Blog Profile / SwampThings

A Very Beary Day

Yesterday was a very beary day in the swamp. We had a total of 13 sightings while out patrolling. What has so many bears out and about? Why, that would be all the blackberries that are still on the brambles. Bears do love blackberries. I really do need to wash my windshield if I am going to continue taking pictures when I'm in the truck ;)

Along the Boardwalk

Wipe Your Feet!

A bear visited the trashcans right outside the office. Luckily for us, they were all empty, so the only evidence of the visit was a set of tracks :-)

Morning Exercise

Red Admiral

It Makes Us Hoppy

All during our very hot and dry June, Treebeard and I worked hard to keep scores of tadpoles alive. We made a little pond, filled it with water from our rain barrels and made sure the little ones had plenty to eat. Our efforts have been rewarded because quite a few of our little charges have transformed into froglets. Show More Summary

It Came from Under the Porch

Odd things happen around here, plants pop up in unexpected places and we let them grow just to find out what they are. This particular plant has us scratching our heads, though. It came up under the edge of the porch from seed -- where the seed came from is the mystery... The vine is huge and the fruit is interesting. Show More Summary

A Taste of the City

Treebeard and I made a quick overnight trip to Raleigh to celebrate Flamebrain's birthday. Can't believe that child is 26 - the same age I was when he was born. It may be cliche, but time does fly. Treebeard gets some wiggly affection from our granddog, Grace. Show More Summary

Laying Low

It is hot, hot, hot outside. We topped 100 degrees F yesterday, but the weatherman tells us it will be "cooler" today with highs just in the upper 90s ;) Pretty outrageous temperatures for June. Our garden looks rough and there are some corn fields here in the county that we be a total loss if they don't get rain soon. Show More Summary

Road Trip, the Final Act

After we left the campground, Treebeard and I headed out along a trail that was about a mile long. We kept our eyes open for anything that might be out and about. Here are a few of the photos we took along the trail... A young garden...Show More Summary

Road Trip, Part Deux

When last I left you, Treebeard and I were making our way from the picnic area down to the lake. And quite a lake it is - over 16,000 acres of natural lake, all rain-fed due to the fact that it sits higher than the surrounding land.Show More Summary

Road Trip

On Friday Treebeard and I hit the road for a day trip. If you do much traveling in eastern NC, you're going to have to go over a lot of bridges. This particular bridge is the second longest in the state and crosses the Chowan River as it enters the Albemarle Sound. Show More Summary

A Little Behind

Sorry for the lack of posting...I'm a little behind on a whole lot of things, plus I am guilty of spending too much of my on-line time on Facebook these days. In addition, several months ago someone implied that in one of my posts aShow More Summary

Put On A Happy Face

...or at least a reasonable facsimile :-)

Eating Local

Treebeard has always believed in providing for his family. When we were first married, we had no money to speak of but we always ate well. Meat came from the woods, fields, and streams and vegetables came from the garden. Things haven't...Show More Summary

Exuvia, Anyone?

Here and there along the boardwalk we are finding the exuviae of swamp darners on the undersides of leaves. For a discussion of dragonfly exuviae check out this site.

Hey, Baby...

On Wednesday's wander we really had to watch our step as there were babies out everywhere...This little box turtle, probably a couple of years old, was smack dab in the middle of a heavily shaded trail. I just did see him in time toShow More Summary

Milkweed Patch

Each year I like to check this patch of milkweed... The flowers smell sweet and it's a great place to find monarch caterpillars... But to discover the real reason I like it so much, all you have to do is walk in among the stems and train...Show More Summary

Frogs Underfoot

Treebeard and I went for a hike yesterday. We covered about seven miles, some through the woods and some along the shoreline of the pond. No matter where we walked, there were cricket frogs underfoot... ...

Click Beetle Larva

Yes, it does bite...but it doesn't really hurt. This one just has me by the fingernail. You know what they say: If you play with beetle larvae, you're gonna get bitten......

Let's Not Overlook the Reptiles...

Last Friday wasn't just about the dragonflies, frogs, and fish. We also had a nice assortment of reptiles, mainly snakes, to keep us company. Here is a sampling of what we saw...This is a brown water snake.  Take a close look at him. ...Show More Summary