"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another."
— Charles Dickens
Your Hand Is An Extension of Your Heart
"Your hand is an extension of your heart.
Give it freely."
- Unknown
Thursday
Fill Your Cup with Sunshine and Laughter
Black Swallowtail Butterfly
"Today, fill your cup of life
with sunshine and laughter."
-Dodinsky
Wednesday
Outside the Open Window
“Outside the open window
The morning air is all awash with angels.”
― Richard Wilbur
Tuesday
Monday
Nature Restores Us
"Remember that nature is your great restorer."
~ Calvin Coolidge
Our view from today's walk (Sept 23, 2024)
around Hethwood pond -
1.6 miles
Sunday
In Every Walk With Nature
"In every walk with nature
one receives far more than he seeks."
- John Muir
Male goldfinch harvesting seeds from the flowers.
Our walk today was along the Huckleberry trail but in the opposite direction of our normal Hethwood walk. We started after church so it was quite hot.
Our milage today - 1.6 miles.
Saturday
Pileated Woodpecker
"All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on."
~ Havelock Ellis
Friday's bike ride (09-20-24) was 14 miles from Hiwassee to Barren Springs.
So far we are at 63.3 miles of riding for the month.
Thursday
Katydid Blends In
"When you are kind to others,
it not only changes you, it changes the world.”
Harold S. Kushner
Grasshopper Grasps the Greenery
"Never be so focused on what you're looking for that you overlook the thing you actually find."
— Ann Patchett
Wednesday
Wildflower Wednesday Walk - September 18, 2024
Jewelweed - The Hummingbirds like to hang out with this wildflower.
I did not see any today and think they may have begun their migration this week.
A purple wildflower - an aster I believe.
A large snapping turtle - always fun to see these big guys!
Another view of the pond with a bit of fall showing.
Another 1 .6 miles walked today.
We saw Blue jays, Catbirds, Cardinals, and several squirrels and chipmunks.
And the groundhog and a cat was at our favorite coffee drinking spot.
Skipper and Lace
“Learn to appreciate small quiet moments, the ocean, a walk on the beach, time alone, your health, your strength, your smile, your life.”
Germany Kent
I always try to do this, but find myself able to appreciate the
"little things" even more since my retirement.
Tuesday
Trees Give Peace
“Trees give peace to the souls of men.”
― Nora Waln
Seen along the New River Trail during one of our rides earlier this summer.
Monday
Hethwood Walk - Monday, September 16, 2024
Leaves are starting to fall
You can see how dry everything is - we really need the rain.
A pretty gazebo along the path.
Our walk was again 1.6 miles and we observed the following:
a hummingbird - which is quite late for us
Bluejays, goldfinches, squirrel, ducks (you can see them in the gazebo pic) 2 snapping turtles.
At our coffee spot we saw the groundhog again and several crows
Sunday
Deerfield Walk - Sunday, September 15, 2024
After Church, we walked along Deerfield Trail.
We've been walking along this trail since for many many years and have named
these trees the "Dancing" Trees.
This creek along Deerfield Trail is very low and we need rain badly.
There is a tropical storm brewing and we are supposed to get a few inches over the next several days.
Today we walked 1.5 miles
We saw 2 brown thrashers, a blue jay, and heard a cardinal and many other birds.
Saturday
Bike Ride - Saturday - September 14, 2024
A view from our bike ride today along the New River Trail
Today, Saturday, September 14, 2024
we rode our bikes along the New River Trail in Pulaski, Virginia.
Today's ride was from Dora Junction to the Draper Mercantile and back.
8.2 miles
We saw 2 deer along the trail, many birds and a monarch butterfly along with many other butterflies.
A recap of our rides so far in September:
Tuesday September 3, 2024 - 8.2 miles - Dora to Draper and back
Saturday, September 7, 2024 - 16.5 miles - Hiwassee to Lone Ash and back
Monday, September 9, 2024 - 8.2 miles Dora to Draper and back
Wednesday, September 11, 2024 - 8.2 miles Draper to Hiwassee and back
Totals so far for September - 49.3 miles ridden.
Friday
Friday - September 13, 2024
It was a cloudy day for our walk.
We saw a few snapping turtles again but only 1 duck and
no geese today. Several squirrels and a chipmunk.
