Charlie's Incredible Water Wheel

Many of you know Charlie and Louise Allred because I've named him "the Butterfly Man" who made this Butterfly Bench out of steel for our garden. It's been a treasure that I don't believe will ever be matched. My emotions about it can't be expressed in words.

Charlie is always creating and trying to do something he's not done before, so this year he brought us an incredible gift. A water wheel for the garden. Louise loves gardens, so I'm sure he receives a lot of inspiration from her.

The sound of water and the mesmerizing spin of the wheel is a delight from the screened porch. The birds like playing in the base supply of water and the squirrels don't quite know what to think of it.

You can see it running and hear the water (and our voices) on a video I placed at You Tube.

Value of Trees Is Rising

I love trees and forests and woodlands. Having vitiligo for the past 31 years has forced me to avoid the sun, so I fell in love with forests. I grew up with maple trees outside my window. Sounds like a nice rural setting, but at that time I lived on the 3rd floor of an apartment building. I must've fallen in love with trees as a child, but just didn't know it. Lebanon, PA, had a lot of trees on the streets, as most towns did back in the 50's.

I wonder if the pace of life picked up as we took the green out of our cities? When people took the time to garden and enjoyed trees enough to build around them, the pace was a lot slower. God gave us green growing plants to renew and refresh our busy minds.

The trees in American backyards may be worth far more than the cars in the front drive, at least in theory. Amid fears of global warming, tree hugging is on the rise. Michael Bloomberg has plans to plant 1 million trees in New York.

A recent “tree census” in New York City values the city's nearly 600,000 trees at $122 million. A rough breakdown:

$11 million for filtering out air pollutants
$28m saved in energy consumption (less need for air conditioners)
$36m for stemming storm-water run-off
$53m in “aesthetic benefits”

Read the entire story at The Economist.

Overwhelmed, Fearful, Anxious and Tired

by Donna L. Watkins

Living near the Blue Ridge Mountains provides many opportunities to hike and climb mountains. With rheumatoid arthritis my brain and body tell me that it's not something that I should consider, but I love forests and mountains, so when I want to do something really special that's where I want to be, because in my heart and spirit I know that's where healing occurs so I don't want to let the devil get the best of me.

The decision to do it is overwhelming with the fatigue I experience, but I remember what it was like the last time I went. Looking at a few photos from the last time will really get me in gear. Then I take the first step to pack some water, food, hiking boots, and a few field guides. After that, it's all "downhill" to get the show on the road.

Are you overwhelmed with a situation in your life? Not sure which direction to go or which way to turn? Feeling all alone because you don't know who can help or guide you?

You can do this! The more you dwell in the fear and let it rule, the more you will be enveloped with a heavy black cloud that will literally eat you up. Fear eats our minds and bodies. We were given faith by God and you have access to it at any moment in time.

Reach for faith. Speak the Word. Get your Bible and sit down and breathe deep 10 times. Don't stop at less. Then ask God to guide you and He will show you something in His Word that you can cling to and that two-edge sword will stop the devil in his tracks.

God has promised to "take the hand of those who don't know the way ... and to show them what roads to take." (Is. 42:16) You have to take the first step to get out of the spot you're in.

Have you decided to hike and you drive to the location and get to the trailhead and think, "oh my goodness! what am I doing here? I'll never get to the top of this mountain." But you do! Not by thinking about the top of the mountain, but by putting one foot in front of the other. Focus on one step at a time and soon you will look up and be at the mountaintop, far above the problem and able to see how it all fits in.

Remember the monkey bars at the playground when you were growing up? You climbed up there and took hold of the first bar and then you needed to step out to get across, and worse than that, you had to let go with one hand to reach for the next bar. What a great feeling when you got to the other side!

You can do this. You know you need to move out of the fear that's keeping you in prison. You probably already know WHAT you need to do. Stir up that faith within you and hike out of it!

Copyright and Reprint Information
All photos remain the property of Donna L. Watkins and may not be republished without written permission. You may forward or use this copyrighted article on a website if you include the following credit and an active link back to this site:

© 2000-2007 Donna L. Watkins - This article was reprinted with permission. Visit the author's website, TheNatureInUs.com, for more articles and free email subscription. Link URL: http://www.thenatureinus.com

Green Tea - Multitude of Benefits

A growing number of studies in the past few years have turned up signs that consumption of green tea helps slow the development of heart disease and certain cancers. As chemists probe how this brew works its medicinal magic, they have increasingly homed in on a family of antioxidants known as catechins (pronounced cat-i-kins).

Lester A. Mitscher of the University of Kansas presented new data demonstrating that at least three of green tea’s catechins outperform a number of common natural antioxidants. In one test, for instance, the catechins proved 100 times more powerful than vitamin C in halting oxidative damage to DNA and 25 times more powerful than vitamin E. Their oxidation-quenching activity also surpassed that of the resveratrol in grapes and wine.

If you're not into drinking tea, Green Tea is available in capsules in a more concentrated form. I use Nature's Sunshine Green Tea Extra in capsules.

Choosing The Right Tree For Your Yard

My Photo From Our Bluebird Cove:
Serviceberry in Spring Bloom (aka Juneberry or Shadblow)

Backyard Habitat^TM
By Doreen Cubie

About 15 years ago, when my husband and I bought a Victorian rowhouse in Washington, D.C., the "landscaping" consisted of a few scattered weeds. Not long after moving in, we began clearing and planting the tiny yard. There was room for only one tree, and we selected a Bradford pear. It turned out to be a terrible choice.

Even though this Asian native is planted by tens of thousands of homeowners across the country, I soon learned these trees attract very little wildlife. Butterflies ignored its blossoms. The neighborhood catbirds and robins shunned it. Only flocks of invasive starlings came to dine on its stone-hard fruit.

"Many people make this mistake," says D.C. landscape architect Mary Pat Rowan. "A serviceberry would have been better." These small native trees, also called juneberry or shadblow, entice more than two dozen species of birds to their fruit. Their beautiful spring foliage is equal to that of the Bradford pear, and their fall foliage is superior.

Read the rest of the article at the NWF website.

Photos: Gloucester, Yorktown and Williamsburg, Virginia

We enjoyed our trip to the Eastern Shore for the VA Native Plant Society Conference. It's a different type of habitat for wildlife and the water views were a nice comparison to the mountains we see.

