed to pop up through the fern. Even the hummingbirds were attracted to the nectar. I've discovered that although they may prefer red, they will feed from other colors of tubular shaped flowers.</div>
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I also added some Black-eyed Susans to my flowerbed that now reseed regularly and provide blooms from June through September. Because the goldfinches eat the seeds, I allow the spent plant to remain even though it turns an unsightly brown.<br />
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Thanks to the addition of the native plants, I now have a colorful fall garden. Here a spicebush swallowtail rests on a great blue lobelia with cultivated autumn joy sedum in the background.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">Another pink and blue combination with the Japanese anemone </span></div>
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Near our garage, several Joe-Pye weeds started to grow. I allowed one to grow unchecked, and it reached ten feet. Then I was pleased to discover that the seeds provided a food source for the goldfinches. A male sits on top of the bloom and is dwarfed by it.</div>
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I trimmed one Joe-Pye weed back during the summer to see what would happen. As expected, the plant branched providing multiple small blooms. It too attracted the goldfinches.</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">And so didn't the sunflowers that came up from the winter seed dropped by the birds. </span><span style="text-align: left;">Both a male and female goldfinch are enjoying the seeds as they ripen.</span></div>
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This area started with sedum, but asters, golden rod, and snake root popped up making an even prettier late summer and early autumn picture.</div>
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Tall volunteer goldenrods started to grow.</div>
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Until they became so tall that the blooms fell onto the sedum making this beautiful contrast.<br />
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New England asters filled in around an old pole.</div>
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And I transplanted a goldenrod for a little extra color.<br />
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Now my garden isn't boring anymore. It has lots of color and little creatures living in it. Yes, there are some additional weeds that aren't the showy, blooming kind, and even if, as in the picture, a corner of it is dissected by a temporary clothesline, it's still colorful. It's definitely not going to win the "yard of the month" award given by little, old ladies who ride around in cars and who use a rigid checklist of what should be in an "award winning" garden. But my garden is unique, a one of a kind, a riot of quirkiness, just like its creator.<br />
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<br />Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-78482995197420090882012-07-20T22:18:00.000-04:002013-02-10T20:37:22.383-05:00Our Phoebes Take Flight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Every spring, we are delighted to see our phoebes returning to the overhang above our garage doors. The female tidies up last year's nest with fresh moss and settles in. They return much earlier than other birds, sometimes as soon as March, and do not build a new nest, preferring to "remodel" last year's. <br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">This particular nest has long streamers of moss although most are actually neatly made and quite tidy. According to Cornell University's <i>All About Birds</i> website, the female may take up to two weeks when building a new nest. They generally prefer to place their nests under structures such as bridges, or in this case, as I previously mentioned, in the overhang area of the garage roof. </span><br />
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After another 15 to 16 days of sitting on two to six white eggs, her young ones will hatch. Here are three little heads peeking out of the nest. When they first hatch, their eyes are closed, and they have sparse gray down.</div>
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Their time in the nest is brief, being only about 16 to 20 days. Sometimes the female may chase the male away as early as the egg laying period although he usually hangs around defending his territory and running off predators These little ones are growing up fast, and it takes a lot to keep them fed. </div>
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I love having them near my garden because they feed on insects. The phoebes like to perch on the eight foot locust poles that surround the vegetable garden and hold the deer fencing. The birds will fly out, grab an insect, and then fly back to the same pole to watch for more.</div>
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One of my favorite Internet birding aids is the Cornell University <i>All About Birds</i> website. This link will give you more information about the phoebes as well as allowing you to listen to their song. </div>
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<a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Phoebe/sounds">http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Phoebe/sounds</a></div>
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On page 4 of this Perdue University PDF, you can find information and instructions for building a nest shelf for phoebes. </div>
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<a href="http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/fnr/wildlife/PDFfiles/NCR338.pdf">http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/fnr/wildlife/PDFfiles/NCR338.pdf</a>
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These two are just about ready to fledge. They are looking down at me as if to say, </div>
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"We see you strange creature."</div>
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This one seems to be saying, </div>
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"I'm thinking about it, but it's a long way down."</div>
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Opps, rough landing on that first flight.</div>
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I wonder if this little bird is saying:</div>
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I don't think I like this. I want my comfy nest.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Mom, help!!! It's hot here!</span></div>
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The fledglings usually leave very quickly, but some experts believe the parents may take care of them for up to two weeks after they leave the nest. I'm looking forward to their return next year when once again the little ones will be fun to watch. Sometimes we have to rescue them when they make a wrong turn and end up in the garage, but they usually take off and are gone before we know it.</div>
