Nature – Page 18 – Roaming About

Category: Nature (page 18 of 21)

The Art of Being Flexible (and Realistic)

One of the greatest perks about house and pet sitting in different states (or countries) is that you can explore new areas at will. If you decide to take on longer term sits, like us, these explorations can be done in-depth with destinations galore for weekends away. Mark and I only have about one month left of our 4.5-month house sit in Heath, MA and I feel that we are running out of time for my “to visit” list. Of course, this list is so extensive that it is humanly impossible to actually do it all, unless we could devote ourselves to our roaming ways every single day of the week, which we can’t, because of our business.

Town Hall in Great Barrington

I had a few “to do” things planned for our weekend in SW Massachusetts: climbing two mountains, Mt. Everett (partly) and Monument Mountain (wholly), strolling around two historical towns, Stockbridge and Great Barrington, hiking to three sets of waterfalls, Bash Bish Falls, Bear Rock and the cascades of Race Brook, visiting Guilder Pond and driving back from Great Barrington to Lee on a scenic road, before heading home on Sunday. Oh, and as a back-up or if we had extra time, I had more waterfall destinations up my sleeve.

View over the Berkshires

WW – Cherry on Top While Traveling

July 27, 2016 / Liesbet / 9 Comments

I have decided to post photos of past travels in general and our eight year sailing adventure on SV Irie in particular for Wordless Wednesdays. I hope you enjoy them. Also, I can’t do completely “wordless”, but I try my best with “almost wordless”. 🙂

My theme “Cherry on Top” for this week comes from The Daily Post. While I am totally passionate about traveling and enjoy many aspects of it, my highlights remain wildlife encounters. Therefore, “meeting” and interacting with animals is the cherry on top of my explorations, in the world or in the back yard!

The biggest cherry: swimming with wild manta rays next to our boat in the Marquesas, FP

Snorkeling with a spotted eagle ray nearby our boat

Really close (and startling) encounter with a nurse shark in the San Blas, Panama

Sloth in Panama

Visiting sea lion in the Galapagos

Monkey in Costa Rica

Black tip reef shark in Fakarava, Tuamotus, FP

Howler monkey in Costa Rica (or was it Panama?)

Dolphins in the anchorage love to play with the dinghy

Free dolphin show in an anchorage in Tahuata, Marquesas, FP

For more “Cherry on Top” shots of nature, check out this gallery post, which was part of my A-Z Blogging challenge this year.

Who or what is your cherry on top, in the day-to-day life or on vacation?

Do I have a Condition or Do I Waste Away?

July 25, 2016 / Liesbet / 10 Comments

I hate waste. I hate wasting. And, most of all, I hate wastefulness. Is it just me?

When I walk in nature (or in town) and I see garbage lingering in the woods or along the curbs, I am appalled. What is so hard about throwing trash in a provided bin – even if it is placed a few steps away – or carrying it back out of a park or forest and dispose of it at home? Why does anyone have the need to throw empty cans, wrappers or plastic bottles through open car windows, while any gas station (or your own house) has a trash can? Do these ignorant soilers really prefer to drive or walk in a littered environment instead of a pristine one? Do they not care that their neighbors or fellow citizens have to roam amongst trash?

Some people do not care where they dump trash… This photo was taken near the Western Portal of the Hoosac Tunnel

WW – Details on a Walk to a Viewpoint: Morning Dew

July 20, 2016 / Liesbet / 15 Comments

I have decided to post photos of past travels in general and our eight year sailing adventure on SV Irie in particular for Wordless Wednesdays. I hope you enjoy them.

My theme “Details” for this week comes from The Daily Post. From the moment I saw the prompt, this photo came to mind. I rarely take photos of details. Maybe I should in the future?

Morning dew

The walk to the lookout revealed this view (the details all blurred together :-)):

On top of Takaka Hill, South Island, New Zealand

Or was it this view (where all details are pushed out of sight)? I can’t quite remember…

Another view from Takaka Hill

Do you prefer photographing landscapes, wildlife, portraits or details? Or, anything that strikes your fancy (but mostly nice views), like me?

(Super) Natural Wonders around Us

July 18, 2016 / Liesbet / 24 Comments

Hoosac Tunnel

“We have to look for ghosts in the Hoosac Tunnel while we are in this area,” Mark said, out of the blue, during one of our drives to North Adams, the closest real city to us, about 40 minutes away. As we climbed Whitcomb Hill and mentally prepared for the steep descend, I gave him a puzzled look, “Ghosts? Where?” “Have you never heard of the haunted Hoosac Tunnel?” he asked. How would I? I am not familiar with local legends and folklore anywhere, let alone in Massachusetts. Of course, the notion peaked my curiosity. How could it not? So, yesterday, I added the tunnel to our sightseeing itinerary.

Approaching Hoosac Tunnel from the east

The digging of the 4.75 mile Hoosac Tunnel in the Berkshire Hills started in 1851 and wasn’t finished until 1875. At its completion, the railroad tunnel was the longest in North America and the second longest in the world, after the Mont Cenis Tunnel in the French Alps. To this day, it remains the longest active transportation tunnel (for freight) east of the Rocky Mountains and operates without a schedule. The building of the tunnel, however, was a nightmare of blood, sweat and tears. Continue reading

6WS – Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls

July 16, 2016 / Liesbet / 17 Comments

In the beginning of spring, the offer of flowers was meager

The pedestrian flower bridge seen from the old steel car bridge

Visiting the Bridge of Flowers with friends

The flower display changes every weekend!

Visiting the Bridge of Flowers with family

My Six Word Saturday is full of flowers. How is yours?

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WW – Opposites on Wharariki Beach

July 6, 2016 / Liesbet / 14 Comments

I have decided to post photos of past travels in general and our eight year sailing adventure on SV Irie in particular for Wordless Wednesdays. I hope you enjoy them. My theme “Opposites” for this week comes from The Daily Post.

Wharariki Beach in Golden Bay, New Zealand

Opposites that come to mind are: sand-rock, dead-alive, arid-lush, air-water, dry-wet, bumpy-flat

Which opposites do you spot when looking at this photo?

Climbing Mount Greylock… the Easy Way

July 4, 2016 / Liesbet / 22 Comments

Ever since we arrived in Heath, MA to do this five month house sit, Mark has been interested in climbing the biggest mountain of the state, which is located an hour drive away. Usually I’m the first one to partake in any exciting hike or adventure, but ascending a 3500ft (1067 m) mountain is not in the cards anymore for me. Many times in the past, when scaling smaller hills and mountains, my “Sure, let’s do it! I’ll just walk at my own pace.” turned into tough, steep climbs with loads of sweat, many breaks and a guaranteed headache. Turning 40 is no joke!