Late yesterday afternoon, I saw my first monarch caterpillar of the year. Really?! Wow, it is late. Five years ago, I saw my first larva on June 19th. We did move three hours north, but we moved to a cabin that we built in 2005 and have visited multiple times a year since. So, I…
Conservation
Poetry Friday: Poets of Maine
I struggled with what to write about today. I started a few poems but they didn’t seem to be clicking with me creatively. I’ll save those to keep working on them. Both are nature-inspired. I looked into poems about moving. We are just two weeks away from our move. Much progress was made over last…
Monarch Monitoring 2022 Season: June Entry #1
I am all set to monitor for Monarchs this year! It is so exciting! Two days ago I saw my first monarch butterfly of the season fly over our deck in the late afternoon. An ideal day, sunny and warm, I shouted with glee as the monarch passed! Having already entered my milkweed observations to…
Getting Ready to Monitor Monarchs
Despite the generally cold and wet spring we’ve had, the milkweed has popped up in my gardens. The common milkweed is already about six inches tall and my rose milkweed has germinated even though it is still tiny. An unknowing eye would think it was a weed. I know better and didn’t pull it out….
The Milkweed is Up in My Wisconsin Yard
It’s time for monarch monitoring as my common milkweed stems have emerged in my yard! I’ll have to look back to be sure, but I think it’s early. Each year, since 2006, I’ve reported the emergence of the perennial milkweed in my yard to Journey North. This means I am a citizen scientist! The submission…
Poetry Friday: Crazy Weather and Water Wars
In the upper mid-west, we’ve gone from late winter to summer in one jump! I don’t know what happened to the spring season. Since we are moving, I only bought a small number of plants from my “personal greenhouse grower.” The plants looked great as usual and I put them in pots last Saturday. Then,…
Pick Up Sticks
In a few short weeks, we will own two properties in Wisconsin both fully wooded, except for the spot where are cabin is and our future residence will be placed which is a remnant prairie. Owning a wooded property is beautiful! You are amidst the seasons as they unfold before your eyes. We are lucky…
Poetry Friday: Isn’t Every Day, Earth Day?
Earth Day 2022 Isn’t Every Day, Earth Day? We’ve lived on this planet for eons. Home… For humans, For animals, For plants. For millions, and billions, of species Before our eyes many are disappearing At alarming rates But, since YOU go on, YOU forget the others that have gone. Our lives are short but collectively…
The Land of Eagles
We are fortunate to live in a place and time where we can see bald eagles. Everyday! Spring is the time we usually have one or two landing in the overgrown tree in the dry creek bed beside our house. They come before leaf out, while the branches are still bare, finding their perch for…
Adventures Yet to Come
Lately, I’ve been giving some thought as to which United States National Parks I’d like to visit next. This past year we traveled to: Arches National Park Grand Canyon National Park Saguaro National Park Petrified Forest National Park and Haleakala National Park. And, that’s not all. In 2018, I visited Joshua Tree National Park and…