Join Nature Notes from Monday 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?

LAST WEEK’S BLOGGER LINKS-What are you seeing 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? What do you find interesting in nature? Take a photo, write a post, a story, a poem, anything goes because I love to see what Mother Nature is up to in your area. ——Have a wonderful week and stay safe…

I was looking through some of my old blog posts back when I had started blogging in 2007 and when I blogged every single day back then talking to myself. I found this old post and I wanted to repost it

Post from 2008- I was tagged by Celeste. This is really perfect for this blog, so I am happy to do it. I encourage any other bloggers to pick it up and do it also…

FIVE GREATEST JOYS IN NATURE

1.) Memories

My Sister and Me (back) on a See-Saw

We spent every summer at my grandparents’ cabin in the country. This photo is from a summer in the country in a real log cabin with a pond and a climbing tree. Every child should have a tree to climb safely. I have very few photos from that time and it is sad because it was so wonderful to be a place where you could swim, climb trees, catch frogs and row a boat. The days were unstructured and there were always visiting family members to spend time with. My earliest bird watching memories are from when my Great-Aunt Audrey used to take us on early morning walks to look for birds. It was years later when my sister and I would return to bird feeding and watching because of the warm memories we had from that time.

2.) A New Lease Life

Pond in Fall

I can’t emphasize enough how thankful I am to my husband for enabling us to move here 15 years ago. Up to that point I had spent many days in the previous year inside paying little attention to what happened in our yard. At my sickest with, I would lie on the bed and look out the window at a neighbor’s tree..from summer, to fall, to winter, to spring and back again. It was a very bleak time in my life. But I found a neurologist who listened and prescribed the right combination of medications to control my symptoms so that I could function in the world again. I have a new lease on life in a new house with a pond and woods. I am so lucky…

3.) Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks.

Female Sharp-shinned Hawk

I have posted prior to this that the first bird I noticed after we moved in was a hawk that landed on the deck railing. I was so surprised and interested that I went to research hawks. That led me to more birds, and then bird feeders and to Project Feeder Watch. I signed up for Cornell’s Project Feeder Watch’s e-mail list. There I found a group of birders who were very generous with their time helping a newbie. I have to thank them and the member of the birds-of-a-feather list who have been so kind. If you have any kind of illness that may affect your cognitive abilities and find that you are still able to learn and to remember, it means a lot. I am now a font of sometimes (useless) bird information and am now learning about other yard visitors.

4.) Photographing and Journaling What I See

common snapping turtle-

I started keeping a nature journal in 2004 and taking photos to go with it. But all I had was a little point and shoot camera and I couldn’t get any decent photos. If there was any movement of the wildlife, the photo was a blur. Luckily this huge snapping turtle was moving slowly. So I bought my first Canon S2 IS with image stabilization and was able to get decent photos. Then this summer (2008) my husband upgraded me to the Canon Rebel Xsi. Nothing is more fun than wandering around taking photos and then researching what I have seen. My brain still works!!!!! UPDATE -2020-I have a small camera now as lugging around the bigger Canon is not possible, but it takes nice photos.

5.) Meeting Other Nature Lovers

Through E-Bird, Cornell’s Project Feeder Watch and then blogging, I have been able to meet wonderful like-minded people to share my experiences with and to learn from. The most fun is the sheer joy of a new discovery like the flying squirrel in December. I was actually squealing when I called my rehabber friend to tell her. I was so excited and happy. I want to thank you all for taking the time to read my posts and to leave comments. The first thing I do in the morning with a cup of coffee is to sign on and to see what comments were left…Thank you..

I hope this post inspires you to reflect on what observing nature means to you and maybe you will blog about it….

Nature walks are wonderful. But you don’t have to travel to a 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.

Have a wonderful nature filled week!