Chicken & Shrimp Spanish Paella- A Holiday Favorite!

Chicken & Shrimp Paella
All Photos (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2023

Here is the perfect Holiday recipe that is easy to make and delicious! Spanish chicken and shrimp paella is a crowd-pleaser because of the tasty flavor of saffron (threads) that amplifies this dish to another level. Recently, I made this dish for a Holiday potluck and everyone enjoyed it.

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saffron

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Paella is a versatile dish because you can combine your favorite type protein and vegetables. For this particular recipe, I used chicken fingers, shrimp, chicken and sage sausage. Other protein options you might want to consider are grilled chicken, scallops, and clams. The possibilities are endless!

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe.

shrimp, chicken, sausage

Shrimps– Deveined, cleaned, and tails off.

Chicken Fingers-Sliced into small pieces. I used the entire bag.

Chicken Sausage– I used frozen Applegate chicken & sage sausage. Thaw and cut into small pieces. I used the entire box. Any of your favorite sausage will work perfectly.

Applegate chicken and sage sausage
green olives, capers, and sundried tomatoes

Green Olives-Use your favorite brand. I used the green olives with stuffed pimientos.

Capers-Adds a lovely salty flavor.

Sun-dried tomatoes-I love the sweet flavors of sun-dried tomatoes. I cut them into small strips. Grape tomatoes also work perfectly as a substitute.

white rice

White Wine -White Wine is perfect for a zesty flavor or you can substitute one lemon.

Tomato Paste-You can substitute your favorite tomato sauce if you don’t have any tomato paste in the kitchen pantry.

Chicken Broth-Another substitute that works well is beef or vegetable broth.

spices for paella

Spices: Salt, Pepper, Paprika, Garlic Powder & Saffron.

White Rice-Use your favorite brand of white rice. Feel free to use brown rice if you desire.

yellow onions

Yellow Onion-Chopped yellow onion works great with this recipe.

Instructions

Add olive oil in a large pot. Chop and cook onions until browned for about 5 minutes.

Add the prepped shrimps, cubed chicken fingers, and sliced chicken sausage. Cook for 3 minutes.

Add rice, with all the spices: garlic powder, paprika, saffron threads (2 pinches), salt and pepper. Continue to cook for 2 minutes.

Add 4 cups of chicken broth, tomato paste, and white wine. Gently stir.

Finally, add olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and capers.

How to make paella
Spanish Paella

Lower heat and cover your pot of paella. Cook for 25 minutes or until rice is soft.
Set aside on a cool burner to let rice paella cool down for 5 minutes.

Helpful Tips:

  • You can store the chicken and shrimp paella in the same pot for the next day. This process allows all the flavors to settle in more.
  • When reheating the paella add 1/4 cup of water or chicken broth so your rice won’t dry out.
  • Any extra left overs can be stored in an air-tight container and placed in the freezer for one month.

Chicken & Shrimp Spanish Paella

Debra Roinestad (The Comfy Cabin)
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Spanish
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion-quartered and sliced
  • 2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 pinches saffron threads
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 18 shrimps-deveined, cleaned, and tails off
  • 1 box chicken sausage-thaw and cut into small pieces
  • 1 bag chicken fingers
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 2 cups white rice
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • ¼ cup green olives-sliced in half
  • ¼ cup capers
  • ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes

Instructions
 

  • Add olive oil in a large pot. Chop and cook onions until browned for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the prepped shrimps, cubed chicken fingers, and sliced chicken sausage. Cook for 3 minutes.
  • Add rice with all the spices: garlic powder, paprika, saffron threads (2 pinches), salt and pepper. Continue to cook for 2 minutes. 
  • Add 4 cups of chicken broth, tomato paste, and white wine.
    Gently stir.
  • Finally, add olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and capers. Lower heat and cover your pot of paella. Cook for 25 minutes or until rice is soft.
  • Set aside on a cool burner to let rice paella cool down for 5 minutes.
Keyword rice

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40 Forest Wildlife Trail Cam Videos of South Carolina

deer

Autumn in the woods of South Carolina is extremely beautiful. We are experiencing 50 degree weather instead of the mid-80’s. So there is definitely a cool down that many have hoped for in our area.

