Reconnecting With My 27 Backyard Tree Species: Haiku
Hi, my deep-rooted/
woods friends. I’m sad I’ve not been/
near. I’ll tread barefoot.
Hi, my deep-rooted/
woods friends. I’m sad I’ve not been/
near. I’ll tread barefoot.
When the Old Woman of the Woods Calls The morning dawned only slightly humid and a bit cool for Northwest Georgia in August, perfect for a walk in the woods. My paths usually run through cedars and smaller trees on my property. On this particular morning it was clear: The Old Woman of the Woods…
Wildflowers and butterfly beauty is one of the best parts of rural life. As people go back to the woods or the fields, focusing on being self-sustaining and off-the-grid, one of the first questions they ask is: “What should I DO?” One of the most vital things I tell them is what they should NOT…
Coming through the woods at about 8:15 a.m. today, I spotted what I think is a barred owl in a shagbark hickory tree. It was surveying the white crownbeard wildflower patch, before heading off to a higher viewpoint. Here’s the YouTube video. I also joined eBird, run by Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology. Looks to…
In my world, wasting fruit seems to be a travesty of the highest order. I can’t seem to throw anything out. Even if it’s molding or rotting, I’ll yank it from the fridge, scrape the mold or rot off, throw it in the blender, and make a smoothie out of it. I might cut it…
Solo sycamore leaves catch the hot afternoon breeze and spin in joyous pinwheels on Independence Day, as if to say: “Welcome home, boy. We’re glad you’ve come. Don’t Roam. Stay.”
We need to get outside, to breathe fresh air, to see the sun, to feel nature. There was a time, when I worked at Microsoft near Seattle, where I never saw the sun. Even now, memories of sitting in a closet-like room with no windows, where I had to walk out a door and look…