Our yard tends to be shabbier than most of our neighbors’, even now that we use a regular mowing service. Dandelions proliferate, and crabgrass competes with the clover. However, for the most part, it seems to be healthy, if not too closely managed. The crabapple and sand cherry trees, and the lilacs, butterfly and bridal […]
Category Archives: life
Visitors are common in our town. Situated along the Front Range with plains to the east and mountains rising suddenly to the west, Golden is divided by Clear Creek gushing out of the mountains and sheltered from the Denver metro area by two mesas to the east. On the west side, big Lookout Mountain has […]
Well, it’s late April, nearly Earth Day, and I think that Mother Nature is just showing off. It’s been pretty mild this spring and we’ve really enjoyed the massive blooms on the crabapple and the small, scatteredblossoms on our very old, very tall pear tree. Many of the shrubs are just coming in bloom. But, […]
“In the circle of lifeIt’s the wheel of fortuneIt’s the leap of faithIt’s the band of hope‘Til we find our placeOn the path unwindingIn the circle, the circle of life” ~ Elton John, Circle of Life I caught our dog chewing on something in the back yard, and discovered the carcass of a dead rabbit. […]
“Bye Bye BirdieI’m gonna miss you soBye Bye BirdieWhy’d ya have to go?(Bye bye) No more sunshine (no sunshine)It’s followed you away (you away)I’ll cry Birdie (Birdie)Till you’re home to stay I’ll miss the way you smileAs though it’s just for meAnd each and every nightI’ll write you faithfully(Bye Bye Birdie ) ~ Lee […]
Our part of town is over a hundred years old with historic houses built pretty close together and aged lawns, flower beds and tree-lined streets. There are plenty of old trees and swaths of ancient shrubbery coursing through the yards and alleys. Our proximity to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains (just a few blocks […]
“If you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen.” ~ President Harry Truman Climate change doomsayers predict inevitable catastrophe due to massive flooding, horrific hurricanes and tornadoes, and years-long droughts. Some of that will occur in some places, but the one climate change prediction most likely to become reality is global warming. Luckily […]
We seem to think that expanding agricultural productivity will require more and more chemicals, and methods that are detrimental to natural ecology. There are, however, all kinds of efforts underway to capitalize on the efficient and eco-conscious use of agriculture without destroying Mother Earth. Journalist Zach Zorich reports, “According to Archaeologist John Hart, Iroquois farmers […]
“For decades, scientists have tried to figure out ways to reverse climate change by pulling carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and storing it underground. They’ve tried using trees, giant machines that suck CO2 out of the sky, complicated ocean methods that involve growing and burying huge quantities of kelp.” ~ Shannon Osaka The prime climate change demon […]
Often, we hunted or fished on underused farm or ranch land owned by one of my Dad’s clients — usually with a field lying fallow or a lightly grazed prairie. There would be old buildings we could peer into, watching for snakes and other nasty critters. Hand-dug wells, dangerously covered by rotting boards, offered an […]
Writes of Nature 