It’s the season of holidays — Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s — and it always feels too busy and, well, sometimes not so merry. The pressure’s on to entertain family and friends, and obtain appropriate and awesome costumes, holiday cards and gifts. Even though I’m retired, I am conscious of my routines being disrupted, and […]
Tag Archives: Nature
“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 […]
It’s getting very cold here — twenties at night and only low 40’s in the day — and we just got about ten inches of snow. I must admit that, mentally, I’m not prepared for winter this year. Maybe it’s my age or too much sitting or just left over inertia from the COVID days, […]
Utopias have always been a part of our human delusion, a product of our constant desire to dream big and win. ~ Ruxandra Guidi I took a walk into our backyard, ostensibly checking the garden for ripe veggies, but really just to chill out in the early fall warmth. Seeing I was not doing […]
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 […]
“It’s likely that the first use of compost — or at least manure — took place not long after the start of cultivation … After all, a people who lived close to nature would soon have noticed the grass grew greener where an animal had deposited its poo.” ~ Compost Magazine I’ve been composting for many […]
The cooler autumn weather allows us to turn off the window AC in our bedroom and keep the windows open, instead. Things chill down overnight, causing us to keep blankets handy and encouraging snuggling beneath them. The dog and cats also appreciate the opportunity to snuggle up. Our second-floor bedroom faces the alley, but we […]
And now I lie with them upon this hillMingling with Texas earth as seasons come and go.Chilling northers bend grasses almost to the ground;Low-hung clouds are misty blanketsDropping days of rain upon the earth.Then wild flowers make sweet the air in spring”Old Cemetery on the Hill” — Epitaph by Susanna O’Docharty in Laurel The green […]
My garden is kind of a mess this year, even more so than in prior years. The raised garden boxes we built a while ago to save my old back are wonderful to help avoid the kneeling and bending, but have also reduced the garden area to a more defined space. The earlier garden sprawled […]
“The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now.” ~ Unknown My small town enjoys tree-lined older neighborhoods that are pleasant to walk through and front porches that are nice to sit on. The combination of shade trees and other vegetation keeps the local climate comfortable, even if […]
Writes of Nature 