The last few visits to my sit spot have yielded some real West Virginian natural treasures. I've been having the opportunity to visit my spot at different times during the day since my schedule is more flexible. Yesterday, I found the most cunning striped Jack-in-the-Pulpit variety ever! These Pulpits are pale green with whitish stripes. Very nice. I don't recall seeing this variety back in Maryland. In Maryland, I saw the purple striped variety a lot, which is also very striking in appearance. Here you can see a view of the WV variety of Jack-in-the Pulpit, a wildflower. Check out the nice white stripes on the plant to the right. Today, I looked up in a tree and found the most adorable little bird's nest! I immediately felt it was a hummingbird's nest based on the size shape and the way the nest was seemingly "plastered" into the Y of the tree, but I am not sure. What do you think? I'm still looking at different hummingbird nests to see if any match up. Upon my first view, this is what I saw of the nest above my head about three feet. It sure paid to look up to see this treasure. I was thinking there might be eggs in this beauty, so I approached rather cautiously with my camera. And a little closer.... And finally a peek into the nest reveals......no little dears. They've probably hatched and left by now as I believe it's late in the season. This was a hard angle to get. I had to step on a stone which I stood up against the young tree to get this shot. I tried very hard to not be intrusive, but I just HAD to find out if there were any eggs inside as I stretched high and pointed my lense to get this shot above my head. Got it! Us humans are insatiably curious about our little fellow creatures and I'm no exception. Here we have a hummingbird's nest about the size of what I found. Photo compliments of Wikimedia Commons. Here is an old painting of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird nest with a baby hummer sitting rather tightly in its nest. These nests can be just little bigger than a quarter and my nest was definitely bigger than a quarter.
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Tonight I visited my sit spot at around 6 pm. It was a gorgeous and perfect spring mountain evening with a nice breeze, no humidity, slightly cool, around 65 degrees and beautifully sunny. Rochelle and I had been out for our evening walk and I parked her at the dog line and tied her up. My sit spot is not even 20 yards from the dog line. I sat on my rock and drank in the evening.
The birds were really deep in their songs and flitting about the trees. I saw a robin land on a branch with what looked to be a worm in its mouth. There was a lovely little tiny butterfly that was brown with white bands. When the butterfly would flutter about, it had such a unique pattern to its wings with the white bar flashing. Aaaah! What a lovely evening to sit back on my rock and enjoy the sights and sounds of this lovely spring evening! Yesterday at around 5pm, I decided to visit my sit spot. It was raining, so, I put on my slicker and headed to my sit rock. As I was making my way to my sit spot I saw something stunning! There were, glistened with raindrops, several stands of a new pink wildflower I have never seen before! I couldn't very well get photos of them in the rain, as I didn't want to expose my camera to so much moisture. It was raining quite hard. I had guessed correctly that they were a type of columbine and sure enough after googling "columbine", I found Alice's Pink Columbine! Wow! Alice is my deceased grandmother's name on my father's side! My father just passed last week, and now there is a flower here to remind me of my father's dear sweet mother, whom he has recently joined! I'm thrilled and delighted to get to know this lovely wildflower. Light Pink Alice's Columbine, a reminder of my grandmother Alice Johnson! The underside of Alice's Pink Columbine. Notice the famous 5-pointed star pattern found repeatedly throughout nature. Alice's Pink Columbine is actually called European Columbine, with Alice's being the pink variety. I found out that columbine is a dicot in the ranunculales order, same as buttercups! Here is direct information from my giant two volume set, Wildflowers of the United States, Volume One: The Northeastern States: "The name columbine come from the Latin columb, dove; the five spurred petals were apparently thought to resemble as many doves, clustered perhaps around a fountain. The Latin name is likewise of doubtful origin; it is sometimes derived from aquila, "eagle"; but why?"
