Join Nature Notes Tuesday at 12:00 am EST to Friday at 11:00 pm EST. More information can be found at the top of the blog on a separate page, but it really is easy. What are you or have you seen and enjoyed in nature? It can be from your own backyard, the local park, out on a hike or anywhere. What plants and animals catch your interest? Do you garden? Have you read a good book on nature?

Write a blog post with a photo, a story, a poem, anything goes because I love to see what Mother Nature is up to in your area. Please submit one blog post per week and link back to nature notes in some way.

New Year’s seems to be a time for reflection. I went back to when the blog started in Feb 2007 and started looking at the comments left. There are now almost 42,000 and looking at the names and blogs in the comments. Some people I have met through blogging memes, I consider dear friends even though I have never met them. Blogging friends that I knew well and are not longer with us is a true loss.

But looking through the comments and seeing if the blogs still exist and are those people still blogging. I have started in 2007 and that is a long time ago and some are still blogging, but we aren’t connected. But some have disappeared and I will never know. But just starting and there are memorial posts put there by a family member which means that the blogging community was important to that person. It saddens me to read those but heartened that there is a way to feel connected even from your own home and to someone who because of health is home far too much, it has been wonderful for me.

This past year cost me two molars that I cracked and needed crowns on. For some reason I am grinding my teeth all of sudden. The political situation here in the US is…distressing, anger provoking, depressing, outrageous, disgusting. Whoops I feel my jaw clenching my teeth. Screaming that we were “suckers’ and “stupid” and “taken advantage of” is going to play on the news for the next two years along with a runner at the bottom on the screen with the latest Tweet and lie as we are up to 6,000 I think although some may be repeated.

Stress doesn’t play nicely with my body and my symptoms get worse. I have more pain. I can’t sleep. So once again my psychologist daughter has both of us taking part in an app called “10% Happier” based on the book and is about being mindful and practicing meditation. My daughter does it and suggests mindful techniques to her clients. Now will I do this? Hmmm… If I tell her that I will, then I will have to. But I find being out in the garden, watching the birds and the pond and woods is wonderful for me. Of course I live in a climate with a long winter and cold spring. Waiting for spring all winter isn’t the best plan. So I may have to do this. I will let you know.

Back in the old days before their were comments left by spammers and bots and I feel felt comfortable talking about my and my family. In the last two years I realize that I am just out here for all to see and it made me step back. I have to decide in which direction I want to take the blog. Thank you for sticking with Nature Notes…

I hope that you all have a wonderful 2020 with good health and happy times with family and friends..

Nature walks are wonderful. But you don’t have to travel to special location to enjoy Mother Nature. There is so much to see in your own neighborhood or even in your own back or front yard. Get a guide-book of the wildlife in your area and learn the calls of birds and frogs and toads. So many times I hear a bird that lets me know what I am looking for in the trees.

IF THE LINKY ISN’T APPEARING, PLEASE LEAVE YOUR LINK IN A COMMENT. IT IS A LINKY PROBLEM AND I CAN’T FIX IT MYSELF