December 21st the official start of winter. It is the shortest day and longest night and signals the beginning of the difficult road ahead for the wildlife to survive on Eighty Acres. This beautiful buck managed to avoid the hunter's bullets and arrows, but deep snow, frigid temps and a limited food supply will require the deer to skillfully conserve its strength through the bitter months ahead. The Earth Mother has assisted the deer's survival by providing a dense winter coa

The lone fox walked across Eighty Acres and left his footprints in the snow. I don't know from where he came or where he went, but he left his mark upon the land. Likewise my own steps speak to my journey across Eighty Acres. At times I ran. At times I danced. At times I fell. Soon the snow will melt, new grass will grow and my footprints and paths will slowly disappear. There will be no remorse or sadness as my footprints fade away. In the days ahead others will walk the la

Today the crabapple tree's bold summer reds, subdued winter whites, and the early morning sunshine all magically came together on Eighty Acres. And the Earth Mother spoke to the land and said it is time to rest and go to sleep under a white quilt of snow. But do not fear. I promise I will awaken you when it is time for spring. #travelwisconsin #EightyAcresPhotography #DunnCounty #Naturephotography #TravelWI #Discoverwisconsin #Wisconsin #MenomonieWisconsin #EarthMother #Midwe

Far above Eighty Acres the rotund moon marched across the night sky. Just as the sun was about to chase it away, the moon seemed to pause on the western horizon. It was then I thanked the Earth Mother for this special moment and softly whispered goodbye as it disappeared over the hill. #Mindfulness #EarthMotherssecrets #EarthMother #EightyAcresPhotography #TravelWI #Naturephotography #DunnCounty #photography #MenomonieWisconsin #Moonsetting

Please forgive me my love for my silence. Forgive me for my distance. Forgive me for being lost in thought. Even though we are standing so close, you know I am a thousand miles away from you. But tonight I have two lovers, as the Earth Mother kisses my eyes, she softly whispers a sweet good night and promises to return tomorrow. #DunnCounty #NaturePhotography #Discoverwisconsin #Eightyacresphotography #TravelWI #EarthMother #Midwest #Mindfukness #photography #SeasonsonEightyA

The story of the crab apple tree began this spring when it awoke with an explosion of red and pink blossoms. Bees and butterflies were frequent visitors to the blossoms as they sipped the sweet nectar. Its branches provided a nesting place for the birds and shade for the hostas below. In the fall, finches and chickadees feasted on the sour and bitter tasting tiny apples. But now it is time for the tree to go sleep for many months. In April, the Earth Mother will gently nudge

Tonight the Earth Mother's sky was crystal clear with a thousand stars suspended in the night sky. No breeze, a deep stillness, and I knew that tonight a killing frost would slowly creep over Eighty Acres. And I wondered if the the dahlias know this night they would die? Did they huddle together for warmth? Did they fear the inevitable? Did they shout to be rescued? By morning the temperature had fallen to 29 degrees. The dahlia stems drooped and the once bright colors had

Folklore has it that I am not supposed to be able to fly. It's something about my weight, wing size, air resistance and number of wing beats per second. But I am here to tell you that I fly just fine! My wings beat 200 times per second and I will travel over a mile just to find a sweet nectar source. Oh by the way, did you know the Earth Mother didn't give me any ears? But maybe that's a good thing. If I had been able to listen to the naysayers and all my critics I may have

To those of you who ponder whether your glass is half full, and find beauty only in a full moon. I simply say...be mindful and thankful that you have a glass to drink from, and that the Earth Mother has given you a moon to guide your steps in the night. #Mindfukness #SeasonsonEightyAcres #EarthMother #TravelWI #MenomonieWisconsin #Discoverwisconsin #EightyAcresPhotography #Naturephotography #Midwest #DunnCounty #photography #Thankfulness #Wisconsin

Over the past week I have spent a considerable amount of time attempting to identify the swallowtail pictured above. To me the world of swallowtails is quite confusing. There are hundreds of swallowtail species and when I attempt to navigate the subtle differences in their appearances I become confused. So I decided I would just be mindful of the butterfly's beauty and enjoy the moment as it rested upon a coneflower in my garden. But, if I had to take a guess, I would say i

