As reported by the media, it was a real mess. The US Environmental Protection Agency was conducting clean-up activities at the Gold King Mine in Colorado and accidentally caused a spill of a million gallons of contaminated mine water into the Animas River, turning it bright orange. This contamination represents a case of natural materials […]
Author Archives: stevetarlton
My garden is growing, the farmer’s market is bulging with fresh fruits and veggies, and the Olathe sweet corn is in. My diet is better this time of year; I can’t resist the peaches and berries, and the garden is providing a steady crop of squash, beans, tomatoes and greens. Life is good. However, it […]
It watched us warily through beady brown eyes. Suddenly, it jumped straight up in the air and bolted through the brush. Larry and I jumped in surprise, then tripped over each other. Larry was a city-raised high school buddy of mine who had never had the opportunity to go out in nature much, so my dad […]
“It’s a million dollar idea,” Mike said, “We’ll buy up the abandoned landfills and mine out the metals for recycling and the organics for compost.” Active landfills in Florida who lacked soil for cover, were doing this and using the compost mixed with sand for daily cover. We talked it through, but neither of us […]
I know a guy who collects minerals. He’s retired and has a place in the mountains where he can wander out to old mine dumps looking for likely stones. Sometimes he sieves the waste rock piles to find interesting stones. Often he’ll use an old Civil Defense Geiger counter to help sort the rocks, since […]
First there was the high-pitched whine, increasing in intensity. The woman looked through the swirling dust storm frantically. Suddenly, bursting out of the dark, giant pincers….Them! It was my favorite movie as a kid, and one I shared with my son when he was old enough. Even compared to the special effects available twenty years […]
The sound sent a chill down my spine, and I froze. Did it echo around the valley or was that just my adrenaline-riddled imagination? I became conscious of the trout hanging from my belt and the blood dripping down my leg. We were backpacking in the Mount Zirkel Wilderness area, and had camped about halfway […]
“Without mystery, life shrinks. The completely known is a numbing void to all active minds.” E.O.Wilson, The Future of Life 2000 – “It’s not gambling,” my friend explained, “It’s very scientific. Each stock is valued according to the success of the company. As the company profits rise, the stock value rises. As the profits fall, […]
The prairie stretched in front of us for several miles. “What do you see?” I asked. Sara looked around with that half-bored expression teens sometimes have, “Grass,” was all she said. “Look down, then.” I instructed, “What’s right here beneath you?” She looked askance, then looked down, “Well, some grass. Some rocks, some of those […]
They fluttered down like leaves tossed into the air, then wheeled around jockeying for a place at the feeder. Their chirping was loud and insistent, and the ones that didn’t get a perch landed in the nearby bushes and loudly complained about their fate. Spring brings out all the birds; the ones that overwintered are […]
Writes of Nature 