Exploring Nature by Sheila Newenham
The Sterling Pond Trail is among the most popular and accessible hikes in Smuggler’s Notch in northern Vermont. We arrived here mid-morning on a beautiful, sunny Labor Day. The lot was full, and cars lined the edges of the narrow, winding mountain road. While we … Continue readingHiking a Waterfall in Smuggler’s Notch
As the tram ascended Jay Peak, we disappeared into the cloud that veiled the top. Like most tall peaks, this mountain tends to generate its own weather as the warm, moist air near the ground rises to collide with the cool, dry air near the … Continue readingUnexpected Tundra in Vermont
We started out from Minstrel Island heading west toward Johnstone Strait in search of marine mammals, most notably, orca. It was another calm morning with marine clouds hanging low over the inlets. We passed a lot of fish farms where Atlantic Salmon are raised. The Atlantic … Continue readingA Whale of a Surprise
On a cool, gray morning in Gold River, BC, we boarded the MV UChuck III with about 75 other passengers. The MV UChuck III is a working boat that makes regular deliveries to the islands off of the west coast of Vancouver Island. They take … Continue readingNootka Island Day Cruise
After our first plane was towed into the hangar for repairs and the second plane was gassed up, we boarded our plane in Campbell River, BC. We flew about 45 minutes northwest over the archipelago of small islands that mark the ends of the fjords … Continue readingMinstrel Island, British Columbia
We’d been watching several grizzly bears with cubs gorging on sedges near the water’s edge in Glendale Cove. There were also a couple of single adult bears foraging further back from the water, mid-way to the tree line in the estuary. In all, I could … Continue readingHow Many Bears are in that Pile?
The spheres remind me of my gourd birdhouses. I had come across this unique place at some point and made a mental note to look into it when I planned our Vancouver Island trip. It is everything you’d expect an upscale birdhouse for a person … Continue readingLiving Like Birds in British Columbia (Free Spirit Spheres)
The war against the Japanese beetles starts every June. They cluster on the leaves of their preferred plants, my raspberries. They can defoliate and kill young plants. Mostly, they just eat my berries. On this comfortable day, the sky is blue dotted with puffy white … Continue readingLife on a Spicebush
I had only seen one loon on the lake since we arrived yesterday. Loons are gregarious birds who pair-bond for life. A lone loon can only mean one thing. The other is on a nest. In all of the years that I’ve been coming to … Continue readingSearching for a Loon