The natural world, life, and dogs.
A note: This post is a departure from my usual efforts. While this essay does reflect on “the natural world, life, and dogs,” the themes of my Wild Sensibility blog, the recent event prompting it entails much sorrow: the sudden, tragic accidental death of my brother. This post describes my initial steps on the long… Continue reading In the Blink of an Eye
Great horned owls are making a comeback in my neighborhood. At least, I hope they are. I wrote last summer about my dog Conall briefly catching an owlet in his mouth in July of 2016 (it survived). I also described two encounters, several years ago, with great horned owls in the forest. I used to… Continue reading Spring 2020 Critter Encounters: Great Horned Owl
A book review. Sort of. First published in Britain in 1870, this curious dictionary is now in its 20th edition. Reading a reference to it recently, somewhere, I was intrigued and found a used copy via Amazon. It arrived from London a few days ago. At 2.5 inches thick, for this confessed etymologist it contains… Continue reading Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
When times are trying, when things are tough all around and hope for a return to “normal” is elusive, focusing on the positives – no matter how small – brings enormous benefits. Channel your inner Pollyanna. Be optimistic. Be positive. It's a leap of faith, yes, but a leap worth taking. This post was prompted… Continue reading Be Positively Positive
My last post was a little dark, reflecting my stress and mood after a challenging week. Writing (venting?) about it helped me but I doubt it helped you, the reader. For that, I’m truly sorry. I’d like to try to make it up to you. Today’s post is a collection of randomness. Maybe you’ll find… Continue reading Random New-Reality Thoughts – March 19, 2020
I honestly didn’t anticipate writing about dreams again, so soon after my recent Dreamscape post. But like many of you, recent events – COVID-19, stock market plunge, politics – have amped my stress levels up significantly. My subconscious is struggling to handle the input. My usual antidote for stress – time in the forest with… Continue reading When Life’s Stresses Haunt Your Dreams
Just before waking up this morning I was embroiled in a fast-moving dream, with many characters and locations. Toward the end, a friend and I are running away from something – a bar fight? an assault? – and I have a mark under my right eye, not quite a black eye but noticeable, enough that… Continue reading Dreamscapes
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
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
Alrighty! Today I took a nap. I got my procrasticleaning done (vacuuming dog hair off the floors, washing dog blankets, skipping the dusting because I hate dusting even more than vacuuming). I edited photos from this morning's walk with my dogs (some included here). I read some great blog posts. Now what? A long evening… Continue reading Ignore the Rules
