A while ago I was given a review copy of Home Ground, Language for an American Landscape. Barry Lopez, the editor, set 45 writers to writing over 850 new definitions for the terms Americans use to describe their land. What a book! It has revived my love-affair – lately somewhat neglected -with America and American nature writers, …
Category Archives: natural world
Finally Fall
From this: To this: In just a week! I’ve already said it a couple of times: it’s Fall. Then I had to swallow my words when the next day it was steaming hot. Here, in Boston, near the end of October! But now I think I can with (weatherish) certainty say that it is, this time, now, …
Outing on a Fall Morning and a Yard Sale
Amie and Baba at the Park Yesterday morning was blustery and a little cloudy, but sunny and quite balmy. The three of us went to the Larz Anderson Park, where Amie ran and ran, up and down the hill, in a field of leaves and dandelions, hemmed in by trees changed to all kinds of colors. …
We met Henry at Walden Pond!
Amie and Baba at Walden Pond (click on My Flickr to the right for more) The Pond All three of us went to Walden Pond today (Amie no longer calls it “Walrus Pond”). It was 83 degrees F, that’s 28 degrees C! We had not expected it, so we were rather overdressed (long pants). The …
D.B. Johnson’s Henry Books
     We love Thoreau around here. Ever since our visit to Walden Pond, Amie often asks to be read her books about “Henry David Thoro-ow”. We have several children’s books about Henry, but the core of our collection is the series written and illustrated by D.B. Johnson: Henry Hikes to Fitchburg Henry Climbs a Mountain …
Amie’s Painting of Walden Pond
I asked Amie to paint Walden Pond and this is the result. Again, Im not sure if this is a painting of the thing or a spelling of the word (she seems to conflate the two), but it sure is a nice work of art! Check out Rebecca’s kids’ artworks at Irish Sally Garden! Oh, and …
Marie-Louise Gay’s What are you doing, Sam?
The Sam and Stella Books We love Marie-Louise Gay’s Sam and Stella books. Amie loves the repeated “Stellaaaaaaa!” or “Saaaaaam!” exclamations, Stella’s red hair, and Sam’s funny dog, Fred. And, o yes, the stories – always surprising, uplifting and subtly wise – and the illustrations – delightful watercolors and pencil works of art (colorful, but easy on the …
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At Walrus Pond (Walden Pond)
We were all set for a relaxed weekend, when at 10 in the morning our place was suddenly bombarded by a deafening noise: our upstairs neighbor was having her floors sanded – without warning to us. Well… It was still going on when time Amie’s naptime came around, so we had to flee, and after …
“Dimming the Sun”
Complacency I probably shouldn’t have watched “Dimming the Sun” on NOVA/PBS yesterday. Did you see it?  I stumbled upon the last half hour of the program by accident and by the time it was over, all the old feelings of hopelessness, helplessness and inadequacy made their comeback. And of course, whenever they do that, they are worse …
I’m a Farmer Now
I got weed juice seemingly permanently rubbed into my fingers, dirt under my fingernails, my first case of “hoe-neck,” scratches all over my arm from the squash plants, a little back ache, a mild sunburn… When I proudly mentioned this litany to my friend, she said: – “Honey! You’re a gardener now.” I raised my hand to …