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The Nature Walk Project – Month 6: March

Location: Orlando, Florida, United States from 5:00pm-6:00pm Weather: Sunny and windy, 84°F – High: 85°F Low: 68°F
Catch up on The Nature Walk Project: Month 1: October, Month 2: November, Month 3: December, Month 4: January, Month 5: February

I spent last month looking down, taking photos of the water’s edge and all of the tiny bits of nature that live along it. Today, I looked up…

Seasons By The Bird
Every month when I visit and write about this lake and my walk along the crushed shell trail, I almost always mention the unbelievable amount of bird song that you can hear. It comes from every direction, birds of every size are tucked and nestled among the branches, completely unseen as they call and sing to each other. As winter continues to thin the branches of some trees, I can catch glimpses of these birds and get a sense of the vast variety of birds that call this little bit of nature, home.

It was this sense of home that got me thinking about these birds and the seasons. I was born up north in Pennsylvania. We got “real” winters up there, with lots of snow and ice. It was toward the end of winter, when you had just about had your fill of cold weather and runny noses, that a sign of spring would appear. The first birds of the new season, the robins, would return to our woods and you knew that spring wasn’t far behind. Next we’d start to see the blue jays coming back, followed by the cardinals that would streak across the landscape in brilliant blazes of red.

Now that I live down south in Florida, the arrival of blue jays and cardinals mean something different here, they mean winter is on its way. This is the place the birds would come to when they disappeared from our wintery Pennsylvania woods. As I sit here listening to the birds, I catch glimpses of blue jays flying between the trees and I realize that it’s when the blue jays leave, that I now know spring is on its way. So this month I pay tribute to the original “snow birds” and I’ve created a slide show full of the tree tops and the many birds that live above and below them, even if only for a short season.

[slideshow]

Ditch the Dryer Sheets…Freshen Laundry Naturally with Herbs

Ditch your dryer sheets and embrace the latest trend in simple, sustainable living…dryer sachets! These chemical-free, all-natural alternative to dryer sheets have been growing in popularity as people try to eliminate unnecessary chemicals from their homes, but have you ever wondered how they work? In this week’s column, I’ll tell you why they work and show you how to make your own.

What Is A Dryer Sachet And Why Does It Work?
A dryer sachet is a lot like any other sachet, it’s a bag or pouch made of porous fabric that is filled with fragrant herbs. What distinguishes dryer sachets from their culinary counterparts, is the type of herbs that are used in it. Most dryer sachets are made exclusively with lavender because it is a highly fragrant herb that eliminates static cling, and the residual smell left on clothing, repels moths. I’ve added fragrant rose petals in the custom herbal blend below, because I enjoy the light scent in combination with the lavender.

Dryer Sachet Herb Blend
The ingredients for this dryer sachet mix are gentle enough for sensitive skin and can be used when laundering children’s and infant’s clothing.

You’ll Need:

1/4 c. dried rose petals
1/4 c. dried lavender buds
4-5 drops lavender essential oil (optional)
1 dryer sachet*

*Dryer sachets can be purchased online or you can make your own using an old sock or stockings. You can also sew your own reusable and refillable dryer sachets, using fabric scraps or an old t-shirt.

Assembly:
Place the herbs in the dryer sachet of your choice and add the essential oil drops. If using an old sock or stockings, add the herbs and securely tie the end, or ends, into a knot. If you have enough fabric, you can tie a double knot to be safe.

To Use:
Each sachet can be used 7-10 times (the sachets can be used more than 10 times if you don’t mind a reduction in scent). Before each drying cycle, remove the sachet and pinch it between your fingers a few times, to release the herbal essences.

When you’ve used the bag and no longer notice a strong scent in your laundry, you can deodorize and freshen your vacuum cleaner by sprinkling the herbs on the floor and vacuuming them up!

