The full title — Wayfinding: Poetry celebrating America's parks and public lands — really tells you everything you need to know about this book. Will you like the book? Umm... I started the book two years ago. At the time, it wasn't for me. I put it down. It gathered dust. But then... this … Continue reading Book Review: Wayfinding
Quotes
Book Review: The Wild Trees
"A long time ago, I set out to do something. Now it looks like I've reached the goal. It's like if I die tomorrow, everything will be alright." He fell silent for a moment. "I think I've found out the secret of making a dream come true." "What's that?" "Just don't stop. Don't stop. Don't … Continue reading Book Review: The Wild Trees
Stack ‘Em Up!
tsundoku noun [C or U]The practice of buying a lot of books and keeping them in a pile because you intend to read them but have not done so yet; also used to refer to the pile itself. ~ Cambridge Dictionary You can also Google, "The art of buying books" and get the answer: Tsundoku. So then, my habit isn't "procrastination," it's ART! That said, here's a fraction of my … Continue reading Stack ‘Em Up!
Stop (Watching) the Clock!
A few observations: Every year for the past few years I keep hearing most everyone I know express eagerness for the prior/current year to be over, and the next year to begin. The belief/hope seems to be: New Year = Better Year. Every year for the past few years, the current year is rated worse … Continue reading Stop (Watching) the Clock!
Bring on the Rainy Season
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
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
Campfire Tales 