Freedom Park Forest and Garden - Williamsburg, VA 9-16-07

Historic Downtown Yorktown, Virginia 9-15-07

Gloucester County, Virginia 9-14-07

Hurry, Hurry, Worry, Worry

by Donna L. Watkins

Does the title of this article sound like your life? Or maybe you're like me. For way too many years I said I did not worry. I was just responsible and task-oriented so I had to think about things to be sure everything was scheduled in the right way, at the right time, for the right people, to get the best results. Responsibility is a good character quality ... but it can be taken too far.

We get so wrapped up in tasks that we have no time left to take care of ourselves and having time to play doesn't even enter the picture. As Christians we get caught up in doing good, and if we don't love ourselves, we depend on people to love and appreciate us. Many a person that is doing something "for God" gets very offended and angry when they don't get the proper appreciation from the task.

It's easy to bury our hurts and wounds in doing stuff. Hurry, Hurry. No time to think about the pain. No time to take it to Jesus. No time to deal with it. But the body has to deal with it and these things add up to health problems.

It may seem very spiritual to be busy doing good, but can we be more spiritual than Christ's example? Jesus never hurried. Not even for death. With the short amount of time that He had to accomplished a large task, you would think He would stay up all night to get things done and prepared for the next day.

The Bible tells us He went up to the mountain to spend time with His Father every morning. He walked from town to town, so you know that "wasted" a lot of time. He had time for his friends (disciples) to share food and fellowship. He took time to grieve. When He heard that John the Baptist was beheaded. (Mt. 14:13) He "withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place." When people were hungry, He took time to feed them. How many meals have you missed in your busyness? He was even able to sleep in a boat that was in the middle of a storm. (Mt. 8:24)

When asked what the greatest commandment was in the whole Law, He responded that we are to love God with all our heart and the second greatest is to love others as we love ourselves. (Mt. 22:36-39)

There was no Hurry Hurry in Jesus and there certainly wasn't any Worry Worry. Jesus said, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Mt. 6:27) We sure can take away a lot of hours in our lives by worrying. And what a waste it is! Why do we worry? Because we don't trust God with our lives.

Are you willing to let go of all the things you don't have control of anyway? How many more hours, days and years are you going to give to the devil? If God is big enough to save you and take you to Heaven, isn't He big enough to handle all those things on your worry list? The only correct answer is: Yes!

Related Article:
Walking Like Jesus

Copyright and Reprint Information
All photos remain the property of Donna L. Watkins and may not be republished without written permission. You may forward or use this copyrighted article on a website if you include the following credit and an active link back to this site:

© 2000-2007 Donna L. Watkins - This article was reprinted with permission. Visit the author's website, TheNatureInUs.com, for more articles and free email subscription. Link URL: http://www.thenatureinus.com

Migration - Ruby-throated Hummingbirds

The Fall colors are coming into the gum trees, poplars and dogwoods. I’ve filled our 12 bird feeders for all the migrating birds and have left the dead flowers with seed heads standing for the birds so they have some variety and native foods. I’ve already put 4 suet feeders out since fat can make a big difference in energy as many species gear up for migration - an awesome thing.

To think of our tiny Ruby-throated Hummingbirds flying so far. This female will probably migrate to Central America. They’ve got a 500 mile flight over the Gulf of Mexico at the shortest distance. It takes them 18-20 hours of non-stop flying. That’s incredible to me!

They fly at about 25 mph which is faster than ships travel. A hummingbird can fly the same distance faster than a ship can travel there. I’ve read that a hummingbird can safely fly up to 26 hours non-stop. Sounds like a miracle to me. Before “our” hummingbirds even get to the coast for the 500 mile trip, they have a 981 mile journey from Central Virginia.

So fragile a praying mantis can catch them and yet so tough to take such a challenging journey. Since I will be spending 9 weeks in Costa Rica this winter, I suppose it’s possible I’ll be seeing the same birds that have been feeding at our flowers all summer long.

Hilton Pond has a great article on hummingbird predators. Learn as much as you can to keep these beautiful birds in our backyards.

Winterizing Your Backyard For Wildlife

Looking for a way to help wildlife during the winter season? Now is the time to begin thinking about it. Here you'll find tips based on where you live. Click on the area of the country you are in and get some specifics on what you can do to your wildlife habitat to help the critters and birds make it through the winter. Visit now.

Finch Eye Disease Survey - Birds Need Your Help!

This is the time of year we are seeing a lot of migrating finches. House Finches were the first species to have a deadly problem with conjunctivitis. It has now spread to the American Goldfinch (see photo) and other species.

Cornell University has been tracking this for many years. Now with avian flu being linked to humans, it is important to continue the tracking of the Finch Disease.

Sick birds have swollen, weepy, irritated, or crusted-over eyes. Symptoms are easily discerned and the disease poses no risk to humans. Participants help to track the spread of this disease which gives "science" valuable data.

Will birds become resistant to the bacterium? Why are there seasonal fluctuations in disease prevalence? Will the disease spread to other species? Do localized "mini-epidemics" of this disease occur?

This American Goldfinch came through our backyard and although I try to capture the birds and take them to be humanely put down at The Wildlife Center, I could not get more than a photo of this one. Not all of them look this bad.

You can be a key to helping these and other birds that the disease may spread to, by simply observing your backyard birds and reporting to Cornell online or by mail. You can learn more of the identifying signs and get more information at Cornell Online.

Together we can make a difference for the birds and humans.

The Demanding Dog

Cheryl Falkenburry, (founder of Center Hill School), has traveled the world helping people make sense of mind-boggling animal behavior. Working with animal behaviorists in Tucson, Arizona and England, majoring in psychology, and becoming a certified parenting educator prepared Cheryl to teach both humans and animals.

Question: Our dog is very demanding and nudges us with his nose when he wants a bone. If that doesn't work, he grabs our arm with his teeth. It's so annoying so we end up giving him the bone, but now his behavior is getting worse. He tears the newspaper and spills our coffee. He even does it to guests. I'm afraid we've created a monster by always giving in and letting him have a bone, but I don't know how to stop him from grabbing our arms!

A: Well, as you guessed it, you rewarded the behavior by giving him the bone, so now he's going to do it more. It worked in the past, so why not keep doing it?

Now you are going to have to turn the dog's behavior around. When you see him coming, be prepared. Body block him by turning your body, or getting up and walking away. The key is to totally ignore this kind of behavior. Act like he doesn't exist, which is going to be difficult in the beginning because he sounds pretty persistent.

