Crab Spiders

Crab Spider (Thomisidae)

One of the greatest joys of having a flower garden is watching the many critters that its success attracts. This year the most interesting visitor to my mini nature preserve was a crab spider that positioned itself on a purple dahlia.

Crab spiders forego elaborate web building, instead these stealthy predators earn their nickname "flower spiders" as they will sit for days at a time on a flower waiting for a meal. Their unsuspecting prey might be a butterfly or honeybee simply going about their normal flowering business.

Crab spiders are found throughout the world and come in many different colors. One species can even change shades to better blend into its cover. So look closely at your flowers this spring and you might just catch a glimpse of this marvelous creature in action.

More information on crab spiders

More photos of crab spiders

Hatteras

I was sitting atop a picnic table in a sea of sand dunes overlooking the raging Atlantic on a cool, windy day in June of 99. We were camping at Frisco on Hatteras island.- maybe my favorite place in the whole world. The moment inspired one of my favorite poems I've ever written - maybe not my best but a favorite because it is raw and real and it takes me back every time I read it... back to a moment when the world was mine and life was good.

Hatteras

bordered by the churning blue flaring her frothing white
falling grains fly like hellbent snow... stinging devils
leave sandblasted shell structures accumulating tapered tails
yet gracefully in the distance they swirl like powder angels
lying down in between... moistened by foam fingers
gleaming golden singing shining praise from holes in cloud shadows
a chorus with the gulls and my thoughts of Hatteras
where we still feel small...

Kayaking Lake Adger, NC

While I'm not able to hike much anymore and my rock climbing days are certainly over, on good day I can still get out on a lake in my kayak. Cutting quietly through calm, glassy water with no motor has its advantages; especially for an eager photographer. Animals don't seem to mind a paddler as long as you aren't trying to break an Olympic record.

On Lake Adger, five minutes from my house, it's possible to sneak up on a large variety of wildlife, from birds and squirrels right on up to otters and deer. I always set my boat in at the public landing and as the fishermen and pleasure cruisers zoom off to deep water in a blaze of wake and gas fumes... I slip unnoticed through the shallows where the Green river feeds the lake with cold mountain water and sand bars.

If my luck is good I'll be able to spot a tribe of river cooters camped on their favorite old sun bleached basking log. They never let you get too close though, scooting into the water in a flash and a splash, I suppose that's why they have lived long enough to reach basketball size. My last trip in however, I was able to slide up next to a log where a painted turtle was enjoying the sun. He posed quite well and made a nice picture.

Painted turtles are pretty amazing. They will bury themselves under three feet of mud and in temperatures of 3° Celsius (37.4°F) they can survive without oxygen for up to five months, longer than any other known air-breathing vertebrate.

This is the beaver who so graciously lends out his home

My destination is usually a mud bank next to a beaver dam. The beavers make for some cuddly pictures as they really don't pay me much attention, just a quick glimpse and back to gnawing. The real excitement comes when Mama otter zips in. You see, Mama otter has borrowed an apartment in the beaver's dam to make her nest (It is quite common for otters to be such claim jumpers). If I sit quietly in the tall grass of the mud bank I can hear her whelps cooing and burping down under the sticks.

Mama Otter

Mama otter has warned me several times, popping her head out from amongst the brush, grunting and barking. I'm not sure exactly what she thinks of me, there by my big blue thing with my funny white face... but I do know that she'd like me to stay away from her babies. So usually I try to slink off in another direction without much commotion.

I leave the beaver dam behind, happy with snapping some pics of mushrooms and water spiders. Often, as the sun dips down, I'll catch a glimpse of a deer or a raccoon as they catch a stealthy sip of water. Then when my ears tell me they are cold enough for my toboggan, I head back to the dock breathing in the mountain sunset on the way as the river willows hurl their feathery seeds all around like flurries caught in the very last light of the day.

Another Painted Turtle with Friend (Musk Turtle)

Spider that I unfortunately found with my face

Cooters prepare to dive

The Brown Mountain Lights

Brown mountain, in NC's Pisgah National Forest, has been one of the South's greatest mysteries for centuries. There is no argument on the existence of the lights; the debate begins when you start asking about their origin.

I took a ride out to the popular overlook on hwy 181 one fall afternoon with my wife Marii and my sister Carole. I don't believe any of us actually expected to see anything other than a mountain and a mess of trees, but it was something to do.

We parked my old F-150 with the tailgate facing Brown Mtn. right as the sun gave up the day. The night was just plain cold. Carole started playing with my video camera's night vision as Marii and I pretended to enjoy some mighty chilly pork-n-beans.

