Nature and Nostalgia
Farm animals, wild animals, exotic pets – if you see an animal where you've never seen it before, you may be in North Carolina. Once when driving home from work, I passed a horse running along with traffic in the median of a divided interstate. I was in the far-right lane and called 911. The... Continue Reading →
After the devastation of Hurricane Helene, North Carolinians need any positive news we can find this year, so I'm rounding up some 2024 highlights from the wildlife realm. 1. 399 Cold-Stunned Endangered Sea Turtles are Rehabilitated and Released North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island took in 576 cold-stunned sea turtles in December 2024 when the... Continue Reading →
Visiting Brevard, a peaceful mountain town in Western North Carolina, I was expecting to see a few of the over 250 waterfalls in the area and some gorgeous sights while hiking in the Pisgah National Forest. Pisgah National Forest, by Jeff Gunn from Atlanta, USA, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons I didn’t expect... Continue Reading →
Cicada 1, face by USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Program is licensed under CC-CC0 1.0 Walking my dog yesterday morning in a small, wooded area behind my home, I couldn’t figure out what that loud, humming, whirring noise was. Maybe heavy trucks on the interstate not far from here … but it didn’t stop.... Continue Reading →
An oddly-shaped, magnificent bird has been haunting me since I first saw it 18 years ago in North Carolina – the great blue heron. I was doing a 2.8-mile walk on the trail around Lake Lynn in Raleigh when I saw a blue-gray bird standing on long, stick-thin legs in shallow water. September 2022 picture... Continue Reading →
Walking my dog at 6 a.m. years ago, I noticed a long, skinny, green twig in the grass. It had an upward bend that hovered over the sidewalk. When my dog stopped a few feet away to stare at it, I took a second look. Then I noticed the twig had eyes, so we backed up.... Continue Reading →
“The trees are making me claustrophobic.” An out-of-town friend said this as I drove us on a rural road in North Carolina. The tall, evergreen trees stood close to both sides of the two-lane road, and at points, they arched above us and almost touched each other. She explained that she grew up in an... Continue Reading →
Every Fall the North Carolina Botanical Garden has a Sculpture in the Garden exhibit and displays the work of local artists. Last Fall was the 34th annual exhibit. I am already highly motivated to stumble through a garden, so hunting for unique sculptures tucked in among the flora was an extra thrill. Of course, an... Continue Reading →
North Carolina news about animals can be bizarre, and a bit concerning. Perhaps having no state-wide law prohibiting private citizens from owning exotic animals is the reason. But not all the animals making headlines are exotic, some are just local wild animals in unexpected places or farm animals on the run. Did events in 2022... Continue Reading →
Every October the national TV news announces the heaviest American-grown pumpkin. This year, an 1161-kilogram (2,560 lb.) pumpkin named Maverick and grown by Travis Gienger of Anoka, Minnesota won the North American record. But this continental winner was no match for the world’s heaviest pumpkin weighing 1,226 kilograms (2,702 lb., 13.9 oz.) and grown by... Continue Reading →
Sometimes you get so excited about seeing wildlife, you can miss the tiny details that separate truth from fiction. When I saw these swans at my workplace property, I was careful to take a photo from the shadows of a building so I wouldn’t disturb them. A "swan" sighting captured by the author. While Tundra... Continue Reading →
I planned to use my newly discovered camera filters on a not-new camera to create an alternate reality and a community rose garden seemed the ideal setting. A wood split rail fence enclosed a square space with brick walkways. A copper water fountain sculpture was a focal point directly in view of a gazebo on... Continue Reading →
Walking around the local pond, I wasn’t expecting much when I sat on a bench under a tree. Turtles slowly surface to pop up their heads for air, while their bodies stay submerged. Schools of tiny fish play near the surface, occasionally splashing the water with circular ripples left behind. Then, the waterfowl arrive. And things get interesting.
When the world disorients me, I instinctively go back to basics – like a child learning how to name objects. On my evening walk the other day, which is not so much for exercise, but an attempt to clear my head with a walking meditation, I heard myself labeling. I looked down. “This is the... Continue Reading →
Karen M. Free 