A wind-blown female Northern Cardinal perched in our red maple. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh I took my lunch outside the other day. The temperatures were more summerlike for the first of May. I enjoy sitting in the sun for short periods, absorbing the free vitamin D and the natural springtime circus performing around me. Nature sprinkles my light fare with seasonings no human can buy or sell. I sat on the cultured stone patio in my late mother-in-law’s red and white painted metal rocking chair. A light wind played with my napkin until my cell phone secured it. I enjoyed the Swiss cheese and cracke ..read more

The cowboy hat. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh My wife and I have been cleaning the house item by item for longer than I can remember. And we’ve been married for 53 years. She has always been ahead of me in the disposing game. I’m finally beginning to understand the joy of discarding items I have clung to for far too long. Gone is the brown felt stetson cowboy hat my daughter’s family gave me as a gift years ago when they lived in Texas. It was a striking hat, but I seldom wore it. So, why should I keep it? To be considerate, I asked my daughter if she cared if I gave the hat away. She just smiled a ..read more

An ant on a peony bud. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh I was working in the backyard when I noticed an ant on a peony bud. Immediately, I thought of the old idea that peony buds need ants to transform from bud to flower. I didn’t know exactly why or how that interaction worked. So, of course, I Googled it. It turns out that it’s a myth. Michele Warmund of the Plant and Science Department of the University of Missouri says peonies can blossom all on their own. However, the biological mutualism between ants and peonies is true. Peony flowers provide food for ants, who keep harmful floral-feeding insect ..read more

Colors galore as a wildfire burned in the valley below last fall. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh This is the last in a series celebrating National Park Week. Autumn is often the best time to visit a national park. The annual coloring of the leaves attracts millions of people to many national parks, including Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. The Park Service staff do an excellent job of keeping the public informed about the status of the changing of the leaves. From websites to social media to webcams, patrons of the parks can plan their trips accordingly. Of course, everyone wants to hit the pe ..read more

Wild Lupine growing along a fire road in Shenandoah National Park. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh This is the fifth post in a series celebrating National Park Week. When you are in a national park, don’t forget to look down. You don’t want to miss the many wildflowers prolific in all but the winter. Even Death Valley is currently having a superbloom. I would love to see that sometime. In the meantime, spring is the perfect time to look for wildflowers in national parks. I photographed the wild lupines along a fire road in Shenandoah National Park. Wildflowers bring beauty to the park and attract oth ..read more

Teens learning about Big Meadows in Shenandoah National Park. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh This is the third installment of a series celebrating National Park Week. I often hike alone. But occasionally, I enjoy sharing my love of nature with others. The church I attend has a mentor/mentee program for youth. A friend and I each serve as mentors for two teenage boys. Knowing we all enjoy the outdoors, we took them for a day trip to Shenandoah National Park last summer. We had a riot. These energetic young men enjoyed every aspect of the trip. They loved the hikes and the enthralling views. They also ..read more

The opportunity I had hoped for. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh This is the second in a series celebrating National Park Week. On the afternoon of May 23, 2018, I decided to finish my day in Shenandoah National Park by hiking the Rock Spring Cabin trail. According to the park map, the trail wasn’t long, and I was curious to see the cabin. So, off I went, binoculars around my neck and camera across my shoulder. I soon reached the point where the trail joined the Appalachian Trail (AT), and I hiked on. I could hear birds chirping and singing all around me, but the lushness of the forest prevented me f ..read more

Hiking the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh This is National Park Week in the United States. In celebration of our 63 beautiful national parks, this is the first of a series of photos I have taken in Shenandoah National Park. Shenandoah National Park has a storied and somewhat troublesome history, given how farmers and their hired hands were removed from the park before it was developed starting in late 1935. Though the land was rugged and steep in many places, over 2,000 folks lived, farmed, and worked on the 198,000 acres that became the first national ..read more

Spring’s colors brighten our days. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh Just in time for Earth Day, spring’s vibrant colors are at their peak here in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Ornamental shrubs, trees, and domestic and wildflowers are putting on a show for our pleasure and their propagation. This annual phenomenon has a caveat. Conditions change quickly, and weather conditions play a significant role in these rapid transformations. A windstorm or hard frost can instantly paint the landscape much differently. The tender and pastel leaf buds unfold quickly, exposing their infant beauty. The fresh foliag ..read more

A lone young man sits contemplatively among spring’s glorious colors. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh The Edith J. Carrier Arboretum in Harrisonburg, Virginia, is a marvelous place to contemplate life’s challenges, changes, and celebrations. That’s especially true in spring when the trees, flowers, and shrubbery come alive with their soothing colors. I went there to pick up a tree I had purchased in the arboretum’s annual fundraising plant and tree sale. What should have taken me only a few minutes turned into two and a half hours. The arboretum’s beauty drew me in like a bee to pollen. I strolled, n ..read more