Dear Mrs. and Mr. Oriole, I regret to inform you that your home, beautiful and sturdy though it was, fell victim to this winter’s storms. I recently found it in a dry creek bed at the foot of the cottonwood tree where you had so laboriously affixed it to a number of branches. My heart … Continue reading Dear Mrs. and Mr. Oriole
Despite a recent absence of rain and above-average, record-breaking days (not the kind of records we aspire to), some signs of fall are occurring on time, thanks to satisfactory amounts of snow last winter and sufficient summer rains. In Colorado's montane region (8,000 to 10,000 feet/2,400 to 3,000 meters) autumn equals aspen trees clad in … Continue reading Walking into Fall
How do we know it’s springtime along Colorado’s Front Range? How does anybody anywhere know it’s springtime? It’s because the dandelions are blooming, showing their bright and cheerful faces to the supraterranean world! 😊 I wonder if that’s true where you live, too. Because the Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) has spread from its original home … Continue reading Spring Arrives on the Front Range
Among the cranes of southwestern Colorado's Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge, there is escape to be had. From all the human-caused cacophony and heartbreak; from the terrible news that assault us whenever we turn on the radio, television, or electronic gadgets. In the spectacular setting of this high mountain valley, the western population of one … Continue reading Among the Cranes . . .
Do you have a ritual you perform, either when you are elated and ecstatic, or when you feel down and depressed? Are there natural refuges you seek when you need to reset your compass? Ever since feathered beings have captured my heart and imagination, and ever since first witnessing the twice-annual migration of Sandhill cranes … Continue reading The Comfort Of Cranes
tanja britton 