The Woods

Political Paranoia and Dead Turtles

The other day I was reading a light-hearted post on Facebook about the dangers that turtles face while crossing highways and that people can help them by avoiding hitting them. Then of course there had to be a completely irrational animal rights extremist on that post, who had to warn people about those who would go out an intentionally hit turtles on the road, because apparently there are a lot of turtle haters in the world who have leak-proof steel tires and ultra-durable suspensions on their cars. I do not recommend hitting turtles, bricks, tin cans, glass bottles, large rocks, and other debris on the road โ€“ and certainly not intentionally. You can damage your suspension of your car, not to mention dent a rim or get a flat tire.

Political paranoia is the greatest threat facing our country. There are too many people who have a paranoid view of the world โ€“ and believe everybody is out to get them. Animal rights extremists believe that there are people out there actively to kill turtles for nothing but the fact they are turtles, and apparently people hate turtles โ€“ and want to destroy their cars in the process. Not that there is much evidence to that fact. But the paranoid donโ€™t want to hear that. They want to believe that there are evil forces out there, actively working to destroy their world. Such people are not helpful to our country or the process of itโ€™s governing, because they are demeaning well meaning, hard-working individuals and are distraction to actual needed change in our country.

Turtle in the Mud

Black Fly Season Camping

Black fly season camping is really pleasurable after dark when the black flies have disappeared for the night.🐜 Camping this time of the year really more of a night experience than one of enjoying the day.🌃 Often this time of year the nights are quite mild so it’s best to stay up until one or two in the morning and sleep in until nine or ten, doing your best to ignore the early morning sun. 🌄

Black Flies

 Weapons in the War On Black Flies

Milkweed and Monarchs ๐Ÿฆ‹โ˜  ๐Ÿฎ

Milkweed and Monarchs ๐Ÿฆ‹โ˜  ๐Ÿฎ

A few months back I posted several articles that I found in my research and reading about milkweed – how it’s wonderful for wildlife and really poisonous for livestock.

There are darn good reasons why farmers spray it and work to eradicate it from their farm fields. It can kill horses and cattle if mixed with their hay. That’s a big deal if you depend on your land for your livelihood that keeps you living the rural life. Seeing an animal die a painful death is traumatic to all involved.

But we need milkweed to support butterflies and our ecosystem. Like everything, there is a time and place. A noxious weed on the farm can also sustain life of other species, be part of a healthy ecosystem. The efficiency of clearing fields of noxious weeds is blamed for the decline of many common butterflies.

What is the solution? Probably a mix of both farming and places where milkweed can be planted and sustained in yards, nature preserves and land set aside by private owners for conservation purposes.

 Milkweed

Being watched as the sun set

 Butterfly

What I Like To Do Around Camp

People sometimes ask what I like to do while campingโ›บ Besides sitting by the fire and listening to the spring peepers and the birds,🐸 I also will often put on some music or a podcast, especially in the evening.

In the day time I like to cook – I actually like camp cooking better than at home as I’m not distracted by all the other things going on at home. 🍳I also spend a lot of time reading as camping often is a long distraction free time for me. Lately I’ve been spending more time writing, 📚as I’m trying to capture more of my thoughts and experiences in words.

 Camping At Camp Run

Camping in the wilderness is a chance to get away from all the noise and problems that are inherent in living in the city.

These past few weekends have been major bummers ๐Ÿ•

These past few weekends have been major bummers ๐Ÿ•

I’ve been hoping for a nice weekend to get up into the wilderness before black fly season got underway, but every weekend this April since the Easter holiday has been worse — and each weekend seems to get cloudier, cooler and rainer. Two weekends ago, I could have gotten out of town, and it would have been fine, but the forecast was wet. Last weekend was okay, until Saturday night when it absolutely poured. And then this weekend’s forecast.

At some point my luck will change. Indeed, Mothers Day Weekend might be a good one, as my parents aren’t going to be in town, and maybe depending when they get the state budget done, I can take off that Friday with just credited time. Black flies, if I decide to go up north might be bad. But maybe I’ll do Schoharie, especially if I get my bike working, it could be a lot of fun to ride some of the roads out there.