Video by Kurt Roinestad (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2023

“Nature Awakens The Soul” –Debra Roinestad (Protected by the Light: Memoir)

Severe Drought and Wildfires in the Carolinas

As of early November, the state of South Carolina is experiencing a severe drought and is in desperate need of rain. Over in North Carolina there have been several serious forest fires.

prevent wildfire

buck

And now for the good news! The critters that are active in autumn for South Carolina are foxes, bears, deer, wild turkey, raccoons, and ravens. Here is a compilation of forty short videos that our trail cam captured. I spliced them together for your enjoyment. 😊

Debra Roinestad

40 Forest Wildlife Trail Cam Videos of South Carolina

Trail Cam Video (c) Debra Roinestad, The Comfy Cabin, 2023

Trail Camera Wildlife & Nature Gallery of South Carolina

Coldbranch Mountain South Csarolin

Hello Friends,
Here is a trail cam wildlife gallery for the fall season. South Carolina is quickly reaching peak foliage which is at the end of October. Trees are turning bright red, yellow, and orange. Sometimes nature is best seen rather than described. 

Debra Roinestad blogger

Much Love,
Debra Roinestad

buck on the woods
Image in the public domain.

“There is no WIFi in the Forest but I promise you will have a better connection.”

—Unknown

Table Rock Mountain
Table Rock Mountain by Debra Roinestad, (c) Debra Roinestad, 2023.
Table Rock Mountain South Carolina
Wispy Clouds Over Table Rock Mountain by Debra Roinestad, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2023.
Cabin in the woods of South Carolina
Our Cabin by Debra Roinestad, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2023.
A Walk in the Woods by Debra Roinestad, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2023
deer with flowers
Image in the public domain.

From Our Partners

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4 Reasons to Love the Yellow Garden Spider

The Halloween Spider

Since Halloween is just around the corner, I‘m paying tribute to the garden spider. The garden spider appears in the late summer or early fall, right on time for Halloween! 

halloween spider poster
Dark Matter poster (2021) abstract spider. Original public domain image from NASA.

Here are four great reasons to love the Garden Spider

They are helpful to your garden.

yellow garden spider
Yellow Garden Spider in our garden, Photo by Kurt Roinestad, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2023.

Garden spiders are beneficial to your garden. They control pests that can harm your flowers and plants. They eat mosquitos, aphids, beetles, flies, wasps, moths, leafhoppers, leafminers, and spider mites. Plus, they help reduce harmful pathogens such as fungi and bacteria that will harm your garden with diseases such as black spot.

Bright Colors

pantone yellow

Who doesn’t like the cheerful color, yellow?  The bright yellow colors of the garden spider only occur in females, according to experts. Since we have one living with us on our porch, I began to develop an admiration for her bright color, and nick-named her, ‘Goldie’. Also, she looks great on the front porch with my Halloween decorations.

Large Size

large garden spider
Large Yellow Garden Spider, Photo by Kurt Roinestad, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2023.

They are huge and can grow about 0.75 to 1.1 inches (19 to 28 millimeters) or larger. The legs extend twice the distance of the body. The garden spider legs are decorated with striped patterns of yellow and black. Also, they are a good reminder to always think big.

garden spider legs
Yellow Garden Spider Legs, Photo by Kurt Roinestad, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2023.

A Designers Web 

garden spiders web
Garden Spider’s Web, Photo by Kurt Roinestad, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2023.

The web is extremely beautifully spun into a zig-zag pattern. The patterns remind me of the chevron pattern. She is a very stylish girl!

Chevron pattern
Chevron pattern.
Garden Spider Hiding. Photo by Kurt Roinestad, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2023.

