Breaking News

Reflections in Nature: Many waterway names come from a variety of sources

Among my collection of outdoor antiques were two cast iron New York highway signs with the words Beaver Kill. The Beaver Kill is a well-known trout stream located in the Catskills of New York and there is also a small hamlet named after the stream. I came into possession of these signs in a ...

Welcome birds into your backyard

A catbird was skulking around the forsythia in my backyard one random morning, but she was stealthy enough to keep their nest a secret. The bird box was full of sticks with a tidy nest of a house wren, complete with five eggs. Two young robins just left their nest to face the world. These, ...

Community Outdoors calendar for Week of July 29

SUMMER’S AMBIENCE WHERE: Little Pine State Park WHEN: Friday, Aug. 1 at 8:15 p.m. (Little Pine) and Saturday, Aug. 2 at 9:30 a.m. (Hyner Run) NOTES: Join the naturalist for a relaxing evening to hear summer’s ambience. Topics of discussion will center around what is being heard. This is designed to be an informal program. All children must be accompanied by an adult in order to participate. The program may be modified or canceled in the event of severe weather or new state or community guidelines. Those interested in the Little Pine program should meet at the boat launch. ...

Summer spectacle on the Susquehanna features white mayflies

Summer along the Susquehanna River brings all the classics: sunny days, kayak floats, riverside hikes and picnic-perfect evenings. But if you’re in the Lower Susquehanna Region in late July or early August, you might witness one of the river’s most curious natural events: the white fly ...

With all the rain, be careful when wading streams, waterways

Whether exploring a mountain stream for native brook trout or the Susquehanna River for smallmouth, one of my favorite summer fishing methods is wading. Wading is easy, allowing a minimalist approach and, due to the warm temperatures, it’s not necessary to wear waders. Additionally, the typically low water levels allow access to areas that would otherwise be inaccessible for fishing. But not this year. Due to the seemingly endless rain the Commonwealth has received this summer, which has made it feel more like a warm spring, many streams are running higher and faster than usual. ...

Reflections in Nature: The mule is far from a stubborn animal

One day in early summer, Mary Alice and I stopped at a friend’s farm/greenhouse to purchase flowers. On the way to the greenhouses, we passed the chickens, goats, horses, pigs, cattle and one donkey. As usual, Mary Alice had a question for me, wanting to know whether the animal was a donkey or a burro. Now I was stumped. Although I believed they were the same animal, I told her that I would check and I did. I remembered Jesus Christ was placed on a wild burro which no one had sat on to ride into Jerusalem. Then I checked my Ryre Study Bible, where in Matthew 21:1-11 states Jesus ...