Great Blue Lobelia

Great Blue Lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica Brilliant drops of blue sky with wispy white clouds. All atop a native perennial, sky at my fingertips. The best billboards for pollinator passersby.

Nature and Beauty are Bread for the Soul

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” – John Muir Photo taken a few days ago in Castlewood State Park in Ballwin, Missouri.  Get out and enjoy Autumn before the wind and cold sweep away all the

Creeping into Autumn

I took this picture a couple weeks ago as the local Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) population began changing into its vibrant red garb.  Thank you, Nature!!! Virginia Creeper often gets mistaken for Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), but is 5-leaved, whereas the Poison Ivy is 3-leaved.  Both are native to this area, but I’d highly recommend

Seek Nature, Receive More

“In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.”  ~John Muir Step away from the city-scape, seek the amazing craftsmanship of God.  The natural sights far surpass the city blight.  Took this photo last autumn at an outlook in Pere Marquette State Park in Illinois.

Muir Never Saw a Discontented Tree

“I never saw a discontented tree.  They grip the ground as though they liked it, and though fast rooted they travel about as far as we do.”  ~John Muir Took this photo last fall at Pere Marquette State Park, near Grafton, IL.  What a wonderful evening trek it was.

Hitched to Nature, Hitched to the Universe

“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” ~John Muir One of my favorite quotes…it not only inspires my continued appreciation for the natural world, but it also clarifies my thoughts on Sustainability. *I took this photo at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit,

Bluebell Blooms Bring Back Spring

When I see Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica), I know that, despite the calendar date, Spring has truly arrived! Delicate new blooms Ephemeral spring beauty Look down. Don’t miss it!

Winter Hiking: A Great Idea!

Just after Christmas, I took some friends on a day hike south of St. Louis, Missouri.  Winter hikes are the best…no ticks or mosquitoes!  And the weather this day was particularly pleasant. We visited Hickory Canyons Natural Area, in Ste Genevieve County, which features box canyons and sandstone cliffs.  During the right winter conditions, icicles

My Thanks to the National Park System

I have been taking in the magnificence of the mini-series “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” via Netflix.  It has inspired me to be thankful for the wonderful places I have seen and the great experiences I have had.  I am thankful for John Muir, who pioneered the idea of conservation in his eloquent, descriptive

Finch Food

Summer Setting, a photo by mostendorf1 on Flickr. Took this a couple weeks ago at Shaw Nature Reserve. This is Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), a native prairie flower that is popular in area landscaping.  This is one of those flowers that traditional landscapers/gardeners are really beginning to embrace.  That’s good! because as Coneflower ripens, it