WriterByNature.com

November 25, 2008 6:50 am

“A chorus of our differences,” Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker said in a recent interview.

Do you ever wonder why metaphors work? Or more important, how to write a powerful metaphor?

Let’s start with what a metaphor is:

A well-written metaphor forms a bridge connecting two apparently unrelated things, providing logical balance to both sides. A poorly written metaphor distracts the reader.

When they efficiently create an image in the reader’s mind, metaphors also help develop the theme.

Consider how Barbara Kingsolver masters this technique in ANIMAL DREAMS:

“The man had a compass needle in his cerebral cortex. And for all that,  he’d still in the long run declined to be the guiding star I needed.”

Try this exercise to build your metaphor-writing skills: (more…)

November 21, 2008 8:01 am

This is one of a series of articles designed to equip any naturalist with words that enhance learning and make field observation easier. Whether you’re a forager or a gardener, it’s useful to have a common vocabulary when talking about how plants grow. Here is a list of the more commonly used words for:

Flower Parts (more…)

November 14, 2008 6:48 am

This is one of a series of articles designed to equip any naturalist with words that enhance learning and make field observation easier. Here are the botanical terms for:

Leaf Shapes and Patterns

Alternate: leaves growing separately  and at different heights from each side of the stem

Opposite: leaves growing across from each other on the stem

Petiole: the stem that supports the leaf

Lobe: a rounded protrusion of a leaf (more…)

November 12, 2008 6:27 am

This season has featured “a one-week-on, three-weeks-off ” rain pattern. It rained last week, which improved the chance of finding mushrooms.

Jelly fungi were abundant on our final COMA hike. I didn’t collect them, because I wanted our new members to experience the thrill of finding and eating mushrooms.

Don Shernoff plunged into the exposed roots of a deteriorated fallen hardwood with a passion that told me he found a choice edible.  (more…)

November 7, 2008 5:57 am

This is one of a series of articles designed to equip any naturalist with words that enhance learning and make field observation easier. Here are the botanical terms for:

Plant Growth and Life Span

Annual: a plant that lives for one growing season.

Biennial: a plant with a two-year growth cycle, the first year as a rosette, the second as a flowering stalk.

Herbaceous: a plant with no woody tissues that survive above ground from one year to the next.

Vegetative reproduction: a plant that does not use seeds to reproduce. (more…)

November 5, 2008 1:53 pm

The voting machine at my polling place was not working, so I voted by paper ballot before heading off to work my Tuesday CSA shift.

Yesterday was an amazing day. My fellow Americans embraced faith over fear to elect President Barack Obama, who clearly possesses superior leadership skills. The last eight years have been rough; now we have a chance at repairing much of the damage.

After the mayhem at the polls, I really needed to spend time in the garden. This garden has been nourishing my body and my spirit since the first day of April. When the snow finally falls, I’ll miss my work shift.

I had no idea cultivated parsnips take nine months to mature. Kale, collards, radishes, rutabagas and romaine are also thriving – and they all taste better at this time of year. As I helped Sister Carol mulch the young blueberries, I felt a part of something life-affirming.

Harmony Farms is nothing short of magical. My faith deepens with each visit, no matter what obstacle or challenge gardeners face.

Our determined group of CSA volunteers were lucky to get a boost from real farmers, who work like a Nascar pit crew – Raimundo is the Barry Keegan of the garden world.

It’s an ending time and a beginning time in nature and in politics. I am grateful for the promise of hope.

November 1, 2008 4:46 pm

The bad news is that I’m not finding items I used to find in retail stores. The good news is that I have another good reason not to get in the car, because I can find these products online and get paid to purchase them online.

Food:

Larabar Chocolate Coconut Chew 16 1.8 Oz bars

Jocalat Chocolate, Box of 16

Larabar Jocalat Variety Pack Of Chocolate, Chocolate Mint, And Chocolate Coffee, 1.7-Ounce Bars (Pack of 18)

Larabar Ginger Snap Box Of 16 1.8 oz

Creative Products:

- Super Sculpey Polymer Clay

Outdoors Products:

SAWYER® PREMIUM CLOTHING INSECT REPELLENT 24 oz Trigger Spray

Canon PowerShot A720IS 8MP Digital Camera with 6x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

Equinox Ultralight Nylon Tarp

2x Digital Telephoto Professional Series Lens (52mm) + 0.45x Digital Wide Angle Macro Professional Series Lens (52mm) + 3 Piece Digital Camera Filter Kit + Adapter Tube + Carrying Case + Tripod for Canon Powershot A700, A710, A720 IS Digital Cameras

Food Preservation:

FoodSaver V2440 Advanced Design Vacuum-Packaging System

Resource Books:

The Basic Essentials of Knots for the Outdoors

Camping’s Top Secrets, 3rd: A Lexicon of Camping Tips Only the Experts Know (Falcon Guides Camping)

Basic Essentials Map & Compass, 3rd (Basic Essentials Series)