November 1, 2011 at 7:33 am (Birds, Environmental and Holiday Film Fest, Happy Tonics, Nursing Homes)
Tags: Annual Meeting, Birds, DVD, Environmental and Holiday Film Fest, Happy Tonics, Hummingbirds, Nursing Homes
October 21 – The environmental film Hummingbirds by Nature was shown at Terraceview Living Center. Film crews used special cameras to capture 500 images a second. These wondrous tiny birds are the only bird species that can hover, fly backwards and fly vertical. I have seen male hummingbirds perch near a nectar source in order to defend their territory. The film showed one species of hummingbird that was trained by a flower. In the tropics, intoxicating datura flowers grow and only the sword bill hummingbird with its extra long bill can pollinate the flower. The movie literally shows the tiny bird as magic in the air. Hummingbirds are the smallest warm bodied creatures on the planet. They are fast and their wings can beat up to 200 times every second.
After the event I stopped by City Hall to chat with Mayor Sally Peterson. She donated the 2010 donor fee for Terraceview in memory of her mother Angeline (Angie) Klopp. It just so happened that October 21 was her mother’s birthday. Mayor Peterson said, “My mother loved hummingbirds.” It was a good feeling to know that the first film to celebrate the fall had an intention beyond simply showing a film.
October 22 – Happy Tonics, Inc. held its Annual Meeting at Lakeview Bar and Restaurant. Officers and board are currently exploring long term plans and goals for the nonprofit and the Restored Remnant Tallgrass Prairie. The purpose is to insure that both the public charity and habitat are secure into the future. The Monarch Butterfly Habitat, two blocks north of downtown Shell Lake, is on the long range Comprehensive Plan for Shell Lake.
Department of Transportation (DOT) plans to improve Route 63 near the habitat which in turn will naturally become a Pollinating Corridor. This improvement could benefit the Highway Bettering the Economy and Environmental Act (Highway BEE Act), Bill H.R. 2381. Happy Tonics is involved with Pollinator Partnership which says, “The bill promotes conservation practices on 17 million acres of highway rights-of-ways (ROWs) by encouraging reduced mowing and native plantings that provide improved habitat for pollinators, ground nesting birds and other small wildlife.”
Another consideration for Happy Tonics is the state owned DNR land on the south side of Shell Lake. In years to come the City plans to upgrade the woodland trails. This would allow more opportunities for the public to visit the Wild Butterfly Habitat that is maintained by the nonprofit on the south side of Shell Lake.
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September 15, 2011 at 5:45 pm (Elwha River, Fish, Glines Canyon dam, water, Water conservation)
Tags: Birds, Elwha river, Glines Canyon Dam, Habitat, River, Salmon, Tributaries, Wildlife
May rivers run free. Here is a success story of the Elwha River and restoration back to natural life. The project gives hope to citizens and native people alike. The dismantling of Glines Canyon dam will allow the water to run where it can do the most good. This is natural habitat for wild salmon and other species. Let the rivers run free!
American Rivers : Elwha River Restoration: Background and History.
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June 1, 2011 at 2:18 am (Animals communicate, Memory Gardens, Plants)
Tags: Animal communication, Baby, Birds, Cats, Dulce, Family, Morning Ceremony, oak trees, Plants, Solomons Seal, Sombra, Tia my dog, Wind
I know it sounds a little silly but I absolutely get intensely focused when I see new plant species living on the property that were not there before. I may have wished for a certain plant or tree such as an oak tree or solomon’s seal to suddenly surprise me in my own little woods. What a thrill it is to discover they found their way to my heart’s sanctuary.
Rainbow over Minong
Today I was doing morning ceremony to honor the Four Directions and entities I speak to in remembrance. While I was facing west and finished remembering my family including my deceased husband, my precious dog Tia and cats Dulce, Sombra and Baby; suddenly I saw Black Cohosh and wild Leeks in the forest patch behind their memory garden. Do the plants enjoy seeing my heart spill over in joy? I can’t help by think they do and I believe they love me too. All of creation loves us and wants us to remember that we are all related and connected to each other.
We have fast lost the ability to understand the language of the wind and winged friends. I listen to the robins when they bid goodnight to the day and wish I understood their language. I hear mankind once did understand their brothers and sisters who live in the animal kingdom. How did we become so disconnected? Even though I can’t understand the chirps I at least can say I feel an understanding that they are saying goodnight and giving their thanksgiving for a beautiful day and sunset.
Nighty night Insectamonarca friends where ever you are.
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May 9, 2011 at 11:20 pm (Birds, Minong Wisconsin, water)
Tags: Birds, Minong, water, Wisconsin
Today in Minong, Wisconsin, USA, the winds blew approximately 40 mph. It was enough to snatch a baby bird from its nest and hurl the small bird down in my back yard. From where the bird was carried is a mystery. I saw the baby bird on the lawn from my window and went out to investigate. The fledgling got scared and tried to fly. The bird could only make minute flights close to the ground. I kept my eye on the bird throughout the day.
