I grew up in a family that hunted and fished and valued the natural world. My father was an amateur naturalist and passed those tendencies on to us kids. As an attorney, he had a close relationship with many of his clients who were ranchers and farmers, and he shared with us what he understood […]
Tag Archives: community
My friend was trying to explain the concept to me, “My people lived here for centuries,” he waved his hand across the the plains in front of us, “We moved our homes with the seasons, and roamed all over — hunting, fishing and collecting plants for food, medicine and religious purposes.” He indicated the mountains […]
The whole world is festering with unhappy souls The French hate the Germans, the Germans hate the Poles Italians hate Yugoslavs, South Africans hate the Dutch And I don’t like anybody very much!! “Merry Minuet” The Kingston Trio I’ve been rereading some of the juvenile fiction books I read as a kid, and found them […]
“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” Greek Proverb “In Iroquois society, leaders are encouraged to remember seven generations in the past and consider seven generations in the future when making decisions that affect the people.” Wilma Mankiller “It’s all Al Gore’s fault anyway,” […]
I think it started when I decided to move the bird feeder. It was tilting, and the corner of the flower bed into which the pole was planted had begun to sag and break up. The nearest branch on the oak had grown long enough that the squirrels could go to the end, bounce the […]
“Mr. Steven. Come now,” the small Arab man ordered. Still half asleep, I climbed into the roofless jeep and we took off at a dizzying speed through the silent construction project, lit mostly by the enormous flare casting deep shadows through the dark site. “What have I gotten myself into?” Years ago, I had a […]
“Water go down the hole.” -Plucky Duck, Tiny Toon Adventures A friend’s four-year old boy was fascinated with the toilet — totally amazed that when you flushed it; water went down the hole. It was a real mystery. In a related way, he was terrified of the toilet plunger. It brought things up from the […]
It is now legal for homeowners in Colorado to capture the runoff from their roofs and store it in up to two 55-gallon barrels. It sounds like a great innovation, but I’m unsure that it will save much on water use. Our annual precipitation is about 16” and about half of that comes as snow. […]
It’s time that I tell you a few facts of life “Cats will be cats, and cats will be cruel Cats can be callous, and cats can be cool Cats will be cats, remember these words Cats will be cats, and cats eat birds” Facts About Cats, Timbuk 3 We had heard the shrill cries […]
All day I’ve faced a barren waste Without the taste of water, cool water Old Dan and I with throats burned dry And souls that cry for water Cool, clear, water Marty Robbins Two-a-day football practice in August in Oklahoma could be pretty bad. Even the mornings were hot, and the late day practice was […]
Writes of Nature 