environment Archives

Life in Karanac, Croatia

May 13, 2026April 30, 2026Posted in blogging, environment, history, Travel, writingTagged blogging, environment, food, history, international travel, Nature, travel, wildlifeLeave a comment

We stayed at a “living history” farmstead in Karanac, a small farming village. Each property has a narrow front yard with a long depth of land. This is to their advantage since their property tax bill is determined by the frontage measurement. I liked the fact they have the road, then a strip of grass, sidewalk and then the front of the home. It makes for a spaciousness in the area even though this is a rural area already.

Upon our arrival we made cheese for the following morning’s breakfast. A plain cheese and the other was with dill and garlic. Learning the cheese-making process and eating our final products was wonderful.

The son is 8th generation on this land. He showed us the vegetable garden for home use and pointed out the chickens, quail, fruit trees, etc that they produce many products to barter and/or sell. The family works hard throughout the year. All is organic and they rotate their crops to keep their land healthy too.

Our cooking opportunities came in making fry bread for breakfast and learning how to make goulash in clay pots for lunch. All the food, consisting of meats, vegetables, cheeses, jams and bread, was delicious!

The mother of the household is a master at stenciling. With the advent of wallpaper, fewer people need to stencil an entire wall; however, with her work you would never realize this is not wallpaper. She has collected many rollers with patterns and is very well known for her stencil work!

Our lunch was enjoyed at another family’s home. A few of us had lunch with a couple. They have 4 children and work in a nearby town. We talked about taxes, healthcare, elder care and various other things. Interestingly, with each birth there is 3 years of leave allowed so this woman has maintained her work position even with the birth of 4 children. Yes, a large percentage from salary goes to these benefits. While they wish they could be lower, they do appreciate the ability to have the paid time, even if it be 70%, to provide care as needed.

The next day we have a long ride to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. I’ll be back in a few days!

Montenegro: Our Day Trip

April 30, 2026April 30, 2026Posted in adventure travel, blogging, environment, history, Travel, writingTagged blogging, environment, history, international travel, travelLeave a comment

Montenegro is a small Balkan country surrounded by the Adriatic Sea and all these countries: Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and Albania! (Montenegro is the size of Connecticut, for my USA readers to have a sense of its size.) We drove along the coastline during our pre-trip days of adventure in Albania to Dubrovnik, Croatia to meet our main trip fellow travelers. The Adriatic Sea has so many beautiful and different blues!

We returned to Montenegro now to spend a day in the towns of Perast and Kotor. I’ll leave the photos to show how the landscape climbs up from the water’s edge to mountaintops! Loved every view! There were clouds and rain throughout this day, but we saw great views when the sun shined!

We took a boat ride from Perast, around Our Lady of the Rocks, to Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Lady of the Rocks is a man-made island. A fisherman, according to legend, found an icon of the Holy Mother of God after a shipwreck. As seamen passed by on their big boats they dropped stones and eventually built a church in 1630. As we went by the island, each of us threw in a small stone.

Old Town Kotor is a medieval walled town at the end of the Bay of Kotor surrounded by mountains. We could see how it was not destroyed as were other towns, such as Dubrovnik. A local guide pointed out a few of the remaining numerous churches. People do live still within these walls.

Only 2 cruise ships per day allowed. I first thought it a building!

I’ll be back in a few days with posts. Till then, traveling on!

Agua Caliente Park in March/April 2026

April 12, 2026March 19, 2026Posted in Birds, blogging, environment, wildlife, writingTagged Arizona, birds, environment, Nature, travel, wildlifeLeave a comment

“Agua caliente” in Spanish means hot water. Here in Tucson, Arizona where this park is located it is very hot right now! We are twenty degrees warmer than the average temperature this time of year. No one is really enjoying it, especially the wildlife. Not every animal or plant can burrow into the ground or have enough energy to travel to a distant cooler location. Their survival rate can be affected. And similar to humans, animals can dehydrate and be in need of shade.

Things we can do to help wildlife: Provide shallow water containers with resting stones. Even bees can make use of it and not drown or have a way for small animals to move out of the water. Change the water often to keep it clean, disease-free and don’t use a metal container that will get hot. Provide shade and shelter. A good reason to not prune bushes right now. Lizards and others will hide out in those spaces. I’m sure if you research this topic you’ll find more suggestions.

Here’s what I did see at Agua Caliente Park in Tucson:

Cormorants spread their wings to dry them after swimming to catch fish or frogs, etc.

Allergies … Nothing to Love!

