How timely was AMERICA WAS HARD TO FIND? It was published on May 14, 2019 and the 50TH anniversary of the Apollo 11 Mission was July 20, 1969. One of the main characters is a fictitious NASA astronaut who took … Read more...
Book Review: AMERICAN DIRT by Jeanine Cummins
I am SO fortunate to have gotten my hands on AMERICAN DIRT by Jeanine Cummins in advance of publication (thanks to my book angel). It was THE way to wind down the reading year: to be totally absorbed in a … Read more...
Book Review: THE WILDLANDS by Abby Geni
Timely. Terrifying. Heartbreaking. Yes, THE WILDLANDS by Abby Geni with its examination of human impact on the natural world is timely. The wildlife and environmental realities it highlights are terrifying. And the characters – a family of orphans – suffer … Read more...
Words: “Never Alone Or Weary Of Life”
Earth sustains us not only in body, but in spirit:
… Read more...“Those who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. Whatever the vexations and concerns of their personal
For The Joy of Animals: Bison Calf Reunion
As a nature lover, watching wildlife in action can be enthralling, relaxing, educational, compelling, exhilarating, and magical… right up to the point you realize that life or death may be playing out before your eyes. In that moment you face … Read more...
Book Review: DISAPPEARING EARTH by Julia Phillips
When I read the jacket copy for DISAPPEARING EARTH by Julia Phillips, I assumed it was a “who done it,” as the description talked about an ongoing police investigation. I don’t generally gravitate toward missing persons/abduction-type stories; but this … Read more...
Video Escape: Banff National Park Alberta Canada
Banff National Park is in the heart of the Canadian Rockies and is Canada’s first national park. It’s destiny was set with the discovery of a natural hot springs by railway workers in 1883. The highest peak, Mount Forbes is … Read more...
Lost & Found News: A Horror of Ticks (Part 1)
A “horror of ticks” may not be the “correct” collective noun for ticks (and who knows what is?), but it does seem appropriate given the recent surge in horror tales of tick in the news. Long the bane of outdoor … Read more...
Music: Brad Paisley’s TICKS
It’s tick season — time for Brad Paisley’s TICKS song.
He claims it was about “having fun and the Country culture of courting.” Well, romance is in the eye of the beholder. Still, it is hard to imagine … Read more...
Book Review: ELMET by Fiona Mozley
This little book took me by surprise in a big way. A debut with a long list of well-deserved literary honors.
Tis The Season…
Tis the season -- to share love and laughter among friends, family and furcritters...
Book Review: NO SPECIES IS AN ISLAND by Theodore H Fleming
A study of the migratory pollinators and the interdependence they have on one another... a warning regarding possible environmental peril.
Fall Favorite: Healthy To Die For Apple Pie
Tis the season to indulge oneself and what better way than with a healthy, easy, to die for apple pie.
Book Review: GODS OF HOWL MOUNTAIN by Taylor Brown
The language is poetic and lyrical. Taylor Brown creates an incredible sense of place that transports the reader.
Plantain Fries — A Healthier Option
One of the things about becoming healthy is all the foods you must give up. I’ve had a love hate relationship with French fries my entire life. My taste buds love them and my hips hate them.
Potatoes are something … Read more...
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Book Review: GOOD MORNING, MIDNIGHT by Lily Brooks-Dalton
I loved GOOD MORNING, MIDNIGHT by Lily Brooks-Dalton – which surprised me, since this novel was billed as a post-apocalyptic story. I have read only a handful of such stories and warmed only slightly to them (The Age of Miracles, … Read more...
Book Review: TRUE PLACES by Sonia Yoerg
For starters: that cover! It spoke to me immediately. But what is beneath the beautiful artwork is equally delightful. While I have enjoyed all of Sonja Yoerg’s novels, TRUE PLACES has to be my favorite, with its juxtaposition of nature … Read more...
Book Review: WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens
I was fascinated by WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING when I first learned about author Delia Owens’s background studying wildlife in Africa, and her awards as a nature writer. I was in the mood for a book lush in setting and … Read more...
Then The Giant Wasps Came
The odds were running high against the young Kohlrabi plants from the start. They were an impulse buy spurred on by my childhood memories of eating them raw and fresh peeled from my grandmother’s garden. I love Kohlrabi’s sweet cabbagey … Read more...
Walking In Nature — A Basic Tool For Creative Multitasking
Author Julia Cameron points out that one of the most valuable tools for creativity is one of the simplest — walking.
When she wrote THE ARTIST’S WAY she didn’t address exercise until week 12 in the program. In IT’S NEVER … Read more...
Mule Deer Shows Some Tough Love
This mother mule deer in Arizona, doting and attentive just a week before, warns her young buck away. Why?
It turns out she is pregnant with a new fawn, and that she’s taught the year-old buck all she can about … Read more...
Words: “The Field Of All Possibilities…”
When all the stars align in our favor, we tend to feel a sense of self-satisfaction that the universe has fallen into place for us. But instead, maybe we should feel a sense of humbling recognition that among the field … Read more...
Book Review: THE REMOVES by Tatjana Soli
Wow. I could probably stop there, honestly, because that’s about all you need to know. But… I can’t do that because I loved this book too much not to talk about it.
THE REMOVES by Tatjana Soli is an intense… Read more...
Blueberry Season Is Here — Enjoy The Bounty
During blueberry season it is easy to find fresh blueberries in abundance in grocery stores and farmer’s markets. We have the added treat of having fresh blueberries growing in our yard. Plus, I know that the fruit was grown without … Read more...
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Words To Live By: “Nature Brings Solace In All Troubles”
Within her diary, first published as THE SECRET ANNEX and later published as THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL, Anne Frank expresses her belief in the healing power of nature — “amidst the simple beauty of nature…will always be comfort … Read more...