My Cousin Doug passed away on Monday. He was my dad’s first cousin (so my first cousin once removed) and his death was rather sudden and unexpected. I say this, not to elicit remarks of sympathy, but because I wish to share how special he was to me, and how grateful I feel to have had him in my life. Doug was a true appreciator of the natural world, an active and adventurous spirit with the physique of a god,…
I just returned from 10 blissful days in Costa Rica. I can’t quite escape the feeling that somehow I have gotten away with something – that having thumbed my nose at convention, I slammed the door shut on the all the holiday happenings, the excessive consumerism, the oppressive obligation, and the general seasonal stress. If I sound like a bit of a Grinch, I confess that I probably am. I think part of it probably has to do with the…
Like many of us, my mind has been reeling since the election. I won’t go into it all here, but suffice it to say that a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions have been racing through me – sadness and concern being chief among them. I have always carried a grave concern about the future of our planet, and there is no question that my concern has been magnified considerably. But, as the days press on, I know that the sun…
Here we are in the final days of summer, and I’ve been doing my best to eek out every last blissful moment out on Cape Cod. Every time I come here, I am amazed that such a national treasure exists in such close proximity to my home (just under 3 hours from my house to the “Outer Cape”). And this is really the perfect time to go: while the weather is still warm, but after the crowds are gone. It’s…
It’s Sunday night and I’m sitting out on the deck under the stars, clinging to the final remnants of the weekend. Likewise, my weekend was spent fervently trying to savor the last few days and weeks of summer. Oh, how I wish it didn’t have to end! That goes for both the weekend and the summer. But even though I have to go back to work tomorrow, tomatoes are still ripening on the vine, and the garden is bursting with color….
Saving the Best for Last Today was my last full day here in PEI, and arguably the best. I left the national park a day ahead of schedule, and spent my time exploring and going wherever whim led me. The day started with a tranquil morning hike through old farm fields, woodlands, a fresh water wetland, and dunes that swept out to the ocean. As I came through the wetland, I encountered many birds, including several great blue herons which…
I arrived in PEI National Park today – a long, narrow tract of land that encompasses miles and miles of pristine beaches and soft sand dunes. The Gulf of St. Lawrence is profoundly blue – a deep, dark shade that seems to well up from its inner depths. I can imagine sitting here for hours, entranced by the long, rolling waves that push persistently forward onto the tawny shore. As happy as I am to be here, I’ve been a little troubled…
It’s my birthday! I love birthdays – both mine and other people’s. It’s the one day of the year that seems like your own personal holiday. I always try to take the day off to do whatever I feel like, to indulge in the things that fill me with joy, and to reflect on my life and what makes me “me”. This invariably means that I am spending time outdoors. For years, I was tormented by the fact that my…
It’s 6:30 PM and I’m in bed, which is not all that uncommon for me this time of year. However, one thing that is different about tonight is that I’m bundled up in my sleeping bag inside my tent. It’s my second night of camping here in North Carolina. I’m in a place called Croatan National Forest – a land of beautiful barrier islands and quiet coastal wetlands. I’m actually just passing through; tomorrow will be a new day in…
Autumn is in full swing in the Green Mountains of Vermont. Just two hours north of Erving, MA, the trees have erupted into a picture-perfect display of earthy golds and reds. My heart has been heavy on this trip as I mourn the recent passing of my beloved cat, Puffer, but at the same time I am deeply moved by the breath-taking beauty of these gentle mountains. Everywhere I look it seems as though they are sprawled across the horizon,…