Life

Photo courtesy Wikipedia Simplified anatomy of the structural components used in bird flight. If you prefer eating white meat at Thanksgiving, you're eating the turkey's pectoralis and supracoracoideus muscles

An outdoor view: On being thankful

Something I’m very thankful for is that I wasn’t present for what’s now called the “first Thanksgiving.” In September of 1620, the Mayflower left Plymouth,… Continue reading

Photo courtesy Wikipedia Simplified anatomy of the structural components used in bird flight. If you prefer eating white meat at Thanksgiving, you're eating the turkey's pectoralis and supracoracoideus muscles

Refuge Notebook: In honor of turkeys

Did you know that you were not alone yesterday in eating turkey? According to the National Turkey Federation, 95 percent of Americans eat turkey on… Continue reading

In this Nov. 23, 2015, photo, Bob Zimmerman from Greensburg, Pa. walks up one of the restricted roads at Pennsylvania state game lands 74 as he hunts bear in Fisher, Pa. This area of the state game land is one of the more than 30 "Deer Hunter Focus Areas" the Pennsylvania Game Commission created throughout the state in hopes they will draw more hunters to spots where they're likely to see more deer when rifle season opens Monday (Nov. 29). Meanwhile, game commission foresters are hoping hunters will kill enough deer to safeguard the rebounding forest vegetation meant to attract deer to the focus areas in the first place. Zimmerman, who was out hunting bear, but was also scouting for deer hunting sites, said he was glad the commission is spending some of the money from hunting license fees to help the hunters. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Deer here: Pennsylvania game commission to steer hunters to prime spots

FISHER, Pa. — Yo, hunters! Deer here.The Pennsylvania Game Commission is giving hunters an assist this year, using bright yellow-and-green signs to steer them to… Continue reading

In this Nov. 23, 2015, photo, Bob Zimmerman from Greensburg, Pa. walks up one of the restricted roads at Pennsylvania state game lands 74 as he hunts bear in Fisher, Pa. This area of the state game land is one of the more than 30 "Deer Hunter Focus Areas" the Pennsylvania Game Commission created throughout the state in hopes they will draw more hunters to spots where they're likely to see more deer when rifle season opens Monday (Nov. 29). Meanwhile, game commission foresters are hoping hunters will kill enough deer to safeguard the rebounding forest vegetation meant to attract deer to the focus areas in the first place. Zimmerman, who was out hunting bear, but was also scouting for deer hunting sites, said he was glad the commission is spending some of the money from hunting license fees to help the hunters. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
A Chinese ring-necked pheasant is pictured near Morgan's Landing on the Kenai River. Feral pheasants likely support a breeding population in the wild on the southern Kenai Peninsula. (Photo courtesy Ken Marlow)

Refuge Notebook: Feral wildlife can be a problem

A couple of weeks ago, the Peninsula Clarion carried a story about the Bunny Task Force, formed to deal with the 200 or so once-domesticated… Continue reading

A Chinese ring-necked pheasant is pictured near Morgan's Landing on the Kenai River. Feral pheasants likely support a breeding population in the wild on the southern Kenai Peninsula. (Photo courtesy Ken Marlow)
This Dec. 2014 photo shows a drone hovering by a skier as he makes his way down mountainside at resort at Revelstoke, B.C., Canada. Some US ski resorts are exploring the possibility of "drone zones" where professionally operated drones can produce customized video that show off individuals skiers in action. (Jason Soll/Cape Productions via AP)

Some US ski resorts explore possibility of ‘drone zones’

DENVER — A drone hovers about 30 feet above the skier’s head, then quickly swoops down for a tighter angle so its video camera can… Continue reading

This Dec. 2014 photo shows a drone hovering by a skier as he makes his way down mountainside at resort at Revelstoke, B.C., Canada. Some US ski resorts are exploring the possibility of "drone zones" where professionally operated drones can produce customized video that show off individuals skiers in action. (Jason Soll/Cape Productions via AP)
This July 5, 2015 photo shows a bumblebee gathering pollen from a clump of eryngo, late-summer-blooming wildflowers, that are members of the carrot family, in a yard in Langley, Wash. Bees tend to confine their attention to one flower species during a single foraging trip, but they move from plant to plant, favoring cross-pollination. (Dean Fosdick via AP)

Keeping bees helps gardeners understand plants better

Want to become a better gardener? Then learn something about beekeeping. Become a matchmaker who ensures that flowering plants and honeybees enjoy a beneficial relationship.Keeping… Continue reading

This July 5, 2015 photo shows a bumblebee gathering pollen from a clump of eryngo, late-summer-blooming wildflowers, that are members of the carrot family, in a yard in Langley, Wash. Bees tend to confine their attention to one flower species during a single foraging trip, but they move from plant to plant, favoring cross-pollination. (Dean Fosdick via AP)

An Outdoor View: Buying space

Author’s note: With tongue only partly in cheek, I wrote this column, which appeared in the Clarion on May 2, 2008. In the succeeding seven… Continue reading

Photo courtesy Dave Atcheson Good fishing etiquette includes handling fish properly.

