Category Archives: Nature

It May Be Winter, But There’s Lots Going On!

Posted on February 7, 2012 by AnnieRie

I honestly am not sure how I found time to work. I have so many things happening this month, and places I want to go.

The Howard County Conservancy has two events this month, one this Saturday and one on the 26th. The Howard County Bloggers are having a blogtail hour in Columbia on the 13th. The 14th is Valentine’s Day and we are wandering down to Bistro Blanc for an after dinner drink, if we can get in.

The Great Backyard Bird Count is February 17-20.

I am volunteering to set up for an event at Sharp’s Farm for the Howard Legacy Leadership Institute for the Environment.

Breaux Vineyards in VA has their annual Samedi Gras event on the 18th. And, we are meeting friends for Fireside Friday at Black Ankle one of these Fridays if we can fit it in.

First up for us, going to the Conservancy on the 11th to see how to worm compost. Squirmy Wormy Worms That Work: Kitchen Garbage to Top Soil – with Barb Schmeckpeper, a retired researcher in human and medical genetics, Howard County Master Gardener and environmental volunteer, who loves to talk to kids of all ages about the wonder of the natural world. Dr Barb Schmeckpeper has been doing this for many years – and she and her grandkids have a lot of fun with it! The Conservancy event page is here.

Then, Monday night I will be meeting some of the long time Howard County Bloggers in Columbia to get to know others who blog locally. It should be an interesting evening, as I have lived here 40 years almost, but spent most of my life commuting to DC.

Doing my thing counting the birds in our yard and meadow for the annual Backyard Bird Count next weekend. The habitat that I so carefully created and have nurtured has given me dozens of visits. My highest count one year was over a hundred birds, thanks to a flock of geese who landed in the adjoining fields behind our house and my neighbor. We routinely get more than twenty different species here. It’s easy to register and send in a count. Click the link above and get started.

On the 26th, we are going to see a truly amazing lady, Twig George, talk about Life with her mom, who wrote over 100 children’s books including the famous My Side of the Mountain. Twig herself is an author, writing children’s books as well. This family event at the Howard County Conservancy promises to be a great one. Learning more about nature and the environment are priorities for me in retirement. I spent too long as a bureaucrat pushing paper and now take every opportunity to get out and experience new things.

Who says retirement is boring? Certainly not us.

hocoblogs@@@

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Posted in Birds, Community, Gardening, Nature, Retirement, Volunteering, Wine and tagged birds, gardening, hocoblogging, howard county conservancy, Locavore, nature, retirement, volunteering, wine. Bookmark the permalink.

And Then There Were Bluebirds

Posted on January 19, 2012 by AnnieRie

The bluebirds have been around, I know, but we rarely see them. Those who told me that having a heated bird bath would increase the numbers and types of visitors were certainly correct.

I haven’t seen two of them here for almost a year and a half. Mama and papa came in for a drink this morning, flitted back and forth more than once, and then wandered off down to the meadow. We moved here in January seven years ago, and have always been amazed at the variety of birds, bees, and the richness of the soil, giving us lots of worms and bugs. Sometimes the grass is blanketed in robins pulling worms out of the ground.

We are indeed lucky to have found this little haven not far from the city, yet peaceful.

One more shot of mama on her way out to feed. If you want lots of visitors, invest in a bladder with a thermostat that keeps the water from freezing.

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My Not So Friendly Back Yard Predators

Posted on January 15, 2012 by AnnieRie

We have lots of wild animals around here. Fox, possum, groundhogs, deer, field rats, mice, vultures, snakes …

… to name a few, but today I am going to focus on the hawks.

I have two or three different types that wander through, and occasionally they decide to stay and hunt. The one above, which looks like a Cooper’s Hawk, has been spending almost every day in our meadow looking for rodents. The weather being warmer than normal means the little mice and rats seem to be active in the fields.

Sharp Shin and Cooper’s are the two most common visitors here. When it snows, they love to buzz the feeders and grab mourning doves. Then I get to clean up the mess of feathers in the yard. When the Blue Jays are around, they will chase the hawk, ganging up and flying behind. The jays and the red bellied woodpecker will come up close and eat when there is snow. It does attract the hawks though, and mostly mourning doves seem to fall prey.

