Nice Looking Birds and More

Some days are better than others when it comes to observing wildlife. Today I enjoyed birds in nice settings along with a woodchuck and wildflower.

Big Boy (Steam Locomotive) On the Move

After viewing the Big Boy Steam Locomotive in place last Saturday in Omaha, I decided to drive to Tama this morning to see it moving. Wow, what an engineering marvel for their time!

See a video at this link:

Big Boy Steam Locomotive Eastbound to Tama

After the Rain

After the much appreciated rain (1.8”) I wandered our pollinator habitat to see what might be blooming. Other than golden alexanders, I am a little early for blooms other than a few. I found one large beardtongue plant worth studying. A dandelion head also made for an interesting image.

Big Boy and the Mass of Humanity

Today my nephew and I made the trek to Omaha to view the “Big Boy” steam locomotive in person. As expected, we were far from the only train enthusiasts taking time to see this…

Wetland Safari

Sometimes, instead of a longer distance hike or a challenging climb, I can find enough to satisfy my unending curiosity by…

I Believe There are Fungus Among Us and Stopped in My Tracks

Crazy or not, today I donned my bug shirt, face mask, and mesh gloves while carrying my Thermacell for a walk in the woods. I have no doubt that the Thermacell made the difference between…

Even with Issues, the Diversity is Amazing

A frequent topic of discussion (myself included) is the water level and its impact on fishing/recreation on the Wapsipinicon River. Some attribute the decline of the fish population on the presence of predators. Others (myself included) are frustrated by low water levels - so much so that I will be selling…

Things I Found Looking Down

During my hyper-bug infested walk in the woods today I found a number of things I found interesting. There was no rhyme or reason to the subjects. This was just what I found interesting today. Oh - the biting bugs got me through protective clothes that had been sprayed. It was miserable!

Cue the Rainbow, Then Remember the Holiday

Hopefully many of you were able to see the birth, full bloom, and fade away this morning of our rainbows at sunrise. I will admit it was just luck that I enjoyed the process, but oh was it worth it. First there was just a bit of a rainbow to the north, then a full double rainbow looking west, followed by a vivid glimpse of the rainbow’s end to the south. Rain then filled the sky and the rainbows were gone.

Dew Drop Macros

Very early this morning conditions were ideal to practice a bit of dew drop macro photography. My subjects were simple - dew drops on grass, rattlesnake master, and dandelions. I like how they turned out.

Found One! (and more)

Quite often I go out with my camera without an agenda. I find and I photograph. Today though, was different. When I hit the water in my canoe I was looking for warblers - especially a…

Marten’s Lake (Segment B) - Sweet Marsh Update - Beware Paddles and Props

In the event you might be considering paddling or taking a boat on Marten’s Lake (Segment B) at Sweet Marsh this weekend, be prepared for plenty of aquatic vegetation near the boat ramp. Since I only paddled the channel heading out from the ramp, I do not know if conditions improve in the deeper water. I am guessing they might, but do not plan your trip on my guessing.

During my short outing at Marten’s Lake I shot a few photos, but none were of anything unusual.

Paddling in thick vegetation was challenging, but much better than some things I could have been doing.

An Important Spike with Little Ones

Pushing out of the ground in an isolated location in Bremer County is a single “beefy” spike I believe is a…

Unusual Pictures and Not So Unusual

During a much needed wander in a favorite timber I found some unusual picture compositions along with ordinary subjects that caught my interest. Let’s begin with the not-often-seen images.

Visually Subdued, Not So With Their Call

Moving around in the local woodlands are an assortment of birds I find difficult to identify. I am referring to pewees, flycatchers, and similar birds. All are gray…

Acceptable Picture to Near Tears

Early this evening I spent some time watching an area where grosbeaks, orioles, woodpeckers, and other birds were flitting around. After fifty or so mosquito bites I finally saw this male rose-breasted grosbeak pause briefly where I could sort-of photograph him. The picture is not great, but was acceptable enough that I wrapped up my efforts and headed home.

Once at home I received a request to call a person I have not spoken to in years, but we are friends on social media. With cautious curiosity I reached out, not knowing why. Our phone call nearly moved me to tears.

This person thanked me for teaching a stop-the-bleed class they had attended years ago. Today the person came upon a very serious accident and was able to render aid by using a belt to create a tourniquet. They remember how I taught them that the constriction needs to be tight, so the person and a bystander fashioned a tool that allowed them to tighten the tourniquet enough to slow the severe bleeding. Their aid was maintained until an officer arrived on scene and applied a commercial tourniquet and EMS assumed responsibility.

Over the years I have taught many stop-the-bleed classes, often in conjunction with Run, Hide, Fight trainings. I always hope nobody ever has to apply what we taught, but know that it is possible. Tonight it became clear that sometimes our efforts may not have benefits, or sometimes the benefits come later. In this case what we discussed was used and may have saved a life.

I am so happy to know what we discussed and practiced was put to use when needed. I pray the victim has a successful recovery. And, I am grateful for the unexpected call.

Thank you for doing what you did!

If you have not learned “Stop-the-Bleed” or “Run, Hide, Fight” or “CPR,” I encourage you to do so.

Now I Understand… Nature is So Confusing

For so long I have been doing my best to instill an appreciation of nature in a friend of mine. Let’s call him “Buttercup.” The process has not been easy. Where I see wildflowers he sees a need for Roundup. When I want to stop to enjoy a bird or butterfly sighting, he equates the pause to watching a snail migration. This may become a life-long challenge for me that, until today, I could not understand. Why is it so difficult for Buttercup to make sense of nature so he too develops a passion for the outdoors? Then I realized the issue… the naming of fauna and flora is confusing. Consider these two examples.

After the Burn

Just a few weeks after our prairie burn and we have some vegetation coming back. Unfortunately, much of it is thistles or dandelions. However, there are some more desirable plants showing.

Currently we are seeing “Golden Alexanders” in many areas. This plant was hosting a spined soldier bug. I suspect this bug might be related to stink beetles.

Bringing a Sparrow For Breakfast and Pretty Flowers

Over the past couple of days I have seen nice things. Quite interesting to watch (on a nest camera) was when what we believe was a…

Two Adventures!

Yesterday and today have covered the full range of emotions - from immense satisfaction to grave concern to thankfulness. Allow me to explain.

Yesterday a formidable group of volunteers provided outdoor experiences for 450 fifth graders at Alcock Park. As I have since the inception of Bremer County Fifth Grade Field Day, I taught the backpacking session. Joining me was my buddy “Brother Darrell” - a fellow who has assisted in the past. Brother Darrell knew the expectations and how to contribute to the betterment of the day.

This year Brother Darrell and I had special assistance from my oldest grandson who is also a fifth grade student, but not in Bremer County. While I was planning for this year’s event I tossed the idea out to my grandson. “Would you like to skip school and join me at…..