3/22/18, Megtography #12 – Herkimer – I really need to plan a trip! I live in New York and I’ve never mined my own Herkimer diamonds! Luckily my grandma gave me some to hold me over.
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Tag: #adventureisoutthere
Photo Journal: Bugs & Botany
The creepy crawlers have been plentiful this year. Everyday that I work outside, I find a new critter to marvel at. I have seen quite a few cicadas and cicada killers. The butterflies have been fluttering about and I have even seen a group of hummingbird moths this year. There has been an abundance of spiders as well!
With all this rain we have been getting, the gardens are full and vibrant. I can’t help but take a photo everytime I’m outside. I have compiled a few of my favorite bug and botany photos from the season. What a beautiful year!
Swamp Cicada or Morning Cicada (Neotibicen tibicen tibicen)
Swamp Cicada or Morning Cicada (Neotibicen tibicen tibicen)
Lantana camara
Lantana camara
Thanks for stopping by this week! I hope you enjoyed my collection. If anyone can identify that last moth, please feel free to leave a comment below! Or if you have any stories about creepy crawlies you have seen this summer, please share!
Until next time,
“Ladies and gentlebugs! Larvae of all stages! Rub your legs together for the world’s greatest bug circus!”
Things to do: Raptor Fest
This past weekend my family and I went to Raptor Fest at Schodack Island State Park. No, it wasn’t dinosaurs. It was all about birds of prey. I had to work that morning so we showed up at the tail end of the event. Haha….tail end….see what I did there. Anyways, the festival was hosted by the Audubon Society of the Capital Region. They are an organization that started in the 1890’s to protect birds and their habitats. You can read about the history of the organization here. We were able to catch a fantastic seminar about raptors in the area which covered Kestrels, a couple owls to include the Great Horned, and a couple hawks. Sharon, the representative from Audubon, gave a great presentation and was very informative. I learned about some of my favorite birds and was introduced to some new ones as well. She would bring out each raptor one at a time, perched on her arm. They were beautiful and well cared for but unfortunatley were unable to be released back into the wild for one reason or another. The Great Horned owl sadly was hit by a car and lost a wing. One of the hawks suffered an eye injury and the others were found as hatchlings and raised by people. Therefore, imprinting with humans.
There were also vendors and other organizations related to raptors and nature preserves. I wish we could have made it for the entire event but just seeing that one seminar made it worth going. We had a great time at a beautiful park on a beautifully sunny day.
Have you ever been to a Raptor Fest before? Do you have a favorite raptor? Leave your story in the comments below! Thanks for stopping by this week!
Until next time,
“Pin feathers and golly fluff!”
#26 – Oh, The Places We Could Go
2/19/17, Megtography #26 – Oh, the places we could go!
Megtography – “Enchanting”
2/12/17, Enchanting.
Megtography – “Open Skies & Open Roads”
2/3/17, Open Skies & Open Roads.
Travel to: Kelley’s Island
There are several islands resting in Lake Erie. I’ve circled around West Sister Island a time or two. It’s a wildlife refuge for wading birds in the area. It was amazing seeing so many different flocks of birds flying around the island. Access to the island is only permitted for research purposes so we’ve never been able to step foot there.
One island that does invite the public is Kelley’s Island. It’s over four square miles and is 
the largest island in Lake Erie. There are wildlife preserves, hiking trails, camping, water related activities such as kayaking and scuba diving and much more. My family and I made
a day trip of it. We rode the ferry over and drove around the entire island first, to get a feel for it. We stopped at the winery to grab a map and adventured through out the rest of the island checking out the shops and sites.
One of my favorite attractions was the glacial grooves. It’s a 400 ft. by 35 ft. crater where the Wisconsin glacier gouged
through the limestone over 30,000 years ago. There were fossils all along the edges. It was a beautiful formation.
It was a quaint little village with a great family atmosphere. We got some ice cream, went for a swim, and had an awesome day overall. If your looking for a calm and relaxing day out, Kelley’s Island is a great place to start.
Have you ever been to an island before? Which one and what was your favorite thing about it? Share your story below in the comments! Thanks for checking out my latest post!
Until next time,
“You’ve been chosen. The Island awaits you.”