The house wren sang it's last song this week. This tiny bird with a gigantic song only sings during the nesting season. Here you see the mother calling to her young, encouraging them to launch themselves from the nesting box, and trust that their tiny wings will carry them to a safe landing spot. How quickly the summer is passing and the wrens will soon depart Eighty Acres to begin their journey south. After they are gone I will remember their songs. I wonder when we are gone

Over the past several years, the birds of Eighty Acres have gifted me their feathers. I kept many of them in a paper bag not really sure why I was even saving them. While cleaning my garage this week I discovered the bag of feathers and decided to create a feather bouquet. Pictured above is the colorful feather bouquet that now sits on my kitchen table. There are two big benefits of a feather bouquet. The first is simply the beautiful colors. The second is no watering req

When the sun says goodbye to you at the end of the day, it is not the time for loud voices or idle chatter, Rather let us enjoy the wonder and peace of the moment, simply be mindful of the beauty and softly whisper "oh my." #Mindfukness #Discoverwisconsin #EightyAcresPhotography #MenomonieWisconsin #Naturephotography #Midwest #DunnCounty #EarthMother #sunsets #TravelWI

Pictured above is one of the many whitetail deer who make Eighty Acres their home. Each year bucks grow a set of new antlers and currently they are in their "velvet" stage. The velvet is filled with blood vessels which nourishes and develops the antlers. In a few months the velvet falls off and what remains are true bone antlers. On the deer's neck you will notice the remains of the darker colored winter fur that is being replaced by the shiny new summer red coat. Also note t

Alberta Canada, our northern neighbor, is a beautiful place with majestic mountains, prairies, and many lakes. But now it is an inferno. Fires in Alberta continue to burn out of control. Nearly a million acres are now charred, with the largest fire in the Chuckegg Creek region. The toxic smoke billows, reaches to the skies, drifts to the east, and creates spectacular sunsets over Eighty Acres. I'm sending all the good people in Alberta my prayers and hoping for better days

The Scarlet Tanager winters primarily in Columbia and Bolivia South America and is scheduled to arrive back to Eighty Acres in the next few days. Their arrival will be hard to miss. The male will dress in his usual fire red coat trimmed with jet black wings. The female will select a softer olive and yellow outfit. They will feed on insects and will build their nest, high in the forest canopy using grasses, twigs and leaves. Three to four greenish, brown spotted eggs will

The Eighty Acres trails are wet with slippery leaves and mud, with patches of dirty snow hiding in the shadows of large oak trees. I shiver as the cold wind bites my face and silently curse the slowness of spring's arrival. I then discover this elderberry bud and realize that the Earth Mother has once again kept her promise of spring. #Menomonie #dunncounty #Discoverwisconsin #EightyAcresPhotography #Naturephotography #EarthMother #Wisconsin #Midwest #TravelWI #Spring

Each dawn and dusk the battle between day and night takes place. From east to west, each side struggles for control. Each side knowing it will win. Each side knowing it will lose. At the end of this day, darkness stretches its long shadows and calls for the moon and stars to make their entrance. But before the sun slips over the horizon, it paints the sky in brilliant red, yellow and orange colors and shouts in its loudest voice. Look at me! I will be back! #TravelWI #sun

Hi!. I'm Tom the turkey. Take a good look at me. Come November and Thanksgiving, I'll be hiding and you won't find me strutting across your yard. #travelwisconsin #SeasonsonEightyAcres #Eightyacresphotography #TravelWI #EarthMother #Wisconsin #Winter #Midwest #DunnCounty #NaturePhotography #Discoverwisconsin #wildlife #photography #Bird #Turkey #Menomonie

Let me introduce myself. I was born on Eighty Acres and am now nine months old. This is my first winter and my mother told me we set a record for February snowfall. As I reflected upon this achievement, I feel proud to be a part of this historic event. But to be frank with you...overall...it sucks!. #Eightyacresphotography #TravelWI #Discoverwisconsin #EarthMother #Midwest #Wisconsin #DunnCounty #NaturePhotography #WhiteTailedDeer #SeasonsonEightyAcres #Menomonie