The natural world, life, and dogs.
Coyote mating season typically runs from January through March, peaking in February. Coyotes become more active and territorial, and in my experience, far more vocal with their barks, yips, and howls. My Alaskan Malamutes pay attention. Listening intently. Then respond with their own loud howls! When I lived in the Seattle area, my two female… Continue reading Song Dogs
I have a friend named Jane. She’s 94 years young and living independently. She reports rain, snow, and temperature measurements for the Cabot area. She volunteers with the Cabot Historical Society. She drives and regularly dines out with family and friends. I met Jane while living in Vermont. She has spent most of her life… Continue reading Girls Just Want to Have Flashy Cars
One of the hardest parts of leaving Idaho for Vermont in 2021 was believing I would never again visit any of the cairns I built in the Payette National Forest to memorialize the lives of Maia and Meadow, my two Alaskan Malamutes who helped me explore wild forest places after we moved to Idaho in… Continue reading The Magic Remains
Recently, I’ve been feeling adrift. Unmotivated. I must be leaking, I mused. When I spring a new CSF (cerebral spinal fluid) leak, or exacerbate an existing one, along with the increased headaches, tinnitus, excessive sleeping, and shortened temper, I feel unmotivated to do even simple, daily tasks. I put all but the most critical things… Continue reading Post-publishing Blues
For months, I knew the total solar eclipse was coming. Searching for maps of the predicted path of totality across the US, I was pleased to see I live directly under it. The universe was affording me a second chance to see what all the hoopla was about. *** On August 21, 2017, a total… Continue reading Viewing the April 8, 2024 Total Solar Eclipse
The natural world never ceases to fascinate me. The more I see, and learn, the more amazing I find the intricate interplay between plants and animals. Today I learned something about mimicry. My last post was about toxic toads. On this morning’s run with Conall I saw two other toxic animals: monarch butterfly and milkweed… Continue reading Natural World Mimicry
Chann the puppy is a whirlwind of energy, except when he’s napping so he can grow (while mentally plotting more shenanigans). At his second vet visit on August 11th he weighed 19 lbs, more than double his weight when he arrived July 8th. Even weeds can't keep up with that level of growth. Conall adores… Continue reading My Hero
Finding Chann, my most recent Alaskan Malamute, was relatively easy. Late last year, I reached out to Conall’s breeder. I wanted another Conall, a Malamute with his temperament, athleticism, and smarts. The breeder was expecting a litter in December, but after agreeing with her that trying to transfer a puppy from Colorado to Vermont in… Continue reading Introducing: Chann
It's been so long since I've posted that my WordPress create-a-post screen is different, updated! I've missed posting and reading the posts of others I follow. Sorry for being absent with my likes for so long. I'm happy to report two monumental things happening in my life: First, my manuscript is nearly done. At 98,512… Continue reading A Book and a Puppy
It has been a long, cold, snowy winter in Vermont. Still is, in fact, even though the calendar says March 31st. I hoped winter would be a good time to write my book. It has been, in some ways. But I learned something about myself: I do most of my writing in the afternoon and… Continue reading More Book Progress
Wild Sensibility 