Today was a long day - 2.5 hours of driving before dawn, and another 3 hours after dark, with a full work day in the middle.  Not much opportunity to see the sun or enjoy the day.  So indulge me in enjoying a simple sunset pic - this from Sand Key, FL, over the Gulf…Read more Sand Key Sunset

I have to admit it's frustrating to me when it hovers above freezing and rains for three days - I'd rather it be in the low 20's, and snow.  But rain is life, and beautiful in its own way. Photo Credit - Lynn Abbott

Taking a little break from winter, this shot of the sun setting over Trayfoot Mountain, Shenandoah National Park, was taken from the Appalachian Trail on top of the jumble of boulders that makes up the summit of Blackrock.

We've had the homemade bird feeders up for over a week now, and new visitors keep discovering them.  This weekend we had the first of a new species come and visit, when this female Goldfinch stopped by for a snack. Photo Credit - Lynn Abbott

After all this talk of winter camping and hiking, this one just felt right tonight. Photo credit - Lynn Abbott Coming up this weekend, I've got my regular astronomy post, and then starting a new series, "Wilderness Chef", about cooking outside.  The first recipe is an easy dutch oven open fire dinner, and I'll have…Read more Winter Campfire

Mix the previous two shots and this is what you get - the hero in the mountains!  This is along the Appalachian Trail on Three Ridges Mountain, in Virginia.  We did a trip from the Tye River in the valley below, specifically trying to do a lot of vertical gain in a very short distance...in the…Read more Three Ridges

Yesterday's hero-shot was hard to beat, so I'm not even trying!  Needed some nature inspiration this morning - this shot is from Mt. LeConte, in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, from about 6,000 ft.

Spent the MLK holiday outside, skiing.  Nothing like this happened THERE, but the day reminded me of other daredevil fun in the snow.

A great winter trip from long ago - Buzzard Rocks, clifftops on the eastern slope of northern Massanutten Mountain, VA.

This was one of those foggy grey days, when wet sand, sea and sky all merge together.  This young Ring-Billed Gull (larus delawarensis) launched off wet sand and briefly flew through two worlds at once. Photo Credit - Lynn Abbott

The evergreens are pretty patient, just waiting out the winter. Photo Credit - Lynn Abbott

One of the blog "themes" I want to highlight on a regular basis is connecting kids with nature - so this week I've been getting some help from mine, building some homemade bird feeders out of trash!  That's some good recycling!  Hoping to both post a discussion of how we did it, as well as…Read more What, Food? Where?

A boat sits tied in St. Mary's City, MD, waiting for spring. Photo credit - Lynn Abbott

Joshua Tree, in the Mojave Desert near Cima Dome, Baker, CA. Photo Credit - Lynn Abbott

Spicebush Swallowtail (papilio troilus) on a thistle in Shenandoah National Park. (Photo credit - Lynn Abbott)