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Until next year....</div>
Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-3575207000067925912012-05-30T23:32:00.000-04:002012-07-23T20:13:55.418-04:00Dwelling Among the Beauties and Mysteries of the Earth<div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. </span></span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Rachael Carson</span></i></span></h2>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I love Rachael Carson's comment. Nothing seems more welcome to me than those very first glimpses of flowers pushing their way through last autumn's leaves. Uplifting and comforting, Nature shows us the infinite greatness of the Creation and the value of all life. When we learn to appreciate this, humans seem very small in this grand order and overwhelmingly destructive.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">This is a rue anemone (Anemonella thalictroides) whose name is from the Greek word for "wind" because the flower was believed to bloom when the wind blows. It was used by the herbalists for everything from headaches to leprosy. The anemones are members of the Buttercup family, and worldwide there are some 85 species with about 25 found in North America.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jack Sanders in his book "The Secrets of Wildflowers" says that the Romans would pick the first anemone of spring and say a prayer that it would protect them from fevers while the Crusaders are said to have returned with the poppy anemone, a red and white flower that was believed to have sprung from Christ's blood. Some even believed that this anemone was the "lilies of field" mentioned in the Bible. Egyptians, on the other hand, believed them to be a symbol of sickness, and the </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">Chinese called them the flowers of death. <br /><br />The flowers below are light pink, which according to some sources, occurs if the blooms are among the earliest. The leaves of Dutchman's Breeches may be seen in the lower right hand corner while the heart-shaped leaves of wild ginger are at the bottom center.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">To determine the difference between the rue anemone </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">(Anemonella thalictroides) </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">and the false rue anemone (Enemion biternatum), you have to count the number of sepals. Even though they look like petals, in this case they are actually sepals that are neither green nor leaf-life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18px;">This is a true rue anemone because there are more than five of these white sepals.</span><br />
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Even though the leaves are very similar in shape, this is a false rue anemone because there are only five of the white sepals. Both plants are members of the buttercup family.</div>
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This plant is a wood anemone (Anemone quinquefolia). It also has five sepals like the false rue anemone but its leaves are very different. The leaflets are divided into three to five parts.</div>
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Jack Sanders says in the earlier mentioned title that the anemones should be established in a garden through the use of seeds collected in the spring. Anemone seeds should be planted in the spring and rue anemone in the fall.</div>
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The Hepaticas </h3>
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Also in the buttercup family, these delicate flowers are among the very earliest of the spring flowers. Their leaves are green throughout the winter and give the plant a head start on blooming. The flowers appear so early that there are few agents for pollination, and it can self-fertilize. The hepatica's leaves and stems have tiny hairs. </div>
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The plants have either pointed (Hepatica acutiloba) or round (Hepatica americana) leaves. The pointed ones are called "sharp-lobed". The sharp-lobed leaf can be seen in the bottom left corner of the picture. Because its leaves are lobe-shaped, it is associated with the liver and was used by some Native Americans to treat liver disorders. Some of its common names are liverleaf, liverwort, and squirrel cup. It can be white, pink or purple in the color of the bloom.<br />
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After a long, cold winter, Ralph Waldo Emerson probably said it best</div>
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<span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Earth laughs in flowers.</span></span></div>
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</div>Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-11245662681947219662012-04-27T23:21:00.000-04:002012-07-23T19:39:26.161-04:00An Early Spring on the Berea College Campus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I spent the last two weeks of March in the Bluegrass Region of Kentucky during a record breaking warm period with many temperatures in the mid eighties. Spring erupted and faded into an early summer-like landscape by the time that I left. During my travels with my camera, I stopped by the town of Berea several times and shot pictures on the college campus.<br />
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One thing quickly became very evident, and that was the presence of many, many redbuds on campus. </div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">I've been told by a botanist that C.canadensis, the </span><span style="text-align: left;">Eastern Redbud that is a native of the eastern United States, has blooms lighter in color than the C. chinensis, the Chinese Redbud. </span><br />
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The dogwoods against the redbud make a beautiful contrast. Travelling home along I 64 east, I marveled at the beauty of these two trees and the dark green of the cedars that grew among them.<br />
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I came across this cozy area with an inviting bench.</div>
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This is a close-up of the flower bed in the foreground of the previous picture. </div>
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It's an unusual but striking combination of colors.<br />
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The ground in the shady areas under the trees looks like a light snow of<br />
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I stopped at a building called the Appalachian Center to check out the displays. Inside, I found a display of student artwork memorializing some of the mountains in Appalachia that have been lost to mountain top removal for coal mining. It's so encouraging to see youthful activism for the environment.</div>
