A few years ago we let a bordered garden bed in which we used to grow pumpkins and other vegetables go unplanted. I was learning about native plants and the importance of prairies, so I had an idea to let this garden be a mini-prairie patch in our yard. The space is 36 feet by…
Our yard is starting to look beautiful, as it does mid-summer. We’ve been fortunate to have owned three properties in Wisconsin, all with good sized yards. One of these is our cabin, “up north” that sits on a lake. Most of that 2 acre lot is wooded. We’ve never lived there as a primary residence,…
This is pollinator week. July 21st – July 27th, 2021, has been designated as a week to celebrate, learn about, and act to help our pollinators. My hope is that by sharing some information about pollinator week, more people will see the need to take action in the field of conservation. When I was in…
We’ve been travelling over the last week, visiting places we used to live and conduct our lives in Western New York. It brings to mind something my son said when he was young and in elementary school. Mom, he said, “Math is everywhere!” And, he was right. We started noticing how math was a part…
Yesterday, my husband and I visited a park, Letchworth State Park, we had both been to as youth. My husband remembers swimming in a pool within the confines of the park and I remember going to the park with a school group. We went to the Glen Iris Inn, which sits inside the park for…
I am back in New York visiting my parents who live in a town known to be one of the stops on the Erie Canal. For anyone who is outside of this large state, when you say you are going to New York, it is automatically assumed you are going to be near New York…
One of my favorite songs growing up was Rainy Days and Mondays sung by the incomparable Karen Carpenter. And, such is today – a Rainy Day and a Monday. The song goes on to lament being down, not fitting in, and having the blues. Although I don’t feel this way today, I can relate to…
You move so slowly, Until you see me on the path. Quickly, you scoot away to the edge, Stopping momentarily to listen to More of my approaching footsteps On the gravel. Then, you’re off again, Scuttling into the dry forest Debris where you blend so perfectly. Still, if I bend down to look Under your…
We’ve been to Washington, D.C. three times in the last ten years. The monuments to our fallen soldiers are a sight to appreciate and contemplate. They have made the greatest sacrifice for our way of life – a free life. Perhaps most impressive is the tomb of the unknown soldier, not pictured in today’s piece….