This weekend is your chance to be a citizen scientist and participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Take as little as fifteen minutes to observe the birds in your backyard and then report on the web site at http://gbbc.birdcount.org. The information from bird watchers across the United States and Canada provides important data for…
Tag: photos
Having a Bluebird Day
Although I am not a cold weather person, one of the joys of the winter is the Eastern Bluebirds which arrive to feast on mealworms. Bluebirds have made a big comeback in the area in the past twenty years with many people providing boxes for nesting and an active Pennsylvania Bluebird Society. If you want…
Feasting on the Wreath
Each year after we remove the decorations from the Christmas tree, we put the tree in the yard to serve as cover for the birds during the cold and snowy days of winter. This year I purchased a wreath made with fresh greens including juniper which has lots of little blue berries. When I finished…
Lehigh River Gorge State Park
In early October we spent a week on the Pine Creek and enjoyed the rail trails in northern Pennsylvania. We continued our enjoyment of the fall colors and rail trails in late October with a day trip to the D & L Rail Trail which goes through the Lehigh River Gorge State Park. The trail…
Tioga County in October
Pennsylvania’s Tioga County is a rural county that borders New York state. The county is full of beautiful scenery including: The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania Abundant wildlife – bear, eagles, elk (largest herd in the northeast) State forest lands Farms dotting the hillsides Roads that include creek crossings Pine Creek Rail Trail Colorful seasons Covered…
Simple Apple Dumplings
Since I live in an area where apple dumplings are taken fairly seriously with apple dumpling festivals and apple dumpling queens, I hesitate to call this recipe apple dumplings since it is not the traditional apple and crust. This is a recipe I got at a family reunion and like a lot of “family reunion…
Pine Creek Rail Trail
We spent a week in the mountains of north central Pennsylvania enjoying the change of season and taking advantage of the great rail trails. Pine Creek Rail Trail in Tioga County goes through the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, is 57 miles long and runs along the Pine Creek. In the early morning, the mist rises…
Local Sightings
There is always something interesting to see as you drive round Lancaster County and the adjoining counties such as a farmer preparing his fields for planting. Or a Mennonite woman heading down a county road on her bicycle… Or a covered bridge… Or corn starting to grow in a field… Or a peaceful stream at…
Blueberry Coffee Cake
It will be another month or two before our local blueberries are ready. But while we wait for our local berries, here is a recipe that uses fresh blueberries (or you can use frozen berries) that is good as a dessert or as a coffee bread. Blueberry Coffee Cake 1 large egg 1/2 cup milk…
Understanding
“Don’t worry about what you do not understand…Worry about what you do understand in the Bible and do not live by.” ~Corrie Ten Boom
Wandering the Country Roads
I spent some time last weekend driving around the countryside and enjoying the farms and the scenery. After the drabness of winter, it is so wonderful to see all of the “green” and the farmers working the fields once again.
Gardening in the Woods
One of the challenges of living in the woods is that it is difficult to find a spot that has enough sun for growing vegetables. This year we decided to try raised beds in a clearing up the hill from the house. My husband and son built two beds and we have planted tomatoes, peppers,…
Photo Blog
Earlier this year while reading some updates from WordPress about photo blogs, I thought “Why not?” I decided to set up another blog to feature photos as another way to focus on improving photography skills. The nice thing about photo blogs is that they do not require writing – just posting photos. Some of the…
Great in All the Earth
“Great in all the Earth is Your glory oh God The universe declares how amazing You are Over history, and eternity, You alone are Lord and King” ~Great in all the Earth – Starfield
Rural Church Tradition
I grew up in rural southeastern Arkansas and lived way out in the woods. The small church I attended until it disbanded was also way out in the woods but only a couple of miles from our house. Although the church stopped being active many years ago as the families who once lived in the…
Wild Azalea
One of the signs of spring in this area, in addition to the many blooming trees and wildflowers, is the wild azalea, Rhododendron canescens. It comes in varying shades of pink ranging from a very light pink to a rosy pink. The blooms only last for a short time but add a wonderful touch to…
A Reminder from Micah
O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 (NLT)
Cinnamon Nut No-Knead Bread
I have been totally involved with planting and weeding when not at work for the past month – thankfully spring finally arrived, although we have a frost warning tonight! Here is a post I started in January but never got around to publishing. Enjoy! This makes a great breakfast or snack variation of the no-knead…
Auction Day
We stopped by the annual auction at the Fivepointville Firehouse last weekend. There was an abundance of farm and garden equipment for sale, along with household materials, bicycles and buggies. There is a large Old Order Mennonite community in the Fivepointville area plus Amish so many people arrived by buggy or bicycle. It was a…
Rejected…. again
This year we were sure the Eastern bluebirds were going to nest in one of our bluebird houses. For the past several years, we have spent a fortune on mealworms, made sure there was always fresh water in the winter and pampered the bluebirds in every way we could in hopes of having a nesting…
Nature and Life Notes 