The Nature Walk Project – Month 5: February

Location: Orlando, Florida from 2:00pm-3:00pm Weather: Sunny, 72°F – High: 82°F Low: 60°F

Catch up on The Nature Walk Project: Month 1: October, Month 2: November, Month 3: December, Month 4: January

As I walk along the lakeside path, the now familiar crunch of crushed shell and sand beneath my feet, feels welcoming. Shortly after arriving at the lake, I stop and take the time to admire this little patch of nature that I have been exploring and documenting for the last five months. Every time I arrive, I’m worried that I’ve run out of things to discover here…maybe I won’t have anything to photograph…and every time nature proves me wrong. This time was no different and as I stood worrying, I looked around and an empty shell along the lake edge caught my eye. It was then that I realized, for five months now I’ve stuck to the path and never explored more of the lake that I circle every month. I’ve missed an entire element of this lovely area. Today, I stepped off of the path and walked along the water’s edge.

It’s winter (yes, even a high of 82°F is still winter) and there is so much new life to discover here. Tiny fish, delicate little lily pads and bright green shoots of the new water grasses and reeds peeking out of the sand. I wish that my camera could capture the sparkles that dazzle and twinkle off of the water top as sunlight catches the small ripples moving along the water’s surface.

Some of you may remember my encounter with a snake back in October and it turns out that February offered another snake experience. You can see (in the slideshow below) the tiny little guy tucked between the moss and grasses as he floats, patiently waiting for me to pass by before darting out of the lake and into the nearby grasses.

The snake wasn’t the only “wild life” that I encountered on this trip. I caught a cat slinking along the lake edge, chasing butterflies and stalking small bugs. He visited with me for a few minutes before walking to the path and going on his way. I stayed by the water, where I continued to explore and find more shells, a feather floating in the water and bits of flora and fauna that I’d never noticed before.

Standing at the water’s edge, listening to the sounds of fish flopping in and out of the water, a bright sun overhead and a delicate breeze blowing through my hair…this is February.

[slideshow]

The Nature Walk Project – Month 4: January

Location: Orlando, Florida from 9:00am-10:00am Weather: Sunny and Slightly Breezy, 69°F – High: 76°F Low: 55°F

Catch up on The Nature Walk Project: Month 1: October, Month 2: November, Month 3: December

I step onto the lake path and see that a light drizzle has left everything dewey and glistening. There’s a slight breeze blowing, creating small swells across the lake’s surface. I can hear the constant chirping and tweeting of birds, as they sit invisible, among the branches and leaves of trees on the island in the lake.

As our mild Florida winter eases into January, I look back at my records and see the temperatures haven’t changed much since October. Then a strong wind gust reminds me that a cold front from Canada is making it’s way down the country, bringing colder temperatures and what will be our first freeze in over a year. I hope all of delicate new growth and flowers that I see will make it through the cold blast.

It’s quiet on the bridge that crosses the lake. The wind is strong up here and the biting cold hurts my ears as it blows by. There is a flock of Anhingas today and they start to flap and call as I approach. One even leaves its perch, high above the trees, and glides down to the rocks in front of the bridge. Upon landing, it spreads its wings and points his head toward the sky as though he is posing just for me.

As I make my way further around the lake I’m met with a final gust of cold air, followed by a parting in the clouds that reveals a stream of sunlight, which provides a brief reprieve from the bitter cold. As I stand in this tug of war between sunlight and wind, I am reminded of the traveler from Aesop’s Fable, The North Wind and the Sun. Then I think to myself…this is January.

The Nature Walk Project – Month 3: December

Location: Orlando, Florida from 1:00pm-2:00pm Weather: Sunny, 79°F – High: 79°F Low: 62°F

It’s December in Florida, which means I’m sitting on my bench (see the October post for more about “my bench”) in shorts and a t-shirt. I’m out later than usual and the light is certainly different, very bright and directly overhead. This time of day is quieter than the morning, only a few birds chirp in a nearby tree. A gentle breeze blows through, rustling the leaves of the trees on the island and the grasses that grow along the edge of the lake.