Related Posts:
- Travel to: Oak Openings Preserve Metropark
- Travel to: Lake Erie
- Homeward Bound
- On the Road Again…
Travel to: Lake Erie
If you happen to end up in one of the four states that touches Lake Erie, your going to want to make your way to the water. Every year we manage to head out on my father’s fishing boat for an all day fishing excursion! We keep the perch for a delicious dinner and release everything else. My son always ends up with the biggest catch of the day! I’ve heard stories of the ginormous sturgeon that lurk at the bottom, though I’ve never had the pleasure of catching one yet. There are islands all through out the waters. One of which I will be 
sharing in my next blog post. There are so many different birds to see! I love trying to get photos of each one. The seagulls are the most popular, waiting for us to drop some minnows or crackers in the water. The boat ride itself is always fun, gliding through the water, the back splash spraying behind us leaving a trail of waves. The entire view is blue as the water and sky meet to become one. The air is cool and fresh! I love spending the day on Erie.
What’s your favorite thing to do at the lake? Have you ever been to Lake Erie before? Share your story in the comments below! Thanks for reading!
Until next time,
“It has been three weeks since my last fish, on my honor, or may I be chopped up and made into soup.”
Travel to: Oak Openings Preserve Metropark
One of my favorite places to go in my home state is Oak Openings Preserve in Swanton, OH. There are trails for just about every kind of activity you can think of…walking, biking, skiing, and horseback riding to name a few. As a child, I had the pleasure to ride on many of the horse trails. In my most recent visit to Ohio, my family and I took the bike trails! Out of the 4,000 acres of wildlife preserve, you can venture over 50 miles of trails! We didn’t do 50 miles on the bikes, I assure you. If I had to guess it would be closer to seven! There are beautiful lakes and an abundance of wildlife. Nearly every time I go there, I see deer passing on the trail; as well as birds, butterflies, and other small critters. It is a fantastic place to get a dose of nature! The forest is lush, quiet, and cool. You can hear the birds sing you a song through the stillness. It’s very relaxing. I will never turn down a trip to Oak Openings!
What’s your favorite thing to do on the trails? What’s your favorite part of a good hike? Share your story below in the comments! Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time,
“The forest went on forever.”
Homeward Bound
Yet again, another long haul from Ohio back to New York. It’s quite a drive at eleven hours but I embrace it. Extended road trips are always exciting for me. It’s beautiful watching the scenery change before your very eyes when crossing states. I usually get to enjoy the sun falling from the highest point in the sky and witness the vibrant sunset live and die right in front of me. Although this time, it rained….and it kept 
raining….and it poured….and it stormed….until you just thought it was going to end and a light sprinkle turned back into a pour! I saw two odd looking tour buses that were driving through it all. The top was open and I felt really bad for the drivers. The 
buses were cool looking though! I ended up losing a little time due to slow traffic, but I made it out safe and the rain eventually stopped.
Compared to the next turn of events, the rain was nothin’! As I was heading down the darkened highway, out of nowhere a huge black critter scurried right in my path. Thump, thump! Oh no! I felt awful! I am usually very aware of any creatures around me but it was so dark and it’s like the animal magically appeared in front of me. I never saw it coming! What was it, you ask? Well, immediately after, this horrific smell engulfed me. I felt like you could see a green stench cloud following my vehicle as I continued to cruise. Houston, we hit a skunk… and it was bad! I couldn’t tell if it was better to have the windows up or down. There really wasn’t a “better” way. It was just plain awful! And that smell followed me all the way home for the last three hours of the drive. Luckily it had faded by morning. I’m sorry for hitting the skunk but it got me back 
good!…..but bad!
Throughout my drive, I also saw a few planes landing, a powered parachute gliding across the sky, and many odd, “tricked” out vehicles. It was like everyone was putting on a show for me to watch!
Besides a few mishaps, overall it was a good ride home. If you think the drive home was exciting, just wait until I share what my family and I did while we were in Ohio! More posts and pictures to come about Lake Erie, Kelley’s Island, and Oak Openings Nature Preserve!
What’s your best (or worst) road trip story? Share a comment below and tell us about it! Thanks for reading!
Until next time,
“There’s no place like home.”
