Photos: Charlotte, NC

This graveyard dates to 1776. It's one street over from the main drag, pictured above.

 Charlotte is an interesting city for the attractive blend of old and new, urban and suburban, all in very close proximity.

We took a walking tour of the historic 4th Ward, which is a lovely family neighborhood smack dab in the middle of downtown. People chatted to us in the street, waved from their porches, and all seemed to know each other's dogs by name.


I loved both the historic homes and the lovely local flora.

Outside the city, I had the chance to visit the McDowell Nature Preserve.

Check out my previous post for info on my favorite vegan eats in Charlotte!

Photos: Montauk, NY

These are some of my favorite photos from my recent trip to Long Island. There wasn't a lot of wildlife, but the scenery was glorious!

Photos: Fall in Michigan

Here are a few of my favorite shots from my recent trip.

Vegan on the Road: Franklin & Farmington Hills, MI

On a recent business trip to the Detroit area, I was delighted to find not only some wonderful vegan-friendly restaurants and stores in that area of Michigan, but such fresh, delicious food that I wanted to analyze their recipes and try to make them at home!

The first destination my host took me to was the Franklin Grill & Tavern, in the quaint historic shopping area of Franklin -- "The Town that Time Forgot." There I had a sandwich called The Art of Sicily (minus the cheese) and it was artful indeed: an open-faced focaccia sandwich piled high with marinated portabellas, artichokes, red onion, and spinach. Delicious!

Dinner that evening was at Camelia's Mexican Grill in Farmington Hills. Now, I have high standards for Mexican food, and any attempts at it I've tried in Northern climes have rarely gone well. Camelia's was the exception! I had the vegetable fajitas -- a sizzling platter of peppers, onions, tomatoes, and portabellas served with guacamole, pico de gallo, and lime wedges with freshly grilled tortillas and a side of the most delicious pintos and rice. It was fresh, light, and not over-seasoned at all so the flavors of the vegetables came through.

My final stop the next afternoon before heading to the airport was Plum Market. It breaks my heart that this store, similar to a Whole Foods, is only found in the Midwest... their prepared foods were outstanding! Much fresher at 4:00 in the afternoon than the dried-out goods you'll find on WF's hot bar at that time of day, for sure. I had a kale salad that blew my mind. I'm already trying to replicate it at home (without success so far). I also had a cucumber, onion and corn salad, some marinated white beans, and the most wonderful wrap. It was called the Mediterranean wrap, and was hummus, tabbouleh, and stuffed grape leaves wrapped in spinach lavash. Guh. I want one now.

So, you'll notice the lack of photos here. Like a dork, I didn't think to take out the camera once while eating. But here's a photo of the leaves changing to make it up to you!

Photos: Leu Botanical Gardens - Orlando, FL

Last month, I had the pleasure of visiting Leu Botanical Gardens. These are a few of my favorite photos.

The tropical section

In the rose garden

In the butterfly garden

Not dingoes, just birds: a tale of defending babies

Last week while I was out photographing the hatchlings, something happened that made me very sad. But in telling the story to my husband, I learned to look at it differently. I wanted to share that story with you, dear reader.

I was sitting on the boardwalk with my camera poised to snap a baby blackbird when its mother came back to the nest to feed it.

All through the mudflats behind the nest, black-necked stilts and gallinules were watching over their chicks as they wandered about, testing their little legs, pecking at bugs.

Mama stilt and her chicks

Mama gallinule and her ugly little babies

Suddenly, there was a ruckus. All the mamas were screeching - gallinule and stilt. I figured that a gallinule had wandered too close to a stilt's nest, because even though they are nesting in the same area, they battle each other back if they get too close. But when I looked up, it turned out that wasn't it at all.

This part isn't pictured because it all happened too fast, and I was just stunned. An egret was on the flats, stalking for prey. The egret zipped into a gallinule's nest and grabbed a tiny newborn in its beak, then took off in flight. The gallinules tried to pursue it, but they aren't swift birds. There was no hope they would catch the egret.

The stilts, even though they are constantly fighting over territory with the gallinules, took off in defense of the baby gallinule. Three of them left their own chicks behind to give chase. They dive-bombed the egret, trying to get it to drop the baby.

Soon they were out of sight, and I can only assume they failed to stop the egret. I was so shaken, so upset at the savagery of nature as I left the park. But later, as I relayed the story to my husband, I realized how amazing it was to see the maternal instinct cross those territorial barriers. How marvelous it was to watch those stilts - tiny, adorable birds, easily only a quarter of the egret's size - turn into bold fighters in defense of another species' chick.

Almost all animals have that in common - we love our children. Many will recognize and protect children of other species as well. In the end, all of this serves to make me glad that I am no longer an 'egret'  eating other species children, but a 'stilt' working to protect them!

Photos: Loxahatchee NWR, North Levy

I went out to the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge on a Sunday afternoon. It had been raining all weekend - the first two days of National Park Week - and the sun had only just peeked out. I decided to walk out on the North Levy toward the pine woods, in hopes of making it there and back by sunset. I didn't quite make it, mostly because I spent too much time admiring the turtles. But I got far enough out where I neither saw, nor heard, nor sensed any sign of civilization. It was glorious.

Box turtle

This had me singing "Wide Open Spaces." The park was pretty empty to begin with, but this trail was desolate. Not another soul around for miles.

Kildeer

I believe this was a fish crow.

Juvenile white ibis

Gopher tortoise! I love the spiky tail.

   

Turkey vulture.