by don | Sep 20, 2012
Last Saturday, Sept. 15, was surely a gorgeous day to be ridge running high in the Plott Balsams – clear blue skies dotted with white puff-clouds; temperatures in the low to mid 60s; a great day for a hike. Not even the weight of chainsaws, brush cutters, loppers...
by don | Sep 14, 2012
Everyone who woke up to 48 degrees Fahrenheit this morning knows that the days of “butts-in-the-creek” are quickly fading for this year. Planning for the inevitable and being parents of kids who are, if not part fish at least amphibian, we had plans for a last wet...
by don | Aug 30, 2012
Somewhere in the deep reaches of Sugar and/or Grandfather Mountains, seeps, rivulets and trickles begin to mingle and grow and slide over the hard rocks coalescing into the headwaters of the Linville River. The river slips over the rocks and begins a 2,000-foot...
by don | Aug 23, 2012
I was outside with Maddie (6) the other afternoon and there was a gentle breeze. “Daddy, doesn’t it smell like autumn?” she asked. And it did. In fact, I had just had the same sensation only didn’t mention it because what would a six-year-old know? Obviously much more...
by don | Aug 16, 2012
As we started over the bridge on the Isle of Palms Connector, I noticed a line of large black and white birds through the pine trees. “Gourd heads,” I must have said out loud, because my wife said, “what?” “Wood storks,” I said pointing to the undulating line of five...
by don | Aug 8, 2012
Last week I wrote about the dark subterranean part of our little family adventure, which was a visit to Linville Caverns – see http://www.smokymountainnews.com/outdoors/item/8139-from-the-darkness-to-the-light-%E2%80%93-literally. From the dark caverns of Linville we...
by don | Aug 2, 2012
Legend has it that curious fishermen watching trout seemingly disappear into Humpback Mountain back in 1822 discovered an entrance into what is now known as Linville Caverns. Henry E. Colton of eastern North Carolina and once a state geologist for the state of...
by don | Jul 26, 2012
The call of, “Come see! A frog!” is one oft repeated in the Hendershot household from spring through fall as toads go by both names – toad and/or frog. So the other morning when Izzy called to, ”Come see this frog!” I was expecting another toad. But when I walked to...
by don | Jul 19, 2012
After Jersey and the Big Apple (see last week’s Naturalist’s Corner – http://www.smokymountainnews.com/outdoors/item/7554-famous-nyc-offspring,) it was time for a leisurely trip home. We headed south to Cape May and took the Cape May – Lewes Ferry across...
by don | Jul 14, 2012
New York City is big, bustling and in July – hot, but there are always entertaining and even educational ways to escape the heat. The planets aligned just right giving both Denise and me the entire July Fourth week off. We donned our tourist attitudes and headed north...
