It's Groundhog Day

Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow at Gobbler's Knob, PA, this morning. Why that means we will have an early spring in Missouri, I know not. The groundhog in this photo would know better. He lives along a nearby trail we walk. Didn't see him today, but he would have seen his shadow, which means more winter for Springfield. (Doesn't it seem it should be the other way around?)

Photo of the Day

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit - Sylvilagus floridanus. Photographed in Springfield, Missouri.

Encounter With a Black Rat Snake

Encountered this gorgeous 3 1/2-foot black rat snake today crossing the wood-chip trail I was on. Unfortunately, since I have started running some again, I did not have my camera so had to make do with my iPhone. A few days earlier I shot the lower photo of a captive specimen at the Springfield Nature Center.

Snow and Ice This Wednesday

One of the 2 days AG HQ was closed this week, along with all the schools, etc.

Snow & Ice, Springfield, Missouri 1-28-09 from kj wq on Vimeo.
Snow and ice from ice storm in Springfield, Missouri, 1-28-09. Nathaniel Greene Park, Close Park, Drummond Lake. Ducks and geese walking on water (frozen).

From a Close Encounter at Galloway Creek

Cormorant With Ducks

Took this on a rare day in Oct. 2004 when a cormorant showed up to hang out with the ducks at Drummond Lake.

Always Take Your Camera With You

Rough Green Snake
Opheodrys aestivus aestivus


Walking today on my favorite trail, I came across one of my favorite snakes, stock still in the middle of the asphalt trail. It was a rough green snake, one of my favorites in the Ozarks. I had decided not to bring my camera today; everytime I do that, a great photo op occurs and is lost. When I knelt down to take a closer look, he began undulating to try to get away, but he was moving so fast, he was virtually staying in one place, like a car laying rubber by spinning its wheels too fast. The poor snake just couldn't get any traction. So I gently nudged him with my hand and let him push off and soon he was in the safety of the brush.

Rough Green Snake
Originally uploaded by pcoin

You seldom see these common snakes because they are small and blend in so well with their surroundings. But on the black trail he was easy to spot.

Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus)
Originally uploaded by dpfunsun

He also stuck his tongue out and kept it out longer than I had seen a snake do.

(The photos are not mine but are linked from Flickr.)

Realizations

I'm confessing this to the readers of this blog, who are mostly the people I am closest to. I have realized once again something that I wake up to every once in a while: I am living for one thing ... and it is not the right thing. I live to check things off my to-do list. I am uncomfortable unless I am getting something done. This keeps me up tight much of the time and hard for me to relax.

I forced myself to go fishing yesterday. I spent the morning working from home, then took off for Stockton Lake about 1:30. Caught a bunch of small bass, largest 12 inches. But it was a nice day and I enjoyed it. I need to get away (physically and mentally) more often.

I realized something else yesterday. Though my dad has been gone a long time, every time I go fishing, he is with me. Not once since Dad passed away have I gone fishing without thinking of him. That is a testimony to a great dad who took the time to build strong memories with his son.

Another way I think of him when I fish. He frequently told me, "Always leave it [the place where you fish] at least as good as you found it." The "at least" meant to pick up some trash if you can and leave it better, especially discarded line that can harm wildlife. So I brought three big wads of discarded monofilament home yesterday. I'm doing what you taught me, dad. I try to do a little litter patrol each time I fish.

Nature Log, Selected

From time to time I record nature observations. Came across one of my intermittent computer files recently. I wish I had done this more throughout the years. Those who know me know I consider myself a "creation watcher." I love the great outdoors and all the wonderful things God has created.

Here are some excerpts:

9/21/02 A small northern watersnake undulated effortlessly across the surface of the water, unconcerned with, or unaware of, my presence. Also saw an otter and a beaver.

8/4/06 We saw a ruby-throated hummingbird following the drops of our back-and-forth sprinkler, drinking water.

8/5/06 On the plant trail, I saw a brilliant male cardinal with a large green caterpillar in his beak. When he saw me, he flew … with great difficulty. Couldn’t get up so flew back into brush.

8/6/06 Saw a spider-carrying wasp carrying a huge wolf-spider, much bigger than the wasp, dragging it across the near trail.

9/4/06 As I was standing out in the backyard watching Perkitty, after walking (Peg's in Chicago, Convoy of Hope), I was holding my water bottle when I was buzzed by a hummingbird, who then checked out the water nozzle before flying off.