Have the newspaper ready and put it between you and the dog when he approaches. Cross your legs, put out a foot, anything to body block him but do it without looking or talking to him. Make it a casual move that stops his actions. If he gives up and goes away, make sure you go over and praise his behavior. That is the time to give him the bone.

Pretty soon his little doggie mind is going to realize that lying down gets the bone, not being obnoxious and grabbing at his humans. It takes a while to turn this kind of behavior around, but consistency is the key. Set it up so you have guests that know what's going on. Let them know the rules so the dog sees that all humans have changed their behavior.

If he's being too obnoxious for body blocks to work, get up and walk away. DO NOT SAY ANYTHING TO HIM. Don't look at him, don't talk to him, the dog does not exist when he acts this way. Your change in behavior will throw him for a loop. His ill-mannered behavior may actually escalate at first because it worked before, so maybe doing it more will work now. When he sees that tactic not working, he'll try different behaviors.

Wait for the behavior you want, and be sure to praise and reward that behavior immediately. Patience and consistency is the key. If he's a really big dog and walking away and ignoring is not working too well, have a little can of Binaca breath spray in your pocket. When he comes up to grab your shirt, spray a little Binaca in his mouth. When he stops pulling on you and hopefully walks away trying to get the taste out of his mouth, you can then set a biscuit on a pillow (dog bed, mat) away from where you are sitting to encourage him to go to that spot.

Again, during this process you say nothing, you make no eye contact. The squirt of breath spray is only to interrupt the behavior. However, I suggest starting with the above method and only using the Binaca as a last resort as, believe it or not, it is a form of attention--some dogs even crave negative attention.

Ask About Your Pet's Behavior Problem
Cheryl recognized that the concepts of positive parenting and loving leadership worked whether her clients were parents of human children or furry ones and applies her positive parenting skills to her animal training sessions. She has helped thousands of people develop new and exciting relationships with the animals who share their lives. Get details on phone and email consultations.

Antibacterial Mindset Could Cause Asthma and Allergies

The rising incidence of asthma and allergies in the developed (cleaner) world, doctors say, could be tied to the relatively sterile environments our children live in compared to a generation ago. Children not exposed to harmful bacteria, or conversely, given antibiotics to kill bacteria, do not receive the germ workout required to make antibodies. More specifically, they do not develop T-helper cells, which fight foreign cellular invaders and minimize allergies.

Unfortunately the American consumer is at war with all bacteria. According to the Soap and Detergent Association, more than three-quarters of liquid soap and more than a quarter of bar soaps on supermarket shelves contain triclosan, an antibiotic that kills most bacteria, both good and bad.

Read the entire article at Live Science.

The Best Milk Substitute - Tofu Moo

I love this stuff. Before we began using this almost 20 years ago, I didn't have an acceptable soymilk to replace the milk I had given up in the late 70's. Beige colored soymilk was fine for cooking, but I missed having cereal and smoothies. Then this product was announced. My brain loved the white color of the milk and I now had an option for cereals.

Being in powder form I can make as much or as little as I need for the week and I especially love being able to travel with it. That means I can have cereal with our free hotel breakfasts.

Research has shown that the epidemic of hardening of the arteries, which leads to more deaths annually than cancer, is directly attributable to homogenized milk. This research was done by Dr. Kurt A. Oster and his 20 years of research is documented in the book called, "Homogenized."

Nutritionists have reported that up to 70% of the world's population may be lactose-intolerant to some degree. Lactose is the sugar found in milk. These people must avoid lactose-containing foods, such as milk, yogurt and whey products. Casein, a milk by-product, is also very allergenic.

Tofu Moo is an alternative for children and adults that continuously have mucus and allergy problems. Milk is one of the major allergy-causing foods. Tofu Moo looks like and tastes like milk. It can be used in any recipe as milk. One 8-oz. serving equals 50% of the Daily Value for Calcium.

Tofu Moo is made from tofu, which is made from soybeans. Tofu is used rather than soy itself so that the crude fiber of soybeans is removed which gives it a digestion rate of 95%. This is especially attractive to those with special digestive needs, such as children and older adults.

Nature's Sunshine Tofu Moo is:
Fat Free
Cholesterol Free
Dairy Free
Lactose Free
Easily-digested Non-GMO Soy Protein from Tofu
Low Sodium

Get more info

Learn About Birds With BirdSleuth Game Cards

You'll love the new BirdSleuth Game Cards - a great way to help beginning birders learn how to identify birds.

The front of each card is a beautiful, full-color 5x8 image of the bird. The back of the card describes the habitat, food preferences, and breeding biology of the bird, along with a range map, BirdSleuth Trivia Questions, and a Cool Fact.

Included is as a special bonus is access to a password-protected online bird quiz, where you can play videos and sounds of these birds. Enjoy learning facts about your local birds as you learn to identify them.

Find links to Eastern and Western U.S. game choices at www.sapsuckerwoods.com

Barrel Cactus - Desert Traveler's Friend

What two things are most important to someone lost in the desert? A compass and some water.

If you're lost in the desert and find a compass barrel cactus, you have both in this amazing plant. There are many true stories told about people who were lost in the desert and dying of thirst until they found the compass barrel cactus.

Read the entire story or listen to the audio version at Creation Moments.

Good Reasons To Buy Locally Grown Food

Local food is fresher and tastes better than food shipped long distances from other states or countries. Local farmers can offer produce varieties bred for taste and freshness rather than for shipping and long shelf life.

Buying local food keeps your dollars circulating in your community. Getting to know the farmers who grow your food builds relationships based on understanding and trust, the foundation of strong communities.

There's never been a more critical time to support endangered family farms. With each local food purchase, you ensure that more of your money spent on food goes to the farmer.

Knowing where your food comes from and how it is grown or raised enables you to choose safe food from farmers who avoid or reduce their use of chemicals, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, or genetically modified seed in their operations. Buy food from local farmers you trust.

Local food doesn't have to travel far so it's better for the environment. This reduces carbon dioxide emissions and packing materials. Buying local food also helps to make farming more profitable and selling farmland for development less attractive.

When you buy local food, you vote with your food dollar. This ensures that family farms in your community will continue to thrive and that healthy, flavorful, plentiful food will be available for future generations.

