Introduction

From the time I was a child, I always wanted to live in the country. It seems like some people just have a fascination with nature, and that was certainly me. I was always pestering my widowed mother to sell our suburban home and get a farm in the country. She never did, and it was not until I'd been an adult for a long time that I finally realized my dream.

Fortunately, I married a man who shared my dream, and we are now blessed to have a six-acre property in beautiful, rural Carroll County, Maryland. We're surrounded by farms, woods, and wonderful views. Our property has a stream and an acre or so of woods, so there is plenty of wildlife here. We have an aging horse, two miniature donkeys, two wonderful dogs, and a bunch of barn cats. We are privileged to dwell among all manner of interesting critters, from deer to raccoons to foxes to squirrels and all kinds of birds, insects, amphibians, and fungi.

I love studying these fascinating critters. Every now and then I wonder about them, asking such questions as, "Where do flies go in the wintertime and how is they can be resurrected on a sunny day in January?" "What do crickets eat?" and "What are those orange and black bugs that are all over the side of the garage?"

So I decided to create a blog where I can answer some of those questions and record some of my day-to-day observations.

If you live in Carroll County and would like to join me in my search, share some stories, or raise a few questions of your own, you are most welcome. And of course even if you don't live in Carroll County, I hope you find this blog entertaining and educational and tell some stories from where you live, too.