Nature

The Not So Itsy Bitsy Spider
I pulled into my driveway just as I had done hundreds of times before, but this time something caught my eye. It was big enough to notice but too small to discern what might be clinging to the gate. I decreased my speed while rolling my window down. There was a giant, perfectly spun web with its architect positioned exactly in the center. I had never stopped and appreciated the beauty of an insect quite like this before. I grew up in the Midwest where camping trips, summer picnics, wilderness hikes, and river floats dominated my childhood memories. Many of these experiences included encounters with box turtles and garter snakes. However, this was the first time I fully appreciated the intricacies and complexity of a creature this small in size. I had to document this sight in its entirety. The automatic gate began to close as I fumbled for my phone. Carefully aligning the camera in a position to include every aspect, I clicked the capture button. Suddenly, it was brought to my attention that if I didn't pull up quickly the gate would collide directly with my side mirror. I floored the accelerator and my car jumped forward just as I heard that much-dreaded sound. The rear end of my car did not escape and a metal post grazed my taillight. Even before jumping out to investigate the damage, I opened my camera application to make sure I had gotten the shot. The single picture was saved in my photograph history. I knew that the gate's movement would disturb my subject thus reducing any chance of obtaining the picture I desired after its closure. My dad and brother were the first to receive the image from me with an inquiry as to whether they might be able to identify it. "A Garden Spider," they both responded. "Most likely a female judging from its size and coloring," my dad added. Argiope aurantia has many more commonly used names that denote the spider’s distinctive black and yellow markings.
By Mavis5 years ago in Earth
Oh, The Irony Of His Picnic Spot
Let me tell you something about being at a cemetery. Motion catches your eye. Instantly. Mostly, things aren't supposed to move, there. And if they do, it's supposed to be at night. Not in the middle of a sunny summer afternoon with blue skies above.
By Linda Caroll5 years ago in Earth
Nature Diary
If you’ve already heard the first bird chirp in the morning twilight, and lying half-awake in bed you decide to catch the sunrise over Lake Ontario, then you’d better get moving; because if you have any kind of drive ahead of you to get there, even a short one as I do, then you’re already late.
By Andrew Turnbull5 years ago in Earth
The Artist and The Engineer
Part 1: Scissors and solitude Don’t tell my partner but my greatest companion has always been a reliable pair of scissors. No matter the task, when I open the kitchen drawer or box or cupboard, it’s not a relaxed search but a frenzied race to be reunited with them once again. In this state of mind, I have a clear objective, a clear purpose. Granted it’s not quite the state of mind the monks intended, but nevertheless it’s my ticket to a higher realm - because in this moment, in this very moment, my project has been set into motion and nothing could make me happier.
By Jade Chantrell5 years ago in Earth
Whales, Whales and more Whales
It was the summer of 2017. The month of June! This proved to be one of the most exciting vacation trips of my life. I have traveled to a lot of exciting places in the world, however I found so much joy right here in the United States of America. I and about 38 plus family members embarked on a family cruise to Alaska. We all flew to Seattle where we toured for a few days before we boarded the ship. Once on board, our excitement truly began. We had the most fun of our entire lives. This trip helped to bond our family even closer and to this day we try to take at least one big family trip a year. (Of course, this trip was BC; Before Covid-19) The remarkable thing about this trip was all the beautiful pictures we captured of animals, bears, seals, eagles, and whales. We flew over numerous monuments and glaciers.
By Linda Chandler-Jacobs5 years ago in Earth
Celebrating My Farmer Nick Journey During National Gardening Week. Top Story - June 2021. Created with: Fiskars.
It only took 32 square feet to change my life. That’s how big the plot of land was in my childhood backyard where I first learned to garden. We had lost a tree during Hurricane Sandy two years prior, and that patch of Earth had laid bare and forgotten ever since, that is, until my mother posed this question to me:
By Farmer Nick5 years ago in Earth
The nature weather is nice outside!
Well, the weather outside is pleasant, but that doesn't have to ruin the exercise routine you've been enjoying since spring, even if you love to exercise outside. Of course, as always, there are some guidelines to follow when exercising outside from the home in extreme weather.
By CK blog5 years ago in Earth
Regal, Yet Also Ridiculous. Top Story - June 2021.
King Henry VIII had a bum-wiper. And if you're wondering what the heck that has to do with a somewhat strange photo of an elk, hang with me because we're going on a bit of a ride.
By Linda Caroll5 years ago in Earth
Finding a Buck
Washington, D.C., our nation's capital, is rich with people and locations that invoke the past, resonate with the energy of the present, and hint at the future of our country. During my time living in Northern Virginia and working in the District, I enjoyed many walks through the bustling city viewing memorials to heroes of our past while brushing shoulders with individuals who were working for a better today...and tomorrow.
By Leigh-Anne Dennison5 years ago in Earth
Gardening
The act of growing your own food or tending to plants in a garden is an act of love. Bell Hooks, an activist, and writer that I admire says in her book, All About Love: New Visions, that “Love is ‘the will to extend one’s self for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth.’” (Hooks 1999). Apply this statement to gardening and we can see that when we are gardening we are extending ourselves (our energy and time) to nurture the growth of the plant, the soil, and the creatures living within the garden. And what does this realization teach us about ourselves, our community?
By Carli 5 years ago in Earth
The Forager
My internal alarm clock wakes me up to another early morning; I stretch as I rise. I move past my sister who is just stirring. We both have a lot of work to do today, as we did yesterday and the day before. I move quietly through our home as I prepare to leave, not wanting to wake anyone.
By Shelby Rider5 years ago in Earth
Birds of Eden
Legend has it that an $800.00 black pearl earring is hiding somewhere in Birds of Eden, the world’s largest free-flight aviary in South Africa.
By Jess5 years ago in Earth