My Passion
Get the word out. Share your passion. Make your own lens
Winter Rush
Periodic writings of Nature in the North Country
One day out walking, we spied something moving ahead on the trail. It was walking close to the ground. Not a feral cat. We've seen a few on the trails before. Certainly not a woodchuck. As we approached closer, the animal didn't seem to notice us, but kept to its task. My first thought was that it was a good thing that we were not a predators. When it finally saw us, the opossum ducked into a cozy place under some brush. He had been feasting on a not-so-lucky rabbit. I don't always think of these nocturnal marsupials as carnivores, but I guess that's what was on the menu this bitter cold day.
The cold winters often bring wildlife that are usually nocturnal out in the day time. Owls have been known to hunt during the day as have coyotes. Deer can sometimes be found grazing on the warm south slopes. The other day driving through town we saw a red fox hunting along the road. A remarkable sight to be sure. Its usual habitat is along creeks and other wooded areas. This usually very leery animal moved deliberately along a ditch line, its head down while it searched for its prey. It wasn't too far from the sidewalk and the road. Surely it must has noticed the walker headed right in its direction. This cold day it too was perhaps a little desperate and taking a bit of a risk.
I thought the same too when I saw the three deer in our yard last night. It wasn't too late, perhaps 8 p.m. The neighbors had someone clearing their drive with a Bobcat. He noisily went about his work, while the deer crossed our yard and made their way up to the bird feeders straight in the direction of all the noise. Our neighbor feeds the birds through the winter. Certainly this was the prize these deer had in mind. The guy doing the drive probably never saw them there, nor did the deer seem must put-out by his being there either. They had their fill and jumped the creek back to our yard. We watched them with binoculars in a darkened room. It was such a treat to see deer acting like deer and not just bolting away, tails flashing. We watched as one of the deer, a doe ambled across the yard, with her fawn close by. They headed away from us, probably to the next house that feed the birds.
All this goes to show is that it's probably a good idea to get out there and enjoy these rare glimpses of wildlife.
Recommended Reading
The Meaning of Wilderness: Essential Articles and Speeches (Outdoor Essays & Reflections)
Sigurd Olson was a champion of conservation. His words are strong and passionate. This collection of essays and articles is a compelling view of one man's conservation philosophy.
A Sand County Almanac
Leopold defined conservation in the Midwest. His words speak of the true conservationist: one that sees the dire need for preservation and management of natural resources, including hunting.
Walden; Or, Life in the Woods (Dover Thrift Editions)
An essential book for any Nature lover. Thoreau gives the reader a prespective and a direction for thought.
National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds--E: Eastern Region - Revised Edition
Full color photos make this the essential guide to identifying birds in the field.
Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation
Written by the foremost authority on wolves, Mech details the evolution of conservation of this often misunderstood predator.
My Favorite Nature Quotes
- "A lake is the landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature. It is earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature."
--Henry David Thoreau - "Wilderness is more than lakes, rivers, and timber along the shores, more than fishing or just camping. It is the sense of the primeval, of space, solitude, silence and the eternal mystery."
--Sigurd Olson - "Thousands of tired, nerve shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out... that wildness is a necessity..."
--John Muir - "Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each."
--Henry David Thoreau - "In the saving of places of natural beauty and wildness we are waging a battle for man's spirit."
--Sigurd Olson
Tell Me What You Think
Cast your vote on pressing environmental issues.
A Plug For My Website
Check out the updated Weborg Lodge Studio website!
And visit the new online store!
Exploring the Great Outdoors
Our adventures geocaching
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byMy Favorite Links
- Sigurd Olson site
- This site provides a detailed look at the man behind the strong conservation message. Writings and quotes as well as personal antedotes.
- Sierra Club
- One of the many conservation organizations out there, dedicated to preserving what is best about America.
- Aldo Leopold Foundation
- Keeping his vision alive, this website gives insight into Aldo Leopold's philosophy and land ethic
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Dedicated to conserving and protecting our natural resources. Informative site on all aspects of wildlife including identification and current measures to protect.
Featured National Wildlife Refuge of the Month
Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge--Winona, MN
Stayed In the Know
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- GVMEInc
- Are you interesting in hosting a "Green Circle Potluck" near you? This is an opp. to connect with other business and to promote go green!
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- energyman2
- Generate free electricity. Go green. Check:http://bit.ly/5u9abR
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- greenwayrose
- Wawa Community Energy & Go Green Strategy: At last week's Municipal Council Meeting, the Wawa EDC presented the Waw... http://bit.ly/4opdoE
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- cristianviera
- Give me the green light, give me just one night, I'm ready to go right know.
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- astreaminggreen
- Trony Solar: Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on My IPO http://bit.ly/8B2kmj #GREEN
Other Things Keeping Me Busy
- Geocaching With Your Blackberry
- Geocaching the high tech way!
- Writing My First Mystery
- The process of creating my first every mystery
- My Cat, Sophie
- My computer buddy and inspiration for painting and writing
- Weborg Lodge Studio
- Site for my artwork
New Igo GREEN Tip of the Day
Giving Back to the Earth
My Art On ArtByUs
ArtByUs.com Art Auctions - Buy and Sell Fine Art, Original Oil Paintings, Watercolor Paintings, Acrylic Paintings, ArtThere are no current listings for this seller. Please visit ArtByUs.com Art Auctions for other great artists!
Ways To Go Green
Little things mean a lot
- Shop with a reusable bag. Some stores even give you credit for using them--or charge you if you don't!
- Can the junk mail. Don't forget the phone books, credit cards, catalogs, coupons, or my personal pet peeve, Direct TV. I don't own nor do I wish to get satellite.
- Opt for paperless with your bank and utilities. Sprint credited my account for $5 for going green.
- Watch what you sign up for. That "free" magazine subscription comes with a price--junk mail.
- Kind of a niche specific one here, if you geocache, make every cache a CITO cache.
Let's Talk

- aka Twitter
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- Just published another article on edible wild plants. Add something new to the menu. http://ow.ly/K1Vu
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- One good thing about a snowstorm: snowed in w/my hubby. Food in the fridge. No, snow's not bad at all.
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- RT @AlexKaris: Ten Rules For Social Media http://ow.ly/K06B
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- "Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work." - David Rockefeller #quote
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- RT @SeanMalarkey: Top 50 Twitter Tracking and Analytics Tools http://bit.ly/65Uo6e
by wayfarer
My name is Chris. I am a Minnesota artist, specializing in watercolor landscapes of the North Country. Weborg Lodge combines two of my passions - pain...
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