The Longest Night is approaching. How do you keep warm? With good food and good company. Seconds on hugs and lots of blankets. The Longest Night of the year is approaching. Now you may say, “Bah! What does it matter? It will still be dark and cold for months to come.” And of course you…
Tag Archives: Into the Outside
What were we thinking when we introduced the Autumn Olive? Autumn Olive, Elaeagnus umbellate, of the Oleaster family, is a migrant from central Asia. Actually, within close proximity of our beloved fall fruit the apple, who is considered naturalized to the United States. That means this flora been here long enough to play nice and…
As you may have noticed we are experiencing a drought. You may be watching your garden, fretful, wanting to water all the thirsty “kids” out there in the yard. Some plants may look stressed; droopy leaves closing against the heat of the sun. But there is a plant that appears happy as a little lark.…
A tantalizing, if not low-hanging, wild edible “What is that intoxicating scent?” I look around but I’m not seeing a flower at nose level as I walk the back road this early June day. I close my eyes and slowly move my head around, taking in the all the scents I can. Ah, up. I…
We are literally the salt of the earth. Stardust creatures made of air and minerals. We belong to the Earth – this living world, this super-organism in which we all live and die and are recycled to live and die again and again, in a new form, in a new way. We cry tears…
Welcome Spring Spring comes with winter still in hand. Frozen to way-too-squishy mud makes for frustrating, if not entertaining, travel conditions along dirt roads. The freshet breaks through the ice (what little there may have been this year) and carries mini-icebergs to melt downstream while the anadromous fish swim their way upriver to spawn. Neo-tropical…
Lesson of the Crocus Does the crocus study? Investigating springtime history, computing sunlight minus darkness times mean March temperature? Calculating root depth by height needed to clear the snowfall? Or does the crocus just say, “ready or not, here I come,” and have faith in its ability to survive the cold, the weight of snow,…
“Love is in the air, everywhere I look around. Love is in the air, in every sight and every sound. ~ Tom Jones Humans are not the only creatures who are pulled by sensations of love during the coldest time of year. Many a wild creature is waking up to the sensation of… “Wow! It’s…
Happy New Year, everyone! This has been a curious beginning to our New England winter. Very little snow and warm temperatures. In fact, my fiancé was able to plant spring bulbs on December 25th because it reached 57 degrees! We didn’t get out first light snow (mainly ice) cover until December 29th. Yes, quite curious winter…
Must be the season of the Witch… Witch-hazel that is. I was walking through the woods, watching the leaves raining down in a cascade of yellow and red, when I noticed what my mom would call a “punky” flower, not unlike a long-haired punk rocker. She normally would be referring to the garden and roadside…
Hearken to Avalon 