Distracted Morel Mushroom Hunting

A few weeks ago I went Morel mushroom hunting at the farm on a piece of land that had been unexplored by me. To my surprise there was an abandoned farm which always fascinates me. It is shrouded with mystery of who abandoned it, why and what happened to the people that lived there.

Sweet William Wildflowers

It was a beautiful spring day and perfect for mushroom hunting but I found myself distracted by the abandoned farm and in awe of how the woods was taking over the property as if some day it would just become one with the woods and completely disappear. I finally succumbed to my curiosity and abandoned the hunt and got immersed in the mystery.

At first I noticed the wildflowers that had encroached upon what would have been the homestead's yard. Sweet William Wildflowers and

Teaching Kids to Explore & Appreciate Nature

Raising children in town is so much different than raising them on a farm. Growing up on a farm we spent every daylight hour outdoors. My children were raised in town but we still spent a lot of time exploring the great outdoors whether it be in our local parks, trails or at the farm. I did not want my kids sitting inside the house like lumps on a log. I wanted them to appreciate the environment and find the wonders that nature has to offer. So I intentionally ensured that they had these experiences. Sadly, it isn't safe to send your kids out exploring on their own anymore at least in town. So parents have to make an effort to provide these opportunities to their children. Even if you weren't raised experiencing nature you owe your children & grandchildren this opportunity. Plus exploring makes you feel like a kid again.

My oldest granddaughter and I spent two days at the farm so I took this opportunity to teach her how to explore and to really look at things and find beauty in the water, trees, rocks, birds, butterflies ..... I want her to grow up being awed by our beautiful environment. We spent most of our time exploring the creek where my siblings and our children spent immense amounts of time.

Migration of the Cedar Wax Wings

Early Saturday morning my husband and I watched flocks of Cedar Wax Wings gather in our trees. At least 50 of them in our tree closest to our deck and hundred's more in the neighbors' trees.

They flew in from the South

 They hung upside down 

and every which way in the tree

They ate the maple tree seeds

A beautiful site to behold and hours of enjoyment

And then they just left to continue their migration journey and to find homes for the summer

Authored by +Terri Henkels

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The Eagle Has Landed

Do you ever have one of those days where you wake up feeling like a slug? It is in the low 20's, the sky is hazy as if a snow storm is brewing somewhere out there, and everything is gray and white dotted with brown. There certainly wasn't any creative juices flowing. I felt burnt out by too much shopping, wrapping, company, family drama, sitting in front of the computer and the list goes on. It's only been winter for a few weeks and I can already feel the walls closing in on me.

I knew the only thing to get me out of this funk was to be one with nature. So I put on my heavy winter gear, grabbed my camera and went to find the Eagles that migrate to Iowa in December. South of downtown Des Moines and along the river they speckled the trees as far as the eye could see - hundreds.

Love for Adventure and Food

It has been a very long time since my sister, Terri and I have been able to spend time together. So, she flew down from the cold to enjoy the tropical weather here in South Florida. We planned a lot of great adventures, so stay tune for some of the stories and of course fantastic food.

Authored by +Shawna Williams 

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