Welcome to Winding Pathways
Winding Pathways encourages you to create a wonderous yard, whether that yard is an expansive acreage, a suburban lot or a condominium balcony. Go outside and play!
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High Plains Adventures
A journey to the American Prairie Reserve and back.
What is a Magnet Oak?
We didn’t intend to create a magnet when we planted a skinny bur oak in our front yard 13 years ago. It created a startling experience one October evening when Marion went to the porch to check the weather. A large furry form dropped from the nearby tree and scurried...
Who Gets Tattoos and Why?
Tattoos to You Recently we have noted people’s tattoos. How fun and meaningful they are. That has not always been the case. Throughout cultures, in eras past, tattoos have been both shunned and venerated. Dating from 5,000 years ago, in Japanese cultures, tatts...
Bivouac Camping
What To Do When No Room At the Inn? Basic bivouac camping gear saved our night as we drove along a rainy Ohio Interstate. We were returning to Iowa from a business trip in New Jersey. The 1000-mile trip is too far for us to make in a day so we normally plan to...
What Do Frank Lloyd Wright and Thoreau Have In Common?
Acquired stuff grows. Literally! A periodic house and yard cleaning practice helps move stuff and clutter out. When in good repair we donate useful items. Broken or dated items see the landfill. We are careful about what we buy to reduce the need for either of these outcomes.
How Do Late Blooming Flowers Help Pollinators?
By September our thoughts and actions turn to autumn - fall sports, raking leaves, and cozy weekend campfires. For wildlife, especially pollinators late summer and early autumn are critical times to gather nourishment for migrations or hunkering down for winter's...
Wild Elk In Pennsylvania
We were recently amazed to learn that Pennsylvania has a thriving herd of wild elk. A couple of times each year we make the long drive from our Iowa home to visit relatives in New Jersey. We traverse Pennsylvania on Interstate 80. For years we’ve been intrigued by...
Which Is Better, White Shell or Brown Shell Eggs?
What's Egg Color Got to Do With It? Are brown-shelled eggs better than white-shelled ones? Supermarkets sell all sorts of eggs. Brown or white shell. Free range or not. Organic. Vegan. Prices per dozen vary greatly. How is a consumer supposed to buy the freshest and...
Jersey Isn’t Saskatchewan
Travels this summer showed how varied the North American continent’s vegetation, landscape, and weather are. Most recently we have journeyed from New Jersey to Southern Saskatchewan. Vegetation and terrain could not be more different. Venturing from “Wide Open Spaces”...
Does Okra Increase Libido?
Curious? Well, although some websites suggest that, we don’t know. But, now that you are reading, keep on to learn the verified benefits of this unusual fruit eaten most often as a vegetable. One thing is for sure, it LOVES heat! Okra is...
Greenest Church In Iowa
The Greenest Church in Iowa is an excellent model of what people can do to reduce our impact on the earth, create beautiful spaces and enjoy each other’s company.
SQUIRRELS GET THE TREES PLANTED
Squirrels: Free Tree Planters Our neighborhood squirrels proved they are the best tree planters. An August 2020 derecho tore through Iowa pushing 140-mile-an-hour wind against trees and buildings. Trees by the hundreds of thousands tumbled to the ground. Winding...
Following The Frog Statue Through the Seasons
People love catching the latest attire of the Frog Statue at Indian Creek/East Post Road and Cottage Grove Ave SE.
Lewelling Quaker Museum
Learn about the Lewelling Quaker Home in Salem, Iowa, with its intriguing connections to Quakers west of the Mississippi, how the family overwintered fruit in the dugout cellar and transported fruit seedlings west to the Pacific Coast, and how townspeople helped people seeking freedom.
Mother Nature’s Stitches
let’s look at nature’s plants, animals, soils, air, and water from a different perspective.
“Pilgrimage” Attitude Yields Travel Surprises
What is a Pilgrimage? From: University of York: "'Pilgrim' and 'pilgrimage' are words that have carried a range of meanings over the centuries. "The English term 'pilgrim' originally comes from the Latin word peregrinus (per, through + ager, field, country, land),...