Source: FoodRoutes.org

Here's a list of sites to help you find a farmer, farmers' market, farm stand, or local food outlet near you:

www.foodroutes.org
www.localharvest.org

How-to Information On Watching Wildlife

Wildlife observation is a fun learning experience for people of all ages, and you can do it no matter where you live or travel. Best of all, watching wildlife doesn’t require a big budget or a lot of equipment. In fact, observing animals in your own neighborhood can be just as rewarding as traveling deep into the jungle. No matter where you go, here’s a how-to article that will tell what you need to know.

Freedom Park Forest and Garden - Williamsburg, VA

Our last field trip while attending the VA Native Plant Society conference was to Freedom Park in Williamsburg, VA. We've not been too interested in the typical tourist places of Williamsburg, but this nature walk was very exciting and we learned a lot from the girl who led it. She grew up in the same county that my grandfather lived in here in Virginia. Learning the names of plants was like learning the names of the streets for those of us who grew up in the city. Her enthusiasm and love for the outdoors was inspiring. View photo album of Freedom Park.

Historic Yorktown, Virginia

Although we live in Virginia, it's still exciting to discover new places we've not seen. Yorktown was one of those places. We had a native plant society conference there and got to look around quite a bit. We had stayed in towns nearby during the 6 years we've lived here, but just had not ventured into Yorktown.

We were delighted with the revitalized area they've done by the river and were surprised to discover that Yorktown is where the Revolutionary War ended. The views of the ships, water and seagulls were peaceful and very refreshing.

Neither Randal nor I consider ourselves very history-oriented, but the older we get, the more interesting it is. Maybe it's because we'll be history one day. View Yorktown photo album.

Historic Gloucester County, VA

We had some free time while attending the VA Native Plant Society annual conference, so we took a ride into Gloucester, a quaint historic town and enjoyed the afternoon there. There seemed to be flowers everywhere. On the way back we stopped at a church built in 1755 with walls two feet thick. View photo album.

What Were You Created To Do?

by Donna L. Watkins

How often I have made life difficult. I guess the old slogan, "no pain, no gain" must've sunk in at some point because I kinda figured that I should be able to do it all ... even if I didn't really have a clue about it.

Multi-tasking is easy when you're working in your "zone" but when you've got things on your schedule that really don't fit who you are ... life gets a bit bumpy.

I read a statement in a devotional a few weeks ago that said, "Love is overshadowed by a mental clipboard with a long checklist ... requiring others to measure up." My checklist focused on what I required of myself.

Maybe your checklist is too long and you're not finding time to love yourself because you don't measure up to what is expected, even though the expectations are unattainable. When we focus on our strengths ... the talents God has given us (Romans 12:6), we can get more done without anguish and we will be more effective at what we do.

This seems like good advice to determine where to spend your time:

"Work where you're strongest 80% of the time. Work where you're learning 15% of the time. Work where you're weakest 5% of the time."

It's great to quote "I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me," but it should not be a daily routine that you've chosen. Reassess your strengths and skills. Ask those who know you because you may have been swimming up hill for too long to remember where your talents lie.

We each have abilities to do great things, but the devil can get us off track when we try to do what somebody else is gifted to do. We're not effective and we're not happy. So the moral of the story is: Be YOU! Enjoy it!

The Boreal Forest - Helping Our Songbirds

It is soon time to see some of our familiar bird visitors that come south from the boreal forest where they were birthed.

More than 80 percent of the global population of Dark-eyed Juncos (see photo to left) is estimated to breed in this forested area. What would our winter birdwatching be without the busy chatter and delight of Juncos? Their pink bill and slate coloring make them a favorite of my winter-time window-watching delights.

The boreal forest shelters more than 300 bird species and 50 percent of the total populations of nearly 100 bird species. It produces an astounding 3–5 billion birds each year, one billion of which spend the winter in the United States.

Many of our most familiar birds are abundant because more than 70 percent of the boreal forest is still ecologically intact. But, the very place that produces so many of the birds we love is being destroyed to feed the American appetite for cheap energy, paper, and other wood products. Approximately 80 percent of Canada's forest product exports go to the United States. Almost two thirds of the wood cut in Canada's boreal forest is used to make paper, including catalogs, junk mail, magazines, and newspapers.

Read the entire article and please take the time to find out what you can do to help. Stop catalogs you don't want to receive, stop junk mail, be more efficient with resources. Make a difference by doing "something" to help the birds we enjoy so much in our backyards.

An Indoor Piece of Earth For The Cat

As you can see from this photo, Squeek loves her kitty meadow. Since she was a feral cat, she really enjoyed being on ground and eating her favorite grasses. So, we took a litter box and filled it with dirt and dug up some of the grasses she liked and a few other things to fill in plus some sticks and mulch and leaves to make her an indoor place where she could still lie on the ground. She has loved it.

If you've got a feral kitty or one that really likes the feel of the earth beneath their feet, you might take the time to give them a piece of their own dirt. It doesn't take long to make one and if you give it a sunny spot the plants will continue to grow if you add a bit of water. Every time I take water over to the box, Squeek stands beide it to watch. I guess she's wanting to be sure I do a thorough job. She likes to see that grass growing because she loves to nibble on it.

Fall Housecleaning - Don't Trash It - These Sites Help You To Give It Away

Don't trash the outdated clothes and tv and computers, washing machines and kitchen appliances. There are people who would be grateful to have them. Check out www.FreeSharing.org and www.FreeCycle.org online where you can share what you have for free.

Tip for posting:
Make sure you mention they have to pick it up if you do not want to deliver it.

The Season to Plant Berries For The Birds

Now is an excellent time to set out fruiting plants if you live in the southernmost sections of the country. Gardeners in the northern tier and mountain states can plant in the spring.

"Fruits are very important for overwintering birds," says Christopher Whelan, an avian biologist with the Illinois Natural History Survey. According to Whelan, many insectivorous birds change their diet in the fall and winter. Woodpeckers, thrashers, quail, robins, waxwings, mockingbirds, bluebirds, grouse, catbirds, thrushes and even chickadees and titmice turn to berries when the weather gets bad.

Read the entire article on the National Wildlife Federation website.

Leave Those Dead Garden Flowers For The Birds

I mentioned I was dead-heading the butterfly bushes to produce a bunch more flowers for the butterflies. That's a good thing because buddelias, butterfly bushes, can be invasive if you let them seed. I am very careful not to allow invasive plant seeds get too far away, so I don't like birds eating them and carrying them off.

Other than the invasives, I leave my dead flowers go to seed for the finches and sparrows. The American Goldfinches especially love to hang from the many varieties of salvias we have. The deer don't like them so we enjoy planting them. Here's a photo of American Goldfinches on our salvias eating seeds.