I'm fascinated by this volume's eloquent writing! Isn't it just cunning? There's more too. "The columbines are familiar and beautiful garden flowers of many colors. Their distinctive feature is the hanging or horizontal flower whose five petals have long tubes - "spurs" - extending upwards or backwards. The sepals are brightly colored, like the petals or of a contrasting color. There are many stamens and five pistils. The ovaries become pods (follicles) which open along their inner sides. The leaves are much divided into small, stalked segments which are usually roundish and notched." I slept in today until like 10:30 am. Must have needed it after all the emotional ups and downs with my dad's passing. I managed to get outdoors to my special "sit spot" to connect with nature. I had a marvelous visitation from what I believe is a Phoebe. It perched in some trees about my head and made the most adorable chirps. I noticed it had a little insect in its mouth. I could see the wings of the insect poking out. I also noticed the wonderful "green smells" of the newly flowering earth and the leaves coming out. The leavs come out later here in the mountains, of course. I noticed some Cabbage White butterflies and the tumultuous activity of the insects about the ground and lower plants. What a lovely morning! I'm so thrilled I had the chance to get out there. I want to try to do it everyday for my 10-day sit spot challenge. The spot I go to I'm actually considering either getting a tiny house on wheels back there or building a tiny log cabin. We'll see. I'm saving up for my home now. I'm hoping to purchase materials and labor under $15,000. I also hope to live off the grid. That's my goal.
This week I was able to visit my sit spot twice in a week and this has been a very busy week for me here at the motel! I'm amazed. I've been getting there in the evenings right as the sun is going down at about 8:00 pm. The first evening, I marveled at the beauty of the spring flowers, the sounds of peeping frogs and the smell of these bottle-brush looking flowers on a shrub next to my sit rock. This evening when I went to my sit spot I was surprised by the ear piercing calls of the frogs! It was almost overwhelming. My ears actually hurt listening to them. I heard one frog that sounded rather close. I thought they'd all be living at the pond, but I think I heard frogs throughout the woods too. One day, I am going to purchase a tiny house on wheels. I want to live simply and avoid debt. Actually, there is a whole group of folks called "the tiny house movement". I thought about what it would be like to roll up my tiny house right next to my sit spot. It would make going to my sit spot that much more convenient. I have to walk about 200 yards right now to get to my sit spot. Below are some fun photos I took at my sit spot. My favorite photo of the nightThis is for the Kamana for Kids: The Young Naturalist Mammals Activity Trail guide, pages 74 - 78, Basic Bobcats. We are to list the animals we've seen in our neighborhoods, then list the animals that are in our area that we haven't seen. Then think of an animal I'd like to be, name myself and draw a picture of it. Lastly, choose a favorite animal, and write details about what it eats, where it lives and sketch it. Okay, so, I have seen a number of mammals here in WV, but nothing I haven't seen in back in Maryland, where I used to live.
Box #1: Animals I can think of that are in my area: 1). black bear, cougar, bobcat, deer, beaver, moles, mice, rabbits, fox, raccoons, chipmunks, weasel, squirrel Box #2: Mammals I've seen with my own eyes. Here's the list 1). Squirrels 2). ground hogs 3). deer 4). Cottontail rabbits 5). dead moles 6). ferral cats (ha ha, that doesn't really count) 7). dead raccoons on the roadside Box #3: Animals that are in my area that I haven't seen 1). opossum 2). black bear (I'm timid to meet this mammal) 3). bobcat (I'm not as afraid to meet this cat since it's relatively small) 4). cougar (whew! I'm a bit afraid to meet this mammal!) 