Nature Awakens, And The Birds And Flowers Return To The Susquehanna Wetlands.

It was early Saturday morning, and it was April.  I was more excited  than I usually  am  to visit the Susquehanna Wetlands in Luzerne County.  I usually hike  five mile hike here on a Saturday or Sunday. In  April  nature awakens.  Everyday  something new  appears in  our woodlands here in Northeastern Pennsylvania.  Another  plant or flowers sprouts or blooms, another migratory bird returns to…

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Exploring Oswego New York Before The Total Solar Eclipse.m

I didn’t stay in my hotel room  very long after I arrived in Oswego . After reading about the total solar eclipse events the city had planned I left the Clarion Riverfront  Hotel and walked down  to the  Oswego River. There were a lot of people fishing on the walkway above the banks of the river.   The city’s downtown could be seen  across the river. Large grain elevators could be  seen where the…

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A Walk On The L & NE Trail At The Lehigh Gap In Carbon And Lehigh Counties.

It has been awhile since I hiked along the Lehigh River, another one  of our scenic and historic rivers  here in Northeastern Pennsylvania.  So on Sunday I drove  from my home in Luzerne County to the D. & L. Trail along Riverview Road in Bowmanstown in Carbon County. Instead of hiking  the D.  & L. trail along the Lehigh River I decided to hike on the Lehigh and New England Trail (L & NE Trail)…

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Florida Day Eight: My First Stay In The Everglade At The New Flamingo Lodge

After my lunch at the Farmers Market in Florida City I was on my way to Flamingo. the southern most location in the Everglades National Park. I was excited. I have visited Flamingo many times. I love this remote part of the Everglades. This time. however,  I was staying overnight at the new Flamingo Lodge that just opened last November. It was the reason I was here this late in March. These two…

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The Circle Spins, And The Familiar Flora And Fauna Of Spring Appear At The Susquehanna Wetlands

  “All my life’s a circle;But I can’t tell you why;Season’s spinning round again;The years keep rollin’ by.”  These are  the lyrics from a Harry Chapin song  “Circle”.   I found these lyrics to be so true on my hike on Saturday  in the Susquehanna Wetlands in Salem Township,  Luzerne County.  Once again  I saw the familiar flowers, plants and birds  that return every Spring to  our woodlands in…

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Florida Day Eight: Lot Of Cool Stuff On Morning Hike On The Aerojet Trail In Florida City.

I was up early again on my recent visit to the Everglades and South Florida. I wanted to hike on the Aerojet Trail one last time  before I headed to Flamingo for a two day stay in the new lodge that opened in the Fall.  After my morning coffee fix I left the hotel, with a wanning gibbous moon shining int the morning twilight. I drove the 10 miles to the trailhead of the Aerojet Trail located a…

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A Sunny Sunday Morning At The Montezuma Audubon Center In New York And Then On To Oswego

I awoke early on Sunday Morning in Weedsport New York. I was in the Finger Lake District on my way to Oswego to experience  my second total solar eclipse. I decided to drive to the Montezuma Audubon Center in nearby town of   Savannah.   As on the day before there was almost no traffic on the rural roads of upstate New York. I expected a lot more traffic because of the solar eclipse. I watched…

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Florida Day Seven: Back At The Royal Palm Visitor Center And The Old Ingraham Highway. In Everglades National Park

It was late Tuesday afternoon on my recent visit to South Florida. I was back in Florida City  for the night and drove back to the Royal Palm Visitor Center in the Everglades National Park. It was mostly sunny and still hot under the late afternoon sun. I decided to take a quick walk along the Anhinga Trail before heading back to the Old Ingraham Highway Trail. There was no rain in the forecast…

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Florida Day Seven: Key Largo. Another Hike In Dagny Johnson State Park And Back To The Everglades.

It was my last day in Key Largo  during my recent visit to South Florida.  I wanted to watch the sunrise in the Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park . So I was up before dawn on Tuesday  and driving to the park in the morning twilight. The park is located about 5 miles north of my hotel on Ocean Drive in Key Largo.  I arrived at the park and  began my hike  on the trails in the…

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Trout Lilies, Turtles And A Thunderstorm: A Spring Hike In The Susquehanna Wetlands.

It has been two weeks since I visited my favorite hiking trails in the Susquehanna Wetlands near my home in Luzerne County . I rarely miss a weekend in the wetlands in the Spring.  I had a good excuse,  I traveled to New York to experience my second solar eclipse last week. I returned to the wetlands  early Sunday morning and was surprised to still see the gate to the parking area closed. It…

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Florida Days Six: Key Largo. A Walk Through A Quiet Neighborhood And Along A Busy Canal With A Manatee Sighting.

There was little rest for me on my recent visit to the Everglades and the Florida Keys. I pretty much was active from dawn to dusk every day, hiking, editing photo working on my blog and eating.  I was also checking in with my office and returning calls and emails.  This wasn’t the plan. I was going to try and get some more relaxation in on this trip and work on my tan at the pools in my hotels.…

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A Little Rain, A Change Of Plans And A Pleasant Hike In Tuscarora State Park.

I  hiked on the Spirit Trail in Tuscarora State Park again on Saturday morning.  I always enjoy hiking this trail but this wasn’t my original plan. I left my home  intending to hike around Leaser Lake in Lehigh County.  I was hoping to see some wood ducks and other water fowl on the lake.  It was cloudy but there was no rain in the forecast. However, as I was driving to Leaser  Lake a light rain…

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My First Visit To The Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge in New York

Unlike the Erie Canal, which I was aware of  since elementary school, I never heard of the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge  until a few days ago. Months ago I had made reservations at a hotel in Oswego, New York  for Sunday and Monday night to observe the total solar eclipse on Monday.  However, last week I decided to head up a few days earlier to avoid the traffic and to explore the area…

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Florida Day Six. Key Largo. Not Much Wildlife On A Morning Hike On The HM 40 Abandoned Nike Missile Base Trail.

On my second day  in Key Largo during  my recent visit to South Florida I decided to hike on the HM 40 Nike Missile Base Trail in the Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park. On my last hike on the HM 40 Nike Missile Base Trail, two years ago,  I required a back country hiking permit.  I stopped for my permit at the Ranger’s Office  in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Sunday…

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My First Visit To The Erie Canal In New York, As Insurance In Case Of A Cloudy Solar Eclipse.

I hiked along the tow path of the Erie Canal on Friday afternoon just outside of Weedsport, New York.  I had wanted to visit the Erie Canal since I first read about it in elementary school. I learned this famous canal was vital to the economic development of our young Nation. My desire to see it increased when I learned more about it in a college course and heard the Erie Canal song for the first…

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Florida Day Five: An Afternoon Hike In The Familiar Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock State Park

When I arrived at my hotel in Key Largo on Sunday  I didn’t stay very long on  my recent trip to South Florida. .   It was a beautiful day, and I planned to relax more on this  trip to Florida.   But  I was so close to another one of my favorite hiking trails, in  the Dagny Johnson Key Largo State Park  I had to go and explore. It was late afternoon and it was still  sunny and hot when I arrived…

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Florida Day Five: Florida City : Morning Hikes On the Southern Glades Trail , By Mistake, And Aerojet Road Trail

The skies were clear when I awoke in Florida City Sunday morning,  The unexpected rain storm, that dropped records rains on South Florida ended. It was a cool 61 degrees when I left my hotel and drove to the Southern Glades Trail located  on the outskirts of Florida City about five miles from the Everglades National Park. I arrived at the trailhead just as the sun was rising in the east. I was…

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