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I chose this photo to post at my profile because -like so many of my friends and followers, and hopefully me, there's so much more to it than meets the eye.  Literally. This annual migration means tens of thousands of birds fly thousands of miles to stop over every year like clockwork to refuel at this very spot.  The mountain ranges seen in the distance to the East and the West will drain melted snow - or not, and thereby dictate the success or failing of the many species that rely on this stopover every year.  I deliberately didn't edit, tweak, or photoshop this photo so read on why it's so important.   You'll see Snow Geese and Ross's Geese, species of ducks, and sandhill cranes to name a few, enjoying their layover, swimming side by side while they rest and refuel with much needed water and nutrition. Each season brings in new and different species of waterfowl and land animals to this unique section of the Rio Grande, all dependent upon our fragile climate ...

  To evolve to a better, kinder person in life, sometimes you simply have to change your perception  Pamela Hartle

During the Pandemic, I hunkered down and decided to expand my little outside corner of the planet into something that could keep my hands and mind occupied but away from the stresses plaguing us all. I dug in, literally and studied and perfected a wildlife garden that to this day provides a wonderful and rewarding respite. In my efforts, I discovered a rather surprising and heretofore unrecognized gem in the world of wildlife gardening.  Palm trees of all things, especially the flowering Jelly Palms add a lot more than beauty and atmosphere to your landscape. The stately palm remains beautiful but also stays the same through most of the year, including the cold months in the deep south.  Suddenly however, sometime in Spring or Summer-depending on the particular species, a long pod develops on this particular palm, and then slowly begins drooping toward the ground.  After a short time, this 3ish foot long pod will suddenly pop open to reveal this beautiful spray of intrigu...

                                                                                                                 BINDING NUPTIALS Of the over 45,000 species of spiders, even if you're not a fan of arachnids, this one will blow your mind This week, I had the good fortune to be invited to exhibit my paintings and photographs in coastal South Carolina again.  Seacoast artists gallery is an impressive gallery located at 3032 Nevers Street in The Market Common, and where they will hang.   The Gallery is made up of over 70 talented artists who are juried and showcase their works there, which are in a wide variety of mediums. Market Common is a growing and up-and-coming area with a diverse composite...

The ice embellished seed pods on this Crepe Myrtle made a provocative and most unusual background for this January 22nd photo and surprised a year-round resident Bluebird in South Carolina Article and Photos without Photoshop or AI by Penelope Penn Winter Storm Jasper was not "for the birds."  It was a serious storm that caused power outages, closed schools, and dropped record amounts of snow, sleet and freezing rain, as well as caused a record-breaking number of flight cancellations, as it barreled across the US this past week.  And it didn't stop when it plowed into the southeastern coast.   The ice it brought caused flight delays and hazardous road conditions in coastal South Carolina, a dilemma for residents, and resident and migrating birds as well.  The city's website and news stations issued frequent updates on the status of the storm, since these storms are rare and infrequent.  A statement on the city's website reported that, "Myrtle Beach and othe...

The Emerald Coast Open Lionfish Tournament organizers just announced their 2022 Lionfish Tourney in Destin, Florida, so now is a great time to reserve your spot and get in on the perks of early registration!                                Donnie Brzuska ridding the oceans of the invasives, one lionfish at a time.  Donnie Brzuska is the perfect example and proof positive how fun and easy it is to get hooked (pun intended) on this sport.  He and his wife, Milisa grew up in Florida so he said they “saw firsthand the destruction lionfish caused to our marine ecosystem.    They can decimate an entire reef, shipwreck or underwater habitat if left unchecked." Sous Chef, Brian Barber was one of the first to promote preparing the lionfish for adventurous foodies to eat, and let me get a really close shot of this one that he had in the cooler at Fleet Landing Restaurant in Charleston, South Ca...

It's delicious!  As luck would have it, I overestimated the amount of banana bread I needed recently for a family brunch, so I decided to try to come up with a bread pudding recipe to use the banana bread that was left over.  The banana bread I make is dense and moist, so it’s important to dry it out for it to be successful in bread pudding, fyi - if yours is as well. **See the bottom of page for tips to dry the bread. I wanted to develop a recipe that was not only delicious, but also had enough protein and nutrition to make it a special guilt-free holiday breakfast.  And as a holiday breakfast or dessert, it had to also be  super-fast and easy to make, plus an easy clean up as well.  How delish and holiday-ready the nutmeg and eggnog made the house smell was an added bonus!   My lactose-free, nutrition conscious friends especially loved it and suggested I post it on my blog for the holidays.   Happy holidays and bon appetite!   Preheat oven t...