Unless one is into raising chickens or other poultry, the opportunity to watch a bird develop ab ovo—from the egg—doesn’t come along every day. Up until my encounter with a pair of jelly bean–shaped hummingbird eggs during a hike at our local Cheyenne Mountain State Park on July 4, which I shared with you here, … Continue reading Ab Ovo
Some of you will remember how gobsmacked I was by Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass. When I learned that she had written an earlier book, I ordered Gathering Moss from one of our local independent bookstores, first read it in December, and just finished delving into it for the second time. Gathering Moss is as … Continue reading Gathering Moss
If someone were to rummage through our recyclables, they would notice an inordinate number of empty grape jelly jars during the summer months. Do we have a sweet tooth? Yes. Are we responsible for the consumption of these vast amounts of jelly? No. So who is? It’s actually several members belonging to our avian garden … Continue reading The Taste Of Summer
I’m always touched when I observe wild animals engage in and enjoy behaviors or activities that resemble my own. This is never more true than when an animal’s pose suggests his or her appreciation of those creature comforts most of us relish across species boundaries. Knowing that their struggle for survival is nearly incessant, I’m … Continue reading Creature Comforts
One never knows what gems lie hidden only slightly out of sight. When traveling due west from Colorado Springs, the principal road that leads through the foothills of the Rockies is US Highway 24, which was built along Ute Pass, a natural east-west corridor used by Utes and various other Indigenous tribes for millenia. The … Continue reading Marigreen Pines
tanja britton 