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Ready To Go In The Oven
March 14, 2026 Happy Pi Day. Actually not PIE DAY, but I’ll take this as a hint to get a pie created. This one, made from blueberries that grow here, a blueberry pie that is all set to go into the oven. 425° for 15 minutes, and 375° for 45 minutes longer and it will…
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Pickled Beet Eggs
March 13, 2026 Deep, deep Pennsylvania Dutch roots and childhood memories of Pickled Beet Eggs. This, the beginning of a batch a couple years ago. _______________________ If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!
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Bloodroot In Snow
March 12, 2026 Yesterday and today, two days to remember. What weather. Yesterday it got up to 87°. That’s mighty warm for mid-March, then at midnight it was only down to 75°, by lunchtime the temperature had dropped to 32° and it was snowing. By the time the flakes stopped pouring from the sky —…
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An Enchanted Forest of Yellow
March 11, 2026 Driving back up the mountain this morning, I noticed that Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) is in bloom. The woods are awash with its yellow blossoms that lean a bit toward green. A gorgeous time to see the many trees of the forest, nearly all still with no leaves, just the splash of yellow…
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Bumble Bee And Bloodroot
March 10, 2026 The first of Bloodroot blooms (Sanguinaria canadensis) visited by the first of Common Eastern Bumblebees (Bombus impatiens). _______________________ If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!
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The Joy Of Spring
March 9, 2026 Yellow symbolizes sunshine, joy, happiness, and energy. And that is what it conveys to me as I see these, first of the spring Daffodils (Narcissus). Delayed a bit by our extremely cold weather, along with the snowcrete, but now in bloom. These the first, there are other varieties that will bloom later, spreading…
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A Woodcock In The Woods
March 8, 2026 An American Woodcock (Scolopax minor). An amazing creature. Here, a photo with better lighting to see its handy beak. Their beaks are usually between 2.5 and 3 inches long, with a prehensile tip that is sensitive and flexible. The Woodcock uses its beak to probe soil, hunting for earthworms and other invertebrates,…
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American Goldfinch Ultimate Seedeater
March 7, 2026 The American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) the ultimate seedeater. Enjoying the seeds of Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta). I leave my gardens during the winter, to be cleaned up in the spring. That leaves the seedheads as a source of food for the birds all winter long. And I can always depend on the…
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Mourning Cloak Butterfly
March 6, 2026 Generally an adult butterfly has a short lifespan of just 2 to 4 weeks. The longest lifespan of an adult butterfly in North American is that of the Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa), from 10 to 12 months. In order to accomplish this, the Mourning Cloak overwinters as an adult. They seek shelter…
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Red-shouldered Hawk
March 5, 2026 A Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus), on the lookout for lunch, sitting atop a birdhouse, rather than its usual perch on the branch of a tree. A medium-sized Buteo. Males ranging in size from 15 to 23 inches, and weighing an average of 1.21 pounds. Females range in size from 17 to 24 inches,…