by Roland D. Hallee Over the last 50 years or so of my adult life, I have been involved in many activities, including coaching sports at the youth and high school levels, and have done my share of local political participation. So, in exposing myself to critics, I have been called some unflattering names. Some […]
by Roland D. Hallee Have you ever heard of a pumpkin bug? Well, neither had I until someone asked about them. The pumpkin bug, or squash bug, are also called stink bugs, but are not the traditional stink bug. Although some pumpkin bugs are called stink bugs, not all stink bugs are pumpkin bugs. If […]
by Roland D. Hallee A strange phenomenon occurs every spring in the north Atlantic. Large icebergs come floating down the south shore near Ferryland, Newfoundland, Canada. People journey to the site – some traveling thousands of miles – to see this spectacle. For the locals, it’s no big deal. But for others, seeing them for […]
by Roland D. Hallee The old reliable spring indicator appeared in my backyard over the weekend, twice. The robin made its presence known. However, it was what happened Monday that certified that old folklore. I know spring officially arrived this past Tuesday, March 19. That is a day or two earlier than usual, but it […]
by Roland D. Hallee Just the other day, my wife showed me a Facebook post warning us about the Spotted Lanternfly, and a clear message to kill it upon sight. So, my curiousity being what it is, I had to find out, first, what it is, and second, how to eliminate it if that is […]
by Roland D. Hallee Last week, I received a phone call from a reader in Palermo who told me that for only the third time in the last 17 years, he spotted an American ermine crossing his back yard. The American ermine or American stoat, Mustela richardsonii, is a species of mustelid native to most […]
by Roland D. Hallee As we look forward to saying “goodbye” to February and welcome March with open arms, a thought comes to mind of an old weather lore, “In like a lion, out like a lamb.” In this case, it could be vice versa, considering the mild weather we have had as we usher […]
by Roland D. Hallee Just the other day a friend told me she thought robins went south for the winter. That is the common thought. The American robin, Turdus migratorius, is a migratory songbird. While robins occasionally overwinter in the northern United States and southern Canada, most migrate to Florida and the Gulf Coast to […]
by Roland D. Hallee Now, here’s something you don’t hear every day. This press release came across my desk this week, and I just have to share it with my readers. I have to preface this by saying that during my tour of duty in Vietnam in 1968-69, I had the occasion to taste squid […]
by Roland D. Hallee It’s the first of February, and time for my annual trek into the woods to find my friend, the weather prognosticating groundhog named Woodrow Charles. So, for the umpteenth year, I bundle up and head out the door, not quite sure where I was going. Last year Woodrow had relocated into […]