The natural world, life, and dogs.
My entire adult life, I've read about and seen photos of the fall colors in New England, Vermont in particular. "Some day," I would sigh. That day has arrived. And I'm here to tell you, Vermont lives up to its autumn leaves reputation. Growing up in western Washington, just outside Seattle, I was familiar with… Continue reading So. Many. Leaves!
Conall and I recently explored a bit of nearby Groton State Forest. At more than 26,000 acres, this forest is the second largest contiguous land holding of the State of Vermont. Conall strikes a pose as we head up the trail. The terrain is rolling, forested, and contains several bodies of water: Lake Groton (422… Continue reading Peacham Bog
No, I'm not angry. Rather, I'm gobsmacked by the beautiful array of reds nature puts on display in Vermont this time of year. And to think the autumn colors show is just getting started! Let me show you what I mean. I started noticing red started in the leaves carpeting a rail trail where Conall… Continue reading Seeing Red
For months now, my life has been in a state of upheaval. Leaving Idaho. Moving to Vermont. Settling in and adjusting. It has been a bumpy, scary, exciting and ultimately life-altering-in-a-good-way twelve months. This morning, walking through rain-soaked field grass with Finn and Conall, a light mist thickening the air and hushing the world around… Continue reading It’s Time to Write About Wolves
One recent morning, as the boys and I were finishing our two-mile perambulation through the fields and woods across the road, I noticed a Monarch butterfly leave the maple trees alongside our path and begin its effortless dance through the air, in search of nectar. Then another Monarch departed from the maples just ahead of… Continue reading Poetic Fliers: Monarch Butterflies
No, Woolly Bears aren't large, furry mammals like black, brown, panda, or polar bears. The Woolly Bears I'm referring to are insects. They're the adorably fuzzy black-with-rust-band caterpillars that appear throughout the U.S. and parts of Canada and Mexico every autumn, usually in September. I remember being delighted spotting them as a child growing up… Continue reading Woolly Bears: A Sign of Autumn
Maybe, like me, you endured school essay assignments where you had to compare and contrast something. Who knew that skill could end up being a useful blogging tool? Each day as I explore my new environment in Vermont, I can’t help but compare what I experience here to what I knew for the first 48… Continue reading Reinvention, Part Three: Comparing and Contrasting
If you have a dog, or have simply watched one drink from a bowl, stream or lake, you know how messy that process is. Dogs quickly plunge their tongue into the water and then pull it back up into their mouth, repeatedly, slurping some water with each flick before eventually swallowing. Depending on the dog,… Continue reading Dogs and Fluid Dynamics
It's that time of year again! Wildflower photo bloopers. While my dogs and I are out running or hiking in the forest, I enjoy taking photos of wildflowers and vistas. Conall and Finn patiently wait for me, usually following their noses nearby until I'm ready to start moving again. Most of my photos take mere… Continue reading Dog Photobombs IX – April – May 2021
Selling a house. While attempting to buy a house on the other side of the country before said sale is closed. Stressful! Coordinating the timing of both transactions so that I - and my dogs - don't end up homeless. Hugely stressful! It's crunch time, juggling closing on my sale while searching for something to… Continue reading Stress Buster: Wildflowers
Wild Sensibility 