April 5, 2026March 19, 2026Posted in blogging, environment, writingTagged Arizona, environment, NatureLeave a comment

Allergies … Airborne pollen loves to tickle my nasal passages and force me to take antihistamines, darn! Unfortunately, I have learned and experienced allergies since my move to the desert. When I first spoke with an ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) physician he explained how pollen loves dark, moist places to hang out. Lovely! At that point, my allergic reaction …. itchy eyes and breathing difficulties were due to the pollen from palo verde trees. Those trees will be blooming very soon. The palo verde is the official state tree of Arizona so it is never going away! But I now discovered velvet mesquite trees are the latest source of my misery and happening before my usual allergy season. Mesquite trees have been around forever and used in multiple ways, plus they love the desert with its hot temperatures and little water. They’ll be here longer than me for sure!

I love that spring has sprung upon us and everything seems to be blooming, but when it brings on my allergy misery I am ready to cry. Might as well since I am already blowing my nose and wiping my eyes every hour! However, thanks to some good medicines and antihistamines, hot tea and air-conditioned spaces, I will be able to face the world without a sniffling nose and runny eyes! Summer will be here and everything will be so hot … and that’s a whole other world!

Sneezing on …. with hope to end soon!

Tipping Point Bird Species 2026

March 29, 2026March 19, 2026Posted in Animals, Birds, blogging, environment, wildlife, writingTagged birds, conservation, environment, Nature, wildlifeLeave a comment

“Tipping point bird species” are those birds having lost more than half their population in the last 50 years. Reading so many reports about the decline of bird populations is simply depressing since the environmental threats affecting birds are also warning signs for our own health. (Remember the canary in the coal mine?) Simply put, we do breathe the same air as the birds! Beyond that their habitats are being destroyed and also areas to land, rest and feed during their migration. Fortunately some conservation groups, ranchers, farmers and others are addressing some of the issues.

While I knew the California condor and burrowing owls were, and have been for a while, on the “tipping point” list with more than a hundred birds on it, I recently learned the Lewis’s woodpecker and piping plover are on it. So I just wish to share some of my observations about these two tipping point birds: Lewis’s woodpecker and piping plover.

First, the piping plover:

Piping plover are small, move fast and a challenge to find!

The piping plover is a bird of major concern. A friend was part of helping protect a nesting area in California. I saw other protected nest areas in Indiana Dunes National Park in Indiana and also at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park in Michigan. I was fortunate to observe this bird in April 2022 in Middletown, Rhode Island and in May 2023 at Jones Beach in New York State. They are not the easiest bird to spot! I had no luck photographing one. This bird is endangered and I can only hope the nesting sites continue to be protected so future human generations will see this bird.

Notice the very small orange and blue areas where the birds might be!!

About Lewis’s woodpecker:

It was May 2021 and I was almost finished with a hike in Flagstaff, Arizona. I saw a large-sized woodpecker with a purplish-pink belly in a tree; unlike other woodpeckers I had ever seen! It was beautiful and I regret never getting a photograph. The greenish-black feathers, gray collar, red face and pinkish belly are most striking when you see it. I had no idea this bird is only spending time in a few western states in the USA.

Notice the winter and summer locations for this bird.

I didn’t realize when I saw the Lewis’s woodpecker again how fortunate I was. May 2022 again in Arizona and December 2023 at Death Valley National Park in California, there was the bird! Now I am worried about this near-threatened bird since I have not seen it in the past 3 years! By the way, the bird was discovered on the Lewis and Clark 1804-1806 expedition and named for the expedition’s co-leader.

If you are interested in knowing more about birds, download the free Audubon Bird Guide app at the app store. There is plenty of information about every bird. Give it a try! In the meantime, please be aware of the importance in caring about birds, thanks!

These are only 2 of hundreds of endangered and near threatened birds.

Donate Your Clothing or…. Whatever …

March 22, 2026March 3, 2026Posted in blogging, environment, non-profit organization, writingTagged donations, environment, Goodwill, Habitat for HumanityLeave a comment

I wear my clothing forever because I am not a shopper and do not enjoy looking for new clothing. However, there are some pieces of clothing I no longer wear for a variety of reasons, yet in good shape for someone else to make use of. Time for my donation.

The other day I was walking by a Goodwill donation center and I wondered if I had anything to donate. A woman was emptying the trunk of her car with what she wished to donate. Interestingly, another woman was driving by and yelled out her window asking if the woman was donating the the cat carrier. Wow, amazing. The cat carrier never even made it into the donation center! Win, win!

Look around your community for bins to donate clothing, etc. Some places even accept furniture and appliances. The important thing is if an item is still clean and usable, allow someone else an opportunity to use it. There are a variety of places to drop items to donate. Don’t send reusable things to the landfill! Your donated item may be another’s treasure! Case in point, the cat carrier!

