For the Love of Nature's Page

My home province of Newfoundland and Labrador has so many natural gifts that for those of us living here, we tend to take them for granted.  Growing up near the ocean, and being the son of a fisherman, seeing icebergs was a near daily occurance. Over the years I've seen many different shapes and sizes, both up close and far away.   A cool thing is when icebergs 'founder' - when they flip over or break apart.  It tends to happen in seconds and shows the amazing power of when something so big…

The Dragonfly.  It is one of the largest insects you'll see around.  Most people avoid them for fear of their biting or stinging abilities. Still, their helicopter-like flight makes us pause in amazement when they hover over ponds or in our gardens. It's just that they look like they could do some damage. In Newfoundland we've dubbed them with names such as horse stinger and devil's darning needle - the latter more common in areas settled by the Irish.  My boyhood logic told me to avoid…

The Sow Bug is a small humble little guy.  They are common in gardens though tend to stay out of sight.  Sow Bugs seem skilled at getting into your house as well. This is especially true if you have an older home or one without a finished concrete basement.  In Newfoundland they are commonly called wood lice, carpenters and even boat builders.

Sow Bugs can be found gathered at near rotting wood so are considered pests by some.  However most of the time they are content to remain in…

My recent visit to Twillingate, on Newfoundland's northeast coast, inspires this departure from my usual bug postings.  Just 2 days ago on December 26 I was in the community for a visit.  The province had experienced a few weeks of strong winds and high tides. Normally at this time of year the snow has arrived making hiking trails inaccessible. Not this year.  The trails are wet but there is no snow. 

I left Durrell and hiked…