Fall Colors
Thanks to warmer-than-usual temperatures, many trees held onto their green color–that is, their chlorophyll–until late October this year.
Read MoreThanks to warmer-than-usual temperatures, many trees held onto their green color–that is, their chlorophyll–until late October this year.
Read MoreBack in the 1960s, marketers of a certain brand of tuna came up with a catchy jingle: “Ask any mermaid you happen to see, What’s…
Read MoreAs the temperatures start to cool, don’t be surprised if a parson comes to your door. Actually, he, or she, might instead come to your…
Read MoreOh, bees. We think we know them, but do we really? A couple of recent incidents reminded me that bees-that familiar group of herbivorous and…
Read MoreThe woman’s voice quavered as she described her predicament. “I have a milkshake on my driveway,” she squeaked over the phone, her words barely discernible…
Read MoreSecret identities. Our popular culture is full of them. Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent takes off his glasses, dons a cape and then, faster than…
Read MoreWalking up to Hickory Knolls, our wonderful nature center, I never cease to be struck by the abundance of beauty displayed by our native wildflowers.…
Read MoreMmm…popcorn. I love the way it looks. I love the way it tastes. I love the way it smells, too. And golly, I’ve been smelling…
Read MoreThe neighbor’s kids were out the other day, chattering excitedly as they soaked up some summer sun. It was snack time – seems like it’s…
Read MoreDon’t you just love life’s little surprises? You reach in your coat pocket and find a forgotten $5 bill. Yay! You run into an old…
Read MoreMmmmm. Pie. Is there anything more delectably satisfying than a nice pie? My own preferences run toward a double-crust fruity variety, with the top five…
Read MoreSo the other day I went to Delnor Woods Park in St. Charles to take some photos of Joe Pye weed, a favorite summertime bloom.…
Read More“That’s not a chipmunk.” The astute visitor, wise beyond his 4 1/2 years, stubbornly stood by his resolution, while his companions (people who, I’m guessing,…
Read MoreI got quite the buzz while working in the garden the other day. No, I’m not growing the devil’s lettuce. And I wasn’t slaking my…
Read MoreExcept for one time, nearly 35 years ago, when I found myself eating ice cream in a supermarket with Prince Andrew and his then-wife Sarah,…
Read MoreDid you ever have one of those days where you’ve found yourself feeling a little, well, rusty? I have, more than I care to think…
Read MoreWho doesn’t love a good berry? Strawberries! Raspberries! Blueberries! Crayfish-berries? Yes folks, it’s that time of year again. Crayfish are breeding, and many females are…
Read MoreWe’ve all heard the saying, “Snug as a bug in a rug.” But this time of year I often find myself adding, “Some bugs are…
Read MoreThe other day I headed out to meet some friends for a walk at Tekakwitha Woods Forest Preserve, with a plan to proceed over to…
Read MoreAh, spring. What could be more glorious? Flowers are blooming, insects are buzzing, frogs are calling. And the birds? Well they’re doing what birds do…
Read MoreI’ve never, by any stretch of the imagination, been considered quick. I can’t dash, I don’t dart. In fact, the only time I recall moving…
Read MoreWhat’s black and white and red all over? Here in the TriCities’ corner of the natural world, not a lot. But the red-headed woodpecker is…
Read MoreWell, it happened again. After a prolonged absence-nearly eight years– Build Me Up Buttercup, that great song by The Foundations, once again is reverberating through…
Read MoreA little over a year ago, in February 2020, I signed up for what promised to be the adventure of a lifetime. “Travel to Costa…
Read MoreButterflies are easy. It’s a statement that naturalists make from time to time, and it refers to the fact that we don’t have to work…
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