The natural world, life, and dogs.
Yesterday I enjoyed one of those times in nature that leave me awestruck, enthralled, fully engaged, and grateful. Everything was perfect: the weather, the snow, and the company (my dogs). We started early in the morning, running up, up, up the mountain on freshly-groomed trail, the rising sun breaking over and through the tops of… Continue reading Into the Woods in Winter
kerfuffle (noun): a commotion or fuss, especially one caused by conflicting views. We had a kerfuffle here in the wee hours, 3:00 am, two days ago (Wednesday, January 22nd). Something woke Conall. He let out of low growl from his post on the floor beside my bed. That woke me. Conall stood, took a couple… Continue reading Plea to Universe: Enough Skunks, Already!
Your life can change in an instant. You may not immediately realize the breadth of the change or the full range of its implications, but you’ll always remember when the change happened. Mine changed one morning on a beautiful mountain trail. It was August 2003. I fell. Hard. And as a result, my brain no… Continue reading A Quart Low: Life with a Hidden Disability
My last post was about snow and how one's attitude about snow can make all the difference when living where snow happens. That post - and being snowbound at home most of the day today after a dump of about nine inches of new snow overnight - got me reminiscing about an encounter that happened… Continue reading Snowbound: Stumbling Upon a Lawyer in the Woods
Whether considered blessing or curse simply depends on your outlook. I regularly share photos of my outdoors adventures on my personal Facebook page. Most photos feature one or both of my dogs while we’re on a run or walk in the forest, through all of the changing seasons. Recently, after posting photos from a run… Continue reading Snow!
To send out this decade on a happy "note" I bring you recordings of my Malamute Conall singing along with some local coyotes. Coyotes are sometimes called song dogs because they're so vocal. Their scientific name - Canis latrans - translates as "barking dog." They possess versatility, with high-pitched howls, barks, and yips in their… Continue reading Howling New Year!
If you spend time in the outdoors, eventually something will go wrong. It's a law of nature. But if you survive, those epic failures become the best stories! We’ve all read about amazing accomplishments in the wild, but now it’s time to tell us about the not-so-great times and what you learned from them. Share… Continue reading Epic Trail Fail #4: Guide Dog
Going through life, minding your own business, you don’t always know why something pulls you, calls to you, why you feel compelled to keep pursuing it. You find it impossible to articulate the whyfor. You just know, deep in your bones, that you feel better, healed even, when you do it, heeding the call. For… Continue reading Awe in Nature
I've written about the fact that the period between my birthday on December 18th through Christmas is not my favorite time of year. Soon I'll have more to offer on the topic of family. I wish I could say it will be happy stuff. So tonight - Christmas Eve - I reflect on my families… Continue reading Choosing Family
If you spend time in the outdoors, eventually something will go wrong. It's a law of nature. But if you survive, those epic failures become the best stories! We’ve all read about amazing accomplishments in the wild, but now it’s time to tell us about the not-so-great times and what you learned from them. Share… Continue reading Epic Trail Fail #3: Malamute Perfume
Wild Sensibility 