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Category Archives: wildlife
Tooth and Claw
Lately Alfred Lord Tennyson’s line “Nature, red in tooth and claw” (“In Memoriam A. H. H.”, Canto 56, line 15) keeps popping into my head. Wild animals lurk in trees surrounding our lot, but this is not unique. Even in … Continue reading
Posted in adventures, backyards, dogs, Life in Connecticut, nature, New England, Uncategorized, wildlife
Tagged backyards, coyotes, dogs, wild turkeys, wildlife
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Hiking with Friends
Last Monday was the type of autumn day that lures people to New England. The sun was bright; the trees were a riot of yellow, red and orange. I met a group of friends to walk and talk. On the … Continue reading
Posted in adventures, Aging, community, everyday life, friends, Life in Connecticut, nature, New England, relationships, wildlife
Tagged friends, friendship, geese, wooly caterpillars
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Happy to be . . .
I am happy to be alive. On a crisp autumn day, I revel in the falling leaves, giggle at the frantic squirrels; stop to watch a cardinal flit through some bushes; hold my breath when the deer bounds in front … Continue reading
Posted in Aging, changes, everyday life, Life in Connecticut, nature, New England, storms, weather, wildlife
Tagged Autumn, deer, Freddie the Falling Leaf, squirrels, storms, turkeys
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Welcome Fall!
Saturday my husband bought a leaf-blower. Last year we bought two rakes and tackled the lawn the old fashioned way. This year he is going for speed and power. Like all our new yard appliances—the lawn mower, the trimmer, the … Continue reading
Posted in backyards, everyday life, Life in Connecticut, nature, New England, Uncategorized, weather, wildlife
Tagged deer, fall, life in New England, mums, squirrels
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Squirrels!
In April, three weeks after we moved into our Connecticut house, gray squirrels appeared, boldly crossing the lawn and playing pickup games on the basketball court. Outraged by the invasion, the female pointer would race from window to window, woofing … Continue reading
Posted in backyards, everyday life, life, Life in Connecticut, moving, nature, New England, Uncategorized, wildlife
Tagged California, chipmunks, Connecticut, fall, Maine, nature, squirrels, winter
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The Maine Event
Thirty-five years is a long time, three and a half decades of change and challenge. A woman would think that there would be some expensive trinket to commemorate this, but the gift for thirty-five doesn’t have the gleam of forty … Continue reading
Dogs and Toads Are Not Friends
One of my dogs may be an addict, a toad addict. In June, my daughter and I read an article by Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, “Our Animal Natures,” in the New York Times Sunday Review. In her discussion of how some addictive … Continue reading
Posted in backyards, dogs, everyday life, nature, New England, photography, Uncategorized, wildlife
Tagged backyards, dogs, nature, toads, wildlife
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The Butterfly Effect
Photographing butterflies is difficult. Somedays I just can’t get the shutter speed right. The result is Victorian Fairy photographs—spots of light like Tinkerbell dancing in a meadow. Butterflies, in the woods, in meadows, in gardens, represent beauty and delight. We … Continue reading
Posted in Aging, changes, community, everyday life, Family, friends, lessons in life, life, nature, photography, poetry, relationships, transitions, Uncategorized, wildlife
Tagged aging, backyards, butterflies, life, nature, relationships, transitions, wildlife
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No Toads Were Harmed in the Writing of This Blog
I am the mother of girls, girls who like nature and the outdoors. One daughter is a scientist. One daughter works in outdoor education. All three can be described as self-sufficient and not squeamish about the Great Outdoors. From the … Continue reading
Posted in backyards, boys vs girls, everyday life, Family, life, Life in Connecticut, mothers and daughters, nature, New England, relationships, Uncategorized, wildlife
Tagged boys, family relationships, toads, visitors
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The Killing of the Shrew
My husband says that he heard that shrews could be tamed. He hasn’t had much luck though and he’s been trying for thirty-five years. English class joke aside, I will confess that I didn’t know what a shrew was until … Continue reading
Posted in backyards, changes, dogs, everyday life, life, Life in Connecticut, nature, New England, wildlife
Tagged backyards, dogs, instinct, nature, wildlife
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