Today, I went out to grocery shop and go to the office supply store. It took longer than usual which increased my chance to notice that certain things have changed since the pandemic and social distancing regulations began in March. Some of the changes are for the better, some not so much. I’ll let you…
observations
Our National Parks: Haleakala, Part I.
In February, my husband and I visited White Sands National Park in New Mexico. It is our country’s newest National Park and being able to visit there just after it became one of our great protected parklands will always make it special to us. But, as amazing as it was, I am not sure it…
Silent Sunday: What goes with Pink?
Today is Silent Sunday! Enjoy photos of the pink in my life!
The Cabin
Pride & Sharing our Bounty For the second weekend in a row, we are at our cabin with guests! It’s been a long time coming to reach this point, but I am glad we arrived! Our property is unique. We have two acres on a lake in Northern Wisconsin. It is three hours from…
Plastic Waste During the Pandemic: A problem now and in the future.
Lately, I’ve been wondering about the effects the pandemic has had on our environment. I’ve wondered seriously enough to search for professional journal articles specifically on this subject. What I found was mostly narrative, which disappointed me, as I had hoped to sustain my impressions with some facts. We’ve all seen the stories about nature…
Slice of Life: Mid-Summer Monarch Report
My involvement in monarch conservation has spanned for almost two decades! Some, in our local community, might even refer to me as the butterfly lady! Teaching first my garden club students (over 500 hundred during the lifetime of the club) and then, neighbors, community members from other organizations such as Lion’s Club, church groups, and…
Silent Sunday: The Peace of Water
Kettle Corn! Come & Get It!
Popcorn! Pop……Pop…Pop, Pop…. Pop, Pop, Pop! Popcorn! Come & get it! Who doesn’t like a bowl of fresh-popped corn? It’s become a tradition, while at our cabin, to make popcorn. This started several years ago when I bought a countertop popcorn machine. My boys think we’ve had the machine for six or seven…
The Virtue of Consideration
As we head into this holiday weekend, here in the United States, I hope that celebrations are safe and calm. July Fourth is our Independence Day! I cannot help but wonder what our Founding Fathers would think of the state in which we currently find ourselves. Turmoil. Injustice. Inequality. Inequity. Violence. The list goes on….
Mating Monarchs
Last night, something magical happened in our yard! For many years, I raised monarch butterflies. This year, I have yet to see any eggs or larva on our milkweed plants. We have three patches of milkweed in our yard, each a different kind native to our area of the country. For almost two decades, I’ve…