When she feels threatened, she will use her web as a shield. Kurt was able to take some awesome photos of her while he was cleaning our front porch! All the activity frightened her but she is okay and doing quite well! 🙂👍

The spider as an artist
 Has never been employed
 Though his surpassing merit
 Is freely certified— by Emily Dickinson (Cobwebs)

garden spider
Garden Spider. Photo by Kurt Roinestad, (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2023.

Although garden spiders may start to build their web in inconvenient places you can relocate this beauty using garden gloves, a plastic cup, and cardboard to carefully move her. Release her in a more convenient area around your home or place her in a lower garden plant. She might bite if she feels threatened but she is not poisonous to humans or pets.  

Another option is breaking her web using a broom which will encourage her to find another area to build her web, which is my preferred choice.

Whenever you encounter a spider remember that it is considered a symbol of growth, curiosity, and wonder.

Happy Halloween!

happy halloween clip art
Debra and Kurt Roinestad, bloggers

Debra & Kurt Roinestad

P.S. Here is more information about the yellow garden spider by ‘My Wild Backyard.’

yellow spider

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20 Best South Carolina Wildlife Videos

deer and bear art
Art collage by Debra Roinestad (c) The Comfy Cabin 2023

It’s finally autumn in South Carolina and the wildlife have been enjoying the cooler weather. The mature bucks are filling their bellies with as much food as possible. On the trail cam video you will see a buck shedding the velvet from his antlers. This happens every season when the antlers have reached their mature size (see picture below). You can read more here from Realtree blog.

Buck Shedding Velvet From Antlers.
Buck Shedding Velvet From Antlers. (c) Debra Roinestad, The Comfy Cabin 2023

In addition, the black bears are now in their hyperphagia phase and are filling their bellies to the max!

Yogi Bear
Yogi bear cartoon by Hanna-Barbera.
Yogi bear opening by Hanna-Barbera.

I spliced together 20 trail cam videos into one entire video. As always, I hope you like. 🙂

Warm Wishes,
Debra Roinestad

Debra Roinestad blogger
Trail Cam Videos (c) Debra Roinestad, The Comfy Cabin, 2023.
Autumn leaves in the woods of South Carolina
Autumn leaves in the woods of South Carolina. Photo by Debra Roinestad. (c) The Comfy Cabin, 2023.

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Magical Coyotes & Other Wildlife Captured on Trail Cam

coyote
Image in the public domain.

Within the woods is where the magic happens! That’s especially true when you capture a coyote on the trail camera. I compiled some recent trail cam videos of coyotes along with bears, ravens and deer. I hope you enjoy.

coyote
Coyote of Mexico by Charles Hamilton Smith More. Original in the public domain.

“Coyotes have the gift of seldom being seen; they keep to the edge of vision and beyond, loping in and out of cover on the plains and in highlands. —N. Scott Momday

So, what’s so special about the coyote? What makes them so magical?

 Here are three great reasons that make a coyote special.


First, coyotes are efficient hunters because of their sharp senses. They use mostly their sense of hearing and sense of smell to capture their prey. Whenever prey is not available, they will eat large quantities of berries and fruits.

coyote in the field
Coyote in Field. Image in the public domain.

Second, coyotes are extremely fast and can run as fast as 64 km (40 miles) per hour.

wildlife trail cam
Curious coyote. Original in the public domain.

Third, coyotes are nocturnal and have nightly serenades of yaps and howls. Plus, their howls are a code for other coyotes. Coyotes have a pecking order (Alpha, beta, etc). Their howls let each coyote know who is in charge! You can read more on Decoding Coyotes Yips, Barks, and Howls.

coyote
Image in the public domain.

Wishing you a magical day!  Enjoy the trail cam video.

