As we remember the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina on residents of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, I’m cleaning up from the results of a flood in my apartment. From the moment I noticed the stain on the ceiling, to the 10 minutes it took the landlord to shut of the water to the [...]

When I started this business almost two years ago, my goal was to be able to be out in the woods while writing and working. My budget does not include finances for a hard-wired computer, like those used by our military. My woods time is spent writing with pen or pencil and paper and transcribing [...]

I’ve just spent four days with people who love nature enough to celebrate the fungi, plants, insects and the rest of the natural world. The COMA foray brought mycologists, biologists, chemists, chefs, and any other skill you can imagine, together to explore the woods of Moodus, CT in their favorite way. I could write forever [...]

One of the COMA activities, beyond finding and identifying mushrooms is the experience of eating mushrooms. The act of consuming mushrooms is known as mycophagy. I’m not sure if the term includes eating all mushrooms, or if it applies specifically to eating wild mushrooms. What I do know is that I’ve just experienced my first [...]

The weather in my neck of the woods has been unseasonably cold. Too cold for the black trumpet mushrooms, but apparently not for this giant puffball (Calvatia gigantea). I was out early, but not early enough to keep a few insects from taking a bite or two. This thing weighs at least 3 pounds. What’s [...]

I love early morning hikes, before the day gets busy. It’s a privilege to watch a spider weave a web. [youtube kOD3H0HqSxM nolink]

It’s a whole lot of fun blending in, rather than scaring away the wildlife. I was amazed that this deer raised up on his hind legs to reach the food he wanted. [youtube ncOs1Vuza34 nolink] I’d been using the video feature of my Canon PowerShot A720IS 8MP Digital Camera with 6x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom, [...]

The moving picture feature of my Canon PowerShot A720IS Digital Camera comes in very handy on the trail. These two rattlers were busy on Schunemunk Ridge several weeks ago, oblivious to their human audience. [youtube JOskEPjxSxs nolink] Luckily they provided an opportunity to get still photos, too.

I knew that indigo, marigold, and walnut, among others, make excellent fabric dyes. I now know that the following plants also make excellent dyes: Bergamot Bloodroot Coltsfoot Coreopsis Echinacea Yarrow I also learned that cream of tartar works to keep colors from bleeding and it’s safer than alum. Read on for a basic recipe on [...]

Organizer Nicole Carman is a genius. This event brought 182 participants to Mt. Pisgah State Park to participate in events ranging from kayaking and horseback riding to firearms, ATV safety, and wild game cooking. If you can do it in the outdoors, there was someone to teach you how in a mini-workshop. I learned about [...]