Tag Archives: nature

Getting Out There

Posted on January 5, 2015 by AnnieRie

In the middle of winter. I just checked the upcoming events page, and there are quite a few activities at the Howard County Conservancy, where I volunteer.

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Belmont January 6, 13, 20- Pre-school Programs: Nature’s Song- with Conservancy naturalists. Celebrate nature with your preschooler! Hike, sing, dance and craft. For children ages 3-5 with a parent/caregiver. JAN 6,13 & 20- Tuesdays 10am $10/class.

Mt. Pleasant January 10- Backyard Birding with Robin Todd & Mike Kerwin. JAN 10- Saturday 10am FREE.

Belmont January 17- Saving the Places We Love with Ned Tillman. JAN 17- Saturday 10am FREE.

Mt. Pleasant January 24- Wildflowers in the Understory: A Perspective on “Painting” with Nature’s Light with photographer/curator Jackie Bailey Labovitz. JAN 24- Saturday 7pm $.

Mt. Pleasant — Wildflower Photography Gallery Show JAN 21 through MAR 13- Wed. through Sat. 9am-3pm. please call before visiting.

Mt. Pleasant – January 27 Volunteer Open House, looking for new volunteers to help with the expanding programs and field trips. 9:30-11 AM.

Belmont January 31- Youth Bird Count with Sue Muller. JAN 31- Saturday 9am FREE

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With two sites now, there is something most weekends, and a few week day events. I hope the weather cooperates for our three volunteer hikes that allow us to get out and stretch our legs. Tomorrow may be dicey though, if it decides to snow.

As for events, I am particularly interested in seeing Ned Tillman’s event out at Belmont.

See you out there, I hope.

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Mother Nature’s

Posted on December 28, 2014 by AnnieRie

Focusing on those small businesses and trying to sort out the dozens of items on the page I want to create. Today I decided to highlight one of my favorite Howard County family owned businesses.

Mother Nature’s.

For years we have bought things from Claire and Dave. We have taken bird watching hikes locally and in northern VA with Claire. We bought our best bird watching binoculars from them.

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If you go there often, you may stumble upon their binocular clearance sale. Half price for these awesome Nikon binoculars.

Right now, it is inventory season and a recent email told us they didn’t want to count it or pay taxes on it, so there were great bargains to be had.

I buy seed from them. Books. Like my bird compilations, and this one.

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This one is fun. It teaches you how to attract certain birds. How to make your own suet.

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How to make nachos.

Claire runs a Facebook Friday contest. To win prizes from the store. She is convenient to those in Columbia. Just around the corner from the post office, and just across the way from Bon Fresco.

For us, in the winter, attracting lots of birds to our yard is entertaining, and the goodies from Mother Nature’s keeps them healthy and happy. Even when they get into fights at the birdbath.

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Over the River

Posted on December 19, 2014 by AnnieRie

Yesterday I headed out to combine CSA and Friends and Farms basket pickups with a few Christmas preparation errands. A cold blustery day, but sunny for the most part. After the third time I crossed the Patuxent River, I realized how dominant the branches of the river are in our landscape, and in our travels.

With the leaves down you can see more of the trails along the river. From Rte 32, Broken Land Parkway, Guilford Road, Murray Hill Road. Over and over, I crossed the Patuxent and thought to myself, we really need to get out on those trails along the river and reconnect with this part of our community.

Howard County is bordered on most of its south and west sides by the Patuxent River, and on the north and east sides by the Patapsco River. Both rivers have thousands of acres of parkland and pathways.

I decided for my New Year’s resolution this year to get back out there and hike the parks on the rivers. And, to learn more about those rivers.

If you are still looking for stocking stuffers, or last minute gifts, check out a couple of books that Ned Tillman has written. I already have the first one, The Chesapeake Watershed, and need to get one of his new book, Saving the Places We Love. Ned is a local resident and one of our Howard County bloggers.

You can find his books at Barnes and Noble, and Shoemaker Country in Ellicott City, at the Robinson Nature Center, and at the Howard County Conservancy.

