The Winter Solstice – “A Time for Exploration and FUN!”

Winter Wonderland !!

The beginning of Winter is just a few days away and I’m excited about the outdoor opportunities it offers. The Moon is waning at the moment as we move toward the beginning of Winter this Sunday, the 21st. After a beautiful Fall I welcome the changing weather. With the leaves off the trees, it’s a great time to explore your favorite patch of woods. Animal sign is easy to interpret, as their trails and runs are very visible this time of year. It’s truly a great opportunity to learn about your woodland neighbors.

Much of the East coast experienced a poor crop of Acorns this year. I could hardly find any in my woods and I’m sure our local squirrel and deer population have been affected by the lack of food. I read recently that some scientists fear the shortage may affect squirrel and deer populations as a result. Indeed, I have noticed that the population of squirrels on my property seems to be less now than last year, and I’ve seen a few that were uncommonly small. Since acorn production runs in cycles though, it’s not that uncommon to have lean year after a year of abundance. Perhaps next year will balance things out. We did however experience a good year for Black Walnut and Hickory nuts. Both are absolutely delicious, though it is a bit tedious to extract the nutmeats. I find it well worth my effort .

Numerous species of migrating birds have been…

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Nature – “The Greatest Show on Earth”

Fall is by far my favorite time of year in North Carolina. The changing of the season and beautiful foliage is always inspiring. One of my absolute favorite things to do this time of year is to go tracking. Exploring the woods and wild fields throughout this area is fun…and, with most of the leaves off the trees it’s easy to see the lay of the land.

The Splender of Fall

Animal trails and sign are much more visible now and become a major point of interest for me. I can spend hours interpreting their tracks and trails and never get bored. All the animals have such an intimate knowledge of their environment and seem to move through it so effortlessly. I’m always fascinated by what I discover on my hiking and nature excursions. Perhaps most importantly, I’m reminded that I need to explore more often…don’t we all?

“My experiences in nature always seem to ground me and smooth out any stress that I may have accumulated during the week”…

All of us love to spend time in the woods and hiking is a favorite weekend activity for many of us. This area has many hiking opportunities. The Palmetto Trail is close by and F.E.N.C.E has numerous trails to explore. Let’s face it – we all need to get outside more, and not just for the exercise. I believe that being in nature is important and helps promote a healthy…