To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil” ― William Shakespeare, Hamlet Hamlet came across the bones of an old friend, Yorick (that some claim he knew well). In those days, in Europe and elsewhere, people […]
Tag Archives: Nature
The creatures I met in the fields and woods around my house came to feel like a secret family, though I spent a lot of time chasing and catching them and not thinking much about how that made them feel. ~ Helen Macdonald The loud noise came from across the alley, and I was curious […]
I think that I shall never see, A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest, Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in Summer wear, A nest of robins in her hair; […]
… It is not a sentimental but a grimly literal fact that unless we share this terrestrial globe with creatures other than ourselves, we shall not be able to live on it for long. Joseph Wood Krutch The other night our big cat, Betty, sat by the closed French door staring out through the glass. […]
“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 […]