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These are some of the colorful tree blooms on March 15.</div>
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And another shot of the campus trees just a few days later on March 21.</div>
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No campus is complete with a few squirrels and this one has plenty.</div>
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On an earlier campus stroll on March 15, I saw this little building which I learned is sometimes called the cat house. Many college campuses have a problem with unwanted cats being dropped on the grounds, and Berea is no exception. The cats live in this little structure, are adopted by locals when possible, and are cared for by money supplied by the faculty and staff.</div>
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More flowers on campus</div>
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Looking across the street through Bradford Pear blossoms to College Square</div>
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and the historic Boone Tavern. This picture was taken on March 15, 2012. </div>
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This is the hotel just six days later on March 21. The eighty degree days </div>
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Across the street in front of the Boone Tavern, </div>
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the Bradford Pear petals decorate the street.</div>
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An electric vehicle delivers pots of daffodils to be placed </div>
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beside the shops of the crafters in College Square. With </div>
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A picture of some of the shops in the Square.</div>
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And one last peak at the flowers.</div>
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<br /></div>Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-64573441942279291402012-04-21T21:56:00.000-04:002012-07-23T20:13:01.430-04:00A Visit to Natural Bridge State Park, Kentucky<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This was our destination, a place that I had wanted to visit since I first learned about it during a brief transfer to Louisville, Kentucky back in 1978. The hike up and back was a little over three miles and took place on March 11, 2012, just when an early spring was making the buds break on the trees.<br />
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The beauty of the rock formations in Kentucky never ceases to amaze me.</div>
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<span style="text-align: right;">A close-up of this colorful area.</span>
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More colorful stone.</div>
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The dark colored portion of this rock may be iron.</div>
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Looking up into the arch as the golden glow of the afternoon sun lights up the surface.</div>
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Almost to the bridge with just these narrow steps left to climb.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kRpv6W9z3hU/T4X33fM3zYI/AAAAAAAAAkA/E2-B8bmXuLs/s1600/IMG_3910-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kRpv6W9z3hU/T4X33fM3zYI/AAAAAAAAAkA/E2-B8bmXuLs/s400/IMG_3910-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Walking along the top of the bridge area.</div>
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We will hike along the ridge and over to this outcrop to look back at the bridge.</div>
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Looking back from the outcrop to the bridge. What an amazing picture.</div>
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Zooming in to the bridge with my camera shows</div>
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other people looking back at us.</div>
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Just a closer look. Shall we wave?</div>
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Colorful buds are breaking on the trees surrounded by the green of conifers.</div>
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It's all so early!!</div>
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Hiking down the other side, we came across this. I can see the suggestion</div>
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of both a large and small face of a creature. Can you?</div>
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Here are more colorful and interesting rock formations.</div>
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This is Balanced Rock.</div>
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An amazing sight of not only the rock but all of the vegetation, </div>
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even small trees, growing on it.</div>
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Again, some amazing rocks.</div>
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Now, to reach the parking lot, get into my Prius, and head back</div>
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to my daughter's home. What a wonderful day we have shared, </div>
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certainly a memory to treasure.</div>
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</div>Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-34638772152670604002012-04-03T22:43:00.000-04:002012-10-07T14:03:17.983-04:00A Little Garden Affair for the Community<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Herbs for sale on an old bench.</div>
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Grow your own mushrooms. </div>
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This man explains that he came to the fair to educate people about mushrooms. </div>
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He already sells all that he can grow to the Lexington market.</div>
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Sustainable Berea promotes edible yards for food security and quality and also </div>
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to encourage neighborhood interactions. Buy a sign; put it in your yard.</div>
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Worms at work, and the children are enjoying this display.</div>
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He designs composting bins out of recycled olive containers</div>
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More vendors</div>
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An Educational Display on Composting</div>
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Salad greens, my favorite purchase from the Berea College Bookstore.</div>
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There's nothing quite like the charm of a little town's events.</div>
