Beautiful Skunk at The Nature StationIt’s no secret that I’m completely in love with animals, birds, and trees. So head over heels in fact that I could (and do) spend hours upon hours photographing and watching them.

If you happen to also love photography and – in the words of Ellie Mae Clampett – Critters, you’ll be as crazy about the Nature Station in the Land Between the Lakes as I am.

For one thing, the Nature Station staff takes excellent care of their animals and birds. These are beautiful animals that, for various reasons, could never survive in the wild. The Nature Station allows them to live out their lives in safety with beautiful surroundings, shelter, endless amusement (mostly provided be us gawkers), and a steady supply of food.

They’re honestly as spoiled as my own cats and that’s saying something.

The Nature Station isn’t just Heaven on Earth for photographers and animal lovers – it’s the ideal setting to teach your children to respect and love wildlife.

Autumn is Gorgeous at the Nature StationWhile – as you’d suspect – we visit the Nature Station all spring and summer, autumn is truly one of my favorite times. For one thing, there are usually less people. Not that I hate people, of course, but less people means I can take all the time in the world trying to get just the right picture of the beautiful animals. Yesterday I got right down on the ground to get an eye-level picture of a skunk and there wasn’t anyone around to think I was crazy except for my husband… and, let’s face it, he’s used to it.

White-Breasted NuthatchWhile the regular cast of characters (wolves, owls, opossum, groundhog, coyote, eagle, vultures, etc) remains the same – you’ll see different birds in the beautiful garden throughout the year. While summer finds the feeders filled with songbirds, goldfinches, hummingbirds, cardinals, blue jays, etc., autumn allows you to see birds you may not see as often, such as woodpeckers and the beautiful White-Breasted Nuthatch pictured above.

Gorgeous Owl!The beauty of autumn makes a gorgeous backdrop for the pictures. For example, see the picture of the owl above? I’m crazy wild about the way her/his eyes perfectly match the gold leaf in the back.

The deer, turkey, bobcat, and the rest of the beauties wear autumn especially well, too.

How’s This For Picturesque?!I also love the fact that, when the trees lose their leaves, the BIG nests (see below) are much more visible. So are the birds that call them home! The photographic opportunities are endless.

Very Large Nests Can Be Seen in AutumnSmaller crowds also mean that you can pretty much have the Nature Station workers all to yourself. If you have a question about any of the animals, simply ask them. They think of these beautiful animals like we think of our pets – very affectionately and with a great deal of pride.

They even name them! Do I have to tell you how much respect I have for that?!?

I Love This Beautiful Opossum (Possum)The Opossum pictured above is a pretty old girl – I didn’t tell her that, in case she’s sensitive. I just love possums – whether, like me, you call them possums or you choose to call them their more scientific name Opossums, they are really remarkable little animals.

Beautiful Deer Enjoying the Autumn DayOne of my favorite animals at the Nature Station is the Bobcat. What would you expect from a self-proclaimed crazy cat lady. I’m all about cats. Besides, as a UK fan, how could I NOT love bobcats, also known as wildcats?!

The bobcat always poses for me so beautifully, it’s like she knows how much I love her. She’s just really something special and I never get tired of watching her. In the gallery below, I trust you’ll forgive me for letting this love run amok. I remind myself of a grandparent taking pictures of a grandchild… must capture every move she makes!

My Buddy, the BobcatThe Nature Station will close for the season at the end of November. I truly hope you’ll plan a trip and enjoy a beautiful autumn day while there’s time. I may even see you there. I’ll be the crazy lady (probably wearing something St. Louis Cardinals related!) down on the ground talking to and photographing animals.

My husband? He’ll be close by… unless it’s a skunk I’m spending time with. In that case, he’ll be safely out of “range.”