Our Drive Through The Painted Desert In Arizona

photograph of Echo Cliffs on the Kaibito Plateau in the Painted Desert in Arizona, United States.

hwy 89 in arizona

Despite having been awake since a very early hour, it was not until about 10:30 a.m. that Bob and I decided to make a run for the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  It was approximately 200 miles from the South Rim, and the roads were very good, so there was plenty of time left in the day to get there and back again.  One of the striking features of landscape to impress us along the route was the Painted Desert with its myriad formations in all colors of the rainbow. Read more

A Moose cow and calf in Algonquin Park

A Moose cow and calf in Algonquin Park

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Bob and I were visiting my parents at Oxtongue Lake near Algonquin Provincial Park one summer, and we decided to take a drive into the park to check on the progress of the wild blueberry crop.  At one of the beaver ponds along Highway 60 where moose are known to frequent, we spotted this big Moose cow and calf beside the roadway. Read more

Sunchokes growing wild at Lower Reesor Pond in Toronto

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sunchokes, lower reesor pond, rouge national urban park, toronto

How beautiful is a sprawling drift of Sunchokes fading into the distance!  That is just what we found when Bob and I visited Lower Reesor Pond in northeast Toronto.  This native species of sunflower goes by many different names including Sunchokes, Sunroot or Earth Apple. Read more

Black Bear Mom and Cubs Eat Blueberries In Algonquin Park

black bears eat blue berries - algonquin park - ontario 3

This past summer, Bob and I once again found ourselves in Algonquin Provincial Park here in central Ontario.  We had various objectives during our two-day visit to the area, and one of them was to pick wild blueberries.  Having heard that the crop was more plentiful than usual, we were eager to put ourselves to the task of harvesting a few.  It was quite a surprise to find that an American Black Bear and two cubs were sharing the blueberry patch with us. Read more

Wild Coneflowers growing at Lower Reesor Pond



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Wild Coneflowers growing at Lower Reesor Pond

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Bob and I paid a visit one spring to the Lower Reesor Pond in north Toronto, Ontario, and had purposely allotted a large chunk of time in order that we might pay some well deserved attention to that special habitat.  Through reports provided by other visitors, we learned that some less common wildflowers and plants have gained foothold in the area surrounding the pond, and sure enough, we uncovered several groupings of Wild Coneflowers. Read more

Skunk Cabbage at Dickson Wilderness Area

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skunk cabbage, dickson Conservation area, cambridge, ontario

It is so much fun to go hiking and birdwatching in the springtime.  With all the migrating birds arriving daily in Ontario, we never know what surprises are in store for us at places like Dickson Wilderness Area, near Cambridge, Ontario.  The same can be said for all the tender new growth that is pushing its way up out of the cold soil.  With each passing day, new treasures are to be found amidst the bleached leaf litter on the forest floor.  Eastern Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) is always one of the very first plants to emerge from the frozen earth because this plant is capable of generating its own heat and can even thaw its way through a thin veneer of ice. Read more

Moose enjoys spring sunshine in Algonquin Provincial Park

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On a visit to Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Bob and I were thrilled to discover a Moose (Alces alces) in a boggy area just to the side of the highway.  It was a nice spring day, so the Moose was encouraged to leave the protection of the forest and soak up the warmth of the bright sunshine. Read more

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