Toland Way is a very steep, winding road. It’s a tough walk up. This time of year, though, it’s worth the strain on my legs and back. The flowering plants are bountiful all along the steep banks of this road. Perhaps the soil is richer, gathering all the minerals that get washed down the mountainside. … read more A walk on the wild side
Category: Trees
To See A Tree: A naturalist’s journal of the Southern Appalachians. Our ambivalent and ignorant relationship with the natural world
The cautious wren
The Carolina wren is a cheeky little bird. It produces song at an earsplitting volume, and will build a nest right on your front porch. At the cabin in Booger Hollow, we have a spot that’s been used by wrens for several years. The first year that we spent a week at the cabin, we … read more The cautious wren
Cats in the wild
An argument’s been raging in Georgia for years now. The believers are fierce and will cuss you out for questioning them. The non-believers are dismissive and condescending. I guess I’m a wanna-believer. This isn’t politics or religion. We’re talking cats. Big Cats. Some people say that there are still Big Cats roaming North Georgia. Cougars, or … read more Cats in the wild
Little squealers
As we were driving out of the Chattahoochee National Forest yesterday, two little brown dogs suddenly popped out and began crossing the road. Then they turned – and they weren’t dogs. They were PIGLETS. Furry, with brown stripes. When they saw us in Xena and heard the growl of her engine, they squealed and went flying down … read more Little squealers
FIRE PINK!!!
There is one flower that I anticipate all year long. In every season, when I drive past its patch on the way home, I say “Hi, fire pink!” to the bare dirt. When mid-April rolls around, I start looking closely at that dirt. It’s a steep, rocky bank that rises up from a very curvy piece … read more FIRE PINK!!!
The other secret garden
I finally had a chance to visit the second secret garden of lady slippers in the forest. I missed them last year. The first year when I found them, I monitored their health anxiously. I was worried that someone would discover them and dig them up. But unlike the other patch of lady slippers, they are … read more The other secret garden
A million legs
Some days it is so hard to get going. I haven’t been sleeping well this week, and so I’m lazy all during the day. Nothing wrong with relaxing during vacation, but I also want to take advantage of the many trails surrounding us here. Finally I convinced myself to go for a short hike. Just … read more A million legs
Great expectations
The Jake and Bull Mountain Trail System of the Chattahoochee National Forest weaves all around Booger Hollow, so Tom and I know the trails well. When you hike a trail year after year, in all seasons, you know exactly where you’ll see certain plants. On the Lance Creek Trail, I know there will be stonecrop at a certain … read more Great expectations
Iris cristata alba
Every year, there are a few species that seem to have an especially big burst of growth. This year, the crested iris is everywhere, in big patches, cascading down every road bank and even in my yard. So, as we traveled along the Chattahoochee National Forest roads yesterday, I wasn’t surprised to see lots of … read more Iris cristata alba
The really big pharmacy
To start our vacation – a week in Booger Hollow – we took the long way into the forest. Along country back roads and up Forest Service 58 – following Noontootla Creek as it splashes its way down the mountainside – one of the prettiest drives in the Chattahoochee National Forest. Swallowtail butterflies love this road, … read more The really big pharmacy