Early this afternoon I went out and saw that the baby was not moving. The bird opened and blinked its eyes and I knew that it lived; however, I also knew that it could not fly now. Perhaps it suffered some internal injury. I sang the baby bird an honor song. Then I found a live worm and carried it to the bird on a straw strand. I thought the bird might be hungry and thirsty. At this point I also brought a small lid filled with water to tempt the bird.
Farewell baby bird
By 4 p.m. the baby bird had died. I bent down and kissed its tiny head the color of fall leaves. It felt warm. The body was black with tinges of blue and green. The color could only be seen from a close position. The bird with closed eyes blew over and I noticed one foot curled and the other straight. I dug a hole and gently placed the small bird in along with sacred tobacco that was used in earlier morning ceremony prayers.
I thought about the mother. She would never know what happened to her baby bird and my heart wept.
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February 21, 2011 at 5:32 pm (Bird seed, Birds, Minong Wisconsin, Squirrel)
Tags: Bird feeder, Bird seed, Birds, Minong, Squirrel, Wisconsin
This the second time I have seen a gray squirrel find his way around my squirrel trap feeder. A few day ago I caught him on the feeder and I tapped loudly on a window and he scattered off. Unfortunately, I scared two pigeons that were also feeding on dropped bird seeds exposed on frozen ground. We only have about a dozen pigeons in Minong, a village of 521 people. I have often wondered where they came from. Minong is located in a valley in Northwest Wisconsin.
The squirrel was at it again this morning. No, I don’t really know if the squirrel was male; but I think of squirrels as male because they are such aggressive feeders. This morning when I saw the new snow fall, I knew that the birds would not be able to feed on the now buried seed. This is where the squirrel came into play. By digging into the snow, he was able to expose seed and also able to feast on a nice breakfast himself.
Without realizing it before, I now see the winter squirrel in a symbiotic relationship with winter birds. He gives a little and helps a lot when there is snow on bird seed. The birds are now able to land on the seed tray that the squirrel prepared for them.
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February 11, 2011 at 4:50 am (Birds, Fox, Minong WI)
Tags: Birds, Dried fruit, Foxes, Minong, Stale Bread, Wisconsin
Tonight two foxes came into my backyard. They both blended into the tree shadows and at first I didn’t know they were foxes until I saw their long tails. Late afternoon I had put out stale bread and dried fruit. It appears fox like these kind of treats. The treats were meant for tomorrow morning and the bird.
I wouldn’t take anything for the joy of having wild animals on my 1/2 acre property.
Be happy insectamonarca friends where ever you are.
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June 24, 2010 at 2:31 am (Birds, Robins)
Tags: Birds, Robins
I have been watching a mother and father robin flying back and forth throughout the day when the babies were still in the nest. They decided to build a nest on the second floor on one of the resident’s air conditioners.
Baby Robins 3 copyright Cindy Dyer
For the last few days I watched the parents with their two speckled young ones out in the back yard. I can watch them from the window.
Today took the cake. Two young robins were crying to their mother, “Feed me, feed me.” She really was trying to teach them to listen to the ground and to peck for worms. I saw her weaken and place a delicacy in the youngster’s mouth. How are these growing babies ever going to learn to stand on their own two feet?
It was a delightful experience in a day in the life.
I hear the robins saying goodnight now at 9:30 p.m.
The young robins are much older than these babies in this photo taken by Cindy Dyer, Dyer Design.
Be happy Insectamonarch friends where ever you are.
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March 23, 2010 at 1:14 am (Birds, Eco adventure, Opichi, Robin)
Tags: Birds, Crocus, Northwest Wisconsin, Oak forest, Ojibwe, Opichi, Robin, Springbrook, Staghorn sumac, Washburn County, Woodlands
Hello Insectamonarca friends,
This morning it was quite chilly with a high wind.
The land of Robins and woodlands
First I heard the call of the Opichi, robin in Ojibwe, when I was outside looking at the rising sun in the East. What a sight, I watched 15 of them fly by on the land I love. They were headed towards the Staghorn Sumac for a tasty treat of fruit still clinging to the branches from last fall 2009.
Then I walked down to the level land and saw abut 25 male Opichi who were puffed up and strutting their stuff. The ladies will be along in about a week and each male robin will make a radius around him that is well-tended, including himself. It will be up to the ladies to pick out their favorite tuxedo attired male partner.
First bloom of spring.
I noticed the first flower of spring blooming near Pat and Sandy’s house in the afternoon of 22 March and it was this gorgeous crocus.
Be happy Insectamonarca friends where ever you are.
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March 22, 2010 at 2:49 am (Corgi, Eco adventure, Herbs, Mary Ellen Ryall, Moss)
Tags: animal tracking, birch bark sunscreen powder, Birds, Club Moss, Corgi, cross country skiing, DNR Citizen-Based Monitoring Project, Eco adventure in Wisconsin, fiddlehead ferns, oak trees, Sadie, turkey, walking trail
Well Insectamonarca friends,
Sadie listening to robins sing.
