Introducing…This Spring’s New Arrivals

I went back to writing a year ago, inspired by the emergence of a round of baby chipmunks in the garden. This year, especially since adding a few more plantings and features and getting the garden certified as a wildlife habitat, it's been a regular nursery. I thought it was a good time for a … Continue reading Introducing…This Spring’s New Arrivals →

Everything Touches Everything

"edges slide together like the feathers of a wing, everything touches everything." (Mary Oliver) I don't know what, exactly, causes this phenomenon, but that sense of distance collapsing-- between experiences, influences, memories-- is moving, and beautiful, and profound.

Getting Through the Gray Season

It's easier to get through the gray days when you're feeling a strong source of light from somewhere, even if it's metaphorical light.

Speak for the Trees

I remember the moment it occurred to me that trees could be older than me. I was eight years old, in my grandparents' yard, marveling at a (to me) giant tree that had a swing hung from one of its branches. I'm sorry to say that I don't know what kind of tree it was, … Continue reading Speak for the Trees →

Lunch Break, with Chipmunks

While I was eating lunch yesterday, I noticed one of the chipmunks digging a shallow hole in the grout between two of our patio stones. Or, at least, I thought she was digging...really, she turned out to be uncovering a food cache she must have made some time before. (A side note about chipmunk holes: … Continue reading Lunch Break, with Chipmunks →

Weekend Getaway in Three Landscapes

We spent a long weekend in the Laurel Highlands, where the palette for this time of year is made up of shades of green and gold. I packed three books for three days (Well Met, Talking to Strangers, and The Dearly Beloved, in case you're curious) but, sitting outside beside my coffee and my little … Continue reading Weekend Getaway in Three Landscapes →

A Charm of Hummingbirds

Last year, at a bird banding at our friends' home, I had the experience of hearing a hummingbird heartbeat against my ear. It was (probably) a once-in-a-lifetime experience and so awe-inspiring that I haven't found the perfect words to convey all my feelings about it yet. What I can say is that that moment sparked … Continue reading A Charm of Hummingbirds →

Summer Light Seeking

It's the first week of July and it feels like summer has finally hit. After days and days of cool weather and rain, we went directly into oppressively hot days without hardly any transition. Everything is green and swollen with humidity. We harvested the spring peas and carrots from the kitchen garden. The lilies, daisies, … Continue reading Summer Light Seeking →

People-Watching Animals

Recently, I've started collecting photos of backyard animals watching me watch them. I don't mean our eyes meet across the yard as I'm photographing them going about their foraging/nesting/mating/romping activities; I mean I'm catching them chilling somewhere (usually on a branch or on the fence) expressly checking me out. I spend a fair amount of … Continue reading People-Watching Animals →