I first met Ned when he was a hike leader for a HoLLIE class. He still leads many hikes in the area. He also teaches one day at the Legacy Leadership Environmental Institute, which is the newer version of the HoLLIE curriculum. Check this out if you are inclined to learn more about our community.

Me? I just think I’ll spend more time out on our rivers. It’s a big part of why I love living here. The Triadelphia Reservoir and the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area are close to home, and good places to start. Maybe I’ll see that eagle that was in our yard the other day, and was down the road again yesterday.

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The Eagle Has Landed

Posted on November 29, 2014 by AnnieRie

Literally.

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In the back yard. Less than 100 yards from the kitchen window where I took this really awful picture, but I rushed it hoping he wouldn’t fly away. Which he did, about 10 seconds after the picture. The crows went nuts and he flew down the side of the property and hung around for a few minutes high in my neighbor’s tree. Then, tired of the crows circling and yammering at him, he headed off back towards Triadelphia Reservoir.

What brought him here? The dead deer out there. Probably a car-deer casualty. Which is now mostly hide, hoofs, head and chest cavity. The third one we know of, in our almost ten years here. Usually, we only know about them because of the turkey vultures.

But this morning at 7 am, my husband yelled up the stairs. EAGLE!!! In the back yard.

I’ll have to get up early tomorrow and see if he’s returned.

Just another Saturday in the rural western part of our little Central Maryland county.

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Autumn in West County

Posted on November 9, 2014 by AnnieRie

Sure signs that autumn has arrived in western Howard County.

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Boarman’s changes their signs from beer specials to ordering meats for the holidays. I was there today to order my Maple Lawn turkey, some of their homemade pork sausage for stuffing, and oysters to make an oyster stew. To be picked up for Thanksgiving weekend. Also to get a BotaBox to use for cooking. One stop shopping, including wine, beer and spirits. Gotta love the place.

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WSSC has their signs up, telling us when deer management hunts will take place at Pigtail and Big Branch (on our side of the reservoir). The water level is low. Not sure how easy it is right now to get canoes or kayaks in at either of these sites.

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Further up the road, TLV has their tree sign next to their pumpkin bale.

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As for hay bales, it looks like many of the farms have their hay cut and baled for collection.

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And then there are the last of the leaves coming down, and the sound of leaf blowers and vacuums. Like here at home.

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Over 100 bags already done this season, with our rake and take partners picking them up regularly to use in their compost piles. We have a small one behind the shed, but trees this big and this old put out one heck of a mountain of leaves.

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It is pretty, though, isn’t it?

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Deer in the Headlights

Posted on October 13, 2014 by AnnieRie

Or, at least off the patio.

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Fifteen feet away. And, they don’t run if they see you. Eating the acorns under the oak trees. There were six of them total this evening. Two here, and four in the driveway.

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Only a two point buck currently.

Believe me, I will not be happy if they start eating my rhododendron and my evergreens again, like they did last year. Last year the snow cover made it really difficult for them to survive. Obviously, those who did, had quite a few offspring.

For some reason, we had a banner year of young ones. They seem to go in cycles. Every two years, we get inundated.

About a week ago, we counted at least a dozen in the meadow.

It is sad, because there isn’t enough for them to eat in the developed land. As more and more of their habitat turns into McMansions they become more desperate to find food. Last winter they were eating our pine trees and the leaves off anything green in the yard, not their normal choice of food, but all that was available.

When does hunting season start? Because we need to get the numbers back under control. I don’t relish another winter with dead deer in our yard after cars hit them or people running off the road into the fields getting injured. It’s that time of year. Most of us try to avoid them, but the first time you have to deal with a decaying carcass and masses of turkey vultures in your yard, doing their thing, you learn to really love the hunters who keep our population somewhat under control.

Hmmm, maybe we need a few wolves or coyotes to even the odds around here. Right now the major predators seem to be Fords, Chevys, and their “brethren”.

