Site Discussions

What a beautiful piece. Thank you for your close attention and your ability to articulate it so poetically.  I, too, love the word ptyxix/ptyxis, which I immediately looked up.  Your explanation is the best. I have been one of those hikers.  It seems to me that drawing the leaf buds will be the best way for me to really see them.

Yesterday in a wildlife management area in Montville, Maine my friend and I were snowshoeing in foot deep snow.  We came across a weird track that curved and twisted all over the woods.  It’s overall pattern was wavelike going forward with 2 troughs, one on either side, and a 4-5” swept depression in the middle.  Must have been something with a fat belly scraping the ground and a waddling gait.  I thought porcupine.  After awhile we came across a dead porcupine, face down large and, fat, with some light yellow snow near it.  There was no apparent injury and no blood at all.
The body was cold but still soft, especially the belly. 
What is the story here?  Any thoughts?  It was a well nourished animal.

This was such an interesting article simply because living in New England we tend to take White Pines for granted.  They have always been here and we hardly acknowledge them.  We have a grove behind our house which is home to lots if creatures.  Ivhave watched the cones form year after year and wondered about gestation and so on. My husband and I love them.  So happy to know more about them!

Thank you for the fascinating article!  My hat is off to the rehabilitators!

A hairy woodpecker joined us for lunch today - we all enjoyed the sunshine and good food - the woodpecker suet and sunflower seeds, us grilled sandwiches.

What a great story and very inspiring way to get community involved and excited about nature and our planet.

I’m inspired by Sebastian Moreno’s path to birding and opening to nature in urban locations and his work in introducing BIPOC people to the wonders of our natural inhabitants.  Thank you for this article.

I worked in Groveton 1986-1989 as a process engineer.  James River owned No. 3, 4, and 6 Paper machine. Jim owned the the Medium machine No. 5? that made the medium board.  I spent a lot time in Stock prep and many hours running trials and under the creping blade of the Yankee dryer that made tissue paper. I recognize some of the names in the story above.  I met the young lad (a Backtender) who had the tattoo of a moose on top of Chevy car.  I story I was told he shot it or agitated it and it chased him through Groveton downtown and someone took a picture when it got up on the car which made the National Geographic Magazine.  I believe T. Morrill is still living in the area if you want to get some more info about the mill.  It was by chance I came across this article while looking for something else.

BOBCAT Spotted in Bethpage, Ny.
Was walking minding his business. Area had many rabbits. I assume he was hunting.

Thank you for sharing, I wanted to try making birch tea but did not know where to start.

Read all with joy. And was a good read. As I was young back in the 50’s, I knew everthing lol.

Just to teach me that muscle is different from knowledge my dad would give me a tip in the art of spitting wood every time I thought I knew it all.

1) Use a dull axe or maul, your bit will not become stuck as often , your not splitting fibres and the blade will not become sticky from sap or resin.
2) As mentioned before that slight twist as the tool strikes the wood.
3) Place the wood upside down , that way you are splitting with the wood grain instead of against, back to #2, you are not splitting fibres.
4) By placing it upside down you are splitting with the curvature of the knots, splitting vs chopping against the grains.
5) Use a good splitting block that is cut to you heights, it allows you to use your arms, shoulders ,back an hips to your advantages,  you loose force it to low or to high, and it allow you to maintain balance.
5) Always use a spitting block the ground is like sponge and absorbs the shock wave/energy.
6) If you can not advoid a knot, split just to the side so the curvature of the wood will peel around the knot.
7 ) ’ IF’ the axe becomes wedged in the block and you decide to lift it above your head and bring it down on the butt of the axe, try to bring it down straight, vs a swinging motion, more control, and less chance of it breaking handle or the handle kicking upward hurting your wrist an loosing control.

Many more but it’s a start!

(Responding to Brian Hagey) I understand your question, it is an understanding of iron. A nice Swedish built axe from quality steel and not overly thick and heavy will have a ringing noise when you tap it or snit it with your finger nail.

A heavy axe or maul or one that has a less quality of steel vs iron will not have a ring to it. So the old joke of going to the store to buy a nice axe that has a ring to it.

I saw a small porcupine in my neighbor’s yard that seems to have this fungus.

Hi Elise,

Just received winter 2020 issue and all I could think of was my grandson and my daughter who gets him out in the woods quite often. I grew up in the city but have been lucky enough to be a bird watcher and nature lover for 40 years during which I’ve been lucky enough to visit all 7 continents. I want him to enjoy nature just as I have so I’m signing him and my son (I think the 15 month old twins are a little young for the mag.) although we watch the feeder birds. Keep up the great work, it what our younger generation needs.

Thank you
Kevin Ryan

You could have written this about me. Loved the short story.

The picture of the woman with the baskets, her name is Philomena (Solis) Nelson. She is my 3rd great Grandmother on my fathers side.

I very much enjoy these articles - for new infromation and for refresher lessons. Thank you.

Great article and even better comments - my thanks to all.

Just started splitting my own firewood. Initially chainsaw’d 14-16” Length / up to 8-10” dia. logs of downed tree branches (and some smaller trees) from around the house and was splitting up the Logs with a hatchet. Yup. Pretty funny watching me try to slice up a twisted, knotty holly tree log… but by goodness, I did it. My wrists didn’t appreciate it.
Anyway - I just bought an 8 lb splitting maul… and giggle every time i slips these logs weather pine, oak or maple (and also those gnarly holly tree logs - which burn faster like birch) .

Been great reading everyone’s wisdom - hope that sharing my beginner (at age 52) experience would either be a good laugh for most, or provide a beginner an ‘ah-ha’ moment. Either way, cheers and good splitting!

I loved your reading your piece on Mourning Doves. I have been watching them for several years now, ever since they laid their eggs on the beam under our eaves. That first time, I found two eggs smashed in the driveway. I looked up to see three twigs on the beam. My husband quickly tacked pieces of wood on either side of the beam, so they might be more successful in their next attempt, and they have had many hatchlings since then. I’ve never heard the cooing sound of doves, except in the spring and summer, signaling their return to the nest. Imagine my surprise when I heard it again last week—in the middle of winter. Since then, I saw them mating on a telephone wire, and they are now back, taking turns on the nest. During this difficult time for our country, it is a very bright spot for me.

I have participated in Polly’s Way of the Wabanaki trip and it was amazing.  I loved spending all that time in the woods, time with Jason, Ryan, Jennifer, and Polly and Jean.  I also love to be quiet in the woods.  This was a special trip, so I am going this winter too.