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 = ?
Most full-time locals are tired of it by now -- they've been dealing with it since November. But I'm a "seasonal resident" (albeit one who visits in all seasons). And a "remigrant" (one who moved away and came back.) My northern winter started at the end of January. And I love it! Here on the … Continue reading Winter on the 46th Parallel
Snowy woods are magical. Yes, it's cold. You have to dress for it. And it's worth the extra effort, because...the stillness. You can hear yourself think! (Or, not. Sometimes not thinking is the point.) American poet Robert Frost must have known this when he wrote "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." (See him recite … Continue reading Woods on a Snowy Evening
For Many Moons 