Here we are, December 20, encroaching on the shortest day of the year and winter solstice – something we can reliably expect to happen (at least until this time next year when the Mayan calendar ceases). What’s less expected is that we’ve barely seen any winter weather. Granted, today and yesterday were cold. But we’ve […]
Archive for the ‘Rants & Raves’ Category
Carolina winter?
Posted in Interesting, Rants & Raves on December 20, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Has it been a year?
Posted in Rants & Raves on November 24, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Time flies, they say. I can’t believe it’s been a year since we launched this blog. Activity has been rather sparse the last month or two – fall brings a natural tendency to quieten things down, with colors turning to brown. There are no new plants to talk about this time of year, although we […]
For the Birds: Woodpeckers In My Cape Cod Backyard
Posted in Fauna, Guest blogger, Interesting, Rants & Raves on September 18, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
For two years I have watched what I believe to be the same group of woodpeckers interact at the suet feeder in my Cape Cod backyard. One species, the “downy woodpecker”, tends to feed most often at the suet feeder. You can tell a downy woodpecker’s gender by its coloration – the males have a red spot on their heads […]
Who cares about nature anyway?
Posted in Guest blogger, Interesting, Rants & Raves on September 9, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
I have to admit, I was one of the people the blog post below rants about. I simply did not care about nature for most of my life. Places without lots of people seemed “boring”. But two circumstances changed that for me. When deciding where to travel I used to only consider cities – places where I […]
Last rant of summer
Posted in Rants & Raves on September 5, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Hey son, look at these minnows. Honey, check out the beachplum. I’ve overheard statements like this all summer long, and everytime I feel like interjecting myself to make the correction – they are not minnows, which are a fresh water fish, but mummichog. And those aren’t beachplum, they are Rosa rugosa. Nitpicking, maybe, but it […]
Early fall?
Posted in Rants & Raves on September 4, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
It’s labor day and the weather isn’t half bad actually – the sun has been able to penetrate the cloud cover and we got a nice beach day out of it on the bay. Ever since Irene hit, however, there is a distinct fall feel and smell in the air – it’s much colder at […]
Irene
Posted in Interesting, Rants & Raves on August 31, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Irene hit Cape Cod on Sunday August 28. It was mainly a wind event, taking with it branches and leaves of the white oak and black locust trees. The latter (Robinia pseudoacacia) were decimated, in fact. The trees look like bare pencils with some remnants of the compound leaves. One specimen – my favorite because […]
Campsis radicans (trumpet creeper)
Posted in Flora, Interesting, Plant bio, Rants & Raves on August 2, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
This vine is native to eastern North America and can be found in roadside hedges here and there on Cape Cod. The highway beautification crews up in the Boston area use this vine to cover the sound barriers along Route 93. It is often planted for its attractive, reddish orange, and sometimes yellow flowers. It […]
Confessions of An Unenthusiastic Bug Killer
Posted in Fauna, Guest blogger, Interesting, Rants & Raves on July 19, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
For the past two months I have been on a bug killing spree. I am guilty of being a very non-eco friendly person lately in my treatment of bugs and I am not happy about it.  I would definitely never make it in one of those religions where you’re forbidden to kill living things. First I committed premeditated […]
cat-tastrophe
Posted in Guest blogger, Rants & Raves on May 24, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
I love cats, but I have about had it with my neighbor’s kitty. He has been spending an inordinate amount of time in my yard – perhaps because of all the wild vegetation and lovely birds. All the things I love about my yard, he seems to love too. Places to hide, things to eat. I […]