3/07 On plant trail, saw a huge black rat snake, close to 4 feet long. Same place (near cemetery) where saw one last year. Prob. same one. Touched it and it coiled like lightning, shaking its tail like a rattler.

6/4/07 Saw a 3’ prairie kingsnake on the trail, same place where I’ve seen the rat snakes. Last week, on the trail close to home, a boy had ct a small black rat snake. He released it. Today also saw my second indigo bunting of the year.

Highlights of a Branson Trip

We spent 2 nights at Big Cedar Lodge this week, a gift from our adopted kids, Tim and Robin Gardiner. We combined it with a press pass to Silver Dollar City and the Showboat Branson Belle. These last two are owned by the Herschends, some wonderful Christian people about whom I wrote one of my favorite stories. Read the TPE Silver Dollar City article. Here is my first TPE Blog entry about it.

Green-backed heron at Big Cedar. We saw lots of these, more than we've ever seen in close proximity.
The tall guy at Silver Dollar City (he's on the left).
A Big Cedar restaurant at which we ate.
Peg with Todd Oliver, and Irving (right) and Lucy, the talking dogs, aboard the Showboat Branson Belle.

Hummingbirds at Maranatha

Viewed from Peggy's mom's balcony on Thursday, 8/23.

Rain, Mexico and a Three-Toed Box Turtle

It started yesterday, a huge thunderstorm, giving us the desperately needed moisture for our dying lawns. It continued throughout the night and morning, knocking out electricity. We were down for a couple of hours off and on at Headquarters. It was part of a massive front described by Fox News today this way: "Severe flooding in the midwest and southern plains had claimed at least 20 lives Monday, after relentless thunderstorms...."

By noon the rain was gone and the mercury climbing. As I went to my car in the parking lot a little before 6 I was surprised at what I saw in the road—a turtle walking right into traffic on Division. I watched as 3 cars ran over him, luckily straddling him, after which I rescued him. This is downtown Springfield. Where could a turtle come from here? Peggy and I have each rescued turtles several times as they tend to charge into traffic and we tend to be turtle-rescuers. One thing I knew—there was no place to put him at HQ where he wouldn't soon find himself back in traffic. I was meeting Peggy and her mom at Red Lobster for dinner. I took him with me, and, finding no good place to put him, we put him in a box with some water between our cars while we ate. (Very appropriate ... he's a box turtle.)

Peggy had to bring her mom home so she took him to Maranatha in a Christopher and Banks bag and deposited one very lucky and very happy turtle in a very nice pond. These are really good photos; they seldom stay out to be photographed. They are called box turtles because they totally draw into their box-like shell when threatened.

He's a three-toed box turtle: "Out of the 17 or so kinds of turtles native to Missouri, none are as well-known as our two species of box turtles. Even folks who aren’t into fishing, hunting, hiking, bird watching or gardening have had opportunities to observe box turtles. Too often, unfortunately, such opportunities involve these reptiles trying to cross roads or highways" (MO Conservation Dept.). See, I didn't make it up.

In other news, as Hurricane Dean prepares to slam Belize and Mexico, I am getting ready to go down to report with a team on Weds. or Thurs.

(Read my Vantage Point from yesterday's issue, about storms.)

Indigo Bunting

One of my favorite spring/summer residents in the Ozarks. Any nature lover is appreciative of any glimpse of an indigo. I see them frequently on the trails I walk. They usually flit about quickly, making them difficult to photograph. This shot, shaded as it is, doesn't do justice to this guy's gorgeous irridescent hues. I shot this July 27.

Bear Attacks

A bear entered the camp of the MCNP students near the beginning of the Yukon River trip and ripped open a new Cabela's tent. When the bear became aggressive and refused to be run off, Ron Pratt, director of MCNP, fearing for the students, had to shoot him. Later, in Fort Yukon, we ate black bear backstrap and ribs. Ron gave most of the bear meat to a native village, for which they were very grateful.

At an Athabaskan fish camp we stopped at, there was a "bear dog," a dog kept just to keep bears from stealing the fish.

Later, in a store in Anchorage, I saw a bear spray on sale, along with this (redundant) promo: "Stops harmful attacks." Are there any bear attacks that are NOT harmful?