Debra Roinestad blogger

Debra Roinestad

(c) Debra Roinestad, The Comfy Cabin, 2023
magic

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dCee Pet Gate

dog gate

The dCee pet gate is crafted from solid Acacia with a high-quality finish, ensuring durability & and strength. The pet gate has two support legs. Freestanding dog gates provide extra stability, keeping the gates from falling while in use. dCee gate come with convenient 360-degree hinges, allowing for easy setup and storage. The premium steel hinges of the foldable dog gate are rust and water-resistant, ensuring long-lasting use.
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Smart Sips Coffee
Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Roll Gourmet Coffee, 72 Count for Keurig K cup Brewers

“Drink your dessert without the calories, carbs, or sugar.” With every sip of our gourmet flavored coffees, you experience: Zero Sugar, Zero Carbs, 2 Calories.

For those who enjoy a richer experience, our lattes, cappuccinos, and hot cocoas stand out, not just in flavor but also in nutritional value. While other brands might weigh you down with sugars and calories, our Pumpkin Spice Cappuccino delights with only 6g of sugar and 70 calories. The essence of indulgence, without the crazy amount of calories or sugar. We also have dairy-free, vegan lattes and hot cocoas.

Smart Sips Coffee stands apart in the vast coffee landscape with our exciting, unique flavors that are far from the ordinary. From the indulgent blend of Chocolate Peanut Butter to the tropical notes of Bananas Foster and the rich allure of Brown Sugar Bourbon, our offerings are a flavorful rebellion against the mundane. It’s not just about drinking coffee; it’s about savoring an experience. Say goodbye to the humdrum morning brew and embrace a ‘smarter’ way to kickstart your day with Smart Sips Coffee.

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KompleX NutritionFuel Your Fall Fitness Journey

The protein you need to build muscle, keep hunger away, and optimally nourish your body. Combined it with KompleX Nutrition Superfoods Greens and Reds Blend with Collagen. Give your body a collagen boost with the Chicken Bone Broth, Egg Shell Membrane, and Grass Fed Bovine Collagen Peptides in our Super Blend. All Komplex Nutrition products are made in the USA. It’s Vegan, non-GMO, Gluten-free all-natural, and GMP Certified! 
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Honeydew Sleep
The BEST Pillow For Neck and Shoulder PainWake Up Refreshed & Full of Energy

The Scrumptious Side Pillow is the best pillow in the world. Forbes calls it “The best pillow for side and back sleepers”, and Honeydew Sleep has won awards from Architectural Digest, Popsugar, & Good Housekeeping. Honeydew pillows are recommended by doctors and medical professionals, and actively reduce neck and shoulder pain. In addition, they improve sleep quality and productivity, which means you wake up refreshed and full of energy. The Scrumptious Side Pillow is crafted with great attention to detail, using premium materials that ensure durability and long-lasting comfort.

Ideal for Side Sleepers: Over 70% of people sleep on their sides, and when designing this pillow, the curved shape was originally envisioned to be a shoulder cut-out with Side Sleepers in mind.

Magical Fill: The pillow’s fill is truly special. It somehow manages to be simultaneously soft and luxurious, as well as substantial and supportive. It doesn’t cause ear pain and will never flatten out.

Fully Adjustable Support: This pillow is adjustable in both height and firmness so you can really dial in a custom support level for your specific body. The best part – Honeydew provides FREE fill for life to their customers.

Honeydew Sleep is a family-owned company. Made in the USA. The Scrumptious Side Pillow is proudly manufactured in the USA.
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Shop 18 Football Season Favorites for the Cooler Weather

The National Football League (NFL) season begins on September 7th, with defending Super Bowl LVII champion Kansas City hosting Detroit. Celebrate football season with these cool items to make the game extra special! Plus, warm and comfy items for the fall season. Are you ready for some football?

