The desert is sparkling with bouquets of wildflowers in shades of salmon and sunshine, striking violet, soft white, and rich velvety red. Each day I notice a different kind of flower stretching toward the vast open sky, flourishing in the warmth of the sun with a flash of ephemeral beauty. It’s miraculous to witness these blooms springing out of the dusty, dry soil. I’ve been in southern UT for the past week, camping in and near Capitol Reef National Park. …
It’s peak foliage season here in Western Mass. The weather has been spectacular, with striking blue skies and streams of sunlight pouring through the fiery foliage. Leaves appear to glow, They rattle and rustle as if in a shamanic trance. And then they rain down, like gold coins, spreading a wealth of riches on the forest floor. I’ve always thought that fall foliage is nature’s fireworks display. It starts slowly – a burst of orange and red here and there,…
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,…