The natural world, life, and dogs.
Sorting through 15-plus years of accumulated stuff in preparation for a move puts one in a nostalgic mood. Nostalgia (n): A sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.Oxford Dictionary I'm amazed at what I'm unearthing, in cabinets or closets I've ignored for years. I'm… Continue reading Nostalgia
I'm referring to the large, fuzzy, pollen-collecting bumblebees, of course. Not some synonymous "blunderer, botcher, bungler, butcher, fumbler, sad sack, stumbler." These bumblebees love the columbine and lupine growing in my wildflower garden beside the house. Last year they appeared much earlier in June, so I was concerned, wondering if I'd see them again, but… Continue reading The Bumblers Have Returned
As I embark on my latest life adventure - moving across the country and reinventing myself yet again (a life-long habit) in a new place - I find myself wondering whether it might also be time to change my name. That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet.William… Continue reading What’s in a Name?
My house was listed for sale on Tuesday morning. By Friday afternoon I had accepted an offer. It's enough to make one's head spin. In a good way. The sale is pending. There are a couple of hurdles to be jumped before closing, typical to most home sales (inspection and appraisal). I don't anticipate any… Continue reading Stress and Money
I continue pursuing emerging wildflowers as spring progresses in Idaho's mountains. I'm obsessed. I dream of a quiet man who explains nothing and defends nothing, but only knows where the rarest wildflowers are blooming, and who goes, and finds that he is smiling not by his own will.Wendell Berry A friend, Karen S, recently recommended… Continue reading Point of View
If I had to choose just one, I would say spring is my favorite season in the forest. The emerging wildflowers boldly shout, Wake up! Time to party! Sunflowers (arrowleaf balsomroot) covered in raindrops. After months of running through a winter landscape limited to white snow, brown tree trunks and green pine needles, my eyes… Continue reading Transitions
The Merriam-Webster definition of the term "non sequitur" is: a statement (such as a response) that does not follow logically from or is not clearly related to anything previously said. The perfect name for a comic strip by a political or editorial cartoonist. As a (former) attorney and (current) wordsmith, I love words and learning… Continue reading Non Sequitur
As I type this post, I’m listening to music, streaming through my computer. One song – by Paul Winters – opens with the sound of several Canada geese honking. Normally, such wildlife sounds would be enough to excite Finn, waking him from his nap on a dog bed three feet behind me to jump up… Continue reading Fading into Silence
Among the far-too-many-to-list joys of running through the forest with my dogs off leash is watching them follow their natural curiosity, navigate obstacles, and solve problems. The joke among those of us who choose to live with Alaskan Malamutes is that when we ask them to do something, they look at us, thinking, Maybe. What's… Continue reading Dogged Determination
Not long ago I received a USPS package. Inside were two pieces of concrete from a demolished road. Upper piece shows the underside, lower piece shows the road surface. Let me explain. I was recently hired by a friend, Brian, to edit an article he wrote for a collection that will become a book. I… Continue reading Concrete Memories
Wild Sensibility 