There was a lot of Blue Jay activity and we saw a Catbird and
another Hummingbird. The Hummingbirds should be
heading out soon.
The goldenrod is blooming so prettily. When
I got closer I saw this lovely patterned Locust Borer Beetle.
This Bald-faced Hornet was
another cool find on our walk.
The "Squiggly" drew me to this vine which I have identified as a Wild Grape Vine also known as riverbank grape or frost grape.
It was another great walk of 1.6 miles and a wonderful way to spend the morning.
Give Us Pleasure in the Flowers Today
"Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers
in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away..."
- Robert Frost
Common Buckeye Butterfly on Coneflower
Thursday
Thursday - September 12, 2024
A lovely sunrise to start the day
One of the 5 snapping turtles we saw on our walk around Hethwood Pond
Woolly Bear Caterpillar - First seen this year.
These little guys turn into Isabella Tiger Moths.
A view along Plantation Road. You can see a bit of fall in the trees. I'm afraid that due to our dry conditions this year our leaves may not be as pretty as most autumns here.
During our walk today we saw:
5 snapping turtles
3 or more painted turtles
Ducks on the pond and Geese flying over the pond
A hummingbird near the path where there is an abundance of jewelweed
A Woolly Bear Caterpillar - aka Woolly Worm
Multiple Squirrels, Cardinals, and I heard several Blue Jays
We walked 1.6 miles
After our walk we had coffee at a spot where we see a bit of wildlife and saw a groundhog and a feral cat. The groundhog and cat were very close to each other and didn't seem to be bothered by each other at all.
Great Advice from Mark Twain
“Give every day the chance to become
the most beautiful day of your life.”
― Mark Twain
Tuesday
Everything You Look At Can Become A Fairy Tale
"Everything you look at can become a fairy tale and you can get a story from everything you touch."
~ Hans Christian Andersen
A Tree along the Huckleberry Trail during one of
our walks.
Sunday
Cape May Warbler
"Wake up with a smile and go after life ....
Live it, enjoy it, taste it, smell it, feel it."
~ Joe Knapp
Saturday
Wild World of Webs
"Joy in looking and comprehending
is nature's most beautiful gift."
~ Albert Einstein
Print Available - HERE
Long-tailed Skipper - Another View
"My wonder button is being pushed all the time."
- Carl Sagan
From my first sighting of a long-tailed skipper on 08-22-24
Print Available - HERE
Friday
Always Take Time To Smell The Flowers
"Always take time to smell the flowers, and let it fill you with beauty, and rediscover that sense of wonder."
- Louis Schwartzberg
A Different Perspective - Female Cardinal
“The best portion of a good man's life:
his little, nameless unremembered acts
of kindness and love.”
― William Wordsworth
Tiny Changes - Monarch Caterpillar
“A tiny change today brings a
dramatically different tomorrow.”
- Richard Bach
This image captured on September 5, 2024 documents my first of year (2024) sighting of a Monarch Caterpillar - found along the Huckleberry Trail between Plantation Road and Hethwood.
I was truly fortunate to have captured his shadow too!
The Voice of the Garden
“The hum of bees is the voice of the garden.”
– Elizabeth Lawrence
Bumblebee on Blue Cardinal Flower
Thursday
Scenes of September
"It was September,
and there was a crackly feeling to the air."
— Carolyn Parkhurst
Print Available - HERE
Wednesday
Red-banded Hairstreak Butterfly
“If you smile when you see a butterfly,
you have happiness in your soul.”
— Diana Cooper
Print Available - HERE
Tuesday
Crown of Thorns
Crown of Thorns is a deciduous, herbaceous, perennial shrub with bright green leaves and greenish flowers. The flowers are enclosed within long-lasting and bright bracts of red or yellow. The plant is loose in form, spiny and irregularly shaped, with thick, black spines and its historic presence in the Middle East led to the belief by some that the stems of this plant had been used in Christ's crown of thorns, hence the common name. In its country of origin (Madagascar) the plant will grow to 5 or 6 feet tall; however, in the United States, it typically grows to 3 feet, or 2 feet when grown as a houseplant.
The above information is sourced from:
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/euphorbia-milii/
Print Available - HERE
Monday
Monarch Butterfly Lays Eggs on Milkweed
“When the spirit of nature touches us,
our hearts turn into a butterfly!”
— Mehmet Murat Ildan