A couple of garage sale discoveries has fueled my new hobby. First, I found a great pair of binoculars for $4 at a sale just down the street. Then, a few weeks later, I came across a Duncraft tube feeder priced just right at $10.

Not long after finding the feeder, I hurried over to Wild Bird Junction to seek some knowledge and some seed. I found both. What a welcoming place.

Since then, I’ve built 3 additional feeders out of scrap wood and some other odds-and-ends I had sitting around the house. I can now gaze out my office window to watch the daily lives of my neighborhood wildlife.

This morning I read for an hour or so (conveniently enough from the conservation classic A Sand County Almanac), and then slipped onto my back deck with a cup of coffee to watch the birds have their morning feed. As I drained my cup, the sun was warming the upper branches of my neighbor’s crabapple tree. Seeing movement, I lifted the binoculars and saw 7 Bluejays clustered at the top feasting on fruit. What a great way to start the day.

Then, over breakfast, Corey and I heard a very compelling show on NPR. Speaking of Faith featured an interview with author Eckhart Tolle about his book The Power of Now. The interview was amazing, and we both sat through the entire hour. We were riveted by how clearly the author spoke of the challenges and joys of life. He stressed the importance of living in the now, and the new life that can be found in the environment.

After listening, Corey and I decided to go hiking. We wanted to be in the woods, and share a natural experience. We decided to go to a little used trail at Lake Cunningham (not exactly a lake at the moment, but that is fine by us). The lake bed is not a tall grass prairie bounded by stands of cottonwood. We wandered casually along the trail, taking the time to enjoy the sites and sounds of the place. We saw some really cool birds, including a Hairy Woodpecker and a pair of Great Blue Heron. As we were looking at some House Sparrows near the top of a giant tree, we saw a bundle of fur in a crook. Bringing it into focus, we saw the a curled up Raccoon taking a midday nap.

All in all it was a great morning. I enjoyed spending time outdoors with my wonderful wife, and of course appreciated my time with the birds.

Fontenelle Forest (FNA) is easily our favorite destination in the metro. FNA owns and manages 2,000 acres of conservation land and 26 miles of marked trails. Depending on the trail you choose, you can explore various ecosystems including oak savanna, prairie, and wetlands.

Corey and I like to mix it up. We often start the day at the visitors center, and follow the winding trails through the hills. But on occasion, we head for the Gifford Farm trailheads and wander through the wetlands.

Last week was our eighth wedding anniversary, and we decided to celebrate with an early morning hike. We chose the wetlands, and picked a trail that we hadn’t walked before. It was wonderful. The trail took us through marshes teaming with life. There were little toads hopping out of our way as we trudged through the tall grass. Then the trail transitioned into the forested floodplain, under a canopy of ancient trees.

We were thrilled to be out in nature, and thoroughly enjoyed the morning.

That being said…wow. Nature threw some challenges at us. The mosquitoes were punishing if we stood still, but for once, other insects took the role of ‘most annoying’ away from this little winged pest. As we entered the forest, it became perfectly clear that we were the first people to pass on this trail that day. About every 20 paces I went crashing through a spider web, and I loathe spiders. After a couple of, I’m sure comical, experiences of trying to swipe webs off of myself I decided to pick up a long stick to sweep the trail as we went.

That process went on for about 2 miles of hiking. It was slow going and a little frustrated. It definitely took our focus off of the natural experience.

When we finally saw the trailhead that led back to our car, we were totally relieved. That was when Corey began to brush herself off, only to discover that she was literally COVERED in ticks. I’ve never seen anything like it. We brushed her off as best we could, but it they were tricky little buggers.

A few days later, there are no lingering problems. We both had insect bites of various types, but nothing serious.

Don’t let this discourage you, it isn’t going to keep us away. It was just a reminder that the ease and convenience of our daily lives must sometimes be sacrificed if you want to enjoy the peace of nature. We had a great experience and have already picked the trail that we are going to hike next time.