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<br />Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-75841152134393644412012-04-02T00:04:00.003-04:002012-07-23T19:41:10.834-04:00A Spring Journey Along the Roads of KentuckyI visited the Knobs area of Kentucky during the last two weeks of March. It is located where the Appalachian Mountains slope down to the Bluegrass leaving an edging of tiny hills called knobs. Spring arrived very early this year allowing early blooms to collide with later ones creating an unbelievable burst<br />
of color. <br />
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As spring progressed, the vibrancy of pink redbuds, white dogwoods, and deep green cedars made the landscape look as if an impressionist artist had painted with a palette that held only shades of pink, cream and green. The drive back to West Virginia along I64 was like a fantasy. Unfortunately, I was alone and driving so I could not take pictures.<br />
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This is a picture taken along a little road in Rockcastle County.</div>
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Travelling north into Madison County near Berea is a picturesque </div>
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barn ready to tumble in a hard storm while a long forgotten truck rusts beside it.</div>
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An evening sky flashes shades of pink and purple echoing the</div>
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beauty of the trees below.</div>
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Travelling down I75 and shooting a picture from the car window</div>
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created this unique picture that hints of the evening's beauty.</div>
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With the unusually warm weather and the glow of the moon,</div>
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the night seems cozy and secure.</div>
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More pictures of roads with pink laced edges.</div>
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And cattle grazing in fields</div>
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A spring storm moves in creating a sky of blue and white etchings.</div>
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The cattle don't seem to notice.</div>
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Finally, the storm passes, and a robin sits on the post watching for insects.</div>
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<br /></div>Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-83558724334997362932012-02-14T22:54:00.000-05:002012-07-31T10:28:28.348-04:00Pink, Plastic Wrapped Disease<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-89504992192809155962011-12-08T22:12:00.020-05:002012-07-23T20:03:06.307-04:00A Mountain Autumn: Trees Cloaked in a Fusion of Color<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b><i>Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. Albert Camus</i></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">N</span>ow all is drab while frosty mornings give way to teases of approaching snows. What better time to look back with nostalgia at crispy autumn mornings and warm, sunny afternoons when leaves sparkled and danced through the air.<br />
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Autumn comes early in the higher mountains of West Virginia, </div>
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often at the beginning of September.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">M</span>any years ago when our now grown daughter was very young, my husband and I went with other members of my family to Dolly Sods. Here, pictured with my sister, they stand posed in the middle of a crimson fall glory.<br />
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At an altitude of nearly 4000 feet, this U.S. Wilderness Area is located</div>
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in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Here wind swept, one sided spruce and bright red heath</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> barrens create a surreal landscape.</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">T</span>his year, on a glorious mid-September day, we took pictures </div>
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along the Blackwater River both in Blackwater Falls State Park<br />
and near Davis, WV. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A</span> sleepy, late afternoon reflection near Davis makes us want<br />
to slow down and linger just a little longer.</div>
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while giant, ageless rocks stand watch.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">L</span>ike an early Christmas tree, the Mountain Ash dangles its fall ornaments</div>
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with each berry a reminder of the dainty white blossoms in spring.</div>
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The Blackwater River flows from the town of Davis down to Blackwater Falls<br />
State Park. On the same afternoon we drove to that area as well.</div>
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Ruby colored leaves stand along the river's edge in the park.</div>
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The maples' bright reds and outcrops of rocks make<br />
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These splotches of white are the dainty tufts of cotton grass<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sNPzKv5rkkg/Tt2J6PrVOqI/AAAAAAAAAcA/bWjStE4NWw8/s1600/IMG_3050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sNPzKv5rkkg/Tt2J6PrVOqI/AAAAAAAAAcA/bWjStE4NWw8/s400/IMG_3050.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Another area of fascinating fall beauty is the Cranesville Swamp along the West Virginia/Maryland border.</div>
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An opening in the trees allows the sun to reflect off the golden ferns<br />
before the tree leaves have even begun to change color.</div>
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Nature's lace</div>
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This is the view from the overlook near the picnic area at Gaudineer </div>
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Scenic Area in the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia.</div>
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Autumn colors are highlighted by the sun on September 26, 2011.</div>
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It was about 9:00 am when we drove into the scenic area. </div>
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There was no traffic and this hawk flew from tree to tree </div>
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staying just ahead of us on the narrow road, stopping </div>
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to peer down before moving ahead when we came too close.</div>
