Like a bubbling brook creating music as it splashes over stones, so the trickle (and sometimes torrent) of flowers creates a panorama of color rippling across the landscape. Spruce buds and hazelnut catkins, honeyberries and apricot blossoms, apple blossoms and honeysuckle, a sea of autumberries, and countless other blooms adorn the yard. Time outside is aromatherapy. (As long as the neighbors aren't spreading manure or chemicals or burning trash, or Canada isn't on fire with the wind blowing...
12 days ago • 5 min read
Moments... There's a lot of focus on "big things" in life - getting a job, going on vacation, graduations (this time of year) and so much more. And big things are great, but what makes them really special are the moments. Like when you walk into your home and smell a delicious dinner that your spouse prepared - or walk in and your eyes start watering because your spouse was making HOT salsa and the air is filled with pepper juice. Or when your seven year old proudly displays three tiny wild...
19 days ago • 1 min read
"The depth of color after the spring rain was astounding. As the morning light trickled over the horizon, the verdant foliage lay like like a rich, green cloak on the land, dappled here and there with a flush of blossoms from blooming trees and shrubs." We've had a slow start to spring this year, with one warm week or a few warm days surrounded by largely chilly weather. It hasn't been safe to put out frost tender plants yet, but I'm hoping that will change this week - and not swing too...
26 days ago • 3 min read
"As we walked around the pond that sunny morning, we spotted them - near perfect circles, etched into the algae, exposing the brightly lit sandy bottom. Each circle was defended by its gallant protector fish, preparing for spawning season." This place seems a little bit magical at times. You never know what surprise you'll find when out and about. Whether it's spawning circles or a volunteer apple tree (we found one of those on the same day we spotted the dancing fish), there's always...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
"A whippoorwill trilled in the twilight. We stopped evening chores to listen. This was the first time we'd heard the call in 20 years. Though they used to be common in the area, the mega farms that now dominated the landscape had left them without a sanctuary - until they found our home." It gives me such joy to hear "new to us" bird calls in the yard. From the early morning light to sometimes well after dark, our feathered guests serenade us with a multitude of songs. So much habitat has...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
"The day started out cool and grey - again - with a steady light rain that topped off the ponds and would soak you through if you lingered too long on outside tasks. It would be easy to be glum - if it weren't for a certain troop of extremely happy duckies who came barreling out of the coop at lightning speed, careening around the yard to see who could grab the most worms before they darted back into their underground tunnels. Whenever rainy days dampen my spirits, the duck patrol perks them...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
"The chill of winter lingered like that one friend who insists on striking up a conversation on their way out the door when you're more than ready to wrap up the party. The honeybees had made it through winter, but you could feel their hunger and eagerness to forage as they gathered around the sugar water set out to hold them over until blossom season began. Spring bulbs still hesitated, showing greens, but reluctant to lift their flowers to the wan sun. Still, signs of spring peeked out and...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
"I like who I am when I walk outside around our land. The open spaces and knowledge of the terrain encourage me to take long, confident strides. (Unless it's muddy or icy, which merits more caution.) I can feel the good the movement does, loosening up those joints that stiffen when I spend too long inside." Our weather this spring reminds me of the joke about winter acting like a guest who's refusing to leave, coming back again and again to say, "And here's one more thing..." We have snow in...
2 months ago • 3 min read
"...and still more rain came pouring down. But in spite of the gloomy skies, the yard was filled with the dawnsong, barely audible over the storm. They tackled the chores together, so they were quickly done. Inside, a warm fire beckoned from the wood stove, and the delicious aroma of bacon wafted out from the kitchen. They might not be billionaires, but they were rich in the things that mattered." Good news and bad news... Bad news - The ground is still half-frozen (because we were dealing...
3 months ago • 2 min read