Winter Flowers

Winter is a quiet time. I tend to walk more quickly and pay less attention to what is close by. Instead I see the big picture; the way the sun shines through the snow on the pines, or a white hillside with shadows making silhouettes. Recently, Iโ€™ve noticed the dried stalks of flowers, more precisely, … Continue reading Winter Flowers

Nature’s Chill: Finding Joy in Winter Evenings

We're on the cusp of the solstice and as unlikely as it seems when the forecast is for snow and frigid weather, the days are going to lengthen. It's nearly dark now at 4:30 and the evenings feel long, especially compared to soft spring days when it's hard to come inside before 8:30 or 9. … Continue reading Nature’s Chill: Finding Joy in Winter Evenings

Now What?

Like many others I have been feeling a deep anger and sadness for the choice our country made in the last election. The preference for hatred and bigotry fed by lies and disinformation, is said to be a call for change. It looks to me more like a desire to return to โ€œthe good oleโ€™ … Continue reading Now What?

Aerial Aspirations

Iโ€™ve always wanted to fly. Iโ€™m not talking about taking a plane somewhere, dealing with crowds, stale air and cramped seats. No, Iโ€™m talking about spreading powerful wings and taking to the air. Even a short flight would be amazing. I want to feel the air around me and watch the world pass below. But … Continue reading Aerial Aspirations

Exploring Small Butterflies

I was out butterflying the other day, looking for hairstreaks. I was hoping to see either a banded or a striped hairstreak, both of which are relatively common in Vermont. That doesnโ€™t mean easy to find. Hairstreaks are small butterflies, often with a drab background color broken up by occasional bright spots or streaks. They … Continue reading Exploring Small Butterflies

Taxonomy part 2: Butterfly families

In my last post I discussed scientific naming in general and I promised to dig into butterflies a bit deeper. If you look at the tree of life it begins with the basic divisions of life into the three major Domains: Bacteria on one "limb" and Archaea and Eukaryota which quickly branch from each other … Continue reading Taxonomy part 2: Butterfly families