I am out here in the forest again. Pat and Sandy flew out to San Francisco on Friday and I am staying with Sadie again at the cabin in the woods. If I wasn’t so busy with writing a DNR Grant Proposal for Citizen-Based Monitoring Project for monarch butterflies, pollinators, insects and native plants and uses for the two Monarch Butterfly Habitats, I would have perhaps had time for a few other projects re: listen to the wind and write more.
Well the woods I love look completely different in March. Snow is off the ground. I was so hoping to find a water source but didn’t when I walked the property yesterday and today. But there is magic here. Yesterday I discovered a path on the back of the property that would accommodate cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ATVs and snowmobiles. It isn’t that big, of trail distance wise, but perfect for quiet sports re: wild plant gathering, animal and bird watching, snowshoeing, walking and cross-country skiing.
Some of you may know from the February posting Eco Adventure in Wisconsin, that I was anxious to find wild plants and herbs. Boy oh boy!
Clubmoss growing in woods.
Today I found several colonies of Club Moss, a medicinal plant used for muscle pain and it is a diuretic. Of course I had to bring some back to the cabin to place in an alter setting and I made a very tasty tea using the herb. I love natural medicines. If I can prove a plant is of value because of use, I can then recommend it. This is my own trial. I was so happy to find it that I put down tobacco and thanked the plant for letting me take its life so that I might try it as a medicinal remedy.
The forest also showed me some pussy willows, mushrooms, Indian pipe and a few other spring flowers (not yet blooming). I can’t locate an herbal book with photos at the cabin till I get back to Shell Lake sometime next week and look at my herb books.
The songs of the old oak leaves and the wind blowing through the oak forest yesterday brought me back to memories of long ago at my father’s farm in Rock City Falls, New York. I haven’t had this beloved memory for so many years. How I missed it. Nothing has filled the void until I found these special woods that I love. I feel a familiar sense of healing here. I don’t want to be separated from these glacial moraines that have found me once again. Can you imagine being separated from your special earth memories for 25 years?
The sun was warm today and I found perfect place on a hill facing south and just lay down and sun bathed in the 50 degree weather. First I put on sunscreen from the white powder of the birch tree. I heard a calling going on but I don’t know what species it was. I did scare up a wild turkey yesterday from far in the bramble and small quaking aspen trees. Could it have been a male and female turkey calling to each other?
I did find last year’s bracken fern so I am hoping we can gather fiddlehead ferns here this year. What other treasures lay beneath the oak leafed carpeted forest floor?
It was a glorious day.
Be happy insectamonara friends where ever you are.
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December 24, 2009 at 9:16 pm (Birds, Eco adventure, Environment, Mary Ellen Ryall, Medicinal Mushrooms, Organic Dairy, Snow storm, Spices)
Tags: Birds, Eco adventure, lemon and orange peel, Mary Ellen Ryall, snowstorm, The day before Christmas, Wisconsin cheese
It is Thursday. 
Wake me up! I didn’t realize it was December 24 until five minutes ago and it is 2:31 p.m. in the afternoon. Days just slip by when you are on retreat in the Great North Woods.
I woke up feeling lethargic. We are in the middle of a big snow storm. It has been snowing all day and perhaps last night also. Snow fall was over my boots this morning and about covered Sadie when we were outside. I did put out bird seed this morning.
Squirrels eating sunflower seeds.
The squirrels were totally covered in the snow with only their faces peeking through and their faces were white. Still they came for the sunflower seed. It looks like 12 inches so far. The weather report says it could go to 16″. No snow plow has come through to plow the country road and mail was not delivered. Who cares!
I only hope that the electricity, phone and heat stays on. It is a damp cold today. Sadie and I are wrapped up in quilts. I haven’t really ventured out today outside of taking Sadie outside three times a day for her daily constitutional.
No wonder we saw hundreds of birds two days ago. They knew a storm was coming and they needed to store up on fat stores. This will help them get through a few days while we are clobbered with the storm.
Bird house laden with snow
It is Christmas. Isn’t that a beautiful thought. The forest is covered in snow.
This morning I worked on the newsletter but didn’t feel inspired to write. I finished a draft on the Harris checkerspot butterfly. In the afternoon we took to the bedroom where there is a large window that looks out on the woods I am exploring across the road. It felt so comforting to just watch it snow, snow, snow. I finished reading Finding Noel by Richard Paul Evans. It was a good Christmas story.
I am getting tired of my soup and salad diet. Still haven’t lost a pound. Today I made lentils, onions and carrots and that tasted good. The organic eggs were boiled before I came to the cabin and the egg salad sandwiches on nut whole grain bread are delicious. Even the tea spiced with shiitake mushroom and orange and lemon peel tastes good. I forgot to tell you that my friend owns a dairy and gift shop (My Favorite Things) in downtown Shell Lake. She gave me some cheese curds that are made from their dairy before I came away on this trip. Now that is something and I enjoyed every morsel. Talk about eating local and organic.
I hope you enjoy a very happy Christmas Eve.
Be happy readers where ever you are.
Clip art source: paranormal.today.com/…/2008/12/santa-claus.jpg
Other photos copyright by Mary Ellen Ryall.
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