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The Saga of Walker's Rips

A friend recently mentioned a local road that I might want to walk down and determine if it was a good place to lead a walk for parishioners of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and anyone else who joins us. As I drove in and the road changed from pavement to dirt, a rush of memories flooded my brain. And a smile embraced my heart. About a half mile in, I parked my truck and decided I’d rather…

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In The Heat . . . of the moment

About dinner time yesterday, that is, dinner time for most people, as My Guy and I tend not to eat until about 7:30pm, as we sat on our patio, I suddenly saw action at a Bluebird house we’d nailed to a tree in the yard. After months of seemingly no action, a bird was flying to it and carrying sticks, and I realized that the male House Wren who has been singing from the trees had decided this just…

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Summer Fauna among the Flora

As spring bid adieu and summer waved hello, I found myself wandering and wondering with others and alone and stopping in my tracks repeatedly, which is kinda what I do all the time I guess you could say, but suddenly this week there were a few special events that called for attention. The first was Momma Snapping Turtle that I spotted beside a trail as I co-led a walk with Dawn Wood for Loon…

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Vermonting We Did Go

Okay, so “Vermonting” is not a word. But we did go. And came home richer for the experience. It takes us forever to plan a vacation, even a mini-one. Well, actually, it only takes a few minutes once we put our minds to it, but prior to that it’s a lot of “We should go to . . .” or “We need to get away,” or any of a myriad of other comments, and we do nothing. So about a week ago we cleared our…

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Where The Moccasins Led Us

Rituals. We follow them. Some more than others. For My Guy and me, there is one in particular that captures our attention beginning in mid-May. And so I follow him . . . across Beaver dams, beside the Atlantic Ocean, up mountain trails, even on the hottest day so far with Canada wildfire smoke casting a haze. This year it was more trails than usual that were included in our ritual and along…

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Zodiac One: Maiden Voyage

The message arrived the day before: Leigh, I am ready for the morning. The truck is loaded. I suggest wellies unless you don’t mind wet feet. I plan on being there for 6:00am. All you need is your camera. And so I set the alarm for 4:30am, spent an hour reading and sipping coffee in the peace of a quiet kitchen, and then headed out the door with my camera on my shoulder. As the sun rose, it…

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Memorial Day Dragons and Damsels

It finally stopped raining and with a wee bit of sun late this afternoon, the temperature broke 60˚ and I found myself exploring a local wetland where all kinds of interesting things happen daily. And yearly. In cycles. And sometimes I happen to be there. One of my favorite events is the emergence of dragonflies and damselflies. It seems like we endure Black Flies for most of May, all the while…

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Giving Thanks to the Ovenbirds

On my way down the cowpath to retrieve our game camera, I heard among other bird songs, the “Teacha, Teacha, Teacha” of the Ovenbirds. But it wasn’t until I was headed back home a little while later that I actually spied them, which for me is a rare treat–maybe because I don’t spend enough time trying. In the past, however, it’s always seemed like the minute I get anywhere near them, they stop…

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Wednesday Wanders=Wonder-filled

You know when you start something and you have no idea of what the future will hold and yet, you forge ahead cuze that’s what you naturally do? Well, that’s been the experience fellow Master Naturalist Dawn and I have had since I retired in October 2023. At the time, I knew I would deeply miss outings with the Greater Lovell Land Trust docents, a group of dedicated volunteers who love to learn…

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Senior College: Forever Students

We honestly weren’t sure anyone would sign up. Or show up. Vernal Pools and MacroinverebratesLeigh Macmillen Hayes and Dawn WoodFriday, April, 25, May 2, 9, and 16th, 9:30 – 11:30 amApril 25: The Hidden Life of Vernal PoolsDiscover the wonders of vernal pools—seasonal wetlands vital to forest ecosystems. Learn how wood frogs, salamanders, and fairy shrimp rely on them for breeding and why…

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A Visit From Mom

We stood in her bedroom and peered into her closet, then I grabbed a shirt and was about to close the sliding door. It was Dad sitting on my shoulder, who reminded me, as he always does, to pull the string and turn off the overhead light. Next I remember, she was getting ready to walk the three of us down the road to the bus stop. And grab the next-door neighbors on the way. We all always walked…

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Dragons of the Future

Spring is actually a combination of many seasons, beginning with winter that doesn’t want to let go, followed by mud, and then road-repair, with bug quickly taking form following several days of rain, and soon to come, my favorite of all–dragonfly season. And so I thought I’d take some time to honor friends I’ve met in the past and try to get to know them better . . . With my pencil first.…

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Shout-out to the Universe

After he finished Yoga, and we both purchased veggies, eggs, flowers, jam, and goodies at our favorite farm market, aka Fly Away Farm, and picked up sandwiches at The Stow Corner Store, it was time to pull into a parking spot and head off on a journey, knowing full well that it would probably begin raining before we returned. That said, we left our rain gear in the truck. Wouldn’t you? Our trail…

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My Guy, The Giant Butterfly Whisperer

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There Is No Planet B

I was asked to give the homily at church this morning and have spent the past month or more reflecting on what to say. Of course, it was to my blog that I turned for inspiration for I knew that parts of the story were tucked within these posts. Driving home from a recent Trail Snails walk, I spotted this statement on a roadside sign: “There is no Planet B.” And I thought it was an apropos title…

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Easter 2025: An Interwoven Weekend Celebration

Hindsight being what it is in offering 20:20 vision, maybe I shouldn’t be surprised at how this weekend played out, but going forth without expectation always offers the best of the best. The weekend began on Good Friday, when after completing some errands, I wandered along a local trail for far longer than I intended, and in fact, had to pull myself away to get home in time to attend a Taize…

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Vernal Pool 1: Oh Baby(ies)

Once the snow and ice began to melt, I started making almost daily visits to “My” vernal pool, located about a quarter of a mile from our house, and only a hop, skip, and jump, well maybe a few hops, skips, and jumps, from the cowpath, and more importantly, on neighbors’ property. I met the neighbors for the first time last November when I spotted them walking their dog through their woods as I…