The natural world, life, and dogs.
I'm writing this on Thanksgiving Day (in the US). A day of reflection and gratitude. Me? I'm most grateful for my health, including my ability run, no matter how slow, while recovering from a sacroiliac joint injury months ago. And my dogs; I'm so grateful for them. And, of course, writing. I love to write.… Continue reading Sundogs
I tend to attach a lot of sentimental value to certain items that, to anyone else, appear worthless or worn to the point they should be discarded. Some examples: I have a large dish cloth that my maternal grandmother finished by hand with a blanket stitch in yellow and brown yarn. In second or third… Continue reading Sentimental Things
I heard the town snowplow go by at 5:00 am this morning, so I wasn’t too surprised to wake up to more snow than was forecast. Fresh snow on the deck this morning (November 18, 2022). Around 9:00 am, when the sun brought the air temperature up to about 20F, Conall and I headed out… Continue reading Meeting a Neighbor
Ladybug, ladybug, fly away home... As I was thinking about this post about ladybugs, a nursery rhyme I learned as a child kept popping into my head: Ladybug, ladybug, fly away home… I couldn’t remember if there was more. So, I googled it. There is more, and as is often the case with old nursery… Continue reading Ladybugs: A Metaphor for Life
Autumn Leaves It is officially autumn in the northern hemisphere. Lately, running or walking with my dogs through the neighbors’ fields and woods, I find my eyes most drawn to the red leaves of the maple trees. Orange leaves are nice; yellow leaves are okay with the promise of becoming orange, maybe even red. The… Continue reading Seeing Red
I feel like I'm making good progress on my "wolf book." It's actually a memoir, but it will focus heavily on dogs, running, disability, wilderness, and wolves. Thus the shorthand name, wolf book. Yay, me! I recently submitted a sample (what I think will be the opening chapter) to a local nonfiction writers group for… Continue reading A Writer’s Question for Readers
While living in Idaho, for years I wanted to add solar panels to my roof but didn’t have the financial resources to do so. Selling that house and moving to Vermont improved my financial situation. Living through my first Vermont winter with less-than-ideal heating options in my new house lit a fire under my butt… Continue reading Solar Power: Feels So Good
Anyone following my blog for long knows I’m adept at doing all sorts of writing that isn’t my book. Occasionally I focus and work on “the wolf book” (how I think of my work-in-progress), but I’m easily distracted by other bright-and-shiny writing options. This blog is Exhibit A. My emails and Facebook posts often become… Continue reading On Writing
A month ago I wrote about how an injury prevented me from running and forced me to slow way down throughout the spring and early summer. Even walking was painful for a long time. Today, I'd say I'm almost back to normal, resuming running regularly, mostly pain-free. Yay! The irony, though, is even though I… Continue reading Slowing Way Down = Seeing Even More
The photo memories dished up by Amazon – via my Kindle Fire – and Facebook in my newsfeed are often bittersweet. Every June I’m reminded of the passing of my Alaskan Malamute Maia at age 14 in 2013, and then six weeks later in July, my Alaskan Malamute Meadow, age twelve. Oh, the girls. So… Continue reading A New Cairn for the Girls
Wild Sensibility 