May 16, 2020. I have to write. I write for therapy and clarity. Sometimes I don't know what I think (or feel) until I write it down. I've been unable to write since retiring young, five years ago. Something inside was stuck in psychological mud. The mud-clog is easing now as I sit on the … Continue reading Writing on the Waterfront
May 16, 2020. The season's first flowering plant brings a "yipee!" in planting zone 5a. It's a long wait! This cheery yellow wildflower, called marsh marigold, is springing up in the low-lying places. Spring arrives so slowly here, each indicator is a little thrill. The ferns are sending up their first curly shoots too. I love … Continue reading First Flowers & Natural Habitats
May 14, 2020. Roscoe loves outings in the john-boat as much as I do, and I always try to take him with me. It cracks me up when he sits on the stern seat like that. (Does this seat make my butt look big?? Yes! ;)) He gets in the way of the oars sometimes … Continue reading A Husky = Great Boat Partner
May 14, 2020. Spring is so slow to arrive this year. While I never tire of looking at the water, I yearn to dig into the dirt too. Is it finally safe to put in perennials and sprinkle flower seeds? The weather forecast suggests that our below-freezing nights are finally behind us. I hope so, … Continue reading Nurturing Plants – And Humans
April 30, 2020. If you're one of those who likes to feel clean all the time, you aren't cut out for the rugged life. Occasionally, I'm not sure I am either. Most days, though, I accept dirt as part of the deal. I feel closer to the earth somehow when I see (and feel) the … Continue reading A Rugged Life = A Dirty Life
April 10, 2020. Deer scat. Everywhere. Our neighbors feed them daily. I feed them too, sometimes. They like to hang out in our little cedar grove in the winter. I love to see them! But here's the consequence. Deer scat doesn't quickly absorb into helpful fertilizer, as I expected. It stays. And stays. And stays. … Continue reading Wildlife – The Consequences
Nov 30, 2019. Some storms announce themselves loudly and some sneak up on you--kind of like elections (fanfare) and mass protests (sneak-up). Both are caused by atmospheric instability and both change the landscape. The Thanksgiving 2019 storm was a bit of both -- expected, but more fierce than was forecast. It was the storm of … Continue reading Storms of Nature, and Democracy
May 10, 2019. Out with the tag elders, in with the fraser firs! The south end of my waterfront plot, across a small stream bridged by wooden planks, was overgrown with a weedy tree called tag elder. (They should be called "tangle elder," because you get all tangled in their skinny, hungry branches!) We removed … Continue reading From Tag Elders to Fraser Firs
Jan. 13, 2019. Who does an outdoor campfire on a snowbound winter night? Hardy northerners do. Because sounds are fewer, they're magnified. The ice is cracking loudly a few feet away while the fire pit crackles away at my feet. And although I can’t hear it, I know the home-made wood stove is also crackling in … Continue reading Crackling Fire, Cracking Ice
August 15, 2018. When developing land (or living on boat), one faces the need to manage essential human processes. I'm a former back-packer who doesn't mind doing her business in the woods if necessary, but that won't work here. We're a far cry from building a septic system or a cabin. So what to do? … Continue reading The Compost Toilet (Not Outhouse!)
For Many Moons 