Doubled Mirrors It is the dark of the moon.Late at night, the end of summer,The autumn constellationsGlow in the arid heaven.The air smells of cattle, hay,And dust. In the old orchardThe pears are ripe. The treesHave sprouted from old rootstocksAnd the fruit is inedible.As I pass them I hear somethingRustling and grunting and turnMy light …
Category: Nature
Dec 21 2022
Happy Winter Solstice!
It’s officially winter today, and I hope everyone has a happy, warm, and enchanted winter holiday season! The winter solstice, also referred to as “midwinter” and “the longest night,” is the day of the year with the least amount of sunlight and the longest night for those on the Northern Hemisphere. Astronomically, it marks the …
Dec 17 2022
Places to See: Dramatic & Strikingly Unconventional Big Sur
If you love dramatic scenery, rugged coastlines, and rocky shores, Northern California’s Big Sur area will blow you away! Big Sur is approximately 90 miles of relatively isolated and sparsely populated scenic views, with the Santa Lucia Mountains dropping precipitously toward the Pacific Ocean’s crashing waves below. A visit to Big Sur will find you …
Nov 25 2022
Artist Spotlight: Charley Harper
Today’s artist spotlight is on the American Modern artist, Charley Harper. He was born on the family farm in Frenchton, West Virginia, on August 4, 1922. Growing up, he not only had the farm to explore, but also the Appalachian hills, where he spent time wandering the land and observing the wildlife. This upbringing suited …
Oct 08 2022
October in the Flower Garden
October and Autumn is making its presence known in the garden. Leaves are beginning to fall and the flower border is looking a bit sad. Tidying up and preparing for the winter ahead are the main tasks in the garden this month. However, there is also plenty to be done in preparation for next spring. …
Aug 09 2022
Light Up Your Backyard with Firefly Conservation
Here come real stars to fill the upper skies,And here on earth come emulating flies,That though they never equal stars in size,(And they were never really stars at heart)Achieve at times a very star-like start.Only, of course, they can’t sustain the part. -Robert Frost, Fireflies in the Garden When the heat of the summer puts …
Aug 03 2022
Get Outside This Summer With a Trip to a National Park
The National Parks offer some of the greatest opportunities in the United States to experience the extremes in raw terrain, flora, and fauna, that the country has to offer. There are 60 national parks spanning 28 states, from the volcanoes of Hawaii to the seaside mountains of Maine and the glaciers of Alaska. Take the …
Jul 27 2022
Some of the Best Summer Annuals for Outdoor Planters
Sowing annuals in borders is an easy and cheap way of filling space during the summer months. These plants can either be sown as seeds earlier in the season or bought and planted as young plants. Either way they will keep on flowering right until the end of the season. The same thing can be …
Jul 16 2022
Homegrown First Aid – Aloe Vera
No matter how careful you are, accidents and incidents and other events requiring some level of medical attention happen. There are aisles and aisles in the drug store hawking products to treat, cure, soothe, and anesthetize everyday injuries and illnesses such as cuts, insect bites, sunburn, sore throat, and acne. Some of these products are …