Nature’s Guys: Two Brothers, East Coast and West Coast, Home in the Woods

My brother (Gene Kuhns, Jr.) and I (David Kuhns) connect to nature. We have since we were young. Our Dad and Grandma Bertha, as well as aunts, uncles and family members, taught us how.

He's planting and organizing 10 acres on Vashon Island (near Seattle). I recently moved to 5+ acres of cedar and hickory woods along West Chickamauga Creek in Northwest Georgia. We're both working toward natural and self-sustaining lifestyles. Wildflower cultivation; bee, butterfly and bird attracting; organic gardening: In short, getting off the grid and back to the woods, fields and waters as much as possible. He's an energetic, engineering type. I'm the contemplative, creative type. (He gets stuff done. I think and write about it!) We capture -- with photos and writing -- what we observe and learn. Follow the Nature Guy(s) and our opposite coast adventures!

---

The Wildflower Fire Experiment + What Is This Flower?

A couple of months ago, I was mulling over what to do with the long grasses which are covering the north part of my property. I know some of the clumps are non-native and invasive species, while the other grasses seemed to be thatched pretty heavily, not allowing anything to grow. In addition, these grasses […]

Nature’s Guys Saturday Planting: It’s Not a Contest, Is It?

I have to confess: With all the things he gets done, my “little” brother Gene (the West Coast Nature’s Guy)  is sometimes a motivator … and sometimes I wonder if I can keep up with him in our rural life. His Live Innovations Farm and Education Center Facebook posting from Saturday said this: March 24 at 11:33pm Had […]

Saving Water – Bucket List Water Conservation

Most folks agree: Water conservation is vital, since water is the most important resource on the planet. Having running water is almost as important. Wasting water is something that’s bothered me since I was a teenager. Becoming an independent water user was one of the first items on my “to do” list when I moved […]

Planting Rainy Day Perspective Change

It always strikes me as strange when folks say they can’t work in the rain. I’m learning that people in different parts of the country have very different perspectives on working in the rain. I lived in Seattle for nearly three decades. What happens when you have plans to work in the yard in Seattle […]

Wildflower Planting Coast-to-Coast

Gene Jr. lives in the Pacific Northwest, near Seattle, WA. Fly diagonally across the USA to where Dave lives in Northwest Georgia. Yet, thousands of miles apart, Nature’s Guys were planting wildflowers on the same day! I called Gene to get some more information. Here’s a summary of our wildflower discussion: Dave: What type of […]

What Is It? Nature’s Guys Want To Learn!

I confess: Nature’s Guys don’t know everything! Especially about the flora and fauna of Northwest Georgia, where I just moved. But this morning in mid-March, a whole bunch of birds’ songs hit my ears. And I’m curious: What ARE they? So we decided to start a new section of Nature’s Guys, called “What Is It? […]

So Much Nature! Not Too Much I Hope!

My property in Northwest Georgia is covered with nature I don’t recognize. New flowers. New trees. New bugs. New birds. Things I’ve never heard, seen, smelled or felt before. It’s almost as if I can’t keep up. Is it possible that there is just too much to learn? Not to mention, it’s Spring, which means […]

Why Take Risks

The field had to flood. The pair had to trek through woods. Risk brings blessed beauty.

Albino Grackle – What Is It!?!

A couple of years ago (July 2016) my dad said he thought he’d seen a white bird feeding with a bunch of dark (purple) grackles at a neighbor’s lake-side bird feeder (normally reserved for geese and ducks). Sure enough, when I went out to see, I was able to video this rare albino grackle! One […]

Spread the love