Seriously, though, we have been inundated this fall. I have never in our ten years here seen this many, so close to the house. And, it’s only October.

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Behind the Scene

Posted on October 7, 2014 by AnnieRie

This week I think I am spending almost as many days at the Howard County Conservancy as I did on my job before I retired. Sunday. Tuesday. Thursday. Saturday.

The Fall Festival was an immense success. As usual. Lots of my Facebook friends went. Loved the hayrides. Pony rides. And all the other things offered. I was there early to set up.

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Putting up the apple peeling, and apple cider tasting table. Thanks to MOM’s for their contribution, and to Harbin Farms for their collection (labeled) of all the varieties available here in the MidAtlantic.

Then, helping with the tent (which we took down because it turned the welcome area into a wind tunnel)

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then checking out the “bee people”.

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The honey is awesome, by the way.

After about an hour helping set up, I went off to tend to my garden. Today, I returned to spend time harvesting food bank vegetables.

Thursday I am there for the new kindergarten program, for Northfield Elementary School.

Saturday, I can’t wait to hear about bats. A free program presented at 10 am.

Such an asset to the area. The Conservancy really does have universal appeal.

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Fall Festivals

Posted on September 29, 2014 by AnnieRie

It’s festival season. The changing of the seasons and the leaves brings out the best of this area. The best weather and views in Howard County.

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The leaves are already starting to turn color. The month of October is full of festivals, and mazes, and pumpkin picking, and more.

My favorite, of course. The fall festival at the Howard County Conservancy.

Hay rides. Pony rides. Crafts. Animals. Story telling. Basket weaving. And so much more.

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Definitely something to do this coming Sunday.

As for other festivals. There are certainly many of them out there. Highland Days. The corn maze at Sharp’s Farm. Pumpkin picking and more at Larriland.

I am certainly looking forward to many fun days out and about. Enjoying the weather and the colorful leaves.

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Having a Meadow

Posted on May 19, 2014 by AnnieRie

Since we moved from Columbia to the western parts of the county. One of those things that just boggles my mind.

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Having a meadow, that is. I am a city girl. Born and raised in Baltimore. In a row house. It most certainly is different to live where I can’t see my neighbors. Where I can have coffee on my patio in my nightgown.

I am lucky, I know. But, where did it come from? My mom hates it out here. Too dark and quiet for her. She is also a city girl. Born and raised just west of downtown B’more.

Why do I love it so much? Maybe a throwback to my great grandparents who had a small farm in western Baltimore County. Who knows?

Three times around our property line is a mile. A far cry from the 1/12th acre of our townhouse in Columbia.

All in all, it is something that interests me. That sense of doing something new. Of changing my comfort zone. Of growing even after retirement.

We all need to find those areas that challenge us. That make us different than what we were when we were young.

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Me, I’ll just be happy out here in the boonies. If only those people who are running the triathlons these days would only clean up their trash.

#hocoblogs

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Sure Signs of Spring

Posted on May 18, 2014 by AnnieRie

Around here my favorite sign of spring is the blooming of two of my plants.

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The rhododendron. Every winter I try and protect them, to whatever extent I can. This year, the deer decided to chomp on one of them. The snow cover prevented them from eating on the ground, so they chewed up the bottom of one of these plants, as well as a few evergreens.

Thankfully, they did OK overall. The other two are a darker color.

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And not as quick to flower.

My second indicator is the tangerine azalea.

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Almost blooming. This year I have about a dozen blooms on this plant. Some years it flowers more than others.

In the spring, too, the hostas are incredibly pretty. They are a nice contrast to my north facing azaleas that bloom last.

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Along with the azaleas, the lace maple in full color.

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The lace maple is one of those trees. It just leaps out and captures your attention.

Springtime. When the plants renew themselves. The trees turn green and the shade returns.

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The backyard is green and shady.

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And the meadow is full of buttercups.

Spring in this part of the world is the reason we stay here. Lovely weather. Beautiful surroundings and lots to do.

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