There haven’t been any drastic changes to the landscape since last month. The Pink Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) has lost its brilliant mauve colored ends, which are now a light tan color. The browning Cypress Trees (Taxodium distichum) continue to lose needles but if you think that means autumn has set in, just look through their thinning branches where you’ll see lush trees surrounded by green grasses.

It’s during the month of November, and into December, the Florida Coontie plants (Zamia floridana, Z. integrifolia, Z. umbrosia) develop cones and set their seed. The seeds are a brilliant yellowish-orange color that slowly darkens to a deep reddish-orange color. Coontie plants are prevalent in Florida and are very slow growing. I find these plants fascinating because they are part of an order of plants called, Cycadales or Cycads. Many of these plants have been in existence since dinosaurs walked the earth over 200 million years ago. These are the direct descendants of plants that the herbivorous dinosaurs ate. How cool is that? If you live in Florida, you probably have one of these prehistoric plants growing in your backyard right now. So, next time you pass one, take just a second to marvel at the Jurassic leftover that’s slowly and steadily growing through yet another century.

On this nature walk I was lucky enough to spot an Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga …seriously) warming itself on the rocks that line the small pool under the bridge. These birds are common in Florida and are also known as Water Turkeys, Darters or Snake Birds because of their long, bending, snake-like necks. They often swim through the water with only their head out, then dive below the surface to fish. They can often be seen, as I saw, sunning themselves along the water’s edge with their wings outstretched to be dried and warmed. This day, as the Anhinga finished drying himself, he slipped into the water where he swam unseen, only to reemerge with a flopping fish in his beak. The little fish did its best to get away and I could see it wriggling furiously all the way down the bird’s throat, which I suspect is an odd feeling for both bird and fish.

I’m so glad that I get to welcome another month in this beautiful location, surrounded by such a wide variety of animals and plants. After just 3 months of nature walks I feel like I have been able to see some pretty unique things and this month has been no exception. I’ll leave you with more pictures of the Coontie plants and the Water Turkey’s fishing expedition. Until next month…this is December.

[slideshow]

The Nature Walk Project – Month 2: November

Location: Orlando, Florida from 11:00am-12:00pm

Weather: Sunny, 69°F – High: 74°F Low: 65°F

It’s already been a month since my first Nature Walk! During October the temperatures crept up to the high 80’s and even the low 90’s, but now they’ve dipped back down into the 70’s. I suspect this won’t last long and we’ll get few more weeks of warmer weather before the real winter weather settles in.

As I step onto the shell path, there are scattered Fall leaves and down by the water’s edge there are fresh green plants with delicate white flowers. There is a near constant breeze today and it creates a pretty rustling noise among the trees on the nearby island. I sit on the wooden bench that overlooks the lake and the cool breeze gently swirls my hair, while the brightly shining sun warms my back. The branches on a nearby Cypress Tree (Taxodium distichum) bounce in the wind and I notice a small, abandoned wasp nest. After many attempts, I finally manage to catch a clear photo of it.

As I continue down the path, I can’t help but notice that the Pink Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris), that lines the path and circles around the entire lake, has started to bloom. It fills the water’s edge with bursts of feathery, mauve colored mounds. I run my fingers along them as I step onto the wooden bridge. I can see that the water is clear today and peering over the railing, I can see straight to bottom of the small pool above the falls. Lily pads are blooming and the flowers bob back and forth as fish swim beneath them. The near constant wind is stronger on the bridge and it carries the light scent of lake water, reminding me of all the other lakes that I’ve had the pleasure of visiting over the years.

I let the gentle sound of the falls calm me as I watch the fish darting to and fro among the reeds. Occasionally I can hear bird calls in the background and overhead. Fully restored by the serenity of this spot I continue on my way, circling around the lake, all the while snapping pictures of the micro bits of nature tucked here and there. A gentle breeze and the warm sun accompany me. This is November.

Learn more about the Nature Walk Project here: The Nature Walk Project

[slideshow]