The early spring

The weather’s been delightfully sunny, for March – 70s and even low 80s. The flowers jumped right up, fruit trees burst into blossom, and the carpenter bees began their war dance of mating – a full week or more before the official start of spring. I am astonished that it’s so warm I need to … read more The early spring

At the speed of a cranefly

My day was saved by this leaf. Perfect day for a hike: sunshine and near 70 degrees. But I couldn’t bear the thought of hiking. Even after sleeping nearly 12 hours, I got worn out from just heating and eating lunch, taking a shower and distributing leftover cornbread to the birds. No energy left for … read more At the speed of a cranefly

Day 46: Signs of the end

A couple days ago, I opened the front door and there they were: the reddening dogwood leaves. This is the first sign that summer is ending. The goldenrod is already out, and soon it will be the ironweed’s turn. A few other plants are taking on the red tinge, too. The basil is only wearily … read more Day 46: Signs of the end