5). fox 6). raccoon 7). skunk 8). beaver Box #4 We were to choose an animal we'd like to be. I chose the chipmunk and I named myself "Chippie". I can't very well draw a photo of the chipmunk here, and I doubt I'll have time to draw one, so, we'll let it be for now. Box #5 -My animal is the chipmunk. It eats lots of acorns (I've seen the leftovers) and I'm quite sure they live in holes in trees. This week I've had the opportunity to experience the fulness of a West Virginian spring! I had the chance to visit Dolly Sods with Rochelle, which is a wildlife preserve high up on a lonely mountain indeed! The drive up was quite the thrill as there was the steep mountain precipice but feet from my car! I admit, I was a bit nervous. Here's a photo of the view at Dolly Sods. Dolly Sods early spring 2012 As you probably notice, the leaves had not yet blossomed on these trees. In fact, I must have been at a higher elevation then my little town in the mountains! Rochelle was with me of course. We roamed about the mossy open area that you see in the photo. I didn't stay long as admittedly, I felt a bit afraid of this mountaintop experience. I think that is odd, since I thought I would have felt safe in the folds of the wilderness. I guess I need to get out into the wilderness more and not be such an alien to it! I also managed to visit my sit spot. It's so nice to see the landscape change from a dull brown to a pale green as the foliage begins growing on the trees and plants. I have discovered a lovely patch of Dame's Rocket in my backyard as well, a welcome treat. I took photos of this purple wildflower both before the surprise snowfall and thereafter. Yes, we had an early spring snowfall here in the mountains, which is not to be a big surprise. In fact, no weather should be a surprise here in the mountains. I quite enjoy it's variety! The lovely Dame's Rocket in my backyard Snowy Dame's Rocket Another lovely early spring snow scene to behold! During Rochelle and I's travels this week, I saw the most beautiful, quaint, old farmhouse! I could not get a closeup from the front as I was afraid of trespassing. Although it appears no one lives there, there were signs of upkeep of the property. It looks like a historic site. Oh, I hope to be brave enough to park my car and at least walk up to the gate's entrance to take a photograph next time I'm in Petersburg, which should be soon! The old house from behind. I had driven up a road behind the house and was able to photograph it through the woods. Tantalizing delight, indeed! Today I read the second to last story, called Bones, in book three of the Kamana for Kids series. It's our last It was a very interesting story in that Running Deer was trekking through the mountains looking for this friend she had nicknamed Bones. Bones lives in the hollow of a trees, which I think is VERY cool. I would LOVE to live in the hollow of a tree. So, I took the theme of Bones' living in harmony with the earth by living in a tree a had the class lesson be mainly about sustainable living or living in harmony with the Earth.
Here are a few questions for my students to help with their blogging experience. I will call them "writing starters". Writing starters for the 12/15/11 class
Here are some new photos of my new second sit spot and of Abram's Creek.
Natureglo's friends, family and world I am very thankful to my biological mother, Maureen, who gave birth to me. She took good care of me, clothed me, fed me and gave me a roof over my head for close to eleven years of my life. I am thankful to her for taking care of brushing my teeth. To this day I can thank her for helping me take the best care of my teeth. I still have all of my teeth and no cavities!! Thanks, Mom! Today giant snowflakes began to fall from the sky mid-afternoon. As the sun began to go down, I realized that I didn't want to miss an opportunity to go to my sit spot during twilight in a blizzard. So, I grabbed my camera and Flip camcorder and headed to my sit spot.
It was just gorgeous seeing neighbors Christmas lights through the snow-laden trees. As the night came on, the bright snowy branches seemed to have a light of their own. I stood in my sit spot field and admired the snow as it fell softly. The sounds of the town were to a hush as the great flakes made their way to the earth. My neighbors boys were outside playing in the snow but they left me to my exploring. I'm actually not even sure if they saw me. I continued to look up at the field with the perimeter of snowy trees. It was a wet snow, so the snow stuck fast to the branches. What a lovely look! Silence. Such muffled silence. It was rather cold out, so I spent only about 10 minutes. I did make two videos, one on my way to my sit spot field, and obut not more than about 2 minutes worth. I don't think the quality will be great though, because it was getting quite dark. The videos look kind of blue, not the greatest. I plodded my way back to my door. It was a nice, short, yet entrancing visit to my woodsy field. |
AuthorI'm Natureglo, founder of Natureglo's eScience! I'm an avid nature lover, photographer, hiker, full time camper and an online teacher. Categories
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