In the lower Bronx, for example, enthusiasts found an ailanthus tree that was fifteen feet long growing from the corner of a garage roof. It was rooted in and living on "dust and roofing cinders." Even more spectacular is a desert plant, Ibervillea sonorae—a member of the gourd family—that Joseph Wood Krutch describes. If you … Continue reading Bring on the Rainy Season
Quotes
Happiness Tree
Take care of a tree, and you will eat its fruit. ~ Proverbs 27:18a CEV So... Who wants to taste the rainbow?
The Atom Between Red and Green
Quick! Consume this itty-bitty science-filled quote — like a smart pill! — and then we'll talk about something more fun: goals! (It might help if you hold your breath until it's over; you'll read faster.) All the green in the planted world consists of these whole, rounded chloroplasts wending their way in water. If you … Continue reading The Atom Between Red and Green
Who Wants to Be a Wood Elf?
The foliage is of all the colors of the prism; but as the woods roll away into the distance the calm, mysterious haze enwraps them in its soft shroud; paints them first in a light blue, then gradually a deeper blue, until, in the distance, there appears but a dim looming; and on gazing at … Continue reading Who Wants to Be a Wood Elf?
How Stanley Found Me
In How I Found Livingston by Henry Morton Stanley, journalist Stanley recounts his epic search across Africa, looking for the missing explorer, Dr. David Livingston. I started reading the book (over 700 pages) at least 15 years ago as research on available books circa 1872 that a person living then might have read. Somewhere around … Continue reading How Stanley Found Me
Pictograph Cave State Park: Upside-Down World
In the cinematic masterpiece You've Got Mail, the character played by Tom Hanks explains the appeal of The Godfather. A sample: The Godfather answers all of life's questions. What to pack for a trip? "Leave the gun, take the cannolis." ~ character of Joe Fox, You've Got Mail, screenplay by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron … Continue reading Pictograph Cave State Park: Upside-Down World
The Holiday Tree: Happy Easter!
There would be no Easter if there was no Christmas. ~ Gordon B. Hinkley When the time came this year to take down my Christmas trees (yes, "Christmas" is the correct term for why I had them up, and yes, there were two of them, small ones that don't overwhelm my living space, and yes, … Continue reading The Holiday Tree: Happy Easter!
Book Review: Lassoing the Sun
This is just my national parks story. There are, of course, millions like it. Stories about people lost, places that remain, and how the two are intertwined. ~ Mark Woods, Lassoing the Sun: A Year in America's National Parks The intent behind Lassoing the Sun — telling our stories in, of and through National Parks … Continue reading Book Review: Lassoing the Sun
Year O: Launch!
As I climbed out of the crater, the calendar said it was the end of the year. But there are other calendars. Nan told me that her people live by three of them. "The stars tell us what to do," she said. "The moon tells us when to do these things, and the sun gives … Continue reading Year O: Launch!
20 + 20 = ??
"The wilderness, by design, disorients. As any wilderness trekker past or present will tell you, the wilderness has a way of forcing the point, of bringing to the surface whatever fears, questions, and struggles hide within. Nothing strips you down to your essential humanity and inherent dependency quite like submitting to the elements, surrendering to … Continue reading 20 + 20 = ??
Campfire Tales 