I spend a lot of time in my yard, or at least a lot of time looking out the window at my yard – probably more than most people. But even so, there is so much time when I’m not able to observe the comings and goings of animals on my property. This is particularly true at night – when I’m asleep and many of our local mammals are more active. I can only watch for so much of the…
Most people are relatively familiar with blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), even if only from a menu at a seafood restaurant. This popular edible bivalve (a shellfish with a hinged pair of shells) is circumpolar in its range, and in the western Atlantic Ocean extends as far south as South Carolina. Unlike the ribbed mussel that is commonly found in salt marshes and brackish water areas, the blue mussel is more common along rocky saltwater shorelines. These rocky areas in which…
That’s what Punxsutawney Phil said anyway. I say 6 weeks and 4 days, since the official first day of spring (the vernal equinox) is March 20th. In early March after we’ve had a few pleasant days and folks start remarking that “spring is here” I’m always the first one to chime in and remind them that winter (i.e., cold, snow, nor’easters, etc.) is not over yet. In fact, sometimes it refuses to go away even after the official first day…