They get very brazen too, and decide my patio furniture is a great spot for resting and checking out the scene. They do sometimes perch on the bird bath and get water.

The circle of life here not that far from the cities. The plans we are making to add chickens here need to take into account the natural enemies that also reside in our woods behind the meadow.

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Posted in Birds, Nature and tagged birds, hawks, nature. Bookmark the permalink.

At the Most Elementary Level …

Posted on January 11, 2012 by AnnieRie

…knowing where our food comes from.

As a volunteer naturalist at the Howard County Conservancy, I have been lucky to meet and interact with some incredibly talented knowledgeable scientists as well as some amazing individuals passionate about the land and our future.

Next week a presentation of Dirt: The Movie will take place on Thursday night. Additionally, nationally known soil scientist Patrick Drohan will be on hand to introduce the film and lead the audience discussion that follows. Dr. Drohan was instrumental in the creation and design of the Smithsonian’s exhibit on soil, the most ambitious exhibition ever dedicated to soil.

The Conservancy website has all the details.

I have learned so much by attending events and walks at this preserved farm just north of the city of Columbia. This program promises to add more to my knowledge that will help me in making my little farmette more productive, by taking care of the soil.

In my retirement, I vowed to continue to learn and explore, and to give my time to endeavors that I believe to be valuable. It is the middle of winter here, and I don’t intend to hibernate. Hope to see others attend.

Feeding My Fine Feathered Friends

Posted on January 3, 2012 by AnnieRie

The winter feeding site. The place where the birds come when the berries and seeds have all blown away or been eaten. We moved here in the winter and found an amazing array of birds living in our coniferous trees. I have slowly created a habitat that attracts and retains this variety. What does it give me? Birds to eat the bugs that bother my garden.

How do I keep them fed during the worst storms of the winter?

You do have to be prepared. After that storm, I was throwing seed out the door onto the hard snow under the bushes. It brought birds up close and personal.

But my best investment was a thermostatically controlled heating pad for the bird bath. Water is extremely important for the health of the birds. Even with 48 inches of snow on the ground, my backyard birds had water.

Since that series of blizzards in 2010, I have added a few more feeders and kept them topped off when I know storms are coming. And for me, the pleasures of watching them feed are worth the expense and effort to feed them.

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My Other Hobby – Volunteering

Posted on December 14, 2011 by AnnieRie

I haven’t written about what consumes my fall and spring days. Volunteering as a naturalist at a local non-profit, where I lead preschoolers and grades one and two through a 232 acre preserved farm, bequeathed by two sisters who taught in Howard County. Their charge to the Conservancy was simple. Connect children to nature.

I love it there. Imagine a location with minimal impact from urban life. Beehives where some of my honey originates. A local apiary sells it and half the money comes back to the Conservancy.

Chickens, goats, and a barred owl — all there for the children to learn from. A couple of streams that feed the Patapsco River.

Community gardens that inspire me. Talented giving people who volunteer there. A great staff. Programs for families.

What more could you ask for, when looking for something satisfying to do in retirement?

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Taking Stock

Posted on December 6, 2011 by AnnieRie

Five weeks ago, I started blogging here. I had decided that something new and challenging was needed in my life to bridge the gap from fall to spring, my favorite two seasons.

Winter here gets a little intense at times.

Now, this was extreme, but you know, there are advantages and disadvantages to a steep roof. The snow falls off. When the total snowfall is two feet and the roof dumps another three all around the house, it gets interesting. At least blogging will keep me sane.

I love fall.

The weather is crisp and beautiful. I still have herbs and lettuces. But then, the rains come and the temperatures drop. And then, it snows!

I was reading my first posts here and noticing how life gets in the way of planning. I noticed I planned certain events or meals and things changed. But then, that is what makes life interesting.

The Dark Days Challenge fell into my life to fill the void. I am looking forward to doing many new things, like cooking with foods from small businesses.

Why focus on this challenge? Because I miss my volunteer “job”, leading school children on nature hikes on a preserved piece of farmland not far from my home. We hike spring and fall. Dark days are here, and not the time to lead nature hikes. So, we settle in for winter, and use what we have grown, saved and can find to sustain us until spring.

I hope the snow gods are kind to us this winter. We already have more than enough moisture in the soil. Our trees are toppling in the soggy ground.

Come on Spring!

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