Design

Visiting the Western North Carolina Nature Center for the first time (encouraged by the seasonal butterfly house), we enjoyed an up-close view of some native mammals, reptiles, and amphibians that we normally don't see. Bobcats, red wolves, gray wolves, gray fox, and coyotes were among them, but our favorites included a very lively male bear (he splashed and played in a large pool with a rope toy, climbed a tree, rolled a log, and clambered up a tree stump). A river otter, waiting for dinner, posed on a rock. And these turtles, in an attractive turtle pond, basked quite close on several logs, strategically placed. (I wish we had a small pond like this in the Children's Garden at the SC Botanical Garden!)

Great Blue Heron, taken by Gene Oleney, Fermilab, used with permission in The Nature of Clemson . It's always a treat to watch Great Blue Herons flying over the backyard on their way to our nearby lakes. They stop at the ponds at the Garden, too. This morning, a group of us were lucky enough to see one catch and eat a small fish. I wish we had a small pond as part of our wildlife habitat here at home. We've talked about it for quite awhile; considerations include muddy gardening assistants (ie Mocha), the expense and effort of excavating and lining a pond versus all of the wildlife benefits and pleasant aspects of having a continuous source of water in the garden. My gardening companion (after hearing the cost estimates) always thinks that he'll dig it, but he's pretty darn busy to dig an entire pond in his 'free' time. I could dig a small pond, too, but it would be more like a largish-deep puddle in our heavy soil. Hmm, seeing that heron today was inspiring...