They're always moving. Sometimes the movement is barely perceptible and sometimes it's raucous or even violent. But it's always present. And there's another way that rivers are like most people. Sometimes you can see to the bottom, but usually not. The full story of what lives under the surface...what it hides, protects or nurtures... is … Continue reading On Rivers
Which month "goes out like a lion?" March? This year, on the 46th parallel, it was June. The last week in the month of longest days here on the south shore of Lake Superior delivered gorgeous sunsets and moonrises but also a few tempests and a remarkable movement of water. June scenes from Huron Bay … Continue reading Wow. Nature’s Work.
American author Henry David Thoreau built a one-room shack on Walden Pond and lived in it for two years. He hoped that immersion in nature and a simplified lifestyle of introspection would help him gain insights into human nature and society. His book about it became a bestseller. (There's a wonderful new documentary about him … Continue reading On Huron Bay
H2O: hydrogen and oxygen. It's the only chemistry some of us remember from high school--the simplest part. Its impact on humans is also simple; we simply can't live without it. Water covers 71% of the earth and fills about 60% of our bodies. In 16-ounce form, it's a commercial product encased in plastic. In mass … Continue reading Water! Anywhere & Everywhere!
Mid-spring in the far north brings wild turkeys down from the woods, and torrents of rushing water down from the hills. One month into the three-month season called Spring, the changes come slowly. In photos and captions, the continuing record of seasonal changes on Huron Bay in Michigan's U.P. Turkeys are an ancient bird; some … Continue reading Turkeys & Torrents
Nature reflects humanity, and vice versa. Cycles of destruction and renewal, ebb and flow, the ugly and the beautiful. Trees fall -- and sometimes are "felled" -- and we clean up the mess to create a more peaceful scene. We often use "nature" as a synonym for refuge. It is that. But it's also the … Continue reading Spring Clean-Up
I don't remember much from chemistry class. I wish I did. How does moving water turn into ice? How does it create such amazing structures? Those are the questions that arise when you visit O Kun De Kun Falls in Michigan's Upper Peninsula at the end of March. More photos and thoughts below... Flowing water … Continue reading Icefalls
Yay! Spring!? Nope....not yet. In Michigan's Upper Peninsula, spring teases you. One day it's here and the next, it's gone. Actually, it is "here," officially. The calendar says so, even if my eyes don't. The vernal equinox, spring's astronomical arrival, occurred a week ago. At my other home in Zone 7 (Virginia), daffodils are blooming. … Continue reading Spring? Not!
Sometimes, you have to "lose" something in order to find something else. News of an expanding war is distressing to many of us military vets and retirees who served during the Iraq War and 9/11 and have studied wars through history. The "what's-happening-now?!" question lives too much in our brains. The "what-happens-next?" question follows closely … Continue reading Losing “The War,” Finding Nature
Human-animal interactions are complex! At least for us humans; maybe not for the animals. I've been observing this dynamic close-up -- and participating in it, too -- and it's raised some questions in me. At what point does a wild animal become a pet? When is it a bad idea to support wild animals and … Continue reading Dogs & Deer + Humans = ?
For Many Moons 