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Another beautiful fall day along Route 92 in Southern Randolph County.<br />
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Lots of color near Durbin WV.</div>
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The nice thing about being retired is the freedom to explore on a beautiful fall day. This picture was taken on another outing at Canaan Valley Resort in Tucker County, WV on September 28, 2011.<br />
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Leaves glide on the wind on this beautiful day in Randolph County in early October.<br />
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Looking to the east, across the mountains in the same area.</div>
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Taking another trip on October 10, we decided to drive along Laurel Mountain road in Barbour County.<br />
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So much color, so much beauty. This is Nature's last big show<br />
before the area becomes a silhouette drawn in black and white.</div>
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</div>Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-91241886150172461442011-11-09T00:04:00.002-05:002011-11-09T15:49:48.196-05:00The Butterflies of Autumn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>The butterfly is a flying flower,</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>The flower a tethered butterfly.</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Pounce Denis Ecouchard Lebrum</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal">The amazing and wonderful Monarch Butterfly is probably best known for it's migration. While the lifespan of monarchs born in early summer is less than two months, the last generation of the summer enters into a non-reproductive phase called diapause and may live to seven or more months. It migrates to the winter site and does not reproduce until it leaves this area in February.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a male monarch which can be determined by the two raised spots on the hind wings. The spots are actually pouches that release pheromones to attract females. However, the female monarch can be distinguished by the wider veins on the wings and the darker color when in flight.</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The monarch caterpillar goes through five stages called instars. As the caterpillar grows, it becomes too big for its skin, molts, and eats the old skin. This is one of the later instars.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just as orange means caution to us, scientists believe that the bright colors serve as a warning to enemies of this butterfly. Monarchs are poisonous or at least distasteful to birds and mammals because of substances derived from the milkweeds on which it feeds.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another beautiful golden butterfly is the fritillairy. In West Virginia, we have a number of different ones including the Great Spangled Fritillary. The scientific name is <i>Speyeria cybele. </i>Cybele means "mountain mother" or "earth mother". In late summer the female will lay as many as 2000 eggs on or near violets. In the fall, the eggs hatch, but the caterpillars go to sleep without eating and wake in the spring when they begin to feed on the young violet plants. Scientists are researching to see if global warming might change the timing and thus the result could be devastating for the hungry caterpillars.</span><br />
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This picture of a fritillary taken earlier in the summer plainly shows the spots on the under wing. Appalachian folklore claims that if you catch the butterfly and count the spots, that is how much money you will come into. It's easy to imagine children of earlier times enjoying this fantasy.<br />
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This aging and battered butterfly is called a Buckeye. Like its cousin the Monarch, it migrates south for the winter.<br />
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A pretty, but tiny butterfly is this Pearl Crescent sitting on a Brown-Eyed Susan. The female lays her eggs on asters. Its wingspan is only 1.25 to 1.5 inches. Look closely or you may not see it. <br />
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Something about the underside of this butterfly makes it seem grotesque. Possibly it's because the rotten pear that it is eating, just doesn't seem that appealing. Supposedly, they will even get a bit tipsy from eating fermented fruit which results in their erratic flight.<br />
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When it opens it wings, the surprise is to see a beautiful and colorful butterfly called a Red Admiral. These butterflies are said to be both territorial and attracted to perspiration. If you are lucky, they will land on your shoulder.<br />
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This fuzzy little butterfly almost has a teddy bear like quality to its head. It is a skipper, and unlike other butterflies, it holds its wings separately when puddling as can be seen in the picture below.<br />
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This white butterfly looks so dainty against the purple asters. Unfortunately, it is the dreaded cabbage butterfly that is a plague to gardeners. The species came to North America from Europe around the time of the Civil War. The two spots on the upper wing of this one indicate that it is a female. Males have only one spot.<br />
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Finally, we have the regal Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. The female may look like the one below or even be dark like the Pipevine Swallowtail. An interesting fact about this species is that when the caterpillar first hatches, it is camouflaged to look like bird poop.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Just living is not enough" said the butterfly, "one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower." Hans Christian Anderson</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is a good message for all of us.</div>Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-46143607438743036312011-10-27T20:31:00.001-04:002012-07-23T19:44:43.843-04:00The Return of Courage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On October 15, Courage our deer with the injured leg returned. She had been missing for six days following a period of very heavy vehicle traffic on the previous Sunday. Sadly, one of her twin fawns had died about three weeks earlier after being hit by a car. Even after it's death, Courage and her remaining fawn were daily visitors to our yard. </div>
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Several times I had scanned the sky on our side of the mountain for signs of any of the carrion eaters: ravens, crows and vultures that screech out the news of a death. There were none. </div>