Tight Lines: River etiquette

My reasons for fishing vary. Sure, sometimes it’s utilitarian, to fill the freezer, but more often than not it’s about the experience, and escaping the… Continue reading

Photo courtesy Dave Atcheson Good fishing etiquette includes handling fish properly.
In this undated photo, In fall, bright yellow quince fruits call out to be harvested from among the small tree's craggy stems in New York. (Lee Reich via AP)

Quince: Grow and taste the ‘forbidden fruit’

In Genesis, the Bible mentions the “forbidden fruit.” Commonly identified as an apple, many people contend it was actually a quince.The quince’s Mideast origin, as… Continue reading

In this undated photo, In fall, bright yellow quince fruits call out to be harvested from among the small tree's craggy stems in New York. (Lee Reich via AP)
Alaska Department of Fish and Game Area Manager Jeff Selinger collars a caribou from the Kenai Mountain herd in 2003. (Photo courtesy Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

Refuge Notebook: Radio, GPS collars help manage moose, caribou on the Kenai

Opportunities to view wildlife around our neighborhoods on the Kenai Peninsula are one luxury we often take for granted. Whether it’s a moose in your… Continue reading

Alaska Department of Fish and Game Area Manager Jeff Selinger collars a caribou from the Kenai Mountain herd in 2003. (Photo courtesy Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

An Outdoor View: White kings

Author’s note: Readers with little or no taste will be overjoyed to see that I’m still working on my romance novel, featuring a hunky river… Continue reading

ADVANCE FOR THE WEEKEND OF NOV. 14-15 AND THEREAFTER -FILE - In this July 24, 2014, file photo, packrafters hike up Youngs Creek Pass on a trip through Montana's Bob Marshall Wilderness. Marshall, the co-founder of the Wilderness Society, was an early crusader for wilderness protections and the Wilderness is named after him. (Erin Madison/The Great Falls Tribune via AP, file) MANDATORY CREDIT NO SALES

Photographer retraces Bob Marshall’s wilderness trek

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) — Bob Marshall hiked 288 miles over eight days through the northwestern Montana wilderness in 1928.Marshall would average 36 miles a… Continue reading

ADVANCE FOR THE WEEKEND OF NOV. 14-15 AND THEREAFTER -FILE - In this July 24, 2014, file photo, packrafters hike up Youngs Creek Pass on a trip through Montana's Bob Marshall Wilderness. Marshall, the co-founder of the Wilderness Society, was an early crusader for wilderness protections and the Wilderness is named after him. (Erin Madison/The Great Falls Tribune via AP, file) MANDATORY CREDIT NO SALES
Gastropod shells collected near St. Lawrence Island were studied to assess if their populations affected hermit crab populations. (Photo provided by Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

Refuge Notebook: Local seashells provide more than just a home for hermit crabs

After beachcombing at low tide, perchance coinciding with a full or new moon to maximize your success, be it at Captain Cook State Park or… Continue reading

Gastropod shells collected near St. Lawrence Island were studied to assess if their populations affected hermit crab populations. (Photo provided by Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)

An Outdoor View: Passing stuff on

As Comic George Carlin said, “A house is just pile of stuff with a cover on it.”Lately I’ve been sorting through my fishing stuff, deciding… Continue reading

These fall-planted bulbs pay off later in flavor

When you think of fall-planted bulbs, it’s usually the flowering kind — old standards like daffodils, tulips and hyacinth.But edible bulbs, particularly garlic and shallots,… Continue reading

Enjoy the wilderness adventure film "Arctic Son - Fulfilling the Dream" on Nov. 7 with filmmakers Tom Irons and Jeannie Aspen from Homer. (Photo courtesy of Tom Irons and Jeannie Aspen)

Refuge Notebook: Upcoming free fall events at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center

October marks the 6-month anniversary of the new Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center. To celebrate, we are hosting a series of three special free… Continue reading

Enjoy the wilderness adventure film "Arctic Son - Fulfilling the Dream" on Nov. 7 with filmmakers Tom Irons and Jeannie Aspen from Homer. (Photo courtesy of Tom Irons and Jeannie Aspen)

An Outdoor View: Fish tacos

Fish tacos are a go-to meal at the Palmer house. As chief chef, I’ve made them with freshly cooked halibut, and I’ve made them with… Continue reading

In this photo taken Sept. 15, 2015 and provided by Art Ekerson, Ekerson center, sits on the summit of Mount McLoughlin for his 80th birthday near Butte Falls, Ore.,with his daughter, Cheryl Krieg, left, and son Kevin Ekerson, 45 years after the first time he led them to the summit. During the previous 41 times climbing to the top of Mount McLoughlin, Art Ekerson would soak up the views of Southern Oregon and Northern California in a panorama like none other. But trip No. 42 had a distinctly familial feel. (Art Ekerson via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

80-year-old climbs beloved peak one more time

BUTTE FALLS, Ore. (AP) — During the previous 41 times climbing to the top of Mount McLoughlin, Art Ekerson would soak up the views of… Continue reading

In this photo taken Sept. 15, 2015 and provided by Art Ekerson, Ekerson center, sits on the summit of Mount McLoughlin for his 80th birthday near Butte Falls, Ore.,with his daughter, Cheryl Krieg, left, and son Kevin Ekerson, 45 years after the first time he led them to the summit. During the previous 41 times climbing to the top of Mount McLoughlin, Art Ekerson would soak up the views of Southern Oregon and Northern California in a panorama like none other. But trip No. 42 had a distinctly familial feel. (Art Ekerson via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT
A tiny seed clam (Pisidium sp.) from Headquarters Lake was identified using a LifeScanner DNA barcoding kit (http://bit.ly/1XiwOkA).

Refuge Notebook: Online citizen science: Making your interests count

Many of us who spend time on the Kenai Peninsula have to some extent been drawn by our love of nature.  Midsummer traffic slow-downs at… Continue reading

A tiny seed clam (Pisidium sp.) from Headquarters Lake was identified using a LifeScanner DNA barcoding kit (http://bit.ly/1XiwOkA).

An Outdoor View: What’s a fisherman to do?

It happened a couple of weeks ago on one of those foggy, fall days when the temperature likes to hover around the freezing mark. I… Continue reading