“You have to perform at a consistently higher level than others. That’s the mark of a true professional.” –Joe Paterno

WILSON NFL Super Grip Composite Football
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Royal Craft Wood
Serving Boards for Charcuterie, Cheese, Meal Prep – Lightweight Chopping Blocks for Meat, Fruit, Veggies & Appetizers 
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Football Is My Favorite Season T-Shirt
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Sili Wraps
Double Wall Insulated Tumbler | Unbreakable Plastic Party Cups | Reusable | Dishwasher Safe. Drinkware, Set of 12, Value, Dishwasher Top Rack, Double Wall, Small Business, Made in USA.
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Pop ‘N Dulge
Delectable Popcorn Gift Set. The Pop ‘N Dulge Movie Night Popcorn Gift Set is proudly made in the USA, ensuring top-notch quality and supporting local businesses. Carefully selected non-GMO kernels to make your snacking experience guilt-free and healthy.
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Houswise
Tabletop Fire Pit, Small Portable Fire Pit
Vesper Rectangle Fire Pit—a luxurious addition to both indoor and outdoor spaces. Sleek Design: Enhances atmosphere in any setting. S’mores Friendly: Ideal for family gatherings. Easy & Safe: Designed for effortless operation and peace of mind. Smoke-Free Warmth: Offers clean, smoke-free heat. Gift-Worthy: Perfect for housewarmings, anniversaries, birthdays, and holidays.
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Jreergy Flannel Fleece Blanket
American Football Field Green Throw Blanket for Bedroom Couch
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Royal Craft Wood
Luxury Bamboo Drawer Organizer Storage Box, Bin Set
Bamboo boxes for organizing drawers help you to forget about the messy home! Keep everything organized and in a hand reach with storage boxes set. Stylish design, durable bamboo wood, and convenient usage of bamboo bins for storage make them a perfect choice for organized people.
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Nepnuser American Football Court Table Runner Touch Down Football 
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CanCooker
Seth McGinn’s CanCooker is the simplest, healthiest, and most convenient cooking system available. Designed for the kitchen and the outdoors.
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Charred Edge
Charred Edge Bar Tools. Charred Edge Premium Cocktail Smoker Kit with Torch, 4 Flavors of Wood Chips, and 2 Ice Ball Molds. Infuse Cocktails, Whiskey, and Bourbon. Charred Edge has enhanced the home bar experience with our Premium Cocktail Smoker Kit. Smoker Wood Chips and a Bar Mat in the Fall.
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Winorax Football Tumbler 4-in-1 Can Cooler.
Football Stainless Steel Insulated Tumblers Coffee Travel Mug Cup With Lid 
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Crazy Chef
Crazy Chef Kitchen Holiday Interchangeable Paper Towel Holder. Paper Towel Holder includes 3 hand painted Holiday Tops- Pumpkin, Turkey, and Christmas Tree. You can decorate your kitchen for each holiday quickly and easily. 
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Game Day T-Shirt Woman
Lightning Print Short Sleeves Top. Vintage ‘Game-Day’ Football Shirt.
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Willie Hoo’s Trading Post Camping Blankets
Willie Hoo’s Trading Post Waterproof, Lightweight Backpacking Blanket-Camping Blankets for Cold Weather-Perfect Outdoor Blanket for Backpacking, & Camping, Hiking. TravelingWillie Hoo, and his great love of the outdoors is the inspiration behind our family-owned trading post. Their mission is to help you and your family enjoy the great outdoors by providing the high-quality outdoor gear that is safe, comfortable, and warm.
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Gardenika
Gardenika Organic Tulsi Turmeric Ginger Loose Leaf Tea – Herbal, Caffeine-Free, Kosher. All tea blends are certified Organic and kosher with No Natural or Artificial flavors added, blended and packaged in the USA. Founded by a family with a passion for tea and wellness.
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Doormat Natural Coco Coir Door Mat – Welcome Hope You Like Football
Greet your friends with this awesome outdoor mat.
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Adorable Black Bears Searching For Grubs and Grazing (Videos)

A young black bear searches for food on a talus slope. Image in the public domain image.

When you think of black bears, you may not consider that part of their daily routine is grazing! But, according to the National Park Service, black bears graze on a variety of grasses. Black bears also search for grubs and will use their claws to dig in the ground for these tasty treats. They also climb trees in their search for food. Read more here. They are excellent at identifying edible yummies and can smell food up to 20 miles away!

