This juvenile skink was contently basking in the warm afternoon sun. With his neutral color and distinctive stripes, he blended in well with the dried pine needles and grass — all except for his bright blue tail, which gave him away. Fortunately for the Five-Lined Skink, if a predator grabs him by the tail, the tail can fall off, allowing him to run for safety. A new tail will soon grow back.
“When something goes wrong in your life just yell ‘Plot Twist!’ and move on.” ~Molly Weis
These photos of an immature Dickcissel were taken back in May along the Mississippi levee road. Though hard to see, the bird has a small, green insect in its beak.
“Youth ages, immaturity is outgrown, ignorance can be educated … but stupid lasts forever.” ~Aristophanes
While we were passing by, we decided to stop and take a quick drive down one of the roads in the Moss Island Wildlife Management Area.
Following the gravel road that led in, we were immediately greeted by a large field of colorful sunflowers.
An old rustic-looking barn, surrounded by tall weeds, sat back on the curve of the road. In front of us, a deer quickly darted across the road, into a field of soybeans and out of sight.
Tickseed lined the roadway and covered the fields in a beautiful yellow hue.
As we were leaving the area, we spotted a bird sitting high up in a tree. It was an adult Mississippi Kite keeping a sharp eye out for insects and small prey.
Though we didn’t have much time to spend here, hopefully we can return another time and further explore the beauty that this area has to offer.
“And to this day I wish I had lingered … But we stupid mortals, or most of us, are always in haste to reach somewhere else, forgetting that the zest is in the journey and not in the destination.” ~Ralph D. Paine
A couple of ospreys in a nest built on top of a platform in a national wildlife area close to the Tennessee River
“Great things take time to build. Great accomplishments come over time, through hard work, diligence, and effort. Nothing is instantaneous, at least nothing of value. ” ~Matt Loper
Two of my favorite things about summer are the delicate butterflies and the colorful flowers that they are drawn to. Both make the heart glad.
“I could never in a hundred summers get tired of this.” ~Susan Branch
One of the items on my husband’s wish list has been to see the place where a local river, the Obion,
empties out into the Mississippi River. He googled the spot, put a nearby street into the GPS, and with absolutely nothing to do on this particular afternoon, off we went on an adventure.
After a little over an hour’s drive, many fields of soybeans, corn and cotton,
and eliminating several blocked off access roads,
we finally came to the dead-end of a washed-out road which seemed to be the most hopeful place to view the two rivers.
We parked the car under a large shade tree
and off we headed down a secluded dirt path through a canopy of tall trees and undergrowth
to see if it did indeed lead to a place where the two rivers could be viewed.
Mission accomplished! A perfect overlook from which to see the mouth of the Obion and the place where its waters flow into the Mississippi.
Note: The Mississippi lies just beyond the floating dock.
Little drops of water,
Little grains of sand,
Make the mighty ocean
And the pleasant land.
Thus the little minutes,
Humble though they be,
Make the mighty ages
Of eternity.
~Julia Abigail Fletcher Carney
Shots of a field of wildflowers growing at a wildlife refuge near Kentucky Lake.
“How lovely is the silence of growing things.” ~Unknown
Watching a beautiful sunset over neighboring farm fields is always a good way to end the day.
“Sometimes I need only to stand where I am to be blessed.” ~Mary Oliver
“An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.” ~Henry David Thoreau
As a small child, one of my favorite parts of going to Reelfoot Lake was seeing the turtles lined up on the logs along the roadside and out in the lake. Nothing has changed. This is still one of the highlights of my visits.
“There is absolutely no reason for being rushed along with the rush. Everybody should be free to go slow.” ~Robert Frost
walking on a country road 