You have to consider what's the best use for the particular plant. Dead-heading will produce more blooms for the hummingbirds, bees, butterflies and all, but when it's coming to the end of the season for one of your plants, let it seed so you can feed the birds.

We have 9 feeders in our yard right now, but like us, the birds need a variety of nutrition and different seeds provide that variety of nutrients like different nuts can provide for us. You can't just think about "pretty" when it comes to flowers that are past their blooming cycle. After they've produced the seeds, we need to let the birds have them.

I enjoy having the opportunity to talk about it as people drop by ... since so many people have been "trained" to dead-head and don't think of any reason not to do so. How delighted there are to know that they can save the work, tell others about bird feeding, and have a show to enjoy as the birds feast in their yard.

Our green-headed coneflowers are just beginning to bloom. They are right up against our front porch and I love to see the goldfinches gather for their feast so close to the windows. What they drop to the ground, the sparrows eat. It's such a joy to know that even after my plants finish blooming, they provide life and enjoyment to the birds of the air. After all .... what did I plant them for anyway? Here's a photo of the goldfinches on our coneflowers.

Here's a great article to get lots of tips:
Autumn Cleanup in the Wildlife Garden

Herbal Mouthwash for Healthy Gums

Having rheumatoid arthritis, you get a number of complementary problems, such as gingivitis, so rather than use all those chemical mouthwashes, I've been making an herbal mouthwash with essential oils that are used for this problem.

It's less expensive and I use the essential oils for countertop spray to avoid chemicals also. Essential oils are very antimicrobial.

Here's one of the recipes I've used for the mouthwash. I take an empty 8 ounce bottle with a flip top lid (mine is from Frozen Lemon Juice). I add 6 ounces of purified water, 2 teaspoons of glycerin (optional for sweetness), and for essential oils for healthy gums, I used 7 drops Rosemary Essential Oil, 7 drops Thyme Oil and 7 drops of Peppermint Oil. You can find the glycerin at a drugstore. In our area it was one of the family-owned ones.

Litter Box Issues

Most people don’t think about housebreaking a cat. They assume that cats will automatically use a litter box, but this isn’t always the case. If your cat is not using the litter box, go through the check list on this article by animal behavior expert, Cheryl Falkenburry, and make sure you try each suggestion. Get PDF of this article.

Helping a Dog Overcome Separation Anxiety

Dogs often have difficulty being left alone for a variety of reasons. Whatever the reason, the result is often a dog that destroys the house, urinates, defecates, salivates, or chews on themselves leaving sores. The following are some suggested steps to take to help alleviate some of the anxiety that occurs when the humans in the house leave their canine companion alone. Get PDF of this article.

Being You

by Donna L. Watkins

These two juvenile birds (a bluejay on the left and red-headed woodpecker on right) are getting an idea of who they are as they discover new things each day. Both species are generally very independent types, but these two young 'uns don't seem to know that yet.

In a subsequent photo (not of good quality) they actually had their bills together as if one were feeding the other.

Wouldn't it be grand to revisit that stage of life where we haven't yet learned the socially acceptable behaviors? We don't have a list of who we talk to and who we don't. Everybody we see is another opportunity for fun and sharing who you are while you allow others to be who they are without judgment. How lovely that kind of a world would be!

God has a purpose for every person He creates. Each birth is a miracle and within that baby's soul is a passion and purpose for each day of their life. That doesn't mean bad circumstances won't happen, and it definitely does not mean that God makes those bad things happen, but when we accept Jesus into our heart as Savior, His work on the cross and our love for God makes all the bad become good in our lives.

There is an IF clause to Ro. 8:28. If we love Him. Many people don't see any good in the awful events in their lives because they are bitter and angry and they are not loving God, evidenced by the fact that they don't trust Him with their lives. They won't release the pain and hurts of the past. They have a long list of rights, but those rights are only creating more wrong in their lives. There's no human way to get around deep wounds. We need to place them at the foot of the cross where Jesus died to heal them.

When we are free of all the chains that we've wrapped around ourselves, we can then begin to see God's plan for our lives. Each of us were made differently and we do not need to strive to become somebody else. It's not part of God's plan that you be able to be it all, do it all, and control it all.

Have you ever compared yourself to somebody else? How does it make you feel? It will never make you feel good. The Bible tells us we all have different gifts (illustrated as parts of the body). We can't all be hands, or all be heads. We are unique and will never be just like somebody else. It's a sin to desire it. Envy and coveting are sins. Loving who you are is what God desires.

Joyce Meyer says, "God's grace will never be available to you to become another person. He created you to be you - the best "you" you can be. Forget about trying to be someone else."

She gives an example in her own life where she wanted to be like her pastor's wife, who was her image of the ideal woman. She was "sweet, petite, cute, blonde, soft-spoken, gentle, mild, and endowed with the gift of mercy." Joyce described herself: "I, on the other hand, with my deep voice and straightforward, blunt personality, did not seem very sweet, gentle, mild, or merciful." She tried to be like the ideal woman, but sounded phony.

The interesting part of the story is that these two women did not get along. Finally a confrontation between them revealed that this ideal woman was trying to be more like Joyce, less fragile and more forceful, and to deal with people and things more directly and with greater boldness. No wonder they did not get along, each of them were a constant reminder that they were not becoming who they thought they needed to be.

Are you enjoying your very own personally created by God uniqueness or are you at war with yourself as Joyce and the pastor's wife were? Take your God-given rights to be yourself! Do not let the devil steal who you are by telling you that you need to be somebody else. Relish your own abilities and skills and talents. Bask in them, play in them, and enjoy who you are!

Copyright and Reprint Information

All photos remain the property of Donna L. Watkins and may not be republished without written permission. You may forward or use this copyrighted article on a website if you include the following credit and an active link back to this site:

© 2000-2007 Donna L. Watkins - This article was reprinted with permission. Visit the author's website, TheNatureInUs.com, for more articles and free email subscription.

Link URL: http://www.thenatureinus.com

Ladybugs Invading Homes

It's that time of year when ladybugs are looking for a place to winter over. This sometimes creates a ladybug infestation in the home. Maybe understanding a little more will help you to find a natural way to deal with it. Are you asking these questions?

Why do ladybugs come into my house in the winter time?
Are they poisonous?
Once the ladybugs are in my house, will they eat anything?
How can I get them out of my house?

Get answers and more detailed information on ladybugs at the Ladybug Lady's website.

