Maybe you’ve even resorted to hand pollination, as I’ve had to on a few occasions.
So I’ve become all about the bees, as witnessed by this wasps nest.
You can learn more about why I left them alone in this post which talks about the benefits of wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets.
And letting our lawn go … Read more
At a time when life’s uncertainties abound, I am reminded of the strength and healing of nature through the imagery in this poem.
… Read moreWhen despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of
When the temps start fluctuating, I can count on hearing the ice on my pond sing. I don’t know why, but I seem to be the only one who ever hears it. It doesn’t happen all the time. It doesn’t even happen often. But when it does, it’s magical.
To hear what my pond sounds like to me, listen at 00:40 seconds.
… Read more
We have a live and let live policy when it comes to critters around here—and we have LOTS of every kind imaginable. I’ve found that on the whole, coexistence works best. Especially when it comes to the outdoors, which is their home.
So it was no surprise that a recent visitor was aghast that we’ve allowed this bees nest to get so big. Ok, huge. What were we thinking?! Especially since this is a hornet nest and they are considered … Read more
Longtime readers of this blog know that there has been a fair amount of animal loss over the last few years. Wink is our last man standing. And when it’s his time to join his animal family on the other side, I’m not sure I will be ready to go right back to adding more animals.
It’s been decades and decades since I’ve lived without animals. While the joy they’ve provided me is immeasurable, I think I want to have … Read more
The things I think about…
I’ve had to do some work recently that’s required looking at maps, which got me thinking about how map land sizes can be skewed. Which got me thinking about the times I’ve flown over oceans and couldn’t fathom their size, which got me thinking about how perception changes based on context. And then I got to thinking about how much land vs how much ocean… Well, you can see the rabbit hole I went … Read more
I love the fall for its brisk air and special kind of light.
I overheard Cait explaining to someone recently that what I do for fun is to spend time outside, especially on windy days. I intuitively understand the benefits of being out in nature—I don’t need scientific proof.
But if you do, there is actually a word for this: uitwaaien. “It’s basically the activity of spending time in the wind, usually by going for a walk or a bike ride. Today, the practice is so common that it’s known as ‘uitwaaien.’ … Read more
