Snow

Top Photo: Wetlands with ice and a sprinkling of snow. When it snows here in the Piedmont, it’s always a rush to get out to photograph the uniqueness of the event. It doesn’t snow often and when it does the snow is usually gone within a day or two. Sometimes it’s gone within hours. Snows here are short and sweet. Here’s some photos from this morning (Saturday 1/29/22) before it all disappeared. And finally, three dinosaurs. Enjoy it while itRead more

February Happenings

It’s February. What happens in February besides cold north winds, Groundhog Day, the Super Bowl, and two of our past president’s birthdays? Why, our two seasonally local Canada Geese arrive in our Wetlands and hazel alder comes into bloom. That’s what happens in February. I do not know where these two geese spend the rest of their year, but they arrive here in our Wetlands each February. Unless the water freezes over they will remain here till late spring orRead more

Ice and Snow

    What will tomorrow bring? Here’s what it brought, more ice and snow! We hope the snow will be all gone by tomorrow. A few small patches may remain, where the sun doesn’t shine so brightly, but melt it will. Till next time, snow!Read more

Finally, It’s Here!

After what was probably the warmest December on record here in North Carolina, the icy weather is upon us. Don’t get me wrong, I’d greatly appreciate a winter with a much reduced heating bill, where I didn’t have to put on layer upon layer of clothes (I’m outside most of the day), and snow, well, snow just didn’t happen. But, it is January and it’s supposed to be cold, even here in the heart of Carolina. This morning, I took aRead more

Home Ice

We’ve had over a dozen hooded mergansers in the Wetlands for the past week or so. Monday and Tuesday nights (11/17 & 11/18) were cold enough to freeze over the water. There was one merganser on the pond Wednesday morning. The lone merg swam back and forth in a small open spot of water nervously looking about, presumably, for an escape route should she need it. The bird was fairly close to the Wetlands Overlook and I was making her nervous.Read more

Sunset and thin ice!

As I was leaving for the day last night I couldn’t help but notice the incredible scene in the western sky. These high clouds moved in during the afternoon and made for a spectacular sunset. After so many days of cloudy, drizzly, rainy weather it was especially rewarding to witness this brilliant display. Soon after, the skies cleared and the cold set in. This morning there was a thin sheet of ice on much of the Wetlands. It’s supposed toRead more

Cold?

If you have any doubt as to whether or not it’s been cold outside in the past week or so, I’ve taken a few digital images that may help to convince you that it is. OK, OK, we’re not in Watertown, NY where, as I write this, it’s 13° F, or Duluth, MN where it’s currently 0° on the Fahrenheit scale. We’re in the south, and down here, if the day’s high temps never climb out of the thirties, it’sRead more

Mystery Tracks on Ice

On the morning of February 7th, I noticed a set of tracks leading across the ice in front of the boardwalk as it descends into the Wetlands. The tracks were muddy and a bit distorted and enlarged due to the melting ice. Throughout the day the temperatures climbed from the 30s to the 70s. The tracks appeared to be that of a fox, although their true identity will never be known for sure since, by noon, they had gradually turnedRead more