Hi! I am Heather and I am a nature lover!   My journey began a few years ago while I was helping my dad take care of my mom before she passed away. I would spend time while she slept in the afternoons watching the birds in their backyard.  Birding took me out of my comfort zone and to many new and interesting places and soon led to my discovery that there is so much more beyond birds…butterflies, bees, flowers, and much much more!   It soon became a passion, and some may say an obsession. I have combined my love for nature with my love for photography. Many of the journeys I have taken on my own, some with family, and some with new friends. Now I hope to inspire you to get out there and enjoy all that nature has to offer. 

I am so thankful for all that has come from my nature journey:

• a new appreciation for nature and the world around me

• a connection to others, I have made new friends in many places

• opportunities to explore new places and revisit old places

• improved health – it gets me outside

• improved brain function – stimulates my brain and hones my senses

• patience

I spent over 20 years in the classroom teaching grades 1-3 except for the 1/2 year I taught Middle School Language Arts…I never thought that year would end! In those 20+ years I never took much time for myself. I was either teaching, planning lessons, grading papers, planning field trips, serving on committees, or raising my own children. Who had time to stop and look at birds and nature? Now looking back on it all, I wish I had taken the time. 

My hope is that this blog will help others understand more about the natural world around us. I have gained so much in my short time observing nature around me.