There are barred owls in our neighborhood but try as I may I have not been successful in locating their nest, yet. There was a post on the site Nextdoor.com by someone claiming the nest was in a tree in their yard but, and I understand, the person did not post their address. I willContinue reading “Affordable Housing”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Taking it Slow
The Corona Virus has taken its’ toll on our planet and the signs are everywhere. The signs are unavoidable. Drenched in tragedy after tragedy this disease has swept its way into our psyche and changed our behavior as human beings. The impact of life under Covid-19 is immense starting out with the massive loss ofContinue reading “Taking it Slow”
The Family Pet
We want a pet, they said. We’ll take care of it, they said. I wasn’t buying it. I know my kids too well to let them talk me into buying them a dog, cat or other pet because I know my wife and I will end up taking care of it. I’m sure they wouldContinue reading “The Family Pet”
Our Fear of Snakes
To me there is almost something magical about the way snakes move. One has to admit a certain awesomeness to the way an animal without limbs can move so effortlessly across any surface. They slide over land, glide across water and slither up a tree as if hovering by some unseen force. Yet most peopleContinue reading “Our Fear of Snakes”
One Step At A Time on the Appalachian Trail
Often I have thought about taking the ultimate hiking adventure and walking the Appalachian Trail (“AT”) from Georgia to Maine though I have never gotten beyond the daydream stage. For the immediate future hiking the entire AT will remain, for me, a daydream. I have too many responsibilities now, too many bills and though IContinue reading “One Step At A Time on the Appalachian Trail”
Sometimes You Have To Do It Yourself
We had a hammer and some nails, a 7.2 volt electric drill (barely strong enough to drill through paper) and some screws, a garage full of random sports gear, old girl scout project materials and disassembled parts of fairy garden homes (yes, there are such things as fairy garden homes). The goal was to designContinue reading “Sometimes You Have To Do It Yourself”
No Time Like the Present
And just like that it seems everyone I talk with is being pummeled with the same question. What do I do with all of this unstructured free time? As life comes to a near halt with work hours in flux and activities canceled, my family and I have spent more time together this past weekContinue reading “No Time Like the Present”
A Year in Birding
Big brother is always watching. Sometimes he’s watching birds. This year my big brother watched more birds than I and once again, for the second straight time, claimed bragging rights over me, having seen more birds than I in 2019. We call our tri-annual competition the Kelly Brothers Birding Championship or “KBBC”. The competition isContinue reading “A Year in Birding”
Look, but do not touch!
Mother Nature protects herself and anyone who spends anytime, at all, outside messing around in the natural world can attest to this. Turns out that nice green grass can give you quite the irritation, that rose bush has more ways to prick you than a barbed wire fence and that innocuous looking ivy with leavesContinue reading “Look, but do not touch!”
Boo!
This is the closest I’m getting to a Halloween post. Most animals do not scare me especially most of the animals I encounter on a regular basis here in Northern Virginia. A barking dog is probably the scariest animal I encounter when I am out and about. I saw a coyote while walking earlier thisContinue reading “Boo!”
the suburban naturalists 