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Courage's remaining fawn returned to our yard several times a day, sometimes obviously waiting for her. Below, he looks like a miniature adult dwarfed by interrupted fern and large hosta leaves.</div>
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Here is a closeup of his head. Looking at it closely, you can see the brown spot between his ear and eye where he will someday have horns.</div>
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Six days after her disappearance, the little buck was lingering in our yard, sampling the flowers in my garden. On the other side of the garage out of his view, I saw Courage, at long last, making her way slowly down the hill. I was so happy to see that she was still alive. I watched to see the reunion, and suddenly, the little one was beside her excitedly trying to nurse.<br />
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Because most fawns are weaned by the time their spots are gone, the little one began to wear out his welcome. Courage kept moving every time he nuzzled her. Eventually, a little nip sent him to a clump of grass where he began to eat grown-up food.<br />
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Courage and her fawn now show up late every afternoon, lingering sometimes until almost dark. She continues to lie down outside of our fence while he slips in through the hole that we haven't yet fixed. Below, Courage grazes and can be partially seen although the Japanese Maple blocks most of her from our view.<br />
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This little deer has become a regular visitor to our garden. Today, I pounded on the window when I saw him browsing from a container in which I had just planted pansies. Like a cartoon character, he looked up with a yellow pansy dangling from between his teeth. I finally opened up the porch door and soundly scolded him for his choice of snacks. Totally unafraid, he obliged by moving away from the pansies and began feeding on some lily leaves that will soon fall victim to a freeze anyhow.</div>
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I realize that someday, he may become a major nuisance to us, but for now, he is just so darn cute. It's for special moments like these, that I was so irresistibly drawn back to these mountains and rural life.</div>
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<br /></div>Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-34036160659090721002011-10-11T20:26:00.000-04:002012-07-23T19:45:22.965-04:00Our Special Friend<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A misty September morning<br />
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The first summer after I returned to this area, I made the mistake of getting attached to some of the deer. In particular, two does stood out that always<br />
traveled together. The one mother was ever vigilant and always protective of her twin fawns. The other doe would graze with her fawn and never seemed to be concerned for her safety. As could be predicted, that doe disappeared the first day of gun season. The other mother deer showed up with what were obviously injuries due to a collision with a car. All three fawns were with her, but one of hers also seemed to have a seriously injured leg. <br />
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As winter came, the doe continued to get thinner in spite of our putting food out for her, and her difficulty in walking continued. Her fawn's leg was thicker in the injury area so it was easily identifiable. Eventually, the weakened doe subcombed to fate and disappeared, but the three young ones continued to graze in the area. The last time I saw them, it was nearly spring. The young deer were crossing the road, and one was dragging a leg as it attempted to walk. Such a sad ending for these beautiful creatures.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;"><b>Well, I did it again, I became attached to one of the does that frequent our area.</b></span></div>
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Let me introduce "Courage" our doe who only has three legs that she can walk on. Her right front foot has been badly injured.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Courage"</td></tr>
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As a breast cancer survivor who has seen some rough times, I really appreciate the strength, determination and courage that this deer has shown in her struggle to raise fawns, survive severe winters and just to travel about.<br />
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It was late 2008 when Courage first came to my attention. She was attempting to walk on only three legs. I'm sure she had been in our field many times, but now with her huge handicap, she stood out. What happened to her is unknown. Perhaps a trap or some kind of injury to her leg resulted in this life changing event. Every time she attempted to walk on her three normal legs, she would slip and nearly fall. It was so sad to watch her, especially when the ground was wet. Her struggle just to move became even more difficult. The other deer left her behind and soon she was only seen alone.<br />
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In early summer of 2009, I was surprised to see her appear in our field with a tiny fawn. Future sightings of her were alone. Maybe she wasn't strong enough to feed her baby or protect it from predators. We watched her throughout the season marveling that she hadn't been hit on the road. Courage seemed to like to stay close by and over time, paid little attention to our comings and goings.<br />
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The winter of 2009-2010 was especially difficult with deep snows. I stopped measuring in early January when we had exceeded 100 inches. Although I do not have an exact measurement for the area around our house, my guess is that we received at least 175 inches before winter ended.<br />
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As usual, Courage had disappeared as soon as hunting season began during the previous fall. We feared the worst for her and couldn't imagine how she could move about enough to forage for food in such deep snow. To our delight, she reappeared in early summer with twins. Unfortunately, it wasn't long until she was bringing only one fawn to graze in the field with her.<br />