Much to our surprise we started to see a couple of lights over the summit. We all thought they were airplanes. Carole and I started filming and pretending (for the camera's sake) that the lights were THE Brown Mtn. Lights. The redneck comedy voice overs continued until one of the lights bobbled its way slowly down the face of the mountain as the other zigged and zagged about in the tree tops. We were actually filming the famous orbs of legend. (hillbilly's will catch on even if it takes us a bit longer).

The lights were gone as quick as they appeared and we were left wondering just how lucky we were to witness them. We didn't wonder this long for just as I was settling back down on the tailgate with my frozen Van de Camps a car pulled up. We watched as the man in the car set up a tri-pod for his very impressive camera. We exchanged hellos and he then informed us that he had spent many nights watching for the lights. "How many times have you seen them?" Carole asked.

"None, and you?" he replied. I started to feel a bit guilty as Carole told him we saw them about a minute before he arrived. Turns out the man was a photographer for a magazine and knew alot about the lights and what to look for. I showed him our clownish footage on our camera. He confirmed that we had captured on film (in our first 10 minutes) what he had been trying to catch for quite some time.

pics here are actual vidcaps of our trip to Brown Mtn

Cool BML Links
http://www.brownmountainlights.com/
http://www1.appstate.edu/dept/physics/caton/BML/BML.htm

Mount Mitchell

A view from Mt. Mitchell, NC - tallest peak east of the rockies

At 6684 feet, Mt. Mitchell stands tall as the subject of NC's first state park.
I was lucky enough to land my first job as a cook in the park's restaurant (MMSPR),
and I love this place like it was family.

Webcam
Mt. Mitchell Photo gallery

some other great Mt. Mitchell links
http://www.northcarolinaoutdoors.com/places/mountains/blacks.html
http://www.summitpost.org/show/mountain_link.pl/mountain_id/412
http://www.main.nc.us/BMCP/mitchell.html

Edisto

Tucked away among the live oaks of SC’s coast, Edisto Beach State Park is an ecological paradise. Less than an hour after checking into our cabin, we watched a great horned owl stalk a squirrel in the treetops overlooking the salt marsh. Later we saw deer, raccoons and watched in astonishment as a small dolphin breached next to a pier on the estuary near the cabins.

A pristine beach lined with postcard quality palms and littered with bookcase quality shells make Edisto a magnificent gem in the daylight hours. But sometimes only the night reveals the true magic of a place. When the sun goes down in the marsh darkness is king and sight is nearly useless. Those patient enough to allow their other senses to kick in will be rewarded. The marine scent and the moist air are servants of the Atlantic wind. She whips and plucks and zips and tears through the estuary, tossing palm fronds and spanish moss about, composing the eerie soundtrack of the live oak forest. Some nights it’s a flute solo, other nights its an endless crescendo.

We stayed in the state park cabins on a 3 day trip in mid November of 05'. I have camped in the park before during the summer but it is severely overcrowded. Reservations are a must. Edisto is a nesting site for loggerhead turtles so it can be worth the crowds to come during hot weather. Spring and Fall may prove to be a better time for fishermen, kayakers or those seeking peaceful solitude. Whenever you go, Edisto will be a sight you won’t forget.

Cabin info - cabin specifics are listed on the state park site but what they don’t tell you is that they are way off the beaten path, nestled in the live oaks on the banks of the salt marsh. There is a small fishing pier and there are several good spots to launch a kayak. The sandy road is nearly a mile long, is great for bikes or hikes and has access to nature trails.

Camping info - the ocean front campground is almost too good to be true. Grassy patches among the palms and oaks are bordered by the estuary and forested dunes. There are little weathered paths through the trees to the beach. Remember, where ever you decide to stay CALL AHEAD for availability or reservations... This place is popular.

Contact - Edisto Beach State Park for info

Links

Kayaking

Lake Jocasse

Jocasse is a man made body of water in upstate SC. Duke Power finished the lake in 1974. Since then Lake Jocasse, surrounded mostly by Sumter National Forest, has remained pristine. No commercial development ruins the view and there are very few homes along the shore. Devil's Fork State Park, just off SC highway 11, is an outstanding destination for kayakers, fishermen, campers and those just looking to slowdown and breathe for a spell.

My wife and I have been visiting the park for years: camping in the summer and fall, or relaxing in the highly recommended villas.We love the place so much we were thinking of naming our first child Jocasse... turns out HE was a David...lol

Lake Jocassee Facts:

home to the Jocassee Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Station built in 1973
the dam is 385 ft high and 1,750 feet long
the lake holds 7,500 acres of water and has 75 miles of shoreline.


Links

For info on accomodations checkout Devil's Fork State Park
Lake Jocasse Photo Gallery
Carolina Living Article
Jocasse Outdoor Center
- map(pdf)