Clothes and shoes here; for furniture find another donation center such as Habitat for Humanity or Goodwill.

Solar Plus Habitat for Humanity

March 15, 2026February 28, 2026Posted in blogging, environment, housing, writingTagged environment, housing, solar, TucsonLeave a comment

It is exciting to know Tucson’s Habitat for Humanity will have a new 30 home neighborhood with one major step forward. As they build sustainable, affordable homes, these will be the first ones built with solar power! This will be the new standard: installing solar panels on future builds. Thanks to the partnership of Tucson ElectricPower and Solar Gain working with Habitat for Humanity!

It’s Hawk Watch Time in Tubac, Arizona!

March 12, 2026February 28, 2026Posted in Animals, Birds, blogging, environment, wildlife, writingTagged Arizona, birds, environment, Nature, travel, wildlifeLeave a comment

Look to the sky, is there a bird? Is it a hawk? You have no idea what that bird is in the sky? Perfect time to join others as we look to the sky in Tubac, AZ for birds and especially hawks. It is hawk-watching time this entire month of March; however, a group will be at the Ron Morriss Park in Tubac on March 13 – 17, 8AM – 5PM each day. There are vendors with scopes and binoculars to take a peek through and plenty of knowledgeable people letting you know what bird is in the sky.

Hopefully we’ll see plenty of birds and learn new things about birds. Recently this is what I learned…

American kestrel is not a hawk, it is a falcon.

Hawks and kestrels are raptors, but kestrels have pointed wings and hawks have rounded wings. Kestrels have the beautiful facial “whiskers” and hover while hunting. I think American kestrels are quite good-looking. Now I know, they are a falcon and not a hawk … but I might see them while I am at the Hawk Watch in Tubac. Come … join in …

Ever Been On a Snipe Hunt?

March 5, 2026February 28, 2026Posted in Animals, Birds, blogging, environment, wildlife, writingTagged Arizona, birds, environment, wildlife2 Comments

Snipes were birds we told our young campers to look for on a hike. We wanted to motivate children to look closely for things in a wetland. They would be shown a photo of a snipe and off they would go! Often we discovered many other things, never a snipe.

If you truly wish to find a snipe, know where the bird is during different parts of the year. In winter, mid to southern USA at marshy wetland areas would be the place to look for the bird. Otherwise, it is in northern USA, Canada and Alaska for the summer.

They are birds you need to look closely for in grassy, muddy stubble of freshwater pond edges. They camouflage so easily into that environment. Often times after looking for birds across a pond, or in nearby trees, I look at the water’s edge. The muck and algae … the decaying leaves and dead shrubbery … are places where a Wilson’s snipe will be if in the area.

A recent outing found me looking into a muddy area and I thought I saw a snipe. Lo and behold, a few seconds more, I saw a Wilson’s snipe probing the water’s edge. It was so well camouflaged! I spent time photographing the bird while pointing it out to another person who did not see it.

An hour later I was talking with other people. We were sharing our bird sightings. I happened to mention I observed a Wilson’s snipe. The woman said her family used to call them a “mud hen” where she grew up. While doing some of my research, a Wilson’s snipe’s species name is Gallinago. In Latin “Gallina” means hen and “-ago” means resembling. So this bird hanging around in the mud resembling a hen would prompt others to refer to it as a mud hen. Okay, makes sense!

Some day I hope to see the bird flying. Again though my research, I learned the bird’s “aerial winnowing display” has its outer tail feathers producing a hollow whistle sound. Hmm… in time maybe I can witness that. In the meantime, it is nice to see this bird here in AZ in the wintertime.

This bird is enjoying the area by itself as we look on!

Bicycling and Wildlife: Eye-Level Adventures

February 22, 2026February 4, 2026Posted in Animals, bicycling, Birds, blogging, environment, wildlifeTagged bicycling, birds, environment, wildlife2 Comments

Bicycling is great fun … and more so when I notice new things while trying to get those cycling miles done. Recently I learned not to look too high in the sky at flying birds while I’m bicycling … were there 2 red-tailed hawks flying up there? Geez, and need to keep my eyes on the road!

So I have been thrilled with wildlife sightings at eye level or below. I’ve seen lizards run across the road and make it successfully … and others not so successful. Coyotes often walk across the road from their usual trails. Wished I had my camera available when a bobcat walked across the road! It casually looked at me and moved on. The most fun sighting was watching a mother quail step onto the road, then turn back and indicate something to her chicks, and they all followed her as she crossed the road. Wow!

What wildlife have you observed on your bicycle rides? I know some of you are under snow at the moment, but share what you have seen even in the past! You’ll be on your bicycle again in a few months!