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Last fall, with doe season in progress, we hoped that with only three useful legs, she would not fall victim to a hunter looking for an easy kill. In early spring I was overjoyed to see that once again she had survived. This year I began documenting her journey after my husband saw her and took pictures of her, early one morning, with her tiny twins. What a nice surprise she presented us with.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--nLFbJT4qSY/TpRl1jcoXLI/AAAAAAAAAVc/eP6iTcgdc1s/s1600/doe+with+new+fawn+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--nLFbJT4qSY/TpRl1jcoXLI/AAAAAAAAAVc/eP6iTcgdc1s/s640/doe+with+new+fawn+blog.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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These are her fawns on June 15. In the photo below, one of her tiny fawns nuzzles her looking for some food.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sKIb8Rg04Wk/TpRp_MKVP0I/AAAAAAAAAVk/__L74QMOFS4/s1600/IMG_2408+-+tiny+fawn+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="530" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sKIb8Rg04Wk/TpRp_MKVP0I/AAAAAAAAAVk/__L74QMOFS4/s640/IMG_2408+-+tiny+fawn+blog.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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By September 24, they had become quite active and like all siblings, delighted in racing about and chasing each other. Here is a quiet moment while Mom rests and they refuel for another playful episode.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cUutFZWZJKs/TpRyMxNpXnI/AAAAAAAAAV8/B0p4frMtRw8/s1600/mom+resting+with+twins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="488" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cUutFZWZJKs/TpRyMxNpXnI/AAAAAAAAAV8/B0p4frMtRw8/s640/mom+resting+with+twins.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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They were growing up, but just like toddlers, they still wanted the comfort of the closeness with their mother.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QrwvQLAlz9I/TpR2DLdt1BI/AAAAAAAAAWM/YiMsusb9R_s/s1600/IMG_2942+mom+nursing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QrwvQLAlz9I/TpR2DLdt1BI/AAAAAAAAAWM/YiMsusb9R_s/s640/IMG_2942+mom+nursing.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Courage seemed to fatigue easily and to rest more than I had ever noticed previously. This picture was taken in mid September and her fur was changing on the top of her back to a deeper brown for winter. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eP0NCLp7PmQ/TpSiCQmcAUI/AAAAAAAAAWU/szBMugW8WLQ/s1600/IMG_3148+blog+grooming+fawn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eP0NCLp7PmQ/TpSiCQmcAUI/AAAAAAAAAWU/szBMugW8WLQ/s640/IMG_3148+blog+grooming+fawn.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here she grooms one of her babies. As I watched her, I wondered what it must be like for her. She is a deer that always travels alone, unable to keep up with the others. Now she has two precious babies that she watches over and that go with her almost everywhere.<br />
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Sadly, that was the last time that I saw her with both fawns. By late September, she did not come around for several days. While my husband was mowing, he came across a dead fawn which further increased our concerns for the safety of Courage and her little family. We watched, hoping to see her emerge from the woods with both babies. Finally, we saw her but only with one fawn.<br />
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Courage began to stay closer to the house in an area bordered on one side by woods and on the other by a seven foot fence that keeps the deer out of the flower and vegetable gardens. One day, early last week, we looked out to see her fawn peering around inside our flower garden while it's mom continued to graze in the grassy area outside of the fence. We watched as the fawn deftly squeezed through a hole at the bottom of the fence. My husband had not totally finished repairing it after a bear had bashed its way in earlier this summer.<br />
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Over a period of several days, we enjoyed watching the antics of the fawn while its mom waited outside, lying up against the fence.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x7xKIxTLzlU/TpSs3fMjnuI/AAAAAAAAAWs/gAR84QVqOJ0/s1600/IMG_3291+fawn+in+garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x7xKIxTLzlU/TpSs3fMjnuI/AAAAAAAAAWs/gAR84QVqOJ0/s640/IMG_3291+fawn+in+garden.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It sampled the hostas and oh so many tasty plants. For a little deer, this must have been like Christmas morning is to human children. <br />
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On Sunday afternoon with autumn in full color, heavy traffic began to appear on our road. We must have been part of a back roads autumn tour. Groups of motorcycles went by and the car and other vehicle traffic, in both directions, was incessant. Neither my husband nor I could remember seeing so many people in our area. I'm sure that it would have been very difficult for any animal to safely cross the road.<br />
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Then, about midafternoon our fawn appeared alone. It slipped into the fence just as it had for so many days and began sampling the hostas. The young deer looked around as if expecting its mom to appear. Finally, it lay down against the inside of the fence next to the spot where it's mother had been lying on the outside of the fence, the afternoon before. It stayed for a couple of hours alternately looking at times as if it expected its mother and at others, dozing. Meanwhile my husband also dozed for a while on the swing just about 40 feet away. Finally, the fawn left and headed into the woods.<br />
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We were gone on Sunday, but we have seen the fawn twice today. Both times it was inside our fence, and both times it seemed agitated and afraid, staying only briefly. Unfortunately, this story of another doe does not seem to have a happy ending either.Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-49669371864888485162011-09-14T21:54:00.000-04:002013-04-15T14:47:09.219-04:00THE COLORS OF SUMMER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Summer warms the body, feeds the soul and delights the senses with a kaleidoscope of colors. With fall evident all around, I love to look back through the photos that I have taken, at the vivid colors of summer</div>
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when every creature and plant wears its finest.</div>
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The daylily, nature's colorful trumpet, calls forth the summer</div>
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and it's lovely breezes.</div>
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A blue dasher dragonfly lands on a pink lotus bloom at the </div>
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North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, NC. What brilliance of color, </div>
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what a delight on a hot summer day.</div>
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Golden fritillary butterflies drink nectar from rose colored Sweet William flowers </div>
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just as they have for centuries in early summer gardens.<br />
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The four-eyed milkweed beetle gives a clash of color as it</div>
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Black-Eyed Susans look like cheery droplets of sun with night colored centers.</div>
