Coffee and Pumpkin: Fueling the Adventure

What's the adventure? Well LIFE! What a gift to be here, in this moment. Truly. Look at these insect lives all prepared for winter. Holy moly, we are agog, day in and day out at the wondrous nature of life, in all forms. 

Question Mark or Eastern Comma chrysalis on American Elm...

I don't say this tritely and I don't say this ignorant of the many challenges in this world, but we are alive and we have a duty to honor this gift. Steve and I personally have some chaff still to shed, but we are making progress. Our hearts are in nature, specifically exploration, observation, restoration and hiking. That sounds like enough to fill up the rest of these precious lives so that's what we are running with. We have found (as has everyone before us that followed their heart), you really do have to choose. Life DOES move on. You DO get older. Choose wisely once you know what's important to you.

As most of you know, we love coffee. This one is our favorite and our sacred ritual every morning of drinking from the same well worn, ceramic mugs, while tending cats and watching all the birds in the still standing and tippy plant stalks is how we roll around here this winter 2022/2023.  

On days when we head to Mohican State Park/Forest for hiking we also stop here for treats and an Americano. What you see in the photo is of course, a pumpkin muffin. I love most muffins and most baked items, but I really, really love pumpkin because not only does it taste so very yummy, but it fills me up. I don't like to eat right away in the morning, but once I do eat, I am usually hungry for the rest of the day so filling me up is a big deal. 

I get lucky around here because I am also married to a pie making man and he knows my adoration for pie and pumpkin and he also has to deal with me when I'm not full so he works to keep me full. ;)

Some days this caffeine fuels indoor paperwork and regular chores, 

and other days we use it to explore in all weather and at all times of year. Beaver at Gleason Family Nature Reserve in Morrow County made an incredible impoundment that attracted a late migrant American Bittern early December. As they were flying over and south, how could they not see it? Impossible. The water is so big and so flashy brilliant, it beckons life from all around. And how could we not see the bittern, just a foot off the trail and put to flight by us chattering humans? Also, impossible. So we delighted and exclaimed and felt like the luckiest people around.

Hiking big miles is harder when we have a morning ritual that lasts as long as it lasts and the days are dark by 5 p.m., but we get out anyways and hike as long as we can. 6 miles on this day took us through chestnut oaks and white oaks and black tupelo. We ate lunch in this spot right here:

and marveled at these itty bitty mushrooms at home in the leaves.

We sometimes lunch in another spot and watched, at the very end of summer, a Bald-faced Hornet queen go directly into a hole in this rotting log. This is no doubt her overwintering spot and so flabbergasted were we to be present and paying attention, I am still pondering this hole and all the other holes and crevices where little creatures are tucked in and safe for winter. So much hardier than we, are they.

The red squirrels that live on these 3.5 shared acres don't need caffeine, but somehow maintain boundless energy. These black walnut caches in all plant joints around are seriously cracking us up. Look right in the middle of this pokeweed and you will see a black dot. That's an intact and ready to eat black walnut. They are everywhere around here. Though my father would love it, we hope they aren't planning for a snow this deep.

The brush pile enhancement and stream water bar addition are fueled by a deep desire for restoration. It's something fundamental in us. We have to do it and then it's so miraculous we have to do more. 

Water connects us all and if you watch the video above about our stream restoration, you will hear I mention maps. Maps are fantastic. They are the keys to the landscape and giant worlds to explore in your mind and then on foot or however you can. This little hand drawn map from long ago shows the headwaters of so many major Ohio rivers and streams, all originating here, in this little loved and fairly abused (where isn't though really? we are from the Great Black Swamp...) Morrow County. Magic is in the making though here friends. Magic, I tell you. Committed humans, righting many wrongs. It will be longer than our lives no doubt, but it's beginning.

As an affirmation for the restoration, little gifts of apples and persimmons, and their desire to live, this Eastern Cottontail alerted us to someone coming in from the east. 

Oh, and how right they were. A Red Fox. Not common around here due to all the human fear, but still here. This one decided the apple was their snack instead.

And with that, we wish you a very Happy, Happy Winter Solstice. We made it! From here, it's just brighter and brighter and brighter. 

Soundtrack:

because it's time...

Things We Do by Indigenous

The Weight by Robbie Robertson

Scenic World by Beirut

Umbrella by Chicago Farmer

Let's be good humans.

Tree Love Plus Native Plant Bed Maintenance

Amongst all the AZ Trail trip planning which we will share soon, we venture outdoors and bask in the sun any day it shines through the clouds. We especially love our outings when we discover bigger and older trees than we normally do. Here's a beautiful Swamp White Oak (Querqus bicolor) that captivated us for quite some time.

If you've not yet read The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, please do. It's fascinating and enlightening. We really have something special in our trees and it's so beyond time that we celebrate them - truly, hugely celebrate and respect their very long lives.

Here's a sign of another favorite tree:

Know it yet? The very stout branches look dead in the winter season, which is often indicative of these trees:

I bet you already know it, but if not - here is the pod of the magical....

Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioica)!

Here's another fun tree to guess that's in the Ebenaceae Family: super furrowed, blocky bark, often very darkly colored...

with incredibly tart, delicious fruits that people and wildlife love:

Did you guess Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)? Excellent. Every single time we find any of these trees, we get so filled with gratitude to live amongst these incredible beings.

Thanks to our friends that get out and explore these wild and magical natural spaces with us; you continue to open our experiences to new ideas and ways of seeing, thinking and expressing.

 

Finally, if you are midwinter and wondering what to do with your native plant beds, we made a little video to show you what we do here that works fantastically well. Thanks for asking!

Eagle Optics - A Great Company

We just returned from our southern CA vacation to Death Valley National Park and Mohave National Preserve and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in Nevada...more on that soon (it was fantastic!), but for today see what awaited our return:

Yes, those are NEW binoculars! Steve bought me a pair 8x42 Ranger Eagle Optics' binocs many years ago and that company has an incredible service department and warranty, which we so appreciate in any company. We sent both our binoculars in a couple of years ago for cleaning and fixing, which they did...FOR FREE. Before our trip West I sent my binoculars in for another servicing due to lens' scratches, broken eye piece, etc. and when we returned I had a new pair of binoculars waiting for me....also FOR FREE.

The damages were not fixable and so they replaced my binocs with the current model. (I've experienced this level of service with only one other company: Patagonia.) We are so completely impressed with this company and had to share. If you are in need of binoculars, we couldn't be more happy with Eagle Optics and very much recommend them.

Also, if you love that little tile as much as we do here's a link to the artist.