As summer winds down, black bears will soon go into hyperphagia mode. Hyperphagia is a period when black bears have an intense and persistent sensation of hunger. They gain enormous amounts of fat to help them get through the winter.
See my previous post on the bears entering hyperphagia phase, ‘Black Bear Steals Bucket From My Front Porch’. Click here.

Enjoy the trail cam videos!

Lots of Love,
Debra Roinestad

All Trail Cam Videos (c) Debra Roinestad, The Comfy Cabin, 2023.
Harper’s weekly, Christmas ’98 by Edward Penfield. Image in the public domain.
All Trail Cam Videos (c) Debra Roinestad, The Comfy Cabin, 2023.
All Trail Cam Videos (c) Debra Roinestad, The Comfy Cabin, 2023.
Image in the public domain.

From Our Partners

Purelis Spa Baskets

lavender soap basket

Superior Ingredients – good for you – good for the environment!
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Skull Bookends – Halloween Decor

skulls bookends

Halloween decor, skull decor. Made in USA, Woman owned company.
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Luxury Mask Halloween

Halloween mask

High-end masquerade masks, perfect for Halloween and other occasions. Masks are handcrafted with meticulous attention to detail. Perfect for those seeking an upscale and sophisticated Halloween look.
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Tupkee Rope Light Incandescent Warm Clear

patio lights

24 Feet (7.3 m), for indoor and outdoor  use. For outdoor, backyards, garden, patio, gazebo, palm tree trunk, pathways and landscape. Ready to use, very flexible, easy to uncoil. Includes mounting hardware 15 mounting clips and screws. High end quality and waterproof.
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The Elusive Whippoorwill: Night-Bird of the Woods (Video)

Photo by Nicolas Pratlong

It only comes out after dark and hides within the trees…ladies and gentleman introducing the whippoorwill. The whippoorwill is a nocturnal bird and enjoys feasting on bugs at night. Luckily, one of our cameras caught this fascinating bird (actually two) in flight hunting for insects under the deck of our cabin. They can fly up to 15 feet off the ground, sweeping insects into their very large mouths. 

(c) Debra Roinestad, The Comfy Cabin, 2023

The whippoorwill has a distinct chirping sound that stands out from any other bird that you might hear in the forest. The chirping is very rhythmic, and sounds as if they are saying their exact name, “whip-poor-will, whip-poor-will, whip-poor-will.”

Credit: N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission

58. The Chimney Swallow (Chætura pelasgia) 59. The Whippoorwill (Caprimulgus vociferus) 60. The Nighthhawk (Chordeiles americanus) illustration from Zoology of New York (1842-1844) by James Ellsworth De Kay. Original from The New York Public Library.

In Native American tradition, their is a belief that the cry of the Whippoorwill is a symbol of misfortune or death. The Mohegan Tribe feels different; they believe that the Whippoorwill is the sound of ‘Little People’ who are ‘Nature Spirits’. Read more here. Also, these incredible birds are known as ‘moon birds’ because they lay their eggs with the phases of the moon. Read more here. So, the next time you look up in the sky at night and see the moon, remember the whippoorwill.

Debra Roinestad

Elderly Bears in the Woods of South Carolina 

Trail Cam Video

Photo by Bill Pennell

There aren’t many articles written about elderly bears or ‘elderly’ wildlife in general. That’s why I am giving homage to these adorable critters. After viewing so many trail cam videos…I feel a close connection to these older forest dwellers.  

The oldest known living bear was a polar bear that lived for 42 years! Black bears (the species that lives here in South Carolina) have reportedly lived as long as 30 years or more. Read more on the ‘9 Oldest Bears of All Time‘. Click here.

I really admire the gentleness and wise expression of this bear on our trail cam. I feel as if  I found a wise teacher that has taught me to slow down and enjoy life.

Warm Wishes,
Debra Roinestad

Trail Cam Video (c) Debra Roinestad, The Comfy Cabin, 2023
Trail Cam Photo (c) Debra Roinestad, The Comfy Cabin, 2023

“Nothing is so strong as gentleness. Nothing is so gentle as real strength.”

—Ralph W. Sockman