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A tiny spring peeper sits quietly on the unopened blooms of a sedum. <br />
Earlier in the summer, his cheerful call went on for hours.<br />
What a wonderful nighttime song!</div>
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So many patterns, such tranquil colors, as blue and yellow converge to paint a glorious picture.<br />
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Like a summer dandelion, the goldfinch in all his glory brightens</div>
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the green dominated scene of a midsummer wetland.</div>
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A speckled robin fledgling, not yet dressed in his brown tuxedo, sits precariously on a magnolia branch.</div>
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A burst of cheer, a droplet of color, hidden deep in the shadowy woods.</div>
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Gold, the color of spring daffodils, summer sunflowers, and autumn goldenrods, is truly one of nature's brightest and most spectacular shows. </div>
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Gentle browns, the newness of life make summer seem so exciting</div>
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The blues of the sky, of birds and water give us tranquil pauses in a busy day.</div>
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Variegated greens and vibrant blues make a shady spot seem extra refreshing.</div>
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The green leaves of pond lilies make a cozy little nook for a little green frog.</div>
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With mountains softly silhouetted in shades of blues and purples,</div>
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the grasses sway with each summer breeze. </div>
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Summer, there is no other time that creates such joy, provides amazing bounty, and so delights the senses.</div>
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Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7402849920034660339.post-61657774395493141772011-06-25T23:44:00.002-04:002013-04-15T14:06:21.985-04:00Springtime in the Beautiful Knobs of Kentucky<span id="goog_1414985730"></span><span id="goog_1414985731"></span><br />
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During the week of April 17 to 23, we travelled to the Knobs Region of Kentucky. The hills are called The Knobs because they are cone-shaped with steep sides and altitudes generally less than 1000 feet above sea level. The Appalachian Mountains lie to the east.</div>
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We took a short hike in the John B. Stephenson Memorial Forest Nature Preserve to Anglin Falls, an area located near Berea, KY. The woodland floor was alive with a special floral covering of spring flowers. These are some of the things that we saw while hiking to the falls.<br />
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The Trail to Anglin Falls</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>violets</i></span></div>
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This little violet is called a long-spurred violet because of the long spur on the bottom petal. It can also be distinguished by the purple spots on the petals. </div>
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Violets are the flower that seem to proclaim that spring has truly arrived. This is the Canada violet. It has a yellow tint to the base of the petals, and if you were to turn it over, the back of the top two petals is purple. </div>
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This tiger swallowtail is enjoying a sip of nectar from these native woodland phlox. They are sometimes called wild sweet williams.</div>
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The dwarf crested iris is a showy, native plant that grows close to the ground. It is visited by hummingbirds, and like native columbine, provides an early source of nectar for them. </div>
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Jacob's ladder is a native plant that gets the "ladder" portion of it's common name from the opposite leaves that look like a ladder. My first memories of it are those that I saw in my own grandmother's garden. The plant's fragrance is reported to be attractive to cats, and they will roll in it just as they do in catnip.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>trilliums</i></span></div>
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No spring woodland trip would be complete without trilliums to admire, and these woods provided plenty. A common name for them is Wake Robin so called because they appeared at about the same time the robin returned. They can be eaten and are used medicinally for diarrhea. Native Americans used them as an aid for childbirth.</div>
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The sessile trillium is also known as the toadshade trillium, the toad trillium and sweet Betsy.<br />
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The red trillium is sometimes known as the stinking trillium. Some people describe its smell as similar to that of a wet dog.</div>
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Redbud trees and dogwoods along the way.</div>
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This is a bird's nest that we spotted just off the trail. It is probably a Baltimore Oriole's nest although there are several other birds that will build a hanging nest.</div>
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As we neared the falls, the trail became narrower with some rocky area to traverse.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We saw this pickerel frog near the falls. Click on the link below to hear his call which has been compared to a snore. On the left side of the page, click on the <b>family</b> tab and then on </span><b>Ranidae.</b> Then click on <b>Pickerel</b>.</div>
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<a href="http://bioweb.wku.edu/froglogger">http://bioweb.wku.edu/froglogger</a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Beautiful wisps of orange and yellow, these native columbines were blooming</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> among the rocks.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is Anglin Falls in April, a hike worth taking. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i> Now every field is clothed w</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>ith grass, and every tree with leaves; now the woods </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>put</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>forth their blossoms, and the year assumes its gay attire. ~ Virgil</i></span></div>
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Wind Dancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470897688947681861noreply@blogger.com2