When Do Migratory Birds Sleep?

The majority of songbirds migrate at night, flying for as long as five to seven hours at a stretch. And as birdwatchers know, migrants are quite active for at least several hours each morning at stopover sites.

Upon touchdown, migrants must find food to fuel their long flights, and they have to find it at unfamiliar sites, often amid lots of competition from resident birds and other migrants. Migrants that are particularly fat-depleted or that find themselves in a stopover site with poor resources may have to forage longer than migrants in better condition or at a better
spot.

During migration, birders often notice a lull at mid-day, which is apparently the time when many migrants rest or sleep. Birds then forage again in late afternoon or early evening before departing on the next leg of their journey. Considering that the rest of the year most songbirds sleep perhaps five to ten hours a night, depending on the season, their change of schedule leaves little time for sleep.

Recent neurological studies found that migrating birds spend about two-thirds less time sleeping than when they are not migrating. Yet they navigate long flights and find food, water, and shelter in novel environments.

The same level of sleep deprivation in other animals usually results in reduced cognitive function. A study using captive White-crowned Sparrows, however, found that they performed just as well on food-acquisition tasks during migratory seasons, when they had much less sleep, as they did in non-migratory periods.

How birds can function so well with so little sleep is not known. It is another one of the amazing adaptations that have allowed birds to adopt a migratory lifestyle. Find more at Birder's World website.

Fall Tasks For The Birds and Migration

Before they begin to migrate, birds undergo metabolic changes that produce large amounts of fat reserves. They need to store up to have enough energy to make the journey. Many migrating birds travel at an altitude of 3000 to 6000 feet and scientists are still not certain how birds find their way while migrating.

In Fall, don't cut down the stalks of plants like Black-eyed Susans, Coreopsis, Cosmos, Sunflowers, Coneflowers and any plant that has obvious seed heads. These are natural bird feeders and the diversity of seeds is important to their dietary needs.

When you clean your bird houses this Fall, leave some sticks in wren houses for next year.

More information on migration.

Books, Catalogs and Magazines

When it comes to printed matter, there are many out there who can benefit from what you are ready to discard or recycle as paper.

Besides the typical options of public, school and church libraries, books and magazines and inspirational pamphlets are a great aid to rehabilitation for those who've been sent to prison or juvenile detention centers. Halfway houses and nursing homes may need something new. If you can't give the books away, sell them on Half.com or Amazon.com. Form a magazine swap at work or in the neighborhood.

Cancel any subscriptions you don't need. Take a moment to call the toll-free number on all those catalogs and be removed from the mailing list. Better yet, take the time to be removed from mailing lists.

Most magazines and catalogs are made from virgin paper and much of it now coming from the boreal forest where our North American songbirds breed. This Brown Thrasher is one of those songbirds.

Facts from Audubon:

Many products with roots in Canada's boreal forest find their way into our homes, so our thoughtless consumption of them drives the destruction of the forest. The advocacy group Forest Ethics reports that about half of the paper used to print magazines, newsprint, and the 17 billion catalogues produced annually in the United States was once boreal bird habitat.

The majority of mailed catalogues are produced using virgin boreal wood fiber logged in clearcuts as big as 30 square miles. Disposable paper products like Charmin, Puffs, Kleenex, and Bounty use more than 2.5 million tons of pulp annually, most of it unrecycled, from trees sawn in the boreal. In fact, Canada's boreal forests are razed at a rate of about five acres a minute to feed the voracious consumption of wood and wood products of the United States alone.

Here's a few tips on saving paper and forests from my previous A Touch of Nature blog:

Junk Mail:
Get off the lists for junk mail and marketing phone calls. Get instructions and other tips.

Printer Paper:
Although we rarely get junk mail, we receive enough paper that we don't file away, so we use that for printer paper. Sending letters on the back of mail also sends a message to friends and family to think creatively on how they can reduce their impact on our forests. We volunteer at various places and sometimes it's an opportunity to take away a pile of paper for your printer. In the act of asking for it, we've educated people to the idea of using it rather than trashing it or recycling it.

Note Paper:
Envelopes cut or torn in half provide a good size for note paper. We have a small box/tray at each phone and store this note paper in them. Sometimes you get mail that can't be used for printers because it's wrinkled or part of it is printed on the back. We tear that up and use it for note paper also.

Correspondence:
Sometimes I want to send a postcard to keep in touch rather than a long letter. We use the greeting cards we receive for this purpose. The top or left side of the card is not written on, so it's easy to tear that part off and cut to the maximum size (4.25" x 6").

Magazines and Newspapers:
With the internet available 24/7 I find that most of what I used to have to dig for in shelved or stacked magazines can now be found in a few minutes, so we don't do magazine subscriptions. Sometimes we receive one as a gift and then I make sure it passes around to several people to make it more useful. Do your newspapers stack up before you "get to them?" If you don't read the magazines or newspapers you've got coming into the home, cancel them. They not only rob you of time and money, they do take trees to produce

Catalogs:
I keep a list of the places we like to shop and they are all online now, as most businesses are. We've canceled all catalogs and when we shop we type in or mention on the phone that we do not want to receive promotional materials and catalogs. Besides saving paper and storage space, it sure keeps your budget more manageable and your house less cluttered.

John Muir Quotes on Wilderness and Nature

"In God's wilderness lies the hope of the world – the great fresh,
unblighted, unredeemed wilderness. The galling harness of
civilization drops off, and the wounds heal ere we are aware."

"Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are
beginning to find out that going to the mountain is going home; that
wildness is necessity; that mountain parks and reservations are
useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as
fountains of life."

"I care to live, only to entice people to look at nature's liveliness."

"The clearest way into the universe is through a forest wilderness."

"Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world."

TN Valley Railroad Museum & Train Ride - Chattanooga

When we spent a weekend in Chattanooga with friends, I discovered that one of my friends had a love for trains like I do. Childhood memories for both of us. So, we booked the train ride and Engine #610 took us away. Clickety click. What a nice atmosphere for friendly conversation. View photo album.

TN River Gorge Eco Cruise

While visiting Chattanooga with friends, we decided to take the eco cruise done by Blue Moon River Cruises. It's a Tennessee River Gorge cruise that took 2-1/2 hours. What a peaceful and perfect day it was. Not too hot or cold and the wildlife were accommodating since it was an early morning cruise. View photo album.

