I woke up on a recent pre-dawn morning to a strange sound in the living room. Was that my husband’s footsteps? His voice called, “I need help!” I threw on a robe, found my glasses and ran. Had a burglar broken in? Was a bear lumbering on our deck? “What’s wrong?” Barely awake with eyes still focusing, I saw Dick... READ MORE >
The autumn leaves driftby my window;the autumn leaves of redand gold. Those are the lyrics of an old song, as I remember them. I’ve been humming this tune a lot recently, inspired by the colors of the leaves. Everyone agrees that this autumn has been spectacular and the beauty long lasting. I don’t remember another year when the fall colors... READ MORE >
One of my favorite summer activities is sitting, and my favorite place to sit is on my deck, looking out into the woods or across Devil Track Lake. Sitting here calms and at the same time, energizes me. My deck isn’t anything special other than it’s large, encircling almost the whole house, starting at the front door and curving around... READ MORE >
Hummingbirds have played a big role in this summer’s back yard bird activities. I’ve fed hummers other summers, but this year, these teeny birds have been unusually lively, giving me a unique experience several days ago. I was inspecting the nasturtium blooms on one of my potted plants, admiring its creamy yellow flowers, minding my own business when a hummingbird... READ MORE >
As I walk into my house, I glance at the bright purple and yellow pansy wreath I hung next to the door last May. It doesn’t look right anymore. Too summery, Nuts! Is summer really coming to an end? I’m not quite ready to give in to this huge seasonal change. But the sight of red moose maple leaves in... READ MORE >
I plop a ripe red raspberry into my mouth and drop another one in the bucket. I’m in my raspberry patch. Somehow the summer has slipped by when I wasn’t paying attention and suddenly, the raspberries are ready for plucking, as are the peas. Meanwhile, the lettuce also needs another cutting. At this time of the year, everything planted a... READ MORE >
No matter how hard I search I can’t find the pin given to me by my two favorite aunts. It was small and inexpensive, my aunts couldn’t have afforded real gems, but its red, white and blue stars and stripes sparkle anyway. I wear this tiny flag pin during the July 4th holiday to honor the ideals of my country... READ MORE >
I settled in my lounge chair and gazed around the small clearing where we sat. Dick and I were at Tucker Lake for the weekend. We’d enjoyed a busy but rewarding day and now found ourselves relaxing. This is the same Tucker Lake on which we’d spent a year in 1969 and about which I’ve written a book. However, due... READ MORE >
Hummingbirds are zooming around the feeder. A fritillary butterfly sucks nectar from the purple chive plant flower. Trees and grass are a lush green. Even the sun is shining. But I do not have that light-hearted “summery” feeling. I feel trapped and beleaguered and nothing done by Mother Nature seems to rid me of this feeling. My life, as well... READ MORE >
The day was perfect for gardening, a slightly overcast sky, pleasantly warm temps, and I was in my garden. There were seeds to be sown and weeds to pull. No problem. Gardening is an enjoyable pastime for me. I’d slathered bug dope on every piece of exposed skin, and thinking I had the “bug” situation conquered, set about troweling and... READ MORE >