Tennessee Aquarium & City Of Chattanooga, TN

Aquariums are still a bit of a heart struggle for me. I know they do a lot of good for conservation and understanding how to help endangered water creatures, but I my heart breaks for wild animals who are not able to be in the wild. They do live longer and as long as they're not exhibiting any stress behaviors, I can focus on the positive. Now when it comes to zoos -- I can't even talk about it.

We enjoyed our visit with friends to this huge aquarium. You can visit through my website photo album. We toured a bit around the town so you might also enjoy a few other Chattanooga photos.

Steele Creek Park and Nature Center - Bristol, TN

When we scheduled a trip to meet friends in Chattanooga for my birthday weekend, I wanted to find a nature place to stop on the way down and on the way back. This place was chosen. It is actually owned by the city but is so peaceful it felt like it was in the wilderness. Tucked away with lots of trails and water views and a Nature Center too. View photos.

Medical Services Abroad

With the cost of health care rising annually and so many Americans without health insurance, "medical tourism" has become popular. Consider a fee of less than $17,000 for double bypass surgery and you'll see why the concept is gaining ground. Natural alternatives are my preferred method and other countries surely have many of those options also at a discounted rate. Read the full story.

World's First Dog Nursing Home in Japan

There will be 24 hour monitoring by veterinarians and even a staff of young puppies to help the aging dogs feel younger. What a novel concept with a fee of $800 a month. Get full story.

Eat Like You're In France

In France the obesity rate is nearly 1/3 of that in the USA. Some dietary differences are present, but both diets are very similar. Researchers believe the obesity rate lies in two areas: Serving size and the length of time allowed for the meal.

French servings are 25% smaller on the average from North American serving size. This includes restaurants and recipes. There are a number of studies that show that when we're served less food, we eat less.

The French eat at a much slower rate, making it an enjoyable and leisurely process. We eat in half the time. Evidence also shows that eating a meal over a longer period of time leads to a more full and satisfied feeling with the smaller portions.

These factors could make a big difference in your creating a healthier lifestyle.

Studies by Cornell University, Penn State University and the University of Pennsylvania

Lay Down Your Life

by Donna L. Watkins

One of my husband's favorite Scriptures is Romans 12:1: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Randal has a natural bent on being a servant and is so flexible and willing to sacrifice his plans to help another or in many cases simply to make me happy. God's greatest gift to me after salvation has been to provide me with a good husband. Have I always, or do I always feel that way about him? Of course not! We're married and have the same struggles as most folks in making that marriage work, but in my mind and heart I see God's blessing and gift by choosing this man for me.

It is said that opposites attract and that God matures us and builds character within us by giving us opposites for spouses. That definitely holds true for Randal and me. There's little similar about us other than a love for the Lord and His Creation. We think and process differently and have different learning/comprehending methods. Communication is not as simple as speaking or listening as many married people know.

So .... when this Scripture is quoted by a man who finds it easy to mold right into it, I sometimes feel at a loss for what God has for me in it. Long ago, we chose to get away from the sad American diet (SAD) and go back to the natural foods that God created for our bodies. We've been vegetarians for 28 years and getting rid of milk, sugar and white flour in the late 70's.

I consider it a living sacrifice to feed this body whole foods while the world around me enjoys all that is said to be good and delicious, even though it is not nutritious.

But what does living sacrifice really mean? When you're fighting a disease there are days that you just want to give up, and as Christians we'd like to spiritualize that with thoughts of giving up our lives for Christ. Lay down our life. Bear our cross. Share in the sufferings of Christ. All of those things are in Scripture ... but you also remember that healing is there too. Jesus bore our sicknesses and diseases so that we might be healed.

Healed to be a living sacrifice and to lay down our lives for the cause of Christ. We can't really do any of that if we give in to disease. God didn't put us in this world to lay down and die. God made us for fellowship and we aren't here to be sick and die. David wrote in Psalm 118, "“I shall not die but live, and shall declare the works and recount the illustrious acts of the Lord."

Don't you give up on getting well!

It may be that we should sacrifice our agenda, schedule and control. Awhile back I wrote this to my aunt:

"We will do better in all aspects of life if we learn to "let go" of all we hold so tightly to and realize that control is a myth and striving for it is insanity."

The devil told God that he had a hedge around Job (Job 1:10). God has a hedge around us also. Job let the Enemy in by opening a doorway for him. God tells us, "Fear not!" What Job feared most came upon him (Job 3:25). Read the different translations of that Scripture:

NASB: "For what I fear comes upon me, And what I dread befalls me.
GWT: What I fear most overtakes me. What I dread happens to me.
KJV: For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
ASV: For the thing which I fear cometh upon me, And that which I am afraid of cometh unto me.
WBS: For the thing which I greatly feared hath come upon me, and that which I dreaded hath come to me.

What are your fears? What won't you give up control over? What don't you trust God for and about? You must change your fear and worry into faith and belief.

God wants you well and Faith truly is the victory. Like Jesus said so many times, only "believe!"

Copyright and Reprint Information
© 2007 Donna L. Watkins

All photos remain the property of Donna L. Watkins and may not be republished without written permission.

You may forward or use this copyrighted article on a website if you include the following credit and active weblink to the blog:

This article, originally published at TheNatureInUs.com blog, was reprinted with permission. Visit the author's website for more articles and free email subscription.

Stepping Out Into The Unfamiliar - Making Life Work For You

by Donna L. Watkins

The past two weeks have brought life (my birthday) and death (of a family member) to a present moment. So often we are busy doing our day to day and living in the future or the past, with the present being so routine, there's not much thought about it. Sometimes we are so busy worrying over the future that we don't take the time necessary to design it as we'd like to have it.

That's been the case for me in regards to taking enough time to beat rheumatoid arthritis. The herbs and supplements have made me comfortable enough for the past 21 years that I didn't have to be distracted with a lot of pain, so I continued "the routine."

It takes faith to step out into an unfamiliar territory and walk the narrow paths required until life feels comfortable again, but that's what I have chosen to do. I've known it for a long time ... but it usually takes a shove to get us to change course.

I began The Herbs Place business in 1982, Randal joined in 1988 full-time and it incorporated in 1991. It's been my "comfortable place." I engineered it to meet the lifestyle needed as cared for my aging parents, home schooled our child, and then on to the internet to busy ourselves away from the "empty nest syndrome."

Comfortable seasons of life get hectic and boring, but usually we just keep doing what we've always been doing and go nowhere that we want to go. Until events and circumstances force us a bit more deeply into our dreams and desires and life passions. We ask ourselves what is it we REALLY want to do?

Having chosen to get out of the rat race and work at home back in the early 80's has allowed me to enjoy the work I do. So much so, that it hasn't seemed like work. I designed my role in the business any way I wanted it and left the rest for others. You could call it a dream job. It allowed me to do what I wanted to do and to arrange my own time schedule.

Thing is though .... I love to work. I am a doer. Although I saw the wonderful side of simply being and wrote an article entitled, "Life Is In The Being, Not In The Doing," a number of years back, I kept making the choice to DO and not BE.

Finally I have chosen to take time for me. Just to BE and see what bubbles up. I seem to have a passion to write so I will continue that through this blog. No scheduled deadlines like I had for the 17 publications I did a month for the business.

There are 14,500 subscribers on the three newsletters I did and I hope you will stay with me on this journey as I continue to share the same kind of information in this blog that I did in the mailings ... in a much easier and quicker format for me.

When we take that first step into the unknown, but do so in obedience to the inner voice that guides us if we will allow ourselves to be led, there appears before us a whole new world of possibilities for dreams and seemingly buried hopes to come alive and become reality.

This photographic journey of somebody we've known since 1987 is rather symbolic of making the best of circumstances, taking risks, setting out to make the goals, and finding the joy and renewal of the process. Take time to enjoy some awesome photographs of Zion National Park in Utah relating to some philosophical wisdom of "the hike" through life.

I talked with a dear friend over the weekend and she said she'd just come across a card I'd written out for her many years back and it seemed to apply to her life at this moment. Funny, it applies to mine also ... I bet it will apply to yours too!

On the front of the card:

Ponder ....
Answer ....
Go For It!

On the back of the card:

• If I didn't have to work for a living what would I love to do?
• If I were given a million dollars tax-free, what would I do with it?
• If I found out I only have 6 healthy months to live, what would I do with them?

May I suggest you ponder and answer the questions ... and then go for it!

Copyright and Reprint Information
All photos remain the property of Donna L. Watkins and may not be republished without written permission. You may forward or use this copyrighted article on a website if you include the following credit and an active link back to this site:
© 2000-2007 Donna L. Watkins - This article was reprinted with permission. Visit the author's website, TheNatureInUs.com for more articles and free email subscription. Link URL: http://www.thenatureinus.com

Get Spiders Out of Your House Without Killing Them

Everyone will occasionally look up and find a spider clinging to the wall or dangling from the ceiling. Many people have a terrible fear of spiders, and want to kill them right away, but you don't have to kill them to get rid of them. There are many ways to safely return a spider to the outdoors without hurting it! Here's how.

Give Yourself a Break

by Donna L. Watkins

© 2006 Donna L. Watkins - Rabbit
Life becomes more complicated and hectic with each passing year. The rat race is continually gearing up to outdo itself. I don't believe life should be lived in the fast lane. There are alternatives if we look for them and truly desire them.

Change is a scary thing, but it can make some of your dreams come true. Taking that first step is the hardest, but each one after it becomes easier and more exciting. Fear is crippling, so we have to work hard not to let it take over. I read this in a devotion last month:

"Fear is living in the future before you get there."

We have so many things to fear with the news media giving us new options on a regular basis. Then we also have our own personal fears. Fear of failure and fear of rejection. Some of us do such a great job of rejecting ourselves that we don't even notice if somebody else rejects us.

Perfectionists continually berate themselves for what they don't get done or what they don't get right. Since I'm a recovering perfectionist, I know the drill. We set unattainable goals and lists of daily tasks that should require a team of people to accomplish them.

Give yourself a break from this pattern of behavior. Shout to yourself, "Have mercy on me!" Don't worry about what people expect of you. Do what you hear the Holy Spirit telling you to do. Do you want to please people or please God?

I'm in the process of a huge change in my life right now ... and these are things I am telling myself. It's so easy to go with the flow of yesterday, but if you hear a voice telling you to do something different, I encourage you to STOP and assess who it is you want to follow. Go for the gold!

Goldenrod Treasures

Goldenrod is NOT responsible for allergies.

Our goldenrod is blooming beautifully. It looks like a weed all summer long as it grows taller and taller, but at this time of year everybody knows why we left it in the yard. Such a bright beauty can't help but make you smile.

Goldenrod is unique among the flowers. It gives bees their last chance at a good winter feed. It is not only rich in nectar, but has a very high quality, protein-rich pollen.

The pollen is heavy and sticky, designed for insect pollination, not wind, so it does not contribute to hayfever and Fall allergies. The only way to get goldenrod pollen in your nasal passages is to stick the flower up your nose.

Goldenrod attracts more varieties of insects than just about any other flower. It really brings out the wasps, which may not even visit flowers until goldenrod blooms. It also draws insect preditors who feast on the visiting insects. The most amazing thing to note is that honeybees are the most frequent visitors.

This plant is considered a weed in most yards .... but if you allow it to remain you will be blessed with rich Fall color. We have transplanted most of ours on what we call Butterfly Bank since butterflies are wild about it also.

Read more about this wonderful wildflower and see pictures of different varieties. Find some in your area on private land and ask the owner if you can take some home. Don't remove plants from the wild. The wildlife in that area needs it. Local nurseries are also selling goldenrod now in perennials. It attracts beneficial insects that will feed on the bad ones.

How to Attract Animals to a Wildlife Garden

Setting up a wildlife garden can be a gradual project. If you build it they will come.

Wildlife needs what we all need: clean water, clean food, cover for protection and places to reproduce. Learn more about providing these essentials, begin converting your backyard to attract birds and critters, and watch the wildlife flock to your home. What grand daily entertainment. Read the entire article at eHow for steps on creating your own wildlife habitat.

Fall Migration - Butterflies, Birds, Mammals, Dragonflies

The arrival of fall means different things to different people. For some, the beautiful autumn colors make it a favorite season, while for others it's the mild temperatures, the World Series, or heading back to school.

For birders and their friends who like to watch butterflies, dragonflies, and other animals, the arrival of fall means only one thing: migrations. Read this article at the National Wildlife Federation site.

Cheapest Days to Buy

Depending on what you're planning to buy, some days of the week may yield better bargains than others.

Smart Money talked to the experts and narrowed down the best days of the week to buy certain items, such as airline tickets, books, cars, clothing, department store items, dinner out, entertainment, gas